THINK

Christopher Goh was a student of ecclesiastical history at the University of Cambridge and, when not watching Fulham FC, is pursuing a Masters at Tel Aviv University. He worships at Bedok Methodist Church.

The arrest of a 16-year-old Protestant Christian for planning a terrorist attack has sparked conversations about religious radicalisation in Singapore. The overwhelming narrative is that religious radicalism is bad and should be avoided.

However, Christianity is an innately radical faith. To be radical means to push for fundamental changes in the status quo. It is impossible to adhere to biblical teachings without being radical. As Singaporean Christians, how then do we reconcile the call to be radical in a nation-state that seems to abhor radicalism?

“Radical religion”, as used in public discourse in Singapore, refers to violent extremists, such as Islamic jihadists and far-right Christian nationalists. However, to view all religious radicalism as violent reflects a narrow understanding of it.

Radical Christians have often been radical to the point of dogmatic pacifism—many conscientious objectors who refused to take up arms in the World Wars did so because their radical Christian faith made them reject all killing as murder. At other points in history, it has been radical Christians (including many known in Britain as “nonconformists” or “dissenters”, such as Wesley himself) who were at the forefront of movements to dismantle systems of structural violence. Spurred on by his evangelical faith, William Wilberforce worked to abolish slavery, and likewise for many anti-apartheid activists. Whether or not we agree with the finer theological points of die-hard pacifists, we must acknowledge that radical Christianity is also a force for peace and justice.

“Moderate” Christianity, a Christianity that hangs back and does not challenge society into change, can be just as complicit in violence as religious extremism. Moderate and mainstream Christianity did not argue against the brutal Atlantic slave trade and was complicit in it. The moderate Christianity of the established Anglican Church even encouraged colonial expansion.

“Moderate” Christianity is at odds with what we are called to do—to leave behind our old lives and follow Jesus. Jesus did not shy away from radical change. He often contradicted the status quo and shook the foundations of society, leading to opposition from both ends of the religious-political spectrum, from the “conservative” Hebraic Pharisees to the “liberal” Hellenistic Sadducees. His ministry was a radical reimagining of the way God’s Kingdom would appear on earth. Until Jesus comes again, the status quo will always be imperfect, and Christians should never be satisfied with leaving it unchanged. Christ called Christians, having been born again by water and the Spirit, to go forth into the world as transformed and transforming people.

In Romans, Paul exhorts us not to conform to this world, but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Radical Christianity calls us to love not only our neighbours but also our enemies, to forgive them not seven times but 70 times seven; to seek first the Kingdom of God; to seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly; and to love the Lord our God with all our hearts. It calls us to submit to the ruling authorities while also obeying God over man. It is incredibly difficult for a Christian to live these out, especially in a secularising society.

Radical Christianity is uncomfortable for people in power and for the privileged, and even for many in the institutional Church, because it would be easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for them to abandon their earthly positions in order to enter the Kingdom of God. It is uncomfortable because it calls for a reimagining of the comfortable status quo and a fundamental reform of society.

We must not let the discourse following the afore-mentioned incident affect our pursuit of a radical Christian life. I would argue that the answer to religious violence would be for Christians to be more radical. Embracing a radical Christian faith means understanding that earthly violence, which leans on our own strength and understanding, is rarely the solution for metaphysical issues. Christians cannot be cowed into being less “radical” just because of how it is used and misunderstood as a “dirty word” in our national discourse. We are called to a radical faith to bring the transformative power of the Gospel into all the earth.