Politics in Perspective: two Orthodox views
Church, Politics, and Society: Making the Right Choices
an article by Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky in "The Orthodox Church" (Oct./Nov.`95)
The relationship of Orthodox Christians to politics and society requires serious reflection. Without such reflection we may well be co-opted by political and social ideologies without realizing it, and in the process lose the specificity of the Orthodox Christian faith and the Gospel witness.
The very different societies of America and Russia provide vivid and pertinent examples of the pitfalls and possibilities which emerge when Orthodox Christians are challenged to deal with political and social choices.
In the United States a major expression of the current debate in society is the confrontation between liberalism and conservatism, between the left and the right. A critique of "political correctness" aimed at liberalism by conservatives often enough points accurately to the characteristic illusions of liberalism. Yet, I have noted that those who speak of the political correctness of the left as a rule accept the political correctness of the right. The result is co-optation, with liberal Christians and conservative Christians accepting uncritically the pieties and agendas of political liberalism and political conservatism. The Orthodox are no exception to the sad story of the co-optation of religion for political purposes.
In Russia, the search for a renewal of national dignity and national culture, after decades of communist totalitarian domination and in the present situation of political and economic dislocation, has brought the Orthodox Church into the vortex of political and social life and debate.
To be authentic, any debate about the future of Russia must include the Orthodox Church's witness to the values of the Gospel of Christ for more than a thousand years. The Russian Orthodox Church has tried to express soberly and responsibly the convictions and hopes of Orthodox Christians. Yet, many dangers have appeared. On the one side there are a few Orthodox who seem to have been beguiled by the illusions of "democratic liberalism". On the other side many, many are the Russian Orthodox Christians who have accepted quite uncritically the ideology of Russian post-communist nationalism, sometimes slipping into abhorrent forms of extremism and xenophobia.
A characteristic response of Orthodox Christians to the ambiguities, complexities, and claims of politics and social engagement is to withdraw into religious life, into the life of sacraments and prayer. This reaction actively seeks isolation from social and political problems and choices in the name of the higher values of the Christian faith. Such withdrawal, when it is chosen for the sake of humanity and God's love for the world, is the appropriate vocation of some. But for the majority of the members of the Orthodox Church the proper way of faithfulness to the Gospel is the way of sober and critical engagement in society so that the Gospel witness may be clearly heard in the midst of society. Following this path requires discernment, an understanding of what is right and what is wrong in every political agenda and ideology.
In America, there are those who say that Christian values are promoted by the "Christian Coalition". There are others who claim that the Gospels demand adherence to the liberal agenda. I believe Orthodox Christians - and indeed all Christians - should beware of these simplistic formulas. There can be no substitute for thinking things through on the basis of the Gospel and the Christian faith, on the basis of political experience, on the basis of common sense. And then to make political choices with humility, knowing that these choices will be subjected to the test of time and experience as well as to the judgement of God.
Political Detachment and Salvation
by Fr. Andrew Morbey, Orthodox Church in America cathedral, Ottawa Sept.`95
Early in September there was a phone call asking clergy everywhere if they would choose themes of unity and reconciliation as texts for sermons, in light of the sovereignty debate for the Quebec referendum. In other words they wanted the pulpit to take a federalist point of view.
We could look at "monarchy" as a model to represent any institutional, governmental system. Monarchy was something initially rejected by God. God had appointed judges to rule Israel, charismatic leaders to make the decisions and exercise leadership. But a growing sentiment in Israel said "We want to be like other nations, and have a monarch. They have kings; we don't have one. We want the same continuity, the same unifying power, the same symbols as they have". God said "No, I've appointed judges, not monarchs." Israel whined and complained so much that God relented. For their weakness, He appointed a king for them. It was a concession to human frailty, it was a mercy of God, not part of the Divine plan or blueprint for a just society.
Imbedded in the Psalms, the songs of David the king, are those phrases we [Orthodox Christians] sing: "Put not your trust in princes or in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." David himself said "Don't trust me." And he should know: he was very untrustworthy, treacherous and adulterous. (He also repented greatly).
But he understood well that we shouldn't place our trust in any human person. Salvation is from God. Salvation is an act of God. And God may act through the agency of people, yet our trust is not in them, but in God Himself. Which means that their authority is limited by God's law; their authority is relative to God's authority and His authorship of all that's true, and good. So we are on the one hand well aware that any system of government, any monarchy or republic or whatever it may be, is limited and relative, because it is subject to the true Sovereign, who is God. And only God.
On the other hand, what about our long history of participating in the life of the State? Well, also imbedded in Scripture and particularly in the New Testament we have the insistence that the Christian must be a loyal citizen. We have to undertake our responsibilities to the State honestly, openly, and fairly. So that's also part of our tradition: we are "good citizens"... but a good citizen for us is someone who knows the limited and Godless nature of human authority and human institutions.
So the Church has always understood in its inner life (apart from the compromises of big-wigs and political people) that authority, leadership, and government are limited by and relative to the sovereignty of God. We're always prepared to be loyal citizens, in so far as it doesn't compromise the sovereignty of God in our lives. This follows the message from John's Gospel: God loved the world, and He seeks not to condemn the world, but to save it. To save it through Christ. Not by political philosophies. Not by cadres or ideologies. Not by some secret knowledge of the inner process of history. Not by "Red Books" of liberals or "Blue Books" of conservatives. But only in Christ.
We look not to this world for our salvation, but to the world to come. Our Church has always said that believers down through the ages are pilgrims, and strangers. We have no abiding city in this world, but only in the kingdom of God. We are passing though this world, and in passing through we find the deeds that God wants us to do, to reveal His mercy, His love, His compassion. But the horizon is in the world to come. That's why it is terrible to see Christians identifying themselves with political movements and ideologies, in an absolute way.
These systems are relative, in light of the values of the Gospels. We're involved in the society we find ourselves in, to do the right thing, but also knowing that salvation comes not by leaders of men, not by democracy, and not by autocracy.
Salvation doesn't come through any of those things, but only from God.
an article by Fr. Leonid Kishkovsky in "The Orthodox Church" (Oct./Nov.`95)
The relationship of Orthodox Christians to politics and society requires serious reflection. Without such reflection we may well be co-opted by political and social ideologies without realizing it, and in the process lose the specificity of the Orthodox Christian faith and the Gospel witness.
The very different societies of America and Russia provide vivid and pertinent examples of the pitfalls and possibilities which emerge when Orthodox Christians are challenged to deal with political and social choices.
In the United States a major expression of the current debate in society is the confrontation between liberalism and conservatism, between the left and the right. A critique of "political correctness" aimed at liberalism by conservatives often enough points accurately to the characteristic illusions of liberalism. Yet, I have noted that those who speak of the political correctness of the left as a rule accept the political correctness of the right. The result is co-optation, with liberal Christians and conservative Christians accepting uncritically the pieties and agendas of political liberalism and political conservatism. The Orthodox are no exception to the sad story of the co-optation of religion for political purposes.
In Russia, the search for a renewal of national dignity and national culture, after decades of communist totalitarian domination and in the present situation of political and economic dislocation, has brought the Orthodox Church into the vortex of political and social life and debate.
To be authentic, any debate about the future of Russia must include the Orthodox Church's witness to the values of the Gospel of Christ for more than a thousand years. The Russian Orthodox Church has tried to express soberly and responsibly the convictions and hopes of Orthodox Christians. Yet, many dangers have appeared. On the one side there are a few Orthodox who seem to have been beguiled by the illusions of "democratic liberalism". On the other side many, many are the Russian Orthodox Christians who have accepted quite uncritically the ideology of Russian post-communist nationalism, sometimes slipping into abhorrent forms of extremism and xenophobia.
A characteristic response of Orthodox Christians to the ambiguities, complexities, and claims of politics and social engagement is to withdraw into religious life, into the life of sacraments and prayer. This reaction actively seeks isolation from social and political problems and choices in the name of the higher values of the Christian faith. Such withdrawal, when it is chosen for the sake of humanity and God's love for the world, is the appropriate vocation of some. But for the majority of the members of the Orthodox Church the proper way of faithfulness to the Gospel is the way of sober and critical engagement in society so that the Gospel witness may be clearly heard in the midst of society. Following this path requires discernment, an understanding of what is right and what is wrong in every political agenda and ideology.
In America, there are those who say that Christian values are promoted by the "Christian Coalition". There are others who claim that the Gospels demand adherence to the liberal agenda. I believe Orthodox Christians - and indeed all Christians - should beware of these simplistic formulas. There can be no substitute for thinking things through on the basis of the Gospel and the Christian faith, on the basis of political experience, on the basis of common sense. And then to make political choices with humility, knowing that these choices will be subjected to the test of time and experience as well as to the judgement of God.
Political Detachment and Salvation
by Fr. Andrew Morbey, Orthodox Church in America cathedral, Ottawa Sept.`95
Early in September there was a phone call asking clergy everywhere if they would choose themes of unity and reconciliation as texts for sermons, in light of the sovereignty debate for the Quebec referendum. In other words they wanted the pulpit to take a federalist point of view.
We could look at "monarchy" as a model to represent any institutional, governmental system. Monarchy was something initially rejected by God. God had appointed judges to rule Israel, charismatic leaders to make the decisions and exercise leadership. But a growing sentiment in Israel said "We want to be like other nations, and have a monarch. They have kings; we don't have one. We want the same continuity, the same unifying power, the same symbols as they have". God said "No, I've appointed judges, not monarchs." Israel whined and complained so much that God relented. For their weakness, He appointed a king for them. It was a concession to human frailty, it was a mercy of God, not part of the Divine plan or blueprint for a just society.
Imbedded in the Psalms, the songs of David the king, are those phrases we [Orthodox Christians] sing: "Put not your trust in princes or in sons of men, in whom there is no salvation." David himself said "Don't trust me." And he should know: he was very untrustworthy, treacherous and adulterous. (He also repented greatly).
But he understood well that we shouldn't place our trust in any human person. Salvation is from God. Salvation is an act of God. And God may act through the agency of people, yet our trust is not in them, but in God Himself. Which means that their authority is limited by God's law; their authority is relative to God's authority and His authorship of all that's true, and good. So we are on the one hand well aware that any system of government, any monarchy or republic or whatever it may be, is limited and relative, because it is subject to the true Sovereign, who is God. And only God.
On the other hand, what about our long history of participating in the life of the State? Well, also imbedded in Scripture and particularly in the New Testament we have the insistence that the Christian must be a loyal citizen. We have to undertake our responsibilities to the State honestly, openly, and fairly. So that's also part of our tradition: we are "good citizens"... but a good citizen for us is someone who knows the limited and Godless nature of human authority and human institutions.
So the Church has always understood in its inner life (apart from the compromises of big-wigs and political people) that authority, leadership, and government are limited by and relative to the sovereignty of God. We're always prepared to be loyal citizens, in so far as it doesn't compromise the sovereignty of God in our lives. This follows the message from John's Gospel: God loved the world, and He seeks not to condemn the world, but to save it. To save it through Christ. Not by political philosophies. Not by cadres or ideologies. Not by some secret knowledge of the inner process of history. Not by "Red Books" of liberals or "Blue Books" of conservatives. But only in Christ.
We look not to this world for our salvation, but to the world to come. Our Church has always said that believers down through the ages are pilgrims, and strangers. We have no abiding city in this world, but only in the kingdom of God. We are passing though this world, and in passing through we find the deeds that God wants us to do, to reveal His mercy, His love, His compassion. But the horizon is in the world to come. That's why it is terrible to see Christians identifying themselves with political movements and ideologies, in an absolute way.
These systems are relative, in light of the values of the Gospels. We're involved in the society we find ourselves in, to do the right thing, but also knowing that salvation comes not by leaders of men, not by democracy, and not by autocracy.
Salvation doesn't come through any of those things, but only from God.