Clergy and Politics

The topic of clergy and politics is one I have found to be interesting. It’s one of those issues that most everyone has an opinion on. Often people are pretty passionate about their beliefs about clergy and politics too. It’s also a pretty nuanced issue when you start to dig in. There are so many variables to take into consideration and very few over arching themes. I’ve heard people argue that clergy should saying “anything political.” But what does that mean? How is political being defined? Is there a standard? All valid questions. And honestly, it seems that there are as many answers as there are people.

It seems there is a spectrum of belief on this. There are legitimate concerns when it comes to clergy and politics. On the one extreme you have clergy who mix and meld religion and politics into some form of a theocracy, which is really nothing more than authoritarian government imposing a set of beliefs and practices on the population without their consent. One the other end you have clergy who refuse say anything remotely “political” or critical of government policy for any number of reasons. There are examples of clergy doing this and their non-voice did nothing to stop injustice and terror on the very people they were serving and preaching to.

I don’t think clergy and politics is an all or nothing thing. I think clergy should say some political things, and that there is such a thing as too much. But there isn’t a nice clear ratio or line when it comes to this. And context matters. The core, though, of a clergy’s message being political isn’t really about the politics at all. It’s about faith.

I’ve talked about this before – what is politics? Politics is different than partisan. Partisan refers to a political party. Clergy should never use the pulpit for partisan purposes. But what makes something partisan? Again, there’s going to be disagreement over this. Politics is more than just about elections. It’s about how decisions are made, who gets a say, and how a society functions. In a sense, faith is political in nature. That’s just a reality. Faith impacts how people function in a society and therefore have an impact on that society. That’s not the same as saying that we should pass laws about a specific subject based on someone’s interpretation of what they think God wants. Those are two different things.

While Christianity is political in nature, politics is not the foundation. Jesus is. And we can’t avoid either, nor should we. Let’s remember that Jesus’ entire earthly life was political. And he’s the one we are called to follow. In the birth narrative, we hear titles and terms for Jesus that are political in nature – “Prince of Peace,” “Lord of Lords,” “Savior.” These were all titles attributed to Ceasar. We have the announcements of Christ’s birth which mirror the announcements of a Roman military victory of the birth of a son of Ceasar. In Matthew 2 we hear about King Herod trying to kill Jesus – Herod sees Jesus as a threat to his power.

It’s no different at the end of the Gospels. The Crucifix narratives are again full of politics centered on Jesus. Jesus is brought to Pontius Pilate, the governor of Judaea, who represents the empire. Pilate doesn’t care about Jesus’ theology. He cares about his politics. His questions to Jesus relate to this – “Are you the king of the Jews?” He wants to know if Jesus is claiming a throne that is currently occupied by a client king of Rome. Is Jesus defying the power and might of Rome? Is Jesus a threat to the established political order of Roman dominance? That’s what he is executed for. It’s the charge put above his head on the crucifix – “King of the Jews.”

So what are clergy called to when it comes to politics? Some denominations spell this out a bit. I’m an ELCA pastor. In our constitution, it address this in section 7.31.02 under Responsibilities of clergy. “Every minister of Word and Sacrament shall:…8) speak publicly to the world in solidarity with the poor and oppressed, advocating dignity, justice, and equity for all people, working for peace and reconciliation among the nations, caring for the marginalized, and embracing and welcoming racially and ethnically diverse populations.” (Source)

All of that is political. It’s not partisan though. Will there be times with partisan actions and statements intersect with the statement above. Sure. So will finances. And other things too. So what? Just because there may be some cross over doesn’t make a clergy speaking on these subjects partisan. Partisan isn’t the measuring stick here. It doesn’t get to set the terms of the debate and decide what falls into its parameters.

The statement is political because it speaks God’s care for those on the margins into the public square. The statement isn’t saying exactly what each of those things looks like, or how they get done. It’s saying those that are marginalized in society should be treated justly. That’s not a partisan statement. God has been of this work for a lot longer than any political has ever existed.

Through history there have been clergy who have spoken faithfully into the political realm, often paying dearly for doing so.

Óscar Romero (El Salvador, 1917–1980) – Archbishop of San Salvador, assassinated for speaking out against government repression and advocating for the poor during El Salvador’s civil war.

Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Germany, 1906–1945) – Lutheran pastor and theologian, actively resisted Hitler and the Nazi regime, executed for his involvement in a plot to overthrow Hitler.

Desmond Tutu (South Africa, 1931–2021) – Anglican archbishop, a leading voice against apartheid, advocating for racial justice and reconciliation.

Martin Luther King Jr. (United States, 1929–1968) – Baptist minister and civil rights leader, led nonviolent protests against segregation and racial injustice.

Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla (Mexico, 1753–1811) – Catholic priest who initiated Mexico’s war for independence, advocating for indigenous and poor communities.

Henriette Delille (United States, 1813–1862) – Catholic nun and founder of the Sisters of the Holy Family, dedicated to serving Black and marginalized communities in New Orleans during slavery.

José María Morelos (Mexico, 1765–1815) – Catholic priest and revolutionary leader who fought for Mexico’s independence and indigenous rights.

Maximilian Kolbe (Poland, 1894–1941) – Catholic priest who sheltered Jewish refugees and was executed at Auschwitz after voluntarily taking the place of another prisoner.

Gennadii Gudkov (Russia, b. 1956) – A modern example, Russian Orthodox cleric critical of government oppression, particularly in the context of the Ukraine invasion.

Jean-Bertrand Aristide (Haiti, b. 1953) – Catholic priest turned president, advocated for Haiti’s poor and faced exile for his opposition to the elite and military rule.

Were they being political? Or were they being faithful? Why not both?

I’ve written about this in the past. Pastor’s have faced the criticism “You’re being political” many times. Often the criticism is an attempt to shut down whatever is being talked about. We humans have a tendency to not always appreciate God’s care for the marginalized interrupting the status quo, or making things uncomfortable. Sometimes people don’t like to hear about violence, greed, cruelty, selfishness, oppression, etc.

Sometimes the complaint is lodged because people are just tired of the strife of politics. I get that. And at the same time, someone on the margins doesn’t get to put their situation on hold in order to take a breather. They are just stuck in it.

Some people are selective in what they complain about. Some people will complain about clergy talking about one issue, but have no problem whatsoever with clergy using religion in the political realm for a different issue. This just highlights how complex the whole thing is.

Clergy and politics is not an easy topic and there are rarely nice clear lines. It’s more of a range. And it is easy more complex when we consider individual contexts in which clergy are in. What one clergy can say in a location will be different than in another location. That’s just realistic. The core though is about the Gospel. It’s about loving people. And proclaiming a message that sets them free. Sometimes we need to be set free from our established politics and partisanships. There are plenty of times when we need to listen to what God has to say – not to impose things on others, but more often than not, to set people free from oppression.