The Roots of Christian Democracy Part II: The Monarchy
In my previous article, I briefly discussed the origins of Christian Democracy and in particular, the potential of the American Solidarity Party to bring much-needed healing to America. As I discussed, one of the most ingenious things about Christianity is its ability to work in, with, and through any particular situation or culture where it finds itself. Before we look at how Christianity and democracy can effectively work side by side, it is worth looking at the flaws of monarchy as hinted at in the Bible, and how democracy is a much surer guarantee of freedom and prosperity.
Much of Christian history has been the story of monarchies. Until relatively recently, monarchy was the preferred method of government. Much of this tradition is rooted in the Old Testament. As the Prophets of old anointed kings in the Old Testament, the bishops of the Church crowned kings and queens all throughout the medieval era. I explained earlier that the Kings of ancient Israel and Judah were anointed by the Israelite Prophets. Samuel anoints David as King, whereas Nathan anoints Solomon as his successor. John the Baptist, the final Prophet, anoints Jesus as King of Israel in the scene of the Baptism of Christ. There is goodness and beauty in this tradition, and indeed several kings and queens throughout history have become saints—Elizabeth of Hungary, Louis of France, Edward the Confessor of England, and Margaret of Scotland being notable examples.
But despite these examples of saintly monarchs, there is a natural distrust of monarchy that is made abundantly clear in the Old Testament. The Old Testament is a treasure of wisdom, ever ancient and ever new, and even democratic ideas can find inspiration in the ancient book. In the First Book of Samuel, however, we are presented with a rather interesting dilemma, one which puts the Prophet Samuel in a strange conundrum: the People of Israel, having established themselves in the Promised Land, demand that a king to rule over them. They desire to be like the nations surrounding them - Egypt, Assyria, Babylon - who are ruled by powerful kings. We read in the eighth chapter: “Behold, you are old and your sons do not walk in your ways; now appoint for us a king to govern us like all the nations.” But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to govern us” (1 Sm 8:5-6). The Prophet Samuel, having led Israel for some time and approaching the end of his life, is grieved by this demand. In vain, he explains to Israel what the result of having a king will be:
These will be the ways of the king who will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his chariots. He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive orchards and give them to his servants. He will take the tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers and to his servants. He will take your menservants and maidservants, and the best of your cattle and your asses, and put them to his work. He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves. And in that day you will cry out because of your king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not answer you in that day. (1 Sm 8:11-18)
In short, Samuel warns the people that after an initial golden age of the kingdom, their king will eventually become a burden upon them. He will enforce heavy taxes, force their sons and daughters into hard service, and take their lands for himself and his royal house. In a way, the king will become a reminder of the slavery they once experienced in Egypt, something which God had liberated their ancestors from centuries earlier. This blunt warning comes true with the death of the great King Solomon in c. 931 BC, and the tumultuous reign of his son and successor, King Rehoboam. Solomon had greatly increased the burdens upon his people during his reign, and Rehoboam threatened to only increase the burdens, leading to the division of the Kingdom into two separate lands into Israel in the North, and Judah in the South. Samuel’s warning comes true: a human king has disappointed the Chosen People by only taking more and more power and glory for himself, leading to the division of the Kingdom and the eventual fall of both Israel and Judah.
The People failed to recognize that God was their one and only King. Any human king would naturally fail them, acquiring far too much power for himself. It is true that democracy likewise has its flaws, as no human government will be perfect. But the genius of democracy - especially in the American Republic or a parliamentary democracy—lies in the balance of power and the separation of branches of government. The division of legislature, executive, and judicial branches of government ensure that one branch cannot achieve too much power for itself, as it will be balanced by the other branches. The American Founding Fathers created a modern miracle in the Constitution of the United States, a “great experiment” that has proved far more successful than any ancient kingdom.
So, what does the Old Testament tell us? It tells us plainly of the dangers of an unchecked monarchy. True, there have been saintly monarchs throughout history, but they are often few and far between. Democratic government ensures that one branch of government will not supersede the other, protecting freedom for all. Is it fascinating to wonder if the Prophet Samuel’s warnings about a monarchy had been heeded, what would have become of ancient Israel? We may never know, but we can take those lessons from the ancient Chosen People and apply them to our times.
In my next article, I will discuss more of how Church and state can effectively work together, and specifically how Christianity can work positively within democracy.