Social and Political Activism

Service to others is an important part of Christian practice. According to the New Testament (Acts 4:32-35), the earliest Christians took seriously the command to love one’s neighbor as oneself: the wealthy gave all their money to the church, all property was held in common, and no one experienced great need.

This tradition of social service continues today. Most congregations make significant contributions to support the poor, the sick, and the homeless in their communities. On a larger scale, there are hundreds of national and international Christian charities dedicated to fighting social and political injustice, bringing an end to poverty, and providing food, health services, and education to those in need. They include Habitat for Humanity, Bread for the World, International Orthodox Charities, Catholic Relief Services, the Salvation Army, and World Vision.

Christian activism has often brought important social and political change. American abolitionists such as Theodore Weld (1803-1895) and Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) played leading roles in the American antislavery movement, whose aims were realized in the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. In the 1960s, it was a black Baptist minister, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (1929-1968), who championed the civil rights movement that succeeded in outlawing discrimination against minorities and women in the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Today’s Christian activists are involved in causes ranging from placing water for migrants in the deserts of Arizona to protesting nuclear weapons to fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa.