St Andrews Encyclopaedia of Theology (Mar 2024)
Democracy
Abstract
It is a statement of the obvious to say that Christianity is not necessary for democracy to exist. It is no less true, but perhaps less obvious, to say that democratic politics is intrinsic to the practice of Christianity, and democracy, broadly understood, is a way of enacting fundamental Christian commitments. Both these claims guide this article. Because it is not always clear what is meant by the term ‘democracy’, the article begins with an extended definition. Because it is even less clear how the Bible and democracy relate, the article then examines the scriptural precedents for a commitment to democracy. The article closes by outlining the key modern theological arguments that exhort active Christian involvement in democratic struggles for justice and liberation as well as responsibility for developing and sustaining democratic political systems. The essay as a whole outlines a theological grammar of democracy, providing a means to evaluate theologically whether or not a particular polity or form of politics is democratic. The one-line summary of this entry is that democracy is the political form of neighbour love, particularly in how it incorporates love of enemies.
