Brokers Quote by Peter J. Gomes
“To some, the temporal triumph of the Christian community in the world is a sign of God's favor and the essential righteousness of the Christian position. The irony of the matter, though, is that whenever the Christian community gains worldly power, it nearly always loses its capacity to be the critic of the power and influence it so readily brokers.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The Paradox of Power in Christian Communities, 2000s scholarly article
When religious groups gain political power, they often lose the prophetic voice that critiques that power.
In simple terms: Power can mute moral critique.
Key Takeaway
Beware power’s corrupting influence.
Themes
religion
politics
power
critique
Mood
critical
concerned
Type
analytical
thought‑provoking
When to use this quote
- church leadership
- political lobbying
- public policy debates
- activism
Key Concepts
theology
ethics
institutionalism
Questions to Reflect On
- How can religious groups retain prophetic integrity?
- What structures protect critique within institutions?
A Different Perspective
Power can also enable positive social change.
![“Man is indeed lost, but that does not mean that he is nothing. We must resist humanism, but to make a man a zero is not the right way to resist it ... [The] Christian position is that man is made in the image of God and even though he is now a sinner, he can do things that are tremendous - he can…” quote by Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a3b/francis-schaeffer-2607_biblical_man-is-indeed-lost-but-that-does-not-mea_760915.jpg)
