TheChristian left is a range ofChristian political andsocial movements that largely embracesocial justice principles and uphold a social doctrine orsocial gospel based on their interpretation of the teachings ofChristianity. Given the inherent diversity in international political thought, the termChristian left can have different meanings and applications in different countries. While there is much overlap, the Christian left is distinct fromliberal Christianity, meaning not all Christian leftists are liberal Christians andvice versa.
In the United States, the Christian left usually aligns withmodern liberalism andprogressivism, using the social gospel to achieve better social and economic equality.[1]Christian anarchism,Christian communism, andChristian socialism are subsets of thesocialist Christian left.Karl Marx andFriedrich Engels, authors of theCommunist Manifesto, both had Christian upbringings; however, neither were devout Christians.[2][3]
As with any section within theleft–right political spectrum, a label such asChristian left represents an approximation, including within it groups and persons holding many diverse viewpoints. The term left-wing might encompass a number of values, some of which may or may not be held by different Christian movements and individuals. As the unofficial title of a loose association of believers, it provides a clear distinction from the more commonly knownChristian right, or religious right, and from its key leaders and political views. The Christian left does not hold the notion that left-leaning policies, whether economic or social, stand in apparent contrast to Christian beliefs.[4]
The most common religious viewpoint that might be described asleft-wing issocial justice, or care for impoverished and oppressedminority groups. Supporters of this trend might encourageuniversal health care,welfare provisions, subsidized education,foreign aid, andaffirmative action for improving the conditions of the disadvantaged. With values stemming fromegalitarianism, adherents of the Christian left consider it part of their religious duty to take actions on behalf of the oppressed.Matthew 25:31–46, among other verses, is often cited to support this view. As nearly all major religions contain the concept of aGolden Rule as a requirement tohelp others,[5] adherents of various religions have cited social justice as a movement in line with their faith.[6] The termsocial justice was coined in the 1840s byLuigi Taparelli, an Italian Catholic scholar of theSociety of Jesus, who was inspired by the writings ofThomas Aquinas.[7] The Christian left holds that social justice, renunciation of power, humility, forgiveness, and private observation of prayer (as inMatthew 6:5–6) as opposed to publicly mandated prayer, are mandated by theGospel. The Bible contains accounts of Jesus repeatedly advocating for the poor and outcast over the wealthy, powerful, and religious. The Christian left maintains that such a stance is relevant and important. Adhering to the standard of "turning the other cheek", which they believe supersedes theOld Testament law of "an eye for an eye", the Christian left sometimes hearkens towardspacifism in opposition to policies advancingmilitarism.[8]
The medievalWaldensians sect had a leftist character.[9] Some among the Christian left,[10] as well as some non-religious socialists, find support foranarchism,communism, andsocialism in the Gospels, for exampleMikhail Gorbachev citingJesus as "the first socialist".[11] The Christian left is a broad category that includes Christian socialism, as well as Christians who would not identify themselves as socialists.[4]
For much of the early history ofanti-establishment leftist movements, such associalism andcommunism, which was highlyanti-clerical in the 19th century, some established churches were led by clergy who saw revolution as a threat to their status and power. The church was sometimes seen as part of the establishment.Revolutions in theUnited States, France andRussia were in part directed against the established churches, or rather their leading clergy, and instituted aseparation of church and state.[citation needed]
In the 19th century, some writers and activists developed the school of thought ofChristian socialism, which infused socialist principles into Christian theology and praxis. Earlysocialist thinkers such asRobert Owen,Henri de Saint-Simon based their theories of socialism upon Christian principles.Karl Marx andFriedrich Engels reacted against these theories by formulating asecular theory of socialism inThe Communist Manifesto.[citation needed]
Starting in the late 19th century and early 20th century, some began to take on the view that genuine Christianity had much in common with a leftist perspective. FromSt. Augustine of Hippo'sCity of God throughSt. Thomas More'sUtopia, major Christian writers had expounded upon views that socialists found agreeable. Of major interest was the extremely strong thread ofegalitarianism in theNew Testament. Other common leftist concerns such aspacifism,social justice,racial equality,human rights, and the rejection of excessivewealth are also expressed strongly in theBible. In the late 19th century, theSocial Gospel movement arose (particularly among someAnglicans,Lutherans,Methodists andBaptists inNorth America andBritain,) which attempted to integrateprogressive andsocialist thought withChristianity to produce a faith-based social activism, promoted by movements such asChristian socialism. In the United States during this period, Episcopalians and Congregationalists generally tended to be the most liberal, both in theological interpretation and in their adherence to the Social Gospel. In Canada, a coalition of liberal Congregationalists, Methodists, and Presbyterians founded theUnited Church of Canada, one of the first true Christian left denominations. Later in the 20th century,liberation theology was championed by such writers asGustavo Gutierrez andMatthew Fox.[citation needed]
To a significant degree, the Christian left developed out of the experiences of clergy who went to do pastoral work among the working class, often beginning without any social philosophy but simply a pastoral and evangelistic concern for workers. This was particularly true among the Methodists and Anglo-Catholics in England, FatherAdolph Kolping in Germany andJoseph Cardijn in Belgium.[12]
Some Christian groups were closely associated with thepeace movements against theVietnam War as well as the2003 Invasion of Iraq. Religious leaders in many countries have also been on the forefront of criticizing any cuts tosocial welfare programs. In addition, many prominentcivil rights activists were religious figures.[13]
In the United States, members of the Christian Left come from a spectrum ofdenominations:Peace churches, elements of theProtestantmainline churches,Catholicism, and someevangelicals.[14]
Martin Luther King Jr. was an AmericanBaptist minister and activist who became the most visible spokesman and leader in thecivil rights movement from 1955 untilhis assassination in 1968. Inspired by hisChristian beliefs and the nonviolent activism ofMahatma Gandhi, he led targeted,nonviolent resistance againstJim Crow laws and other forms of discrimination. In 1957, King and other civil rights activists founded theSouthern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). The group was created to harness themoral authority and organizing power of black churches to conduct nonviolent protests in the service of civil rights reform. The group was inspired by the crusades of evangelistBilly Graham, who befriended King, as well as the national organizing of the group in Friendship, founded by King alliesStanley Levison andElla Baker. King led the SCLC until his death.
As a Christian minister, King's main influence wasJesus Christ and the Christian gospels, which he would almost always quote in his religious meetings, speeches at church, and in public discourses. King's faith was strongly based in Jesus' commandment ofloving your neighbor as yourself, loving God above all, and loving your enemies, praying for them and blessing them. Hisnonviolent thought was also based in the injunction toturn the other cheek in theSermon on the Mount, and Jesus' teaching of putting the sword back into its place (Matthew 26:52). In his famous "Letter from Birmingham Jail", King urged action consistent with what he describes as Jesus' "extremist" love, and also quoted numerous otherChristian pacifist authors, which was very usual for him. In another sermon, he stated:
Before I was a civil rights leader, I was a preacher of the Gospel. This was my first calling and it still remains my greatest commitment. You know, actually all that I do in civil rights I do because I consider it a part of my ministry. I have no other ambitions in life but to achieve excellence in the Christian ministry. I don't plan to run for any political office. I don't plan to do anything but remain a preacher. And what I'm doing in this struggle, along with many others, grows out of my feeling that the preacher must be concerned about the whole man.
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The Christian left generally approacheshomosexuality differently from some other Christian political groups. This approach can be driven by focusing on issues differently despite holding similar religious views, or by holding different religious ideas. Those in the Christian left who have similar ideas as other Christian political groups but a different focus may view Christian teachings on certain issues, such as the Bible's prohibitions against killing or criticisms of concentrations of wealth, as far more politically important than Christian teachings on social issues emphasized by thereligious right, such as opposition to homosexuality. Others in the Christian left have not only a different focus on issues from other Christian political groups, but different religious ideas as well.
For example, some members of the Christian left may consider discrimination and bigotry against homosexuals to be immoral, but they differ on their views towards homosexual sex. Some believe homosexual sex to be immoral but unimportant compared with issues relating to social justice, or even matters of sexual morality involving heterosexual sex. Others assert that some homosexual practices are compatible with the Christian life. Such members believe commonbiblical arguments used to condemn homosexuality are misinterpreted, and that biblical prohibitions of homosexual practices are actually against a specific type of homosexual sex act, i.e.pederasty, the sodomizing of young boys by older men. Thus, they hold biblical prohibitions to be irrelevant when considering modern same-sex relationships.[15][16][17][18]
A related strain of thought is the (Catholic and progressive evangelical)consistent life ethic, which sees opposition tocapital punishment,militarism,euthanasia,abortion and the global unequal distribution of wealth as being related. It is an idea with certain concepts shared byAbrahamic religions as well as someBuddhists,Hindus, and members of other religions. The late CardinalJoseph Bernardin ofChicago developed the idea for the consistent life ethic in 1983.[19]Sojourners is particularly associated with this strand of thought.[20][21]
Liberation theology is a theological tradition that emerged in thedeveloping world, primarily inLatin America.[22] Since the 1960s, Catholic thinkers have integrated left-wing thought and Catholicism, giving rise to Liberation theology. It arose at a time when Catholic thinkers who opposed the despotic leaders inSouthern andCentral America allied themselves with the communist opposition. However, it developed independently of and roughly simultaneously withBlack theology in the U.S. and should not be confused with it.[23] TheCongregation for the Doctrine of the Faith decided that while liberation theology is partially compatible with Catholic social teaching, certain Marxist elements of it, such as the doctrine of perpetual class struggle, are against Church teachings.
| State | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Chile | Christian Democratic Party | ||
 Greece | Christian Democracy | ||
 Italy | 360 Association,AreaDem,Olivists,Reformist Base,Social Christians,Teodem,The Populars, andVeltroniani | Factions within theDemocratic Party | |
| Democratic Centre | |||
| Solidary Democracy | |||
 Netherlands | Christian Union | Economically left-wing, progressive on matters like climate change and migration, but conservative on matters like abortion, drugs, euthanasia and prostitution | |
 Nicaragua | Sandinista National Liberation Front | ||
 Poland | AGROunia | Agrarian and nationalist Christian left | |
| Self-Defence of the Republic of Poland | |||
 Romania | Social Democratic Party | ||
 Sweden | Religious Social Democrats of Sweden | Faction within theSwedish Social Democratic Party | |
 Switzerland | Christian Social Party | ||
 United Kingdom | Christians on the Left | Faction within theLabour Party | |
 United States | American Solidarity Party | Economic left | |
| Prohibition Party | |||
 Uruguay | Christian Democratic Party of Uruguay | ||
| State | Party | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
 Belgium | Humanist Democratic Centre | Factions only | |
 Canada | Co-operative Commonwealth Federation | Merged into theNew Democratic Party | |
| Chile | Citizen Left | ||
 East Germany | Christian Democratic Union | Until 1989 | |
| Italy | Democracy is Freedom – The Daisy | Merged into theDemocratic Party | |
| Italian People's Party | Merged intoDemocracy is Freedom – The Daisy | ||
| Netherlands | Evangelical People's Party | Merged intoGroenLinks | |
| Political Party of Radicals | |||
A number of movements of the past had similarities to today's Christian left:
