Social Relevance of Christianity (AQA A-Level Religious Studies): Revision Notes

Social relevance of Christianity

Introduction to social relevance

Christianity responds to increasing secularisation by demonstrating that it remains socially relevant in contemporary society. This involves showing that Christian teachings and actions can engage meaningfully with people's lives and bring about positive change.

To establish social relevance, Christianity must demonstrate three key elements:

• Teachings engagement: Christian teachings can connect with the lives of people in society today
• Actions engagement: The actions of Christians can make a practical difference to people's lives
• Working for change: Both teachings and actions can bring about transformation within society

Political dimensions of social relevance

Social relevance naturally implies political relevance because politics concerns how society is organised and the values that shape communal life. Christianity therefore engages not just with individual spiritual matters but with broader questions of social order and justice.

Individual transformation vs social conformity

Within Evangelical and House Church traditions, there is strong emphasis on the transforming power of the Christian gospel. This approach focuses on how:

• Individual lives are changed through becoming Christian
• People adopt Christian beliefs and values
• At an individual level, transformation occurs
• At a social level, Christians generally conform to existing norms

This pattern reflects the shift in religion's status from something imposed by the state to a matter of individual choice. However, this trend towards individuality has not been uniform. In some contexts, such as during the Troubles in Northern Ireland or where Christians form a minority, church membership has become a marker of political loyalty.

Quietist vs activist approaches

Christians hold differing views on how to respond to secularisation, creating a fundamental debate about the church's role in society.

The quietist position

If Christianity is primarily about 'another world' (the Kingdom of Heaven contrasted with 'this world'), then:

• There is a tendency to accept the sinful and distorted nature of society
• Everything can be left in God's hands
• Christians should not engage in social or political action
• The focus remains on spiritual matters

The activist position

If the 'Kingdom' is something Christians are meant to build and live out in this world, then:

• There is likely to be far more critical engagement with society
• Direct attempts are made to change society
• The Gospel and Christian moral order require action
• Individuals and churches must engage with the world
• Particular attention goes to helping those who are sick or poor
• This may involve direct social and political action

Secular ownership of Christianity

Even as church attendance declines, many people who do not attend services still feel attached to local church buildings. This attachment can indicate that society is less secular than simple attendance figures suggest.

Reasons for attachment

People maintain connections to church buildings because they:

• Represent places where they or relatives were married or buried
• Provide a sense of permanence and continuity
• Serve as focal points during times of need or local tragedy
• Offer spaces for celebration
• May defend buildings threatened with closure

International examples

Church buildings can express national and religious identity:

Christianity as a secularising religion

Christianity can be understood as a naturally secularising religion because:

• Jesus taught that caring for the poor and healing the sick (both secular operations) take priority over obedience to religious rules
• Secular vocations of teaching and healing have become separated from organised religion
• This separation represents a form of secularisation that aligns with a radical interpretation of Christianity's earliest message

Liberation theology

Origins and key figures

Liberation theology emerged in Latin America as a response to poverty and oppression. Key theologians include:

• Gustavo Gutiérrez (b. 1928): Pioneered liberation theology in Latin America
• Leonardo Boff (b. 1938): Developed theological basis for social action

Core principles

Liberation theologians argued that:

• Christians should act in secular society on behalf of the poor and oppressed
• This might involve becoming active in education, trade unions, political parties
• In extreme circumstances, revolutionary movements could be justified
• The movement was inspired by the actions of Jesus described in the New Testament

Practical engagement

Liberation theology started from:

• Practical engagement with poverty and political action
• A necessary secularising of the gospel to make it relevant to ordinary working people's lives
• Education to help people recognise the difference between their own lives and real justice as described in the gospel
• Finding ways to challenge oppressive forces

The fundamental split

A major division developed concerning the church's role:

Criticism

The movement faced severe criticism, particularly from the Pope, who believed:

• The presentation of Jesus as a political revolutionary was not true to the gospel
• It contradicted the teachings of the church
• The approach was too politically radical

Oscar Romero (1917-80)

Faith in the City: liberationist approach in Britain

Background and purpose

In 1985, the archbishops of the Church of England commissioned research into life, conditions and faith in inner cities. The resulting report, Faith in the City: A Call to Action by Church and Nation, revealed:

• High levels of poverty in inner city areas
• Whole communities felt powerless when concentrated poverty existed
• Poverty was measured using six factors: unemployment, overcrowding, households lacking basic amenities, pensioners living alone, ethnic origin, single parent households

Key recommendations

The report recommended to the Church of England:

• Parishes in these areas should have more clergy
• Extra attention to training clergy and lay people
• Churches should consider how worship was conducted
• Extend and improve work with children and young people
• Use buildings more effectively for secular community needs, not just religious services

The report also made specific recommendations to the government concerning:

• Employment law
• Housing legislation
• Income support and social benefits
• Access to legal advice and support

By addressing these secular issues alongside spiritual concerns, the report engaged with people's whole existence, not just their spiritual life. This represented a liberationist approach applied to the British inner city context.

Reception and impact

Church response: Faith in the City was widely welcomed within the Church of England

Government response: The Conservative government largely responded negatively:

• Saw recommendations as politically left-wing
• One minister dismissed it as 'pure Marxist theology'
• Argued people should help themselves rather than depend on state support

Subsequent developments

• 1990: Similar report commissioned into church in rural areas (Faith in the Countryside)
• 1997: Methodist Church commissioned The Cities
• Current practice: Now normal for churches in Britain to take a liberationist approach
• Most parish and Methodist churches are used for worship and secular purposes
• Priests and ministers have pastoral roles extending beyond spiritual care
• Many churches run food banks, drop-in centres and community care activities

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