Christians Must Walk a Political Tightrope

To the faithful, nations and governments are but temporary, while the journey of the soul is eternal. But it is in the public expression of their faith that we can discern the deepest commitments of the faithful. Do they concern themselves mainly with themselves, or with others? In their mode of life do they exemplify judgment, or grace? Is theirs an angry God, or a loving One?

In the wake of the recent massive earthquake in Haiti—a tragedy extinguishing more than a quarter-of-a-million lives—many rushed to alleviate the suffering of the Haitian people; one prominent religious leader, however, asserted that the event was God’s punishment on a nation that had made a pact with the devil. Both responses express a political theology: a view of how religious people should react to injustice in the world.

“Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,” George Washington famously said in his Farewell Address, “religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

Christianity and Politics

Sorting out the proper relationship between religion and politics is particularly difficult for Christians. Unlike Moses or Muhammad, Jesus of Nazareth did not set out a political blueprint or ideal of any kind. He specifically rejected the political utopianism of some of His followers. He lived within a Roman Empire whose existence He hardly mentioned. Jesus’ main arguments were with religious authorities, not political ones. He proclaimed a kingdom “not of this world,” a kingdom based not on an alternative leadership but on transformed lives.

Yet Jesus was executed as, in part, an enemy of the state. Contemporary leaders, political and religious, found His otherworldly kingdom threatening because it demanded obedience to an authority beyond their own. Jesus’ followers were soon being executed for failing to show proper respect (that is, refusing to offer sacrifices) to the Roman emperor. In the Roman world, Christians challenged the political status quo on any number of issues, including slavery, infanticide, and the status of women. Christianity may not have laid out a blueprint for an ideal government, but “love your neighbor” had social and political consequences.

Dual Citizenship Difficulties

Christians in every generation have dealt with the same tension. They inhabit, in St. Augustine’s vivid image, the City of Man—the flawed and fallen realm of history, government, and politics—while owing their ultimate allegiance to the City of God.

This dual citizenship is difficult. Historically, when the faithful have exercised political power, they have sometimes been responsible for oppression and have brought discredit on the faith itself. Christians have seldom been less appealing than when acting in the name of “Christendom.” But when the faithful have ignored political power, they have sometimes again brought discredit on their ideals. Sins of omission can be as deadly as sins of commission. So the exercise of politics requires walking a tightrope. It is both a temptation and a responsibility; it can act like an addictive drug or a healing medicine.

Sins of omission can be as deadly as sins of commission.

Reflecting on these issues is always worthwhile. Today it is urgent. The reason is plain: we live in a time when our character-shaping institutions are weak, when sources of moral authority are in many respects on the defensive, and when the concept of truth itself often seems up for grabs.

We two do not share the concern of those who fear that America is about to enter a new Dark Age. That is far too sweeping and simplistic. But we do believe that an orderly, decent, and just society requires the cultivation of certain habits of the heart, a willingness to strive for moral excellence and defend moral truth. Such things are difficult to attain and easy to lose. And in America, the foundation and practice of such moral virtues has been inextricably tied to religious beliefs—in particular, to the vitality of Christian beliefs. “Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity,” George Washington famously said in his Farewell Address, “religion and morality are indispensable supports.”

Those supports continue to be necessary today. People willing to strengthen those supports deserve to be encouraged. So, too, do those ready to speak out on behalf of virtue and the good life, on what is noble and is worthy to be valued. These are subjects about which people of faith ought to have a great deal to say.