By Geoff Bottoms
In applying the Jewish and Christian scriptures to contemporary social and political issues, the various churches recognise that the origins of the teachings of Jesus on the love of God and neighbour are rooted in the Judaism of his day, of which he was both the embodiment and the fulfilment.
In the Book of Genesis, when Cain asks God, following the murder of his brother Abel, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” the unequivocal answer is “Yes.” We are our brothers’ and sisters’ keepers, meaning we have a moral duty to care for and support our fellow humans. Expanding this theme, the Jewish prophets such as Micah remind the people that, “The Lord requires you to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God,” while Amos condemns the wealthy for their exploitation of the poor and needy, selling them into slavery for minor debts.
All of which finds its ultimate expression in the words of Jesus himself, when he tells his followers, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me,” meaning that when caring for the sick and needy, the prisoners, the hungry, and the homeless, they are seeing and serving him in the face of the poor. Consequently, it is this tradition which is the driving force behind the social teaching and action of the mainstream Christian churches, which in turn align with socialist principles and practices.
Catholic Social Teaching
Catholic Social Teaching (CST) comprises key Church documents, starting with Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum (1891), that apply Christian faith to social issues like labour, justice, peace, environmentalism and the common good. It features major encyclical letters from Popes like John XXIII (Pacem in Terris) 1963, Paul VI (Populorum Progressio) 1967, John Paul II (Centesimus Annus) 1991, Benedict XVI (Caritas in Veritate) 2009, Francis (Laudato Si (2015), Fratelli Tutti (2020), and Dilexit Nos (2024), and Leo’s apostolic exhortation (Dilexi Te 2025). Together with Vatican II documents like Gaudium et Spes (1965) they form a rich tradition of moral guidance for the modern world.
The seven core themes of Catholic Social Teaching provide a moral framework for building a just society. They include:
- Life & Dignity of the Human Person,
- Call to Family, Community & Participation,
- Rights & Responsibilities,
- Option for the Poor & Vulnerable,
- Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers,
- Solidarity, and
- Care for God’s Creation (Our Common Home).
These principles guide Catholics to live out their faith by serving others, upholding justice, and promoting human flourishing for all.
Essentially Catholic Social Teaching believes that every person is made in God’s image and has inherent worth, deserving fundamental rights. Humans are social beings meant to live in community, with a right to participate in society. Every person has fundamental rights (like life, food, and shelter) and corresponding duties to others. CST prioritises the needs of the marginalised and oppressed, following Christ’s example, while work is dignified, with workers having a right to fair wages, safe conditions, and membership of trade unions. It involves a commitment to the common good, and recognises our interconnectedness as one human family. Stewardship of the earth and its resources is a moral obligation. All of which corresponds with Marx’s dictum that “the free development of each is the condition for the free development of all.”
In an attempt to apply these principles, and using Marxist analysis, liberation theology grew up in Latin America as a response to the poverty and the ill-treatment of ordinary people. In fact the principle of opting for the poor grew out of this movement, and shaped the early work of CAFOD (Catholic Agency for Overseas Development) in the 1960s. It believes that the church should follow the radical example of Jesus and act to bring about social change. Furthermore, it should ally itself with the working class to do so. Some radical priests became involved in politics and trade unions; others even aligned themselves with revolutionary movements.
Archbishop Dom Helder Camara of Olinda and Recife in Brazil was an advocate of this theology of liberation, which had its scriptural basis in the freeing of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, under the leadership of Moses. Facing significant opposition from the military dictatorship at that time, together with conservative factions in society and even the Catholic Church, he is quoted as saying, “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint. When I ask why the poor have no food, they call me a communist.”
Liberation Theology also extends to Black Liberation, Women’s Liberation, the Palestinian Struggle, the Dalit Cause, and the inclusion of deaf people and those with other disabilities. Interestingly enough, Fidel Castro observed that Christianity exhibited “a group of very humane precepts” which gave the world “ethical values” and a “sense of social justice.” He is quoted as saying, “If people call me Christian, not from the standpoint of religion but from the standpoint of social vision, I declare that I am a Christian.”
Anglican Social Theology
Anglican social theology (AST) is the Church of England’s tradition of engaging with social issues, seeking to develop strong theological foundations for its social action. It draws on figures like F. D Maurice, William Temple, and latterly Desmond Tutu, Rowan Williams and Malcolm Brown.
Rooted in the Christian Socialist movement of the nineteenth-century, it aims for a distinct yet relevant Christian voice in the public sphere, often inspired by Catholic Social Teaching but rooted in Anglican principles of faith, scripture, and tradition to address modern challenges in the areas of economics, ecology, and social justice. It emphasises the Church’s role in promoting the common good, balancing individual ethics with communal responsibility, and aims to equip ordinary Christians and the Church to speak coherently on complex social, economic and political issues. Because of the distributed rather than centralised concept of authority in the Anglican Church, it does not claim to have a body of Social Teaching comparable to the Roman Catholic Church, but rather speaks of a theology which embraces a range of traditions.
Central to AST is the belief that because God became human in Jesus (the Incarnation), all aspects of human life are sacred and under God’s concern. It promotes the idea that society should be structured for the well-being of all, emphasising reciprocity and “gift-exchange” over purely market-driven relationships. Historically, it begins in the local parish, viewing it as the structural building block of the church that radiates outward into the neighbourhood, and therefore rooted in communities, for which it has a pastoral responsibility as the established Church of England. Modern AST focuses on issues such as multiculturalism, climate change, economic debt relief, and the role of faith in pluralistic public debates. While historically dominated by the Church of England, current AST is increasingly influenced by postcolonial realities and diverse voices across the Anglican Communion and closely parallels socialist principles and values.
The Methodist Church and social justice
Meanwhile the Methodist Church has a long history of living out its calling to justice and peace, by speaking up in the public square. From the Wesleys’ work on prison reform and the abolition of the slave trade to a Methodist presence in campaigns such as Make Poverty History, the Fairtrade movement and Jubilee 2000, taking a stand is part of the Methodist heritage. As churches host debt centres, food banks, supper clubs and mutual aid groups, they continue to question why such help is needed. Not only do they want to see poverty and inequality alleviated, but they also want to change the structures and systems which bring it about in the first place.
Much of the Methodist Church’s social justice work is done ecumenically, in partnership with other churches in the UK (including the United Reformed Church, the Baptist Union of Great Britain and the Church of Scotland), as part of the Joint Public Issues Team (JPIT). Based on ‘Six Hopes for Society’ they work together towards a just economy that enables
- the flourishing of all life,
- a world that actively works for peace,
- a society that welcomes the stranger,
- a society where the poorest and most marginalised are at the centre,
- a planet where our environment is renewed, and
- a politics characterised by listening, kindness and truthfulness.
In order to anchor its understanding of God’s justice in turbulent times the Methodist Conference has agreed six Principles for justice including treating others with respect; the flourishing of people and planet; a bias to those experiencing poverty and exclusion; challenging those in power; actively working for peace, justice and liberation; and engaging in protest, resistance, restitution, forgiveness, reconciliation and ultimately transformation.
Complementing this are five Priorities embracing poverty, climate, refugees, discrimination and peace, and five Practices involving listening, involving communities in making decisions together, enabling people to have agency and dignity, and standing in solidarity together, being a partner and a collaborator, not a rescuer or a provider. Also self-awareness about where power lies, where it is being abused, and how it can be used for good The work involves engaging with the reality of the world as it is but also holding on to the hope that transformation, healing, and right relationships can and will be restored, leading to the flourishing of all God’s creation. These commitments are rooted in prayer and faith in God, which enables the expression of anger, passion for change, our failings, the offering of thanks for change, and the seeking of God’s will.
In summary all the major churches share core social teachings which are rooted in faith, They all emphasise human dignity, the family, the common good, care for creation, solidarity, and opting for the poor, though specific principles and emphases vary. They all draw from scripture and tradition to guide ethical living in society for peace, justice, and human flourishing, while theologies of liberation provide the analysis and praxis for turning these principles into material reality.
Or as Karl Marx would have framed it: “the philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways; the point, however, is to change it.”
