Evangelical Politics, A Discussion: Part 4

Chapter 4 of Sider's book is titled "The State: Its Nature, Purpose, and Limits."

What is the State? According to Sider, the state is one institution among many other institutions in society. However, there are three things that set the state aside from other institutions. First, when the state acts, the whole society acts. Second, the state alone has the authority and power to use coercion to enforce its laws in every area of society. Finally, the state's unique role is to integrate all the other institutions in society, ensuring that justice is enjoyed by all.

At this point, Sider elaborates on his insistence that the state is only one institution among many. He quotes William Temple who says "the one great heresy...is to equate society and the state." That is, the state has to stand off to the side of institutions like marriage, family and even business. The state can not arrogate absolute power to itself, or dark days are ahead. "Human freedom and flourishing collapse when the state refuses to accept its role as just one of many important societal institutions and instead seeks to dominate and control all others."

If the state is just one institution of society, what are its central tasks? Most Christians have understood very clearly the fact that the state exists to "restrain evil." However, it has evaded many that the state also exists for some very positive purposes: to foster the common good and even to make way for the proclamation of the gospel. The state fosters good by allowing people to live in creative harmony with one another and by providing justice for the poor and oppressed.

If the state is only one institution among others in society, how is its power to be limited? Christians make a statement when they say "Jesus is Lord" that the power of the state is only temporal. The existence of the church limits the state's power. This is insightful, for why else would so many countries fight so hard against the church? Thankfully, democratic societies have gone farther than subversion in limiting the state's power. We have developed elaborate systems of government that try to make sure that power does not rest too long in any one place. Rather, we place power in different parts of government and even in non-governmental institutions. Therefore, Sider says, we shouldn't look solely to the government to solve social problems. We should look to the proper institutions outside of the state to do this. Sider agrees with Emil Brunner's assessment that "the healthier a society, the more nonstate institutions will be able to handle problems without state intervention."

If the state is not to govern every aspect of life, what things should it legislate?

Authored by Matt Wilcoxen