Identity politics: Should Christians get involved?

You’ve checked your privilege, fought oppression and resisted the patriarchy. But is your campaign motivated by love or rage? And should Christians even get involved at all?

The term ‘social justice’ used to be associated with words such as ‘equality’, ‘compassion’ and ‘tolerance’. In the 1960s and 1970s, ‘the brotherhood of man’ might be the stated goal, the language almost biblical. Heroes of this movement included Germaine Greer and Peter Tatchell, outspoken campaigners for the rights of women and gay people.

But this narrative has undergone a radical change in recent years. Words such as ‘privilege’, ‘power’ and ‘patriarchy’ are now weapons. People who claim to represent minority or oppressed social groups are angry – and they’re in the headlines like never before.