The Bible and politics
Introduction
The January to April 2010 issue of Guidelines contains notes on The Bible and politics written by Andrew Goddard.
'Thinking biblically about the exercise of power and authority in human communities is a major challenge for Christians. We live in a world shaped by false post-Enlightenment divisions between private personal faith and public political life. We live in a post-Christendom world where old understandings of the relationship between church, state and society no longer apply. Many Christian politicians are reticent about speaking of their faith and its impact on their political life. If they are asked, then, in the famous words of Alistair Campbell, the answer is likely to be, "We don’t do God."
'Our Christian faith is, however, full of political language. We proclaim Jesus as ‘Lord’. We bear witness to the ‘kingdom’ of God. Often, we do not make the connections between these terms and how we think about politics, yet politics is an important aspect of Christian discipleship. In the narrow sense of politics and government, we should all be concerned and involved with the politics of our nation. In the wider sense of how we understand, use and respond to power and authority, our workplaces and our churches are all political worlds.'
About Guidelines
Guidelines is a unique Bible reading resource that offers in-depth study, drawing on the insights of current scholarship. Its intention is to enable all its readers to interpret and apply the biblical text with confi dence in today’s world, while helping to equip church leaders as they meet the challenges of mission and disciple-building.
Instead of the usual dated daily readings, Guidelines provides weekly units, broken into six sections, plus an introduction giving context for the passage, and a final section of points for thought and prayer.
Guidelines is published by BRF three times a year, in January, May and September.
Guidelines is commissioned by Canon Dr Jeremy Duff, Director of Lifelong Learning
in Liverpool Diocese and Canon at Liverpool Cathedral, and edited by Lisa Cherrett,
Managing Editor of Bible reading notes at BRF.
