The Spiritual Danger of Politics

For all the good that politics can do, it cannot replace the need for spiritual formation.

In an essay entitled Meditation on the Third Commandment, C.S. Lewis expressed reservations with conflating Christianity with politics. Speaking against the idea of forming a "Christian Party", Lewis writes:

"[A Christian Party] will be exposed, in an aggravated degree, to that temptation which the Devil spares none of us at any time – the temptation of claiming for our favourite opinions that kind and degree of certainty and authority which really belongs only to our Faith...The demon inherent in every party is at all times ready enough to disguise himself as the Holy Ghost; the formation of a

Christian Party means handing over to him the most efficient make-up we can find...On those who add `Thus said the Lord' to their merely human utterances descends the doom of a conscience which seems clearer and clearer the more it is loaded with sin."

Here Lewis points to a kind of spiritual danger in politics: the danger of mistaking our political opinions for divine law. This is an important proposition for us all to consider, but especially those of us who work in politics. We need to ask ourselves, “What are the spiritual dangers of politics and how can we avoid them?” Let’s briefly consider four.

First, one spiritual danger in politics is that politics has a tendency to keep us fixated on the faults of others rather than on our own faults. Political argumentation naturally leads us to assert our superiority over others, and pride is always lurking right behind us whenever we win an argument. We may easily come to view those we disagree with as being utterly deplorable and ourselves, by contrast, as being completely superior. This is spiritually dangerous because it keeps us from confronting our own blind spots and may allow anger or contempt to fester in our hearts. We are liable to become smug, priggish, paternalistic, or much worse. 

A second spiritual danger of politics is prejudice, or what may best be described as “condemnation by category”. It is the tendency to form a condemning view of someone simply because of their affiliations or positions. How easy is it for us to scoff at someone for holding even a single political stance that we don’t agree with? Would you like America to have universal healthcare? You must be a brainwashed progressive! Think we should protect gun rights? You must want to see people killed! 

Much of the New Testament concerns itself with overcoming such prejudices. The first church council was held in order to bridge racial and cultural prejudices. It is noteworthy that among Jesus’ disciples there were both a tax-collector and a zealot; one who directly benefitted from the government and one who wanted to overthrow the government. Paul stresses that there is to be no racism, classism, or sexism among Christians (Galatians 3:28). For Christians, such prejudices are meant to be overcome and sanctified.

Yet another spiritual danger of politics is that it so often oversimplifies, leaving little room for nuance. Politics often asks us to believe that with the right policies, with correct thinking, with sheer reasonableness, and with enough resources, we might realize a time where we might overcome our problems as a society. That we might even reach a time when everyone thinks and lives as correctly as we suppose that we do (or would under the right conditions). 

This is spiritually dangerous because it does not consider our true spiritual condition. The Bible would have us believe that it is primarily our hearts that need to be changed, not merely our social conditions. National politics would have us believe that all our problems are primarily political or ideological and must be dealt with on a large scale. It takes our focus off the things we can actually take responsibility for. 

Finally, it seems to me that there is great spiritual danger to view political success (of a certain kind) as heavenly success. No doubt that lots could be said here, but I am tempted to say that the greatest danger in this is profanity: to turn God into a mere tool to help us advance our political causes; to instrumentalize the holy. History is full of examples of men who have claimed that God is on their side as they performed the cruelest of deeds (one thinks of Cromwell’s treatment of the Irish, endorsed by his Puritan supporters). We should tremble at the thought that we would allow any similar root to grow up in our own hearts. That we would dare reduce God to a mere endorser of our political strategies. 

Beyond this, it seems spiritually dangerous for us to place too much faith in politics because politics is so capricious. In a democracy, we place our political hopes on winning the majority to our side. But one of the truths that the life of Christ testifies to is the fickleness of crowds. The same mob who worshipped Christ on Palm Sunday wanted him dead by Thursday. What is worse is that the religious leaders convinced them they had God on their side when they demanded his crucifixion.  

My point is that we have every reason to be wary of over-emphasizing political success. What looks like righteous victory to us today may be shown later to be an egregious error, as has often been the case for Christians throughout history (one thinks of the Massacre at Béziers). We should not be so hubristic to think of our political successes or defeats as a sure sign that God is or is not on our side. In God’s economy, what looks like political defeat to us might actually be heavenly victory, as with the crucifixion. And vice versa. For the kingdom of heaven “is not of this world.” (John 18:36).

For all the good that politics can do, it cannot replace our great need for the love of Christ to transform our hearts from those inclined towards pride and hatred to those inclined towards love and charity. As Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wrote: “The line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart.”

Politics is important. It can also be spiritually dangerous. It seems to me that one way to attempt to guard against these spiritual dangers is to constantly remember our equality before God. As Chesterton once said, the doctrine of original sin “may also be described as the doctrine of the equality of men. But the essential point of it is merely this, that whatever primary and far-reaching moral dangers affect any man, affect all men. All men can be criminals, if tempted.” 

Keeping the doctrine of the equality of men in mind, let us approach politics and political discourse with caution, humility, and charity, and let us pray for wisdom.

Adam Smith is a Ministry Associate for Ministry To State