To summarize again:
When Christians attempt take control of history they act to influence the nation state, directing policy toward desired ends. This attempt at taking historical responsibility can take two forms, presented as options but really existing along a continuum:
1. Christian Realism
Christians can engage with the politics of the state as it exists, accepting that political progress is incremental and that political arrangements can only ever be approximations of the kingdom of God. Examples of Christian realism are Christians (Democrats or Republicans) who, as voters, community organizers, and activists, seek political change in America.
2. Christian Revolution
Christians engaged in revolutionary politics seek to directly undermine or overthrow the politics of the nation state, likely because the politics of the state are so broken or evil the political status quo has to replaced wholesale and immediately. An example of Christian revolution would be the actions of John Brown in his attempts to overthrow American slavery. You could also argue that the insurrectionists of January 6th were engaged in revolutionary political action in their attempt to overthrow the results of the 2020 American election.
When Christian political action eschews taking responsibility for history it can express itself in one of three ways:
3. Leavening Presence
Christians engaged in leavening presence humanize the world by pushing back against dehumanizing forces by offering care, material support, safety, advocacy, and solidarity. Individual Christians can do this in their places of work and influence by using their power compassionately. Christian churches and organizations, through a variety of ministries and programs, also respond to locations of harm, suffering, material want, marginalization, and oppression. Examples here include any Christian trying to act compassionately in their workplace and all the Christian charity and advocacy work throughout the world.
4. A New World in the Shell of the Old
Christians can form intentional communities as a counter-polis in the midst of the world, instantiating a politics, economy, and common life in contrast to that of the reigning political powers and institutions. Such communities live among the nations as a "colony of heaven" and bear witness, in their common life, to the politics of the kingdom of God. Such communities do not seek to make the kingdoms of the world conform to the politics of heaven but, rather, bring into existence "a new world in the shell of the old." Examples here include Anabaptist communities (like the Amish and Bruderhof) and Christian monastic communities, new and old.
5. Sacramental Witness
In their ritual and sacramental life Christians make visible the politics of heaven in the midst of the world. Artistic and performative expressions also embody a sacramental witness when they interrupt political and economic imaginations held captive by the status quo. The sacramental manifestation of the politics of heaven in the midst of the world creates an eschatological and prophetic contrast with the kingdoms of men. Examples here are Christian worship and the celebration of the Table along with artistic and performative acts of protest.
In addition to this list, in the last post I described how various forms of activism and protest line up with these five expressions of political action in the world.
The last point I want to make in this series about this classification system is that Christians can mix and match. My sense is that, in watching Christians debate political action, these five sorts of action are often pitted against each other. For example, one often finds the Anabaptist political vision (New World in the Shell of the World) pitted against Christian realism. And for the Anabaptists this makes sense because of the issue of pacifism. You can't maintain a consistent peace witness while involved with the state. But it is also the case that a person can be involved in both forms of political action, New World in the Shell of the Old and Christian realism. In fact, I'd argue this is most often the case. I know many Christians who are involved in intentional or new monastic communities who vote and are deeply involved in political activism and protest. Dorothy Day and the Catholic Workers are a paradigmatic example here, an intentional community deeply involved in protest activism.
In addition, intentional communities and churches also engage in leavening presence and sacramental witness. The faith community might care for the homeless and tend a community garden (leavening presence) along with gathering for worship and the breaking of bread (sacramental witness).
(BTW, I think a community garden is both a leavening presence and a sacramental witness.)
All that to say, yes, some Christians, for their own reasons, might choose one form of political action over another. But most Christians engage in many different forms of political action. And this is where the classification system can be helpful in pointing out the assumptions, goals, and "metrics of success" of different forms of political action. This can help heal some of the desolations and confusions we experience in Christian political debate. For example, as political "action" going to church might seem "pointless" to many. But if you understand church as sacramental witness, as an Occupy Wall Street-type protest, the gathered people of God is far, far from pointless. Does the gathered church change the state? No, but that's not its purpose. But we do have other forms of political action, from voting to protesting, that can be used to effect political change. So it helps to be clear about what a particular form of political action is or is not intending to do and what our expectations should be. For example, one can be politically utopian at church, even revolutionary, as you sacramentally experience the politics of heaven. But you can't be utopian at the voting booth. At the voting booth you have to be realistic. And in the meantime we can bind up the wounds of our neighbors and world in acts of leavening care and compassion.
I hope you can see the point: it helps to be informed about and alert to the sort of political action you're engaging in.
In conclusion, we can do all the things, mixing and matching, knowing that each form of political action can have a vital and important part to play.
