The second annual Calvin Conference on Christianity and Politics, held April 19-20, 1974, on the college’s Grand Rapids campus, was another step in the process of evangelical consciousness-raising and deliberation in the new evangelical quests for meaningful forms of social and political engagement. More than 300 participants attended the gathering, which was the first major event since the much-discussed Thanksgiving Workshop that produced The Chicago Declaration of Evangelical Social Concern (Post-American, January '74). The declaration, regarded as having “historic” importance by the press, has received a wide and enthusiastic response from many quarters.
Many of the original signers of that declaration point out that evangelical opposition to economic and racial injustice, to war and global violence, to exploitive affluence, and to the hypocrisy of civil religion sound “new” only because of the ethically crippling political and cultural conformity that has infected the evangelical churches for so long. Again at Calvin, the desire for biblical rootage and for continuity with the evangelical tradition was strong among the participants. In his presentation, Richard Mouw expressed the concern that “ ... in our quest for new forms of socio/political engagement today, we must not be thought of as siding with Protestant liberalism, but rather as expanding the evangelicalism that nurtured us and brought us to a saving knowledge of the Lordship of Jesus Christ.”
As in Chicago, the strong presence of black evangelical Christians forced white evangelicals to begin to come to grips with the ugly history of racism. William Bentley, president of The National Black Evangelical Association, presented the mostly white audience with a historical view of the white church’s role in providing a religious justification for oppression and dividing the body of Christ along color lines. “Only when we face up to the harsh realities of the past and present can real healing take place.” Wyn Wright Potter, a young black woman from Chicago, shared very practical insights from her own experience of seeking to minister to an oppressed community in the name of Jesus Christ and in trying to separate the Christ of scripture from the religion of white America. She demonstrated the style of the emerging black Christian leadership, which proclaims the gospel of liberation that is addressed to all that binds and oppresses people. John Perkins, director of The Voice of Calvary in Mendenhall, Mississippi, affirmed the priority of black economic development and described their system of cooperatives in the areas of education, housing, nutrition, health care, and economics. (A descriptive article on the ministry and philosophy of the Voice of Calvary will appear in the June issue of the Post-American.)
The question of economic justice surfaced again and again in the regular sessions and informal discussions. It is becoming clear to many evangelicals that scripture demands clear stands on issues of justice for the poor and the oppressed. Some participants expressed their opinion that the next such conference should focus on the issues of economics. Since most evangelical institutions are financially dependent upon the rich, and the official evangelical support for American capitalism is well known, the inevitable coming to grips with issues of economic justice will be as controversial as it is necessary.
While many evangelicals now accept the fact that biblical faith demands active concern for social justice, the shape of that concern is seen as having critical importance. John Howard Yoder presented the participants with some historical typologies of the different ways the church has dealt with the issues of faith and politics. From Yoder’s talk onward, a central question was one of power. It is clear that the call to discipleship demands a break with the dominant values of our majority culture, that the gospel provides a different agenda than that of our political economy. However, should Christians express their political concerns merely through traditional political channels and processes? Or, does a biblical faith and radical obedience to Christ call the Christian community to an alternative mode of power as well as a different political agenda? How can Christians express the style of servanthood in the political process? These and other questions will continue to be addressed as evangelical Christians seek to be obedient to their political responsibilities and attempt to put some “flesh” on the words of the Thanksgiving Declaration.
Jim Wallis is editor-in-chief of Sojourners.
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