The Church, the Powers and Politics

Part 3, The Long Defeat

Within history, the political powers are fallen and rebellious. They do, however, still possess some of their primordial functions in preserving and protecting societal flourishing. The powers can, of course, be more or less fallen. States vary greatly in the degree to which they serve human life. But even the very best of states will still be wounded by sin. In her role as steward of the gospel, the church reminds the state of both its failure and lack of ultimacy. As the psalmist declares, we do not put our trust in princes. The church points away from the state and toward the coming kingdom of God.

The implication of the vision I've sketched is political pessimism. J.R.R. Tolkien said it best in a correspondence: 

Actually I am a Christian, and indeed a Roman Catholic, so that I do not expect ‘history’ to be anything but a ‘long defeat’— though it contains (and in legend may contain more clearly and movingly) some samples or glimpses of final victory.

Every political endeavor within history will be a defeat. No nation can be or ever become "Christian" within history. To be sure, a state can become more or less functional. But a state cannot be Christian. Relatedly, "Christendom" is an oxymoron. Sure, there were governments in the West in cultures where Christianity was the faith of the rulers and populace. But you cannot attach the adjective Christian to the behavior of those states without doing massive moral damage to the word "Christian." To attach the adjective "Christian" to the Western political tradition is to sacralize and baptize some of the worst evils in human history. 

Basically, anyone expressing hope for a current state to become "Christian," or who expresses nostalgia for Western "Christendom," is lacking the appropriate amount of pessimism that history requires. The Western political tradition--"Christendom"--is a long defeat. It will remain so until the eschaton. 

Now, does that mean we should give up? That our quest for justice is futile? Can Christian virtues and values not leaven the state and provide it guidance? Can't we make a state more functional, just and humane?

Yes, of course. But I haven't yet turned in this series to say anything about political involvement. That will come. But we can't turn to issues of political involvement, participation, and engagement without a clear sense of the current status of the powers and what can and cannot be expected or accomplished within history. So far, I've argued that the Christian view of political engagement is characterized by the following:

1. Prophetic criticism of all nation states as being in rebellion against Christ.

2. Viewing the state as fallen, but not evil. States can and do provide structures for human flourishing. Those structures of flourishing demand our respect and support.

3. Confession that, within history, Christendom is an impossibility. We approach politics with a profound sense of pessimism, knowing that human political history, even with Christians holding power, will result in disappointment and defeat. 

A quick note before you go, just in case you're missing the point. We need #3 to understand #1. For example, I think a Christian nationalist would jump in agreement at #1, claiming that America currently is in a state of rebellion against Christ. The whole point of Christian nationalism is to "restore" or "win" our nation for Christ.

But that is where #3 comes in: You can't "win" or "reclaim" any nation for Christ. Within history Christendom is an impossibility. Any quest for establishing a "Christian nation" will end in defeat. Consequently, attaching Christ to your political project will only result in massive damage to the witness of the church. Seriously, Jesus Christ himself could be elected President of the United States and that will not make America a Christian nation. No doubt, Jesus as POTUS would do some good things. But after four years, eight if Jesus was re-elected, America would still be a broken, sinful nation. Which is precisely why I think Jesus turned the presidency down when Satan offered it to him in the wilderness.