Interviews in Politics and Theology: Oliver O’Donovan

Best article on political theology I have read in ages.

In-depth interview with Oliver O’Donovan.

Very quotable:

"The “average American in the pew” seems not uncommonly to be told (or so it appears to us as we listen in across the Atlantic Ocean) that she or he has much larger political responsibilities than this: to make the Gospel heard in public life, to bring in the Kingdom of God and to make a better world, and so on. Some of these tasks are indeed tasks of the Church, which all Christians share, but not distinctively political. Some are political, but not tasks of the Church so much as promises of the work of the Spirit of God, for which we must pray and wait – while fulfilling our mission and doing the work that comes to our hand – humbly and without pompous pretensions. We cannot be too alert to the fact that the realm of politics is inhabited by principalities and powers that would command our worship in place of Christ."

"The path of political action is always a narrow one, always liable in a moment to be cut off by human stupidity and cruelty, always to be received afresh, and on new terms, from God."

“The notion that political deliberation is basically about the rival claims of competing parties is one which the church must do everything it can to challenge”

“To serve at all one must be able to assess how one may be of service; one must know the difference between true service and mere acquiescence.”