This is My Father’s World
The Book of Joshua presents a nation united with God. Joshua leads based on the leading of God and the people follow. The Israelites fought and conquered under the guidance of God and Joshua. It was a time of incredible political and military success for the nation of Israel.
The first Christian leader to fight under the banner of Christ was Constantine. According to ancient Roman historians, one night in 312 A.D. the Emperor Constantine had a dream wherein he was advised to conquer under the sign of Christ. After receiving this dream Constantine went into battle under the “Rho Chi” at the Battle of Milvian Bridge. Constantine’s forces were victorious and Constantine ultimately became the first major Christian world leader.
The Battle of Milvian Bridge marked a key turning point in the history of Christianity. Prior to that day Christianity was largely uninvolved with politics. Early Christian believers began as a small sect within a large empire that looked unfavourably on minority religious movements. Christians were persecuted and marginalised. Unlike Islam which was united from the start with political power, Christianity was largely apolitical in its genesis.
After Milvian Bridge everything changed. Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire. Since Milvian Bridge, Christianity has played an important role in politics in the Western World, Africa and the Middle East.
There are many different modern views regarding the proper role of Christianity in politics. In the United States of America courts refer to a wall of separation between Church and State. In Uganda the National Motto is “For God and My Country.” In England the Church of England remains the official church of the state but its influence in society continues to wane.
What is the proper role of believers in secular politics? Is politics the realm of God or the realm of man? The Bible is full of passages that speak to God’s clear dominion in this world. The Psalmist writes “(t)he earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it.” Pslams 24:1. John the Baptist stated “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” in announcing the impending Messiahship of Jesus. Matthew 3:2.
In terms of politics, it is clear that adherence to Godly counsel is a crucial aspect of sound leadership in the Bible. The prosperous reigns of Godly leaders such as David, Josiah, Uzziah and Hezikiah make this point clear. However, some argue that the New Testament (the book of Revelation aside) marks a departure from God’s concern with political matters. Proponents of this position point to Jesus’ statement “(g)ive unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” (Matthew 21:21) and Jesus’ choice not to pursue political power on earth.
The issue of God’s dominion in the political and secular realms has been addressed by Christian theologians for almost two thousand years. One of the first Christian theologians to address the issue of God’s sovereignty in this world was the Second Century bishop Iraneaus of Lyons. At the time of Iranaeus many people held dualist beliefs. These so-called “dualists” believed that evil power had dominion over this earthy realm. Iranaeus challenged these dualist beliefs and Irenaeus made the case for God’s dominion in this earthly world. With respect to politics Iraneaus wrote “earthly rule, therefore has been appointed by God for the benefit of the nations (and not by the devil, who is never at rest at all, nay, who does not love to see even nations conducting themselves in a quiet manner), so that under the fear of men may not eat each other up like fishes; but that, by means of the establishment of laws, they may keep down the wickedness of the nations. And in this way are God’s ministers.” (1)
The most influential Christian Theologian regarding God’s sovereignty and role in the political world was St. Augustine of Hippo (356-430). Augustine’s seminal work on this topic is his monumental City of God. Augustine wrote of two cities. “We see that the two cities were created by two kinds of love: the earthly city was created by self-love reaching the point of contempt for God, the heavenly city by the love of God carried as far as contempt of self. In fact, the earthly city glories in itself, the heavenly City glories in the Lord. (2)
However, the fact that there are two cities does not mean that Augustine considered God and Christianity are irrelevant to earthly political rule. Augustine describes earthly leaders as happy if “they fear God, love Him and worship Him; if more than their earthly kingdom, they love that realm where they do not fear to share the kingship” and “they do not fail to offer to their true God, as sacrifice for their sins, the oblation of humility, compassion and prayer. (3)
In today’s world the debate regarding the proper relationship between faith and politics persists. All over the world factions struggle to draw the line between matters of faith and matters of public policy. As Christians we must understand that our Christians beliefs should impact everything we do. We should act politically in a manner that is consistent with our worldview.
We must also not be taken in the fallacy that our God has no dominion in this earthly realm.
Footnotes:
(1) Iraneus’ Against Heresies as translated by A. Roberts and J. Donaldson appearing in O’Donovan and O’Donovan, A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, Eerdmans (1999)
(2) Augustine of Hippo City of God, Book 14 as translated by the Editors of Biblioteque Augustine appearing in O’Donovan and O’Donovan, A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, Eerdmans (1999)
(3) Augustine of Hippo City of God, Book 5 as translated by the Editors of Biblioteque Augustine appearing in O’Donovan and O’Donovan, A Sourcebook in Christian Political Thought, Eerdmans (1999)
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