DEMOCRACY: CHALLENGES TODAY AND THEOLOGICAL RESPONSES

2020-05-27

Vol. 14, No. 4, December 2020

DEMOCRACY: CHALLENGES TODAY AND THEOLOGICAL RESPONSES

Democracy can be said to be the “government by the people in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised directly by them or by their elected agents under a free electoral system.” As Abraham Lincoln has beautifully articulated, democracy is a government “of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

Many nations follow the democratic system. Compared to other systems, democracy can be said to be a popular and successful political idea and system; we do not have a better alternative for democracy. However, we are witnessing that politicization of democracy is resulting in its degeneration, denial of justice, favouritism, nepotism, uncontrolled corruption and corrosion of values. Democratically elected governments themselves often become the greatest violator of human rights. The legal system is not an exception. As a result, in many countries, democracy is no more the rule by the people, but the rule by a few politicians, often motivated by power and economic gain. In the last few decades, the way majoritarianism, populism, right-wing politics, fundamentalism, politics of identity, etc., are disrupting and degenerating the democratic system, causing destabilization within countries and at a global level, gives the impression that democracy has degraded into mobocracy and monocracy. Political leadership in many countries has failed to tackle these; rather, many in leadership are promoting such tendencies and are making strategies accordingly either to come to power or to retain it.

In general, in the democratic system, citizens freely make political decisions by majority rule. But if the majority is not inclusive,  if it is not guided by the constitution that guarantees equal rights of all, it cannot be called democratic. Respecting the rights of all, especially the rights of minorities, is not a generosity of the majority; instead, rather equal dignity and equal right of every citizen is the corner stone of democracy. Moreover, political system should be founded on strong values, especially values of hospitality, compassion, tolerance and so on.

The Church, though it is not a kingdom of this world, has the responsibility to ensure peace and well-being of people, to become the voice of the ‘voiceless’ who are denied justice and dignified life in the modern ‘polis’ of democracy. Unless a concern for freedom and justice in socio-political system enters into our theological reflection, we will not be addressing the real problems that people have to face, but may become passive and other-worldly onlookers.

December 2020 issue of Asian Horizons invites articles on “Democracy: Challenges Today and Theological Responses.”

Suggested Topics [only suggestions, not exhaustive]:

Theological Perspectives on [Note: Although reference to and brief description of present situation may be necessary, focus should be on theological reflection]:

  • Post-colonial Perspectives on Democracy
  • Democracy, Religion and Secularism
  • Democracy and Human Rights
  • Democracy and Majoritarianism; Minority Rights
  • Democracy and Election Process
  • Democracy and Populism
  • Democracy and Peacebuilding
  • Democracy and Politics
  • Democracy and Gender Equality
  • Democracy and Preferential Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
  • Democracy, International Community and Globalization
  • Democracy and Corruption
  • Democracy and Critical Thinking
  • Role of Media in a Democratic Society
  • Democracy and People’s Movements
  • Democracy, Socio-Cultural and Religious Pluralism/Democracy and a Pluralistic Society
  • Democracy and Education
  • Role of the Church in a Democratic Society
  • Democracy, Freedom of Opinion, People’s Participation, Right to Protest
  • Democracy and Identity Politics
  • Ethical Values for a Just Democracy
  • Democracy and Internet; social media

The topics listed above or other relevant topics can deal with the particular context of a country or continent.

Please send your articles (4500-5000 words, including the footnotes) at the latest by 15 October 2020. Kindly include the abstract of the article in 150-200 words, 5-7 Keywords and a summary of the CV of the author in 100-150 words.

Other regular items: “New Scholars”: Abstract of doctoral theses (recently defended and not yet published); Reports and Statements of important conferences, Book Reviews.

For submitting the articles and for more details: Shaji George Kochuthara (editor-in-chief): kochuthshaji@gmail.com

You may also submit the articles through http://dvkjournals.in/index.php/ah

N.B. Kindly forward this to your friends and colleagues.