Does the Gospel have a “political dimension”?

Does the Gospel have a “political dimension”?

  “There are not a few theologians who sincerely want to live according to the Gospels and who are inclined towards the struggle for social justice, who have entered the world arena of the struggle between classes, races, governments and the like.  Christ, however, resolutely refused to intervene in the struggle of brothers for the distribution of wealth.  In addition to this, he added that the true incorruptible life does not lie in the struggle for wealth.  The question arises: Does the Gospel have a “political dimension”?  All the struggle between peoples or between classes is intertwined with violence: “Strike the enemy!”, but the commandment of Christ is: “Love your enemies!”.  This last does not in any way allow the reduction of the Gospel to the fratricidal level of material division […].  Our non-involvement is dictated by the consciousness that all the change of our positions in social relations through revolutionary, that is, violent, will ultimately turn out to be the replacement of one oppression by another. Historical experience has proven this countless times. We ourselves, throughout our lives, have observed how the idea of ​​justice has inspired people to fight against despotism and exploitation, for freedom and the full rights of all. However, the revolutions ended or turned into terrorist regimes that crushed a huge number of the population, depriving them of the most basic rights, and the like […]. We have no right to commit acts of violence in the name of Christ, not even violent ones. But we can see injustice [...]”.

in Archimandrite Sophrony, “The Mystery of Christian Life”, pp. 158-159.