Part 541. Political Involvement and Christian Social Action.

Before you call yourself a Christian, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, or any other theology, learn to be a good human first.

Anon

Christian theology needs to speak of social revolution, not reform; of liberation, not development; of socialism, not modernisation of the prevailing system.

Gustavo Gutierrez.

In the context of the above I invite you to read the article: Standing at the Crossroads: Rethinking Christian Social Action by Rachel Arnold.

https://gracetruth.blog/2026/10/02/standing-at-the-crossroads-rethinking-christian-social-action-by-rachel-arnold/?

An interesting article. My intention is to concentrate on two issues: political involvement and what the article describes as a Christian approach to social action.

As the article indicates there is a massive amount of effort put in by churches (and by it should be noted  secular organisations) to assist individuals at point of need.  Sometimes this support is provided by an organisation acting alone, sometimes organisations are in partnerships or are working collaboratively. Why this support is needed is well documented by, for example, The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and there are innumerable reports setting out ideas of the action necessary to overcome the causes of poverty, deprivation, destitution, domestic abuse, homelessness etc. However the essential structural change can be achieved only by political decisions resulting in reallocation of resources by the government.  Like it or not, change of the magnitude required will be achieved only by a signficant shift in political attitudes: and these are determined often by reference to public opinion.

In the 1960's JK Galbraith expressed the opinion, in a USA context, that the country had the resources to eliminate the issues affecting what he described as the underclass but lacked the public and political will so to do.  For a present day exposition of this see: Taxpayers Against Poverty founded by Rev. Paul Nicolson.

In the 1980's the Church of England Report: Faith in the City stated at paragraph 3.7:

Yet while many members of the Church of England have found it more congenial to express their discipleship by helping individual victims of misfortune or oppression, fewer are willing to rectify injustices in the structures of society.  There is a number of reasons for this preference for 'ambulance work'. No-one minds being cast in the role of protector and helper of the weak and powerless: there is no threat here to one's superior position and one's power of free decision. But to be a protagonist of social change may involve challenging those in power and risking the loss of one's own power. Helping a victim or sufferer seldom involves conflict; working for structural change can hardly avoid it.  Direct personal assistance to an individual may seem relatively straightforward, uncontroversial  and rewarding; involvement in social issues implies choosing choosing between complicated alternatives and accepting compromises which seem remote from any moral position.....We have little tradition of initiating conflict and coping with it creatively. We are not at home in the tough, secular milieu of social and political activism.

Christians need to engage in the tough, secular milieu of social and political activism, as proposed by Liberation Theology proponents such as Gustavo Gutierrez and Jürgen Moltmann, not necessarily by aligning with a political 'tribe', but finding and persuading political allies to support policies aimed at achieving social justice.

The article makes the valid point that organisations providing help at point of need should be looking at advising on other support that may be available to individuals. This leads to the concept that organisations should not regard individuals as customers or clients on the other side of the counter but as individuals with whom a rapport may be developed.  This concept is well argued by such as Rev. Jon Swales and Rev. Samuel Wells.  Let us not kid ouselves that this is only a Christian response.  Other faiths and those of no faith are just as capable of coming alongside, being with, individuals and helping, supporting, advising, listening or caring.  There is no Christian monopoly.

Unlike the author of the article I do not believe there is a distinctive Christian approach to social action.  Rather there is a human response that manifests itself in supporting individuals and campaigning for social justice, hence the quotation at the top of this post.