Christian Engagement with Politics

This assignment examines the role of Christianity in public life, focusing on the tension between upholding moral values and engaging in democratic processes. It explores how Christians can contribute to society through their beliefs while respecting diverse viewpoints. The discussion includes examples of contemporary issues like same-sex marriage, highlighting the evolving stances of religious leaders.

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Topic: How might a Christian engage in politics? In your answer, include a theology of
church and state relationships, and then apply your theory to either the issue of
homosexual marriage or abortion.
Student Name:
University:

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Abstract: In the present research work, an attempt has been made to deal with the issue is the
Christians should engage in politics. In order to find an answer to this question, the relationships
between the Church and State have also been explored. There are several reasons to to which it
becomes important for the Christians to take care of politics. Without being involved in politics,
it is not possible for the Christians to follow the basic tenets of Christianity which includes, love
thy neighbor. This can be fulfilled only if the Christians take part in politics. At the same time,
by taking part in politics, the Christians can also have an impact on issues like homosexual
marriage and abortion.

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There is a difference between the question of religion in politics and the issue of church and
State. In case, there is a failure to make this distinction, it results in confusion. The issue of
church and state is related to the institutions and the spheres of action that are considered to be
appropriate for each. In this case, the concept of separation is valid. For example, the bishops and
pastors for the churches are not appointed by the government. On the other hand, Churches,
which means all religious organizations, do not have the authority to appoint presidents,
governors and the judges. The law provides that any religion cannot be favored as compared to
the others. Similarly, the government cannot support any particular religion by taxes.1 There is
no role or authority of the state in defining the beliefs that are related with God and worship. At
the same time, the law requires that the free exercise of religion above the citizens needs to be
guaranteed. The state should remain neutral between different religions and allow the citizens to
believe or not believe in God and to engage or not to engage in religious practice according to
the dictates of their own conscience. Similarly, any religious test cannot be prescribed for
holding a particular office.
In this sense, it can be said that Australia is a secular country. However there are certain
complications present due to which, even the simple notion of religious neutrality becomes
compound.2 There is a kind of 'civil religion' present in the history that has been expressed in the
founding documents, coins, speeches of presidents and the pledge of allegiance.
In the same way, particularly when the elections are on the horizon, generally the Christians face
to models of serious Christian engagement with the world. These can be simply described as
fight or flight, or in other words, either take it over for Jesus or to withdraw and wait for the
1 Callan, Eomann, Creating Citizens: Political Education and Liberal Democracy. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1997
2 Clanton, J. Caleb. Religion and Democratic Citizenship: Inquiry and Conviction in the
American Public Square. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007

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return of Jesus. The former option is faced by the evangelicals in the so-called religious right,
even if it is also the posture of the most of the religious left, which includes the liberation
theologies of different stripes.3 It'll also been mentioned in the more refined excellence of neo-
Calvinism the agenda of world formation on transformation.
The involvement of Christians in politics has been a much debated subject that has remained at
the center of Christian discourse for several centuries. There are a larger number of believers
who have been taught that the Christians should not engage in political realm. The reason given
in this regard is that "faith and politics do not mix". There is a validity regarding the caution
given by many Christians. There have been some believers who have entered the political arena
and became so much focused on politics that they compromise the teachings that are considered
as being basic to the Christian faith. Similarly, there have been some others who committed the
mistake of resting all their hopes on the politicians and the government, which compromised
godly living and morality. On the other hand, the reality is that the hope for change cannot be
based on the ruling class of a particular country, but ultimately on Jesus Christ.
Despite the fact that these claims may be valid, but it will be considered as a mistake if the
Christians become totally isolated from the realm of politics.4 The reason is that when the people
of God decide that they are not going to vote or to run for a particular office, it means that they
have carelessly left the fate of the future generations in the hands of immoral and the wicked.
When the Christians abstain from public sphere, they are compromising one of the basic
teachings of Christianity, which is "you shall love your neighbor as yourself" (MArk 12:31).
3 Dagger, Richard. Civic Virtues: Rights, Citizenship, and Republican Liberalism. Oxford:
Oxford University Press, 1997
4 Eliot, T. S. “Catholicism and International Order.” Essays, Ancient and Modern. London: Faber
and Faber, 1936

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Among the two greatest commandments of the Scriptures, to love God first and then to love their
neighbors as we love ourselves, can be described as the clear mandate in favor of cultural and
political engagement by the Christians.5 The love for neighbor is based on the love of the
Christians for God. Only if a person loves his neighbor, such a person may protect the
inalienable rights and freedoms of others. However, in order to understand how the political
engagement of a person is related with the loud for his neighbors, the complete scope of this
great Commandment needs to be understood.
In this context, Jesus had spoken regarding a "certain man" who was beaten and mugged by
thieves. They left him to die. Nobody, neither the priest nor the Levite tried to help him, but a
Samaritan showed real compassion and provided for the full recovery of the injured person. Then
Jesus asks a question, which of these three proved to be a neighbor to the victim of thieves. In
this parable, the focus is not on the victim but on the person who should be considered as the
neighbor. In the present world also, there is a lot of poverty. Similarly, there are many widows
and orphans. There are millions of homeless and persons who are looking for one decent meal in
a day for their families.6 All these persons made our humanitarian help. Similarly, issues like
human trafficking, tyranny, and the persecution of minorities also contribute to this great need.
There is very little hope of a change if the people of God. Do not engage in all of these. In view
of this reason, it can be stated that it is not possible to love our neighbors if we do not take part in
culture and political process.
Under these circumstances, the need for involvement in politics by the Christians becomes
obvious. However, at the same time, it is also obvious that the Christians are the ideal persons for
5 Eliot, T. S. “The Idea of a Christian Society” and “Notes Toward the Definition of Culture.”
Christianity and Culture. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1967
6 Gaus, Gerald F. “The Place of Religious Belief in Liberal Politics.” In Multiculturalism and
Moral Conflict, edited by Maria Dimova-Cookson. London: Routledge, 2008

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fulfilling this role. In this regard, it has been mentioned in the Bible that only the "righteous"
unable to understand the rights of the underprivileged.7 The people who "seek the Lord" rely on
the understanding of the Bible that transcend their own social context and selfish inclinations due
to which they unable to understand justice completely. Although it may be argued by some that
Jesus was not involved in politics but in this regard it is worth mentioning that there was no
democracy in a Rome. The present form of political involvement was not present at that time.
Even if Jesus was not actively involved in politics during the time of his earthly ministry, he did
not undermine this idea.
The Christians in our country are privileged to live in a democratic country. Here, people are the
authority. This means that the people also have the political influence that can make a difference.
Another prominent reason due to which it becomes imperative for Christians to take an active
part in politics is that the Christian worldview is related with all areas of life. Generally an
objection is raised against the engagement of the Christians in politics than anything other than
explicit preaching and the teaching of Bible should be treated as a distraction from the mission of
the church. But this objection amounts to a limited understanding of the kingdom of God and at
the same time, it is also against the examples given in the Scriptures. The Christian worldview is
capable of providing a comprehensive understanding of reality. This worldview is related with
all areas of life which includes involvement in politics. In fact, there is a mention of civil
government in the Bible, and it also contains examples of faithful engagement.8 Joseph and
Daniel, in the Old Testament have served in the civil government, and exerted their roles for the
purpose of encouraging the nourishment of their nations. On the other hand, in New Testament,
Jesus was involved in holistic ministry, which cared for the spiritual and physical needs of
7 Greenawalt, Kent. Religious Convictions and Political Choice. Oxford: Oxford University
Press, 1991
8 Gutmann, Amy. Identity in Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003

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individuals. The outworking and the extension of the reconciliatory message given by the Gospel
is to feed the hungry and to heal their diseases. Similarly, this approach was also advocated by
Paul when he stated that, "As we have opportunity let us do good". Being involved in "good
works" means the need for taking part in the political process, in view of the legitimate and the
significant role played by the government in this regard.9 The government makes several
decisions that have a significant impact on the lives of the people and also the way, we can
interact with them. Hence, it is important that the Christian worldview includes the political
theology, which recognizes the need for including each area of life in the "good works" of the
believers, particularly politics as this area has significant implications in their day-to-day lives of
the people.
Another reason that can be given in favor of the engagement of the Christians in politics is that
politics is unavoidable. In the form of sojourners and exiles” (1 Peter 2:11), it may appear
tempting for the Christians to believe that the earthly governments are inconsequential, when it
comes to furthering the Gospel. But if we ask a pastor working in underground church or to a
missionary who is trying to access a closed country if politics are inconsequential, he knows the
reality. Passports and visas and religious liberty are not unnecessary luxuries, but in many cases
they are very significant for the pastors and the missionaries who are trying to preach. Therefore
it can be stated in this regard that the believers are citizens of "City of God" but on this side of
eternity, they also belong to the "City of Man". As a result, they should become good citizens in
both the cases. There are examples presented the Bible, how the membership of the earthly city
can be leveraged in order to develop the reach of the heavenly.10
9 Perry, Michael J. Under God?: Religious Faith and Liberal Democracy. Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2003
10 Rawls, John. Political Liberalism.New York: Columbia University Press, 1996

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There are a large number of Australians who consider that religion is related with truth. Jesus
was the son of God and He had died for our sins. Therefore, this faith implies for many believers,
particular moral propositions, like the sinfulness of homosexual conduct, indissolubility of
marriage and the wrongness of abortion. For example, if the decision made by the government to
have a postal vote regarding the issue of same-sex marriage is allowed by the High Court, the
Christians across Australia will have to make a choice, either vote yes or no. Most of the
comments made by the Christian thinkers on this issue in the public sphere have been firmly
against the legislation supporting same-sex marriage. Whereas nearly 10 years ago, it was really
unthinkable, but now there are many religious leaders in Australia who are actively campaigning
for a yes vote. Historically, all the faiths have opposed any relaxation of law regarding
homosexuality. They have claimed it to be "intrinsically disordered' or a "sinful life choice".
However, this is not the case anymore. Many religious leaders and academics are in favor of the
acceptance of marriage equality as an issue related with social justice.
Under these circumstances, it becomes important for the Christians to take part in politics. The
Christian witness in the public square can contribute transcendent values regarding the ethical
and moral issues. On the other hand, the withdrawal by the Christians from politics will leave a
moral vacuum that is susceptible to influence is due to which the government may be forced to
move beyond the purview designated by God. Government is impacted by politics, and it also
shapes. The society as well as it has a great influence on culture. Due to the teachings of the
Bible and their inevitable impact on our culture, it is important that the Christians care regarding
the politics.

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Bibliography
Callan, Eomann, Creating Citizens: Political Education and Liberal Democracy. Oxford:
Clarendon Press, 1997
Clanton, J. Caleb. Religion and Democratic Citizenship: Inquiry and Conviction in the American
Public Square. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books, 2007
Dagger, Richard. Civic Virtues: Rights, Citizenship, and Republican Liberalism. Oxford: Oxford
University Press, 1997
Eliot, T. S. “Catholicism and International Order.” Essays, Ancient and Modern. London: Faber
and Faber, 1936
Eliot, T. S. “The Idea of a Christian Society” and “Notes Toward the Definition of Culture.”
Christianity and Culture. New York: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1967
Gaus, Gerald F. “The Place of Religious Belief in Liberal Politics.” In Multiculturalism and
Moral Conflict, edited by Maria Dimova-Cookson. London: Routledge, 2008
Greenawalt, Kent. Religious Convictions and Political Choice. Oxford: Oxford University Press,
1991
Gutmann, Amy. Identity in Democracy. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003
Perry, Michael J. Under God?: Religious Faith and Liberal Democracy. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press, 2003
Rawls, John. Political Liberalism.New York: Columbia University Press, 1996