Can a Compromised Church Still Proclaim a True Christ?
Confronting Christianity’s Complicity in Injustice and Rediscovering the Heart of the Gospel
Can I trust a faith that has been used to justify colonialism, racism, and oppression?
Introduction
Few questions today are more urgent—or more justified—than the one posed by history itself: how can Christianity be trusted when it has been used to justify colonialism, racism, and oppression? For many, the church’s entanglement with injustice feels not only like a betrayal of its own message but like a reason to walk away from it entirely. From the transatlantic slave trade defended by clergy, to the forced assimilation of Indigenous peoples under mission banners, to racial segregation rationalized by Scripture, the sins of Christians are well-documented. Yet this question, painful as it is, cannot be answered merely by public relations or moral evasions. It demands a theological, historical, and Christ-centered response. For at its core, Christianity proclaims not the perfection of its adherents but the perfection of Christ—and the ongoing need for repentance, justice, and grace.
Historical Complicity and Moral Clarity
It must be acknowledged without hesitation that Christianity has been misused to justify systems of violence and dehumanization. European colonial powers invoked the Great Commission while exploiting native lands and bodies. In the American South, pastors preached sermons defending slavery as a biblical institution, twisting passages like Ephesians 6:5 or Genesis 9:25 to uphold racial hierarchies. Even after emancipation, Jim Crow laws and segregation were often supported by self-identified Christians. Such distortions of Scripture are not mere historical footnotes—they are grievous sins that contradict the very essence of the gospel. The prophetic tradition of the Old Testament repeatedly condemns such abuse of religious power. “Woe to those who make unjust laws,” declares Isaiah, “to those who issue oppressive decrees” (Isa. 10:1). Scripture itself provides the moral framework by which these actions must be judged—and condemned.
The Bible as a Text of Liberation, Not Subjugation
Although Scripture has been weaponized in support of injustice, its central trajectory moves toward liberation, not oppression. The book of Exodus—arguably the foundational narrative of the Old Testament—centers on God delivering an enslaved people from a colonial superpower. Throughout the prophets, God rebukes nations that exploit the poor, neglect the widow, and pervert justice (cf. Amos 5:24; Micah 6:8). Jesus inaugurates His public ministry by quoting Isaiah 61: “He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives… to set at liberty those who are oppressed” (Luke 4:18). The apostolic witness continues this ethic. In Galatians 3:28, Paul proclaims a radical redefinition of social categories: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” These are not abstract ideals. They are theological declarations that all human beings bear the image of God and are equal before the cross.
Distinguishing Between Christ and Christendom
One of the most helpful distinctions in evaluating Christianity’s moral failures is that between Christ and Christendom. Christendom refers to the political and cultural structures that have historically identified as “Christian,” often fusing religious symbols with nationalistic or imperial ambitions. Christ, on the other hand, is the crucified and risen Son of God whose kingdom is “not of this world” (John 18:36). When Christianity is merged with power, it often ceases to look like Jesus. As theologian Lesslie Newbigin observes, “Whenever the church seeks to coerce rather than persuade, it ceases to speak with the authority of Christ.” The misuse of Christianity for oppression is not a reflection of its true essence but a corruption of it. The credibility of the gospel must rest not on the sinlessness of Christians, but on the sin-bearing Savior to whom the gospel points.
Voices from the Margins and the Power of Reformation
Importantly, many of the most powerful critiques of Christian complicity in injustice have come from within the church itself. Figures like Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. were deeply rooted in the Christian tradition. Far from rejecting the Bible, they drew upon its vision of justice to call the church to repentance. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, King appeals to the prophets, the apostles, and Jesus Himself to denounce racial inequality and lukewarm Christianity. “The early Christians rejoiced at being deemed worthy to suffer,” he wrote, “for what they believed. In those days the church was not merely a thermometer… but a thermostat that transformed the mores of society.” These voices remind us that the gospel has always had internal correctives. True reformation arises not from abandoning the faith but from returning to its deepest truths.
The Way Forward: Repentance, Justice, and Reconciliation
To trust in the Christian message today means recognizing both its misuse and its redemptive power. The path forward is not denial, but repentance. Churches must acknowledge the sins of the past—and in some cases, the present—not as isolated events, but as systemic failures that require confession, lament, and change. 1 John 1:9 promises that “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us.” But forgiveness does not preclude accountability. It requires structural honesty and ethical reform. Moreover, the church must commit itself to a gospel that bears fruit in justice (James 2:17). This involves listening to the marginalized, advocating for the oppressed, and embodying the reconciliation that Christ died to secure (2 Cor. 5:18–19). Only a church willing to be corrected by Christ can credibly proclaim Him.
Conclusion
Yes, Christianity has been misused—but that does not mean Christ was wrong. The same gospel that was twisted for power has also been the foundation for movements of justice, dignity, and peace. The failures of the church are grievous—but they are not the final word. Jesus still identifies with the oppressed, not the oppressor. He still calls His people to repentance, not self-righteousness. And He still offers good news—not of empire, but of a kingdom marked by truth, grace, and sacrificial love. If you have been wounded by a distorted version of Christianity, know this: that distortion was not the gospel. And it was never Jesus.