Religion Politics Evangelism

Edited by Member Dick Vane-Wright, this radical book by an Indian Christian challenges churches to participate in political action as an integral expression of evangelism; interestingly, the same point of view was put by one of the candidates to become rector of our local church. The key contention in this book is that religion has historically been controlled by political ideologies, which in turn shape the nature of evangelism: right-wing fundamentalism in the USA is a conspicuous contemporary example. The author is clear that people cannot call themselves spiritual if their actions reflect unjust practices - this calls for searching self-examination. The word best characterising his approach is the Greek 'diakonia', which I must confess was new to me. It means ministry to the poor and is the manifestation of divine love, as explained by Jesus himself. It implies a prophetic stance critical of existing social structures which all too often co-opt religion for other ends - as Constantine did in the fourth century. The author is equally critical of the role of modern media and political propaganda associated with the war on terror. This distracts attention from the situation of city dwellers in slums, a reality only too apparent in India. In this context, the author reminds us that Christianity is now predominantly a non-Western religion and that Pentecostalism is a dynamic force in the impoverished cities. Jena highlights the theological rediscovery of politics and outlines his own view of hope and witness in political action, reflected in his own work with the Urban Rural Mission. This is a powerful and passionate book.