Because evangelicals have too closely aligned themselves with political agendas, instead of the Scripture-derived social mission of the church, two camps have emerged over the past few decades. On the one hand, you have the "Christian-means-Republican" camp where many biblical imperatives are pursued through legislation and government force, and on other hand, you have the pathetic economics and theocratic biblical theology of prophetical left in the likes of guys like Bono, the One Campaign, and so on. Both camps pursue the same method, except that "the right" might start with the Pentateuch and Romans whereas "the left" might begin with the Prophets and the Sermon on the Mount. Both turn to government instead of the church to do the work of the Kingdom of God.

There are better alternatives that might help church leaders not fall into political syncretism by looking to government to do more than she's called to do effectively while honoring human dignity. The Oxford Declaration on Christian Faith and Economics and the Cornwall Declaration on Environmental Stewardship are good places to start.

The Oxford Declaration of January 1990, first published in the international journal Transformation, was issued jointly by over one hundred theologians and economists, ethicists and development practitioners, church leaders and business managers who come from various parts of the world including folks like Miroslav Volf (Yale Divinity), E. Calvin Beisner (Knox Seminary), Rene Padilla (Gordon Conwell Seminary), and Ron Sider. Oxford contends that since we live in diverse cultures and subcultures, and are steeped in differing traditions of theological and economic thinking, we have diverse notions as to how Christian faith and economic realities should intersect.

The Oxford Declaration is not a perfect document but it is at least a great start to help the folks in the pews (chairs, the floor, or however your people sit) to think broadly about issues of social justice, economics, human dignity, and the like, without necessarily politicizing the social mission of the church through theocratic means.

How silly it is, for example, to expect the U.S. government to randomly give one percent GDP (over $25 billion) to corrupt governments and bureaucratic non-profit groups, like the One Campaign wants, when American Christians literally have a tithing potential of $143 billion? How sad is it to fight against abortion but also not be equally passionate about what happens to non-aborted kids for their entire lives--that is, truly "pro-life" and not simply "pro-birth." (I'll write more about the One Campaign's serious problems another time)

The Oxford Declaration reminds us about the need for more mediating institutions:

"One of the phenomena associated with the modern world is the increasing divide between private and public sectors. The need for a bridge between these two sectors has led to an emphasis on mediating institutions. The neighborhood, the family, the church, and other voluntary associations are all such institutions. As the early church did in its context, these institutions provide citizens with many opportunities for participation and leadership. They also provide other opportunities for loyalty in addition to the state and the family. Their role in meeting the needs of members of the community decreases the need for centralized government. They also provide a channel for individuals to influence government, business, and other large institutions. Therefore Christians should encourage governments everywhere to foster vigorous voluntary associations."

Those interested in the church's role in the stewardship of creation will be helped from the Cornwall Declaration and the Interfaith Stewardship Alliance (ISA). The ISA advisory board includes folks like Dr. Barrett Duke, Vice President for Public Policy and Research, The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Southern Baptist Convention; Dr. Wayne Grudem, Research Professor of Bible and Theology, Phoenix Seminary, Arizona; Dr. Kevin Alan Lewis, Assistant Professor of Theology & Law, Biola University, California, among others.

What orients this type of environmentalism in Cornwall is a strong commitment to the biblical story:

"Men and women were created in the image of God, given a privileged place among creatures, and commanded to exercise stewardship over the earth. Human persons are moral agents for whom freedom is an essential condition of responsible action. Sound environmental stewardship must attend both to the demands of human well being and to a divine call for human beings to exercise caring dominion over the earth. It affirms that human well being and the integrity of creation are not only compatible but also dynamically interdependent realities."

Again, the Oxford and Cornwall Declarations are by no means exhaustive documents, but they serve as great starts to help churches think broadly, biblically, and wisely about the social mission of the Church. Good intentions are not a substitute for wisdom and good technique regarding the production and distribution of material resources to make the world a better place for the truly disadvantaged.