Re(1): Christianity & Politics

Hello Keith,

I suppose that how we define our terms goes a long way toward understanding. Apparently, the word "political" carries a different connotation for me than it does for other people: I have heard arguments that education is essentially political, church involvement essentially political, and of course your claim that Christianity is essentially political. By using "political" as an adjective and attaching it to the noun "activism," I was hoping to convey the very narrow sense of current American politics: the party platforms of red versus blue and the hot button issues that such entails. Yet that probably falls short, because "political activism" to many people is what environmentalist and welfare reformers (among a host of other possible examples) do. Even in that sense, however, it seems to me that these individuals are looking to the current government for change or seeking to change the current government as an avenue to realize their goals and aims: in other words, change enacted by law and institution, whether that be reform or increasing legislation.

I do not say that there is not a time and a place for such things when it comes to Christianity, particularly if one is both a Christian and a man or woman of political influence as well. What I find disheartening, however, is when Christianity is inextricably linked to the "courts of Caesar" such that if you do not believe such and such you are no longer seen as a believer. Who defines which issues are supported by God and which are not in the event of a conflict? If I say A and you say B, at best we can but respectfully disagree. By contrast, the kingdom I believe Christ has in mind is in the world but not of it.

There is an even wider sense of political in which we roughly mean "theory of government." I find this side of politics much more useful and interesting because it is not concentrated on a given platform within a given party within a given country but rather strives to look at politics as a historical and ethical entity: as a theoretical model to guide the practical concerns of law and legislation. On this level is our discussion about Europe being a post-Christian nation and the influence of the Enlightenment thinkers on the current, world-wide scene (or at least Western and/or industrialized scene).

In the broadest sense, politics comes from the Greek word "politçs" which means "citizen" (we sometimes say "of the people") and from which the Greek word "polis" emerged from which we derive such words as "metropolis," "police," and of course "politics." This in mind, Christianity has two aspects which are often expressed: its so-called vertical aspect which is concerned with the connection of God and man and its horizontal aspect which looks at the relationship of man to fellow man. This latter "political" element is certainly an aspect we are to keep in mind when we speak of Christianity, though not at the expense of the former! First and foremost, the vertical relationship must be established and maintained and then and only then can the transformative power take place. Ultimately, that transformative power takes place from the inside out--not by might and not by power but by the Spirit--for the kingdom of heaven is both within and above: as our Lord reminded Pilate, His kingdom is not of this world.

My conclusion, then, is that an element of Christianity is our role in the world amidst our fellow creatures. It is not the only aspect of the Christian faith (which I will sidebar below under the "*"), but you do well in reminding us it is an important one. Part of this involves that we act responsibly in our world, which may very well involve politics in the sense that the man on the street uses the term. However, we walk a very narrow line when we start dictating which platforms are of God and which are not. The "little stomach" I mention has to do with turning on the radio or going to church and hearing little else but thinly veiled polemics against this issue and that issue. I see so little of God in all of that; quite the contrary, it repulses me and my visceral reaction is to turn away from it altogether. Ultimately, however, I am so often forced to say, "Whatever the truth may be, it is surely not this."

* At RENOVARÉ, Richard Foster identifies six main emphases within the various traditions of Christianity. While he notes that a given affiliation tends to champion one or the other at the expense of the rest, he suggests (and I heartily agree) that they function best as an integrative whole. The list includes:


To my mind, these elements combined make up a balanced Christian worldview that is at once both vertical and horizontal in its orientation.

God bless,
Eric

• Re(2): Christianity & Politics - By keith November 16, 2005 at 08:33:06 PM
• Re(2): Christianity & Politics - By karen November 7, 2005 at 05:28:32 PM