Participation: A Working Theology of Politics
This is an excerpt from a paper I presented this summer at the Christian Scholars' Conference. This represents my current, evolving thinking through scripture and the role of Christians in politics and government. I know this is bare-boned theology, so bound up in scripture references and all, but sometimes I find good comfort in the command, example and necessary inference of the sola scriptura of frontier America. I also know this is too long for a blog post.
Very few Christians would dispute the callings, burdens and ministries owed to the sick, poor and vulnerable in the name of Christ and the glory of God. The contemporary debate occurs between those who would argue that God has placed this work only on individual disciples or congregations of Christians, not in the state, and those who would argue that this work and this problem reside with the nation-state or dominant culture where the Christians reside. This debate arises from two issues: whether Christians have any business engaging the secular state or whether Christians believe that engaging the secular state is effective to achieve the moral goal.
Romans 13 is the most direct address in the New Testament on the role of government and the governed. There, Paul admonishes every citizen and subject of the Roman empire “to submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Rom. 13:1) Paul describes the sovereign’s governor and explains the need to submit:
Paul marks a clear delineation between the governor and the governed, the sovereign and the subjects. In Rome, as in most of the world until the Enlightenment, subjects and citizens had virtually no peaceful voice in their government. Sovereigns ruled by Divine Right or force of might with total authority, or at most, with the support of oligarchical courts. The Emperor ruled, and the subjects served.
As a Roman citizen, Paul enjoyed some privileges in the Empire, but by the time of his writing, Emperor Nero ruled as a dictator with no obligation to any representative Senate. Even so, Paul describes the government in terms of righteous ministry from God, and he teaches Christian citizens to submit and to pay their dues to the State. Jesus famously replied to those religious leaders who sought to trap him with a question of taxation by the occupiers: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Mt. 22:21; Mk. 12:17; Lk. 20:25)
After centuries, Western thought captured Greek notions of democracy. Enlightenment philosophers began to criticize unreasoned, obsequious genuflection to a throne and bridled against the notion of a Divine Right. These ideas found their experimental home in the British colonies of North America, and perhaps for the first time in human history, the stark distinction between Sovereign and Subject, Governor and Governed, blurred as a new social compact became manifest. The boldest and clearest articulation of this experiment appears in the Declaration of Independence:
Justifying the proposed Constitution and urging its ratification, James Madison articulated the theory of American republican government in The Federalist No. 39:
In Romans, Paul admonished citizens and subjects to submit and to pay rightful dues. Christ called his followers to be salt and light, to be shining lights, to glorify God and to transform the world by their presence in the world. (Matt. 5-7) Christ did not call for the overthrow of governments or the co-opting of the state to achieve spiritual ends. The apostles did not advocate for reform of the Roman state to ensure justice, although the apostles and prophets certainly do call for justice.
Paul explained that governments exist by God’s hand to administer His will. When Christ encountered government officials, functionaries and soldiers, he did not command them to leave their posts but to act justly and to love mercy.* When Paul taught Roman soldiers, even his own jailers, he did not teach them to leave the Empire’s service, but he converted them to the way of Christ.(See, e.g., Ac. 16:28-34) In Romans, he declared magistrates and functionaries to be God’s servants to administer justice and government. (Rom. 13:4-6)
In the United States of America, however extraordinarily, individual subjects are the collective sovereign. The governed govern themselves. The sharp distinction Paul observes between the State and its citizens does not exist in the United States. Rather, the roles coalesce where the people have an active, fruitful voice in their own affairs, representatives and policies. The government responds directly to the will of the people, at least regularly at the ballot box, if not more frequently as private interests press the government to move. Thus, every American, including American Christians, bears the burdens of submissive citizenship and righteous, merciful sovereignty. In matters of governance and policy, Christian Americans must abide the Rule of Law, must submit to just laws and must seek to implement just and useful governmental policies and laws.
Scripture asserts an obligation is to “do all things to the glory of God,” to approach all of the work given to a believer as if it were God’s very work. (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23-25) If Americans are both subject and sovereign, then American Christians are bound to consider public policy and the role of the public, secular government as if it were God’s own work, to His glory. At the very least, Americans who seek to obey this scriptural mandate must consider public policy, law and the government as potentially just, useful, prudential, wise and effective solutions to the problems besetting neighbors in the great community.
In the instant [election], Christians must consider their roles as governed and government. If the public policy is unjust, then Christians must answer as participants in that public policy, as self-governors. If the free marketplace is unjust, then Christians must answer as suppliers and demanders, buyers and sellers, consumers and providers, individually and communally, being cautious to avoid holding the free market as sacrosanct before unjust effect. If our healthcare system obstructs basic care for the poor, entrenches illness and hastens the death for those on the economic margin of our nation, then Christians should be aware and active to remove those obstacles.
If Christians would seek to rectify an unjust policy or state of circumstance, then Christians rightly should consider the judicious use of the State to address the problem. If progressive use of government is a useful means to address the great disparity in healthcare for the working poor in the United States, the great waste of resources in a skewed marketplace and the adverse effect on the life and health of less affluent neighbors, then Christians should make good use of the available tools.
*See, e.g., Mt. 8:5-13, Lk. 7:1-10 (Jesus praising the faith of the centurion on behalf of his servant); Lk. 19:1-9 (Zacchaeus, the wee little man); Ac. 10 (Peter and Cornelius the centurion in the Italian Regiment); Ac. 24-26 (Paul before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, concluding, “Short time or long – I pray that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am (a Christian), except for these chains,” at 26:29).
Very few Christians would dispute the callings, burdens and ministries owed to the sick, poor and vulnerable in the name of Christ and the glory of God. The contemporary debate occurs between those who would argue that God has placed this work only on individual disciples or congregations of Christians, not in the state, and those who would argue that this work and this problem reside with the nation-state or dominant culture where the Christians reside. This debate arises from two issues: whether Christians have any business engaging the secular state or whether Christians believe that engaging the secular state is effective to achieve the moral goal.
Romans 13 is the most direct address in the New Testament on the role of government and the governed. There, Paul admonishes every citizen and subject of the Roman empire “to submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” (Rom. 13:1) Paul describes the sovereign’s governor and explains the need to submit:
He is God’s servant, agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. (Rom. 13:4b-7)
Paul marks a clear delineation between the governor and the governed, the sovereign and the subjects. In Rome, as in most of the world until the Enlightenment, subjects and citizens had virtually no peaceful voice in their government. Sovereigns ruled by Divine Right or force of might with total authority, or at most, with the support of oligarchical courts. The Emperor ruled, and the subjects served.
As a Roman citizen, Paul enjoyed some privileges in the Empire, but by the time of his writing, Emperor Nero ruled as a dictator with no obligation to any representative Senate. Even so, Paul describes the government in terms of righteous ministry from God, and he teaches Christian citizens to submit and to pay their dues to the State. Jesus famously replied to those religious leaders who sought to trap him with a question of taxation by the occupiers: “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” (Mt. 22:21; Mk. 12:17; Lk. 20:25)
After centuries, Western thought captured Greek notions of democracy. Enlightenment philosophers began to criticize unreasoned, obsequious genuflection to a throne and bridled against the notion of a Divine Right. These ideas found their experimental home in the British colonies of North America, and perhaps for the first time in human history, the stark distinction between Sovereign and Subject, Governor and Governed, blurred as a new social compact became manifest. The boldest and clearest articulation of this experiment appears in the Declaration of Independence:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.
Justifying the proposed Constitution and urging its ratification, James Madison articulated the theory of American republican government in The Federalist No. 39:
What then are the distinctive characters of the republican form? . . . [W]e may define a republic to be. . . a government which derives all of its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of people; and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is essential to such a government, that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it. . . . It is sufficient for such a government, that the persons administering it be appointed, either directly or indirectly, by the people. . .
In Romans, Paul admonished citizens and subjects to submit and to pay rightful dues. Christ called his followers to be salt and light, to be shining lights, to glorify God and to transform the world by their presence in the world. (Matt. 5-7) Christ did not call for the overthrow of governments or the co-opting of the state to achieve spiritual ends. The apostles did not advocate for reform of the Roman state to ensure justice, although the apostles and prophets certainly do call for justice.
Paul explained that governments exist by God’s hand to administer His will. When Christ encountered government officials, functionaries and soldiers, he did not command them to leave their posts but to act justly and to love mercy.* When Paul taught Roman soldiers, even his own jailers, he did not teach them to leave the Empire’s service, but he converted them to the way of Christ.(See, e.g., Ac. 16:28-34) In Romans, he declared magistrates and functionaries to be God’s servants to administer justice and government. (Rom. 13:4-6)
In the United States of America, however extraordinarily, individual subjects are the collective sovereign. The governed govern themselves. The sharp distinction Paul observes between the State and its citizens does not exist in the United States. Rather, the roles coalesce where the people have an active, fruitful voice in their own affairs, representatives and policies. The government responds directly to the will of the people, at least regularly at the ballot box, if not more frequently as private interests press the government to move. Thus, every American, including American Christians, bears the burdens of submissive citizenship and righteous, merciful sovereignty. In matters of governance and policy, Christian Americans must abide the Rule of Law, must submit to just laws and must seek to implement just and useful governmental policies and laws.
Scripture asserts an obligation is to “do all things to the glory of God,” to approach all of the work given to a believer as if it were God’s very work. (I Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:23-25) If Americans are both subject and sovereign, then American Christians are bound to consider public policy and the role of the public, secular government as if it were God’s own work, to His glory. At the very least, Americans who seek to obey this scriptural mandate must consider public policy, law and the government as potentially just, useful, prudential, wise and effective solutions to the problems besetting neighbors in the great community.
In the instant [election], Christians must consider their roles as governed and government. If the public policy is unjust, then Christians must answer as participants in that public policy, as self-governors. If the free marketplace is unjust, then Christians must answer as suppliers and demanders, buyers and sellers, consumers and providers, individually and communally, being cautious to avoid holding the free market as sacrosanct before unjust effect. If our healthcare system obstructs basic care for the poor, entrenches illness and hastens the death for those on the economic margin of our nation, then Christians should be aware and active to remove those obstacles.
If Christians would seek to rectify an unjust policy or state of circumstance, then Christians rightly should consider the judicious use of the State to address the problem. If progressive use of government is a useful means to address the great disparity in healthcare for the working poor in the United States, the great waste of resources in a skewed marketplace and the adverse effect on the life and health of less affluent neighbors, then Christians should make good use of the available tools.
*See, e.g., Mt. 8:5-13, Lk. 7:1-10 (Jesus praising the faith of the centurion on behalf of his servant); Lk. 19:1-9 (Zacchaeus, the wee little man); Ac. 10 (Peter and Cornelius the centurion in the Italian Regiment); Ac. 24-26 (Paul before Felix, Festus and Agrippa, concluding, “Short time or long – I pray that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am (a Christian), except for these chains,” at 26:29).
posted by JRB at 1:33 PM
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