About the “Religious Left”

Last updated on: October 15, 2022 at 12:04 pm by Roger E. Olson

About the “Religious Left” 2022-10-15T12:04:43-05:00 Roger E. Olson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

*Note: If you choose to comment, make sure your comment is relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, and civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative). It should contain no links or photos.*

For years now, the American mass media have been obsessed with what has been labeled “The Religious Right”—a movement by mostly Christians to use government and law to enforce specifically religious ethical norms. We must recognize now that the Religious Right has always been somewhat diverse; it is not a monolithic block. And yet it has often been portrayed that way. Some advocates of the Religious Right want to create an American theocracy. They are called “Christian Reconstructionists.” Others want Christian ethics and morality to have an equal voice in “the naked public square” and “enforce” certain Christian moral norms only through persuasion.

What has largely been forgotten is the long history of what can rightly be called a “Religious Left” in American history. There can be no doubt about it; during the “Progressive Movement” era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries mainline Protestant Christians were in the forefront of promoting things like democratic socialism (e.g., Washington Gladden and Walter Rauschenbusch). Walter Rauschenbusch wrote a book entitled “Christianizing the Social Order” in which he advocated an economic order in America indebted to Marx. Throughout the 20th century and now into the 21st century mainline Protestant church leaders and theologians have “organized to beat the devil” without believing in a literal devil and without advocating an American theocracy.

Over the past forty years I have watched the growth of the Religious Right and its organizations beginning especially with the Moral Majority in the 1970s. At the same time I have followed the lesser known advocates of left-wing social policies among even some evangelical Christians. I have been influenced by them and largely agree with their economic views. Some of my early heroes as I became a theologian were Ron Sider, Jim Wallis and Tony Campolo.

I once asked Campolo if there is a “Religious Left” akin to the “Religious Right” that he was decrying. He reluctantly said yes, but it is not as well organized as the Religious Right.

I consider myself a partisan of the Evangelical Left, a politically liberal evangelical, and I have used my writing here and elsewhere to promote things like universal health care such as they have in England and Canada. And yet I do not agree with many of the stances of members of the Democratic Party. So I find myself without a political “home.”

Still, people who criticize the moderate Religious Right, that wing of the Religious Right that wants to use influence, not force, to implement conservative Christian moral norms in public policy, need to remember that the Religious Left in this country has often done the same, only promoting more liberal Christian moral norms in public policy-making.

All law and all public policy is based on some vision of right and wrong, even if it is an allegedly secular one. As I have argued here many times, “secular” does not mean neutral in a truly diverse society and culture. Religious people have every right to “speak” into the public square and advocate for their values and norms so long as they do not use force to implement them.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

October 12, 2022

Does Truth Actually Exist?

Next Post

October 18, 2022 Controversial Thoughts about Banned Books Week

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Against Liberal Theology Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Four beasts rose from the sea—one like a lion with eagle's wings, one like a bear, one like a leopard, and a fourth terrifying beast. What did these represent?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Four kingdoms Four kings Four judgments Four ages