FAITH or IDEOLOGY?

Seed Thoughts for the Good News Garden

Today I want to address a major barrier to effective Christian witness in the current social climate. This one may get me in trouble with some people. Please bear with me.

When faith morphs into a political ideology, we inherently alienate from the faith those who do not share our political convictions and thus turn them into “enemies.” Let me explain.

Jesus had the ability to relate to both extremes of the political ideologies of his day. Simon the Zealot, and Matthew the Roman collaborator were both apparently able to bury their very real and very intense political differences to follow Jesus. Jesus was not particularly interested in which political party came out on top within the Sanhedrin or which Caesar rose to power in Rome, His kingdom was not of this world  although it IS within us and AMONG us.

Please don’t misunderstand me. I am NOT saying that a Christian cannot take a reasoned political position with core political principles, either conservative or liberal. What I AM saying is that we must not confuse our political philosophy with our faith.  We are not citizens of this world … even though we must live, vote and practice citizenship in this world.  We are NOT primarily called to make converts to our political philosophy or party of choice; we are called to make disciples of Jesus.

There is abundant evidence that the aggressive politicization of Evangelical faith and its transformation into an ideology has greatly hurt the cause of Christian witness.  In a 2007 book, unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity...and Why It Matters David Kinnaman uses research data supplied by Barna to show that a huge number of young adults are leaving churches because of their disgust with the culture wars and overtly political attitudes in the pulpit.

I also just finished reading  Dave Fitch’s insightful book The End of Evangelicalism? (2011). In it Fitch shows how Evangelicalism developed a political ideology as a response to a historical trauma rooted in the conflict between fundamentalists and liberal modernists in the early part of the 20th century. 

The problem with an ideology is that it focuses people’s faith on abstract symbols and concepts that serve as “master-signifiers” (for a definition, see Slavoj Žižek) rather than on the person of Christ. Another problem with ideology is that it requires an enemy ... an outsider who is viewed as a threat or a problem. This creates a huge problem for witness. We cannot incarnate a witness for adversaries!  The ministry of reconciliation requires that we love our enemies and pray for those who spitefully use us. Such a stance of love is possible with faith, but impossible if one is fighting to win a political-ideological struggle with enemies.

How can religious ideology be distinguished from religious faith? Ideology contains certainties; faith contains mysteries. Ideology promotes militancy; faith promotes humility. Ideology must be implemented with energetic human force; faith rests in the providence of God. Ideology produces antagonism between opposing parties; faith produces love for one’s enemy that bridges ideological divisions.

A sure sign that faith has morphed into political ideology is when one finds Christians trashing or mocking political figures (or their families) on a personal basis, or based on their appearance with a thread of sarcasm. There is nothing wrong with reasoned discourse and disagreement over principle. In fact, democracy requires it. However when civil discourse degenerates into demonization of the opposition, you can bet that reasoned discourse has given way ideological struggle.

I don’t know if I am effectively communicating how huge a barrier this is to effective Christian witness or how urgent it is that we address it honestly. I hope you will consider what I am saying. If you disagree, it’s ok, but please get the two books and read them. Unless Evangelical Christianity can let go of its aggressive political ideology and stop trying to rise to a position of social and cultural dominance, and accept its role as a “suffering servant” to incarnate the love of Christ to a sinful society, we will never disciple our nation. And what a tragedy that would be.

I asked a young friend of mine, Steve Tamayo, the South Florida director for Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, to read this newsletter and give me feedback before I sent it. He gave me permission to include his own story.  

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Hi Joe,

As far as the idea goes, I totally agree with you. Millennial young people struggle to have the patience to form political alliances. We tend to link up with different sides on different issues and to get frustrated with the whole political power game.

A few years ago, Amy and I were leading a Small Group of 20somethings at a church in Virginia. A guest speaker came in and gave a talk about how the constitution was inspired by God and public schools were demonic and we had to be on guard against the gay agenda or we will end up cursed like Haiti. He ranted and sweated. One by one, our whole Small Group trickled out of the service. Every single one of those young people left the church. Not just that church. But church all together. Some, like Amy and me, went back. Some are following Jesus without the church. Some walked away all together.

This is important stuff you're talking about here.

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By-the-way, I am continuing to post selections from Debbie’s journal online at http://gracerhythmsunforced.blogspot.com/ -- I feel like I am getting to know her in new ways, and her voice is still speaking to me.  

Also, my friend Steve Tamayo who shared the story above, writes about issue related to mission to millennial at his blog http://yosteve.blogspot.com.

Thank you!