Should Christianity Be Political? 8 Theses!
I keep finding myself reflecting on what I’ve called The Constantinian Conundrum. In short, the conundrum is this:
Instead of seeking political power, establishing a Christian government, i.e., Constantinianism, I constantly hear that the church should be at the margins of society, standing up for the vulnerable, showing solidarity with the outcasts, and most important of all, speaking truth to power.
So, instead of a Constantinian arrangement, we need a prophetic witness from the margins. Instead of being in bed with the powers, we should speak truth to power.
Sounds great! However, there is a slight problem with the “prophet from the margins” view of the church.
What happens when you speak truth to power … and the power listens? What happens when the power wants you to recommend people to public office, wants your endorsement, or wishes to give you a place in authority?
The problem is, if you try to make your city, country, or world a better place, then you have to be political. But, when you mix religion and politics, you get politics, or even worse, theocratic politics.
But, on the other side, if you abandon the world, withdraw from the public square, keep out of politics, your silence becomes complicit with various evils, injustices, and inequalities that plague our city, states, and nations.
It really is a “damned if you do and damned if you don’t” scenario.
So what is to be done?