Polarization and Compromise

The problem of divided societies has recently become a prevalent topic in public and academic discourse. While modern democracies cannot exist without a minimum level of polarization, extreme polarization can become threatening to their existence, and strategies are needed to contain them. One such strategy is compromise. Compromise practice, however, can only succeed if political opponents do not mutually disqualify each other by using moralizing communication. From a theological standpoint, it is noteworthy that some Christian religious communities can also function as sources of such moralizing communication. This paper offers a nuanced Christian theological perspective to demonstrate that the willingness to compromise is not an external demand imposed upon Christianity. On the contrary, compromise has been an integral part of the fundamental nature of Christian ethical thinking in history and present. In this sense, Christianity can make an important contribution to the general search for the common good.