Movement magazine issue 154

THE LONG READ
POLITICS
AND THEOLOGY
A MATCH MADE
IN HEAVEN?
Do politics and theology even go together? That is the response I usually get
when I use the phrase ‘political theology’. People gasp at the suggestion that
it is possible for good to come from such a union, and it is understandable.
History does not paint an encouraging picture. Christian theology has been used to justify all manner
of political evils including colonisation and the massacres that accompanied them, the transatlantic
slave trade, and the oppression of people of other faiths. At times when the Church has enjoyed
political influence within the government, it has often failed to speak out against injustice, instead
being seduced by the trappings of wealth and power.
However, is this the whole story? Is it possible for Christian ideas to have a positive impact in the
social and political arena? As a Christian, can your faith contribute to the good of the people and
world around you?
What do we mean by ‘theology’?
For some, the word ‘theology’ causes knee-jerk reactions including eye-rolling, reaching for the
phone or slouching across a sofa for a nap. People can become disengaged as they prepare to be
bombarded by long words they don’t understand and long names that are even more difficult to
pronounce. Talk of ‘theology’ can come across as confusing at best, and condescending at worst.
The majority of people worshipping in churches will not have the chance to engage in the formal
study theology at any particular level. This word then creates a barrier between academics and
clergy, and those who may say ‘I am just a normal Christian’.
However, rather than defining theology as an academic pursuit reserved for the brightest among us, we
should really think of it as a process of learning that every single person engages with. A person who
does not believe in God is still impacted by theology because so many people in the world do believe
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