Operating in a "site of struggle": Church structures, theological stance and the activist clergyperson

Abstract

The article proposes that one needs to understand the “action space” of an activist clergyperson in the constraints of his/her church’s structures which often form a kind of “Ideological State Apparatus” that limits activism. A more democratic church structure does not necessarily make for greater action space; nor does a liberal theology necessarily translate into effective political praxis. The article concludes with the opinion that a lot more work needs to be done on these structural issues for a better understanding of the role of clergy as activists.