Revision:Political Christ

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Politicization: internal transformation of the faith itself, so that it comes to be defined in terms of political values — it becomes essentially concerned with social morality rather than with the ethereal qualities of immortality.

Why?

• Belief that Christians have in the past been too concerned with spirituality.
• Religious engagement with the world seen as an affair of charitable palliatives (i.e.: giving help to the poor --> doesn’t solve their problem) "politics moved into its own sphere" i.e.: Gov. education,…

What does politicization mean?

• Contemporary Christians seek a reaction to what are regarded increasingly as collective sins: racism, economic or cultural exploitation, class division, denial of human rights…
• Therefore the attitudes of Christians are those of society in general.
• Some of the clergy have ‘defined their religious values according to the categories and references provided by the compulsive moralism of contemporary intellectual culture.’

"Between a Christian knowledge of politics acquired in order to serve the interests of the Chruch as an institution, and the identification of the content of the faith with human attempts at social improvement, there is a fundamental difference.

Consequences

• Church is not looked to for social teaching.
• "Even fears of impending global chaos or annihilation do not elicit religious responses" as they once would have.
• Religion is no longer regarded as a guarantor of stability.

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