The relationship between religion and politics has been and continues to be a complex and often unseemly business. For most of human history, there was no distinction between the two domains. Think, for example, of the divine right of kings. And, now, we need only look south to the US to see how Christian nationalists, with the assistance of the Supreme Court, seek to crown a president as king in order to establish a so-called “Christian nation.” So, the impulse among many to insist on an absolute separation between religion and politics is unsurprising. Unsurprising, perhaps, but also impossible.
There is one good reason (among many) why no religious or even Spiritual But Not Religious (SBNR) person can afford to think of religion/spirituality (I use the terms interchangeably here) and politics as mutually irrelevant silos. Why? Because political life is not just about casting votes; rather, it is the emotion-laden work of shaping citizens’ hearts so that we become inclined toward this, rather than that set of political programs. Political parties seek to shape our desires so that we want to vote for them. The thing is that what we desire, what we do with our hearts, is an intrinsically spiritual affair. What we desire, that is what we become, and the objects of our desire will become the objects of our devotion. There’s a reason that in some countries, political parties command greater loyalty than race, ethnicity, or religion do.
Despite some notable exceptions, we seem to be in the midst of a global turn toward the hard right. Nationalist politicians have recently won major elections in Europe and seem to be on the brink of winning still more. The consistent currency of nationalist political parties is a language of suspicion, fear, resentment, hatred and anger. Anti-immigrant and anti-refugee sentiment has proved critical to consolidating voter bases and winning elections. Canada is not far behind.
At their best, religious and spiritual traditions recognize that fear, anger and resentment are pollutants of the human heart. Religious traditions without exception, describe these impulses as spiritual toxins. In Hindu and Buddhist traditions, such sentiments are called “klesas,” best translated as “defilements.” Such defilements are impediments to awakening. When we are in their grip, the mind cannot open and become attuned to the way things really are. These defilements corrupt vision by soiling the heart.
The work of meditation and disciplines of service are meant to purify the mind-heart of these defilements and replace them with such positive sentiments as compassion, loving-kindness, equanimity, and sympathetic joy. Spiritual persons of all traditions and none, therefore, ought to be highly suspicious of any politics that traffics in toxicity by selling fear, anger, and suspicion of the other. Spiritual persons are called to exercise equal if not greater vigilance about what gets pumped into our mindstreams as we do about what gets pumped into our water. A politics rooted in fear and anger must be recognized as a dire threat to spiritual health and well-being.
So, what’s the alternative? Not a politics of “pure reason” and argument alone. That’s now how human beings make their most important decisions. What we must demand from politicians is a politics of positive affect. A spiritually healthy politics is one that cultivates hope, compassion, mutual solidarity, and yes, even love. If my well-being is not separate from yours, if, as it happens, immigration is actually a net positive for North American nation-states, demonizing the other to secure “our” well-being is a failed and even self-destructive political project. It is also, spiritually speaking, corrosive to the soul.
John J. Thatamanil is Professor of Theology and World Religions at Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. He is also a Priest and Diocesan Theologian of the Diocese of Islands & Inlets (Anglican Diocese of British Columbia). He is, most recently, the author of Circling the Elephant: A Comparative Theology of Religious Diversity. He splits his time between living with his wife and son here in Victoria and living with his daughter in Manhattan. His research centres on how Christians can learn from the practices and insights of other religious traditions.
You can read more articles on our interfaith blog Spiritually Speaking at https://www.timescolonist.com/blogs/spiritually-speaking
*This article was published in the print edition of the Times Colonist on Saturday August 3rd 2024
