Movement magazine issue 154

and live their lives in the light of this faith. If theology is simply
an understanding of God, then it is clearly open to more
than just clergy or academics. Every person who believes
in God believes particular things about Him, even if these
things are limited or cannot be expressed coherently. Every
Christian relates to God on the basis of a certain theology or
understanding. Your theology might involve seeing God as a
loving father, or as a harsh judge; this will impact the way you
express your faith and relate to God and others. All theology
is practical; it all impacts the way we think, live and behave.
So what is ‘political theology’?
If we accept that all theology is practical, then political
theology specifically regards the practical impact of Christian
ideas on the social and political world. This does not mean
choosing the bits of scripture that we think of as being
explicitly political and forcing them into a jigsaw to create
one picture, as a systematic approach might do. It is about
understanding that every idea has political implications. For
example, the incarnation is not just an idea to be understood
and talked about; it impacts our sense of identity as believers
to whom Christ has drawn near. This in turn can transform
the way we see our role in the world; we are called to draw
near and reach out to those who are different from us. This
will radically change the way we relate to those who do not
share the Christian faith and to the world beyond the church
along with its systems and structures.
So what do I mean when I say ‘political’? Far from having
a narrow understanding of politics, it can be more helpful
to have a broader definition that goes beyond the formal
How can political theology
change the world?
Religion is often in the news for all the wrong reasons. From
child abuse scandals in the Catholic Church, to terrorists
claiming the Muslim faith, religious groups are increasingly
seen as dangerous. On the one hand, the reaction of wider
society is to push religion back into the private. Many
humanists would take this view as well as many others who
do not recognise religion as a positive influence on society.
On the other hand, there is a desire to publicly scrutinise
religion, to pull it into the light as it were, in order to see
what is really going on. So how might the church handle this
complex relationship with the public square?
By engaging with political theology, Christian leaders have
the opportunity to wrestle ‘with the Bible in one hand and
the newspapers in the other’ 1 . This is an essential aspect of
contemporary ministry where congregants as well as nonbelievers
are relentlessly bombarded with information from
around the globe. Such a process of deep reflection has
the potential to transform leaders as they begin to grapple
with their own story, values and opinions, the realities of
the world, and biblical truth. It is an inevitable challenge if
the Church is going to develop a coherent voice that can
engage confidently and humbly with the conversations in the
public square. The task of political theology is both internal
and external; to generate reflection within the church which
will reform its structure, values and activities in order that it
may effectively serve God in the wider world as a redemptive
force for the sake of the common good.
In our generation,
we can be
overwhelmed by
huge questions
and the realities
of injustice. I
find solace in
remembering that
in the relatively
short time I have
on earth there is
something I can
do, but this is not
everything.
the direct links between religion and politics
by working for the All-Party Parliamentary
Groups on freedom of religion or belief 3 .
Through my work in Brixton I developed the
ability to build power with people rather than
over them. I learned to listen to peoples
stories and to tell my own, and develop
Christian leaders by teaching them to act in
public life.
These are a few things I have learned so far
in exploring political theology in practice:
1. The means are as important as the end
So many people talk about vision; for their
life, for their church; for their community.
We are caught up in a daydream, imagining
all the new things that are possible in life.
We are pushed to dream bigger, to have a
broader vision and to do all we can to make
it happen. We pray ‘your kingdom come’ and
we use all our energy to pull it down pronto!
However, in the process, it is so easy to
forget that how we get there is as important
as getting there (wherever ‘there’ is). If we
use manipulative and underhanded tactics
to get to where we think we need to go, will
that count as success in the end? God does
not simply give us a vision to get to, he is
clear that our character should reflect him
in the process.
fulfil our own self-interest? It is possible that
in our pursuit of good things we neglect the
people God made, and has called ‘good’?
This is especially common in areas of work
which are all for good causes. The core of
my work as a community organiser is oneto-one
meetings with leaders to ensure that
people are loved not used. Do we spend
time getting to know the people around us?
How much do we really value people in our
actions and encourage them to flourish?
3. God really is in control, but you need to
do your bit
Finally, on the road to seeing the world
changed, there will always be moments of
challenge which will threaten your resolve
and your focus. In our generation, we can
be overwhelmed by huge questions and
the realities of injustice. I find solace in
remembering that in the relatively short
time I have on earth there is something I
can do, but this is not everything. I cannot
fix the global economy, end poverty and
eradicate injustice, and for whatever reason
God does not do these things either in the
way we think he should. An understanding
of the sovereignty of God which includes a
human call to responsible action is definitely
required to enable balanced and hopeful
engagement.
government structures of Westminster, ministers, MPs and
local councillors. If we only think of politics in these terms,
often called ‘representative politics’ then only a few people
will ever get to truly shape the world we live in. However,
if we go back to an earlier understanding of politics as
governing the city or ‘polis’ as Aristotle called it, then there is
much more room for involvement. Politics in its truest sense
is about making decisions and governing the common life;
the life we share with those around us. Political theology is
about bringing Christian theology to bear on these decisions
and the processes and structures behind them.
If we want to change the world, we must begin by considering
how the world needs to be changed and then what role we
might play in bringing about that new reality.
When I first began exploring these questions I had the
opportunity to both reflect in the classroom and in practice
through broad-based community organising with Citizens
UK 2 I was accepted onto the Buxton Leadership programme
at the Centre for Theology and Community which enabled
me to work in the House of Lords and also as a community
organiser in Brixton. In both contexts I was able to explore
how Christian values could contribute to public life. I saw
2. People must come before programme
God loves people, but often we fail at this.
Maybe we think that although God says that,
what he really loves is success and progress.
Sometimes we are tempted to stand on the
heads of other people if it means we can build
a global ministry or launch a social justice
project. This is symptomatic of a failure to
take God’s love seriously. Do we love people
practically by making decisions that are for
their own good as opposed to using them to
Selina Stone works for the Centre of
Theology and Community, and directs the
William Seymour Programme engaging
Pentecostal churches in community
organising, harnessing potential for the
development of leaders and congregations.
To find out more about Selina’s work and
the centre’s internship programme visit
www.theology-centre.org
1
Karl Barth 2 www.citizensuk.org 3
www.freedom-declared.org
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