Who is Jesus in all this? He is a great teacher, example, martyr and more, but he is not the Only Begotten Son of God who took to himself human nature and flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin, and for us and for our salvation provided expiation and propitiation for our sins.

Hints of this progressive kind of theology are found in the "baptismal covenant" and in the "catechism" of the 1979 prayer book of the ECUSA, as well as in many World Council of Churches publications. And where such theology is found and dominates, then the Gospel of the Father concerning his Only Son and the salvation of human beings from their sin into the righteousness of God, is neglected, eclipsed or denied. Further, the Sacraments change their meaning and purpose (e.g., the Eucharist becomes a community meal open to all who aspire to justice and peace) and preaching becomes advocacy for a this-worldly cause. The obsession of the ECUSA in the last thirty years with a progressive message of justice, peace, equality and human rights provides a near perfect example of an intensely religious but secular form of commitment to a this-worldly salvation. And the rights of homosexual persons in the church and society are but the latest of a long line of concerns for such earthly justice in this church.

Not only the progressives but also the orthodox....

At the same time, some (but not all) of "the orthodox" in the Churches of the USA need to be aware that they too can and do often politicize the Gospel of the Father concerning his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. And this, despite the fact that they do hold to the doctrines of the Nicene Creed and the authority of the Bible.

To state it symbolically, they place the US Flag in front of the Cross, or they insist on singing the National Anthem in close proximity to the Prayer for the Church [militant here on earth] in the Eucharist. In plain terms, and as examples, they think of Christ as if he were an American with US values; they tend to understand the biblical concept and language of freedom (in Christ by the Holy Spirit) in terms of the earthly freedom associated with the "liberty" of the American constitution and the American dream; and they are prone to identify Israeli policies in the Near East as just, right and biblical and those of the Palestinians as usually if not always wrong.

These socially conservative Christians seem unable to separate the principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from their values of patriotism, nationalism, ethnicity, culture, class and even race. They cannot understand how a Christian can vote for a party other than the Republican, and they support conservative forms of liturgy and piety, as well as conservative doctrine and morals, because they see these as expressing or lending support to their social conservatism. Further, they seem unable to comprehend the possibility that the true Church of God, the Body of Christ, is to be in this world and for this world but yet not of this world (where "the world" actually includes the ethos, norms and culture of the USA!).

The Gospel

The offer of the Gospel and the gift of God therein is made to all peoples and all classes and races, and thus in Christ there are no divisions, for in Baptism and by regeneration all are equal before God the Father. The Gospel does not favor one political party over another or one culture above another. All parties and cultures are under the judgment of God and while there are different degrees of "human good" in them none of them is anywhere near an expression of the Gospel or the Kingdom of God. This age, even with all its enlightenment and achievements, is an evil age, and this world, with all its technology and learning, is under the constant judgment of the Lord.

Of course, Christians always have to make judgments as to how they shall live whether it be in a democracy or in a dictatorship. Yet never are they to identify any human order with the kingdom or with the demands of the Gospel, for both the kingdom and the Gospel belong to that which is above and not of this world. This means that though they may prefer this party to that. and this program to that, and this social policy to that, they are preferring that which is in God's judgment is imperfect to that which is also imperfect (perhaps more so), since nowhere in this world is there perfection in God's reckoning.

The Ten Commandments do not present social conservatism for they begin with a very strong word of Redemption; the Sermon on the Mount is not social conservatism for the Lord calls for radical behavior and repentance to obey his word; and the ethics of the apostle Paul call for major changes in the relation of social classes to each other in the fellowship of the churches.

The Gospel is all about the new creation, the order of the kingdom of heaven/God, and what it promises is both above and future, even though aspects of what shall be are felt and known now by the elect within the Household of God - "already but not yet"! Thus the Gospel must not be closely identified with any social or cultural or economic program of the right or the left, even though the Church is called to show mercy daily and be the salt and light of the world until the Parousia of Christ. The Church is to be in the world and for the world (in mission, evangelization and social service) but not of the world (in identifying closely with political parties, cultures, norms, values etc.).

The only loyalties that really count for eternity before the LORD our God are those to Jesus Christ and to that good, which is good in his judgment and reckoning.

Certainly our political and social views should be informed by the Gospel and the teaching of the Kingdom of God; and certainly we should be engaged in loving our neighbor as ourselves daily and really; but we are commanded to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and there our loyalty is to be.

--The Rev'd Dr. Peter Toon MA., D.Phil (Oxford) lives in Seattle, WA, assists at St Luke's, and is the author of thirty books. He travels widely for the Prayer Book Society to lecture and preach. His books can be seen as: www.anglicanmarketplace.com. He is available to take retreats and missions and to help churches in pastoral emergencies. He can be reached at petertoon@msn.com