THE PROPHETIC MISSION OF THE CHURCH IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: PROPHETS, JESUS, AND THE CHURCH
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31392/cult.alm.2026.2.5Keywords:
public theology, political witness, alternative community, common good, prophetic mission, spirituality, leadership, justiceAbstract
The church is part of the society it serves. However, it remains the question about the role of the church in the historical and political state process. What is the role of the church in the social and political processes of society? Should the church meekly take care of the authorities' voice, or should it take the side of the opposition forces and fight injustice, or perhaps should it be completely apolitical? Today, we can hear many different voices of the church itself, addressed, for the most part, and first of all, to itself, about the importance and necessity of the prophetic role of the church in the public space. The church, as a religious and civil organization, speaks to society (the flock) with the words of the prophets. These voices become louder in times of important social challenges, trials, or stunning trials and changes in socio-political processes. In the context of the current lively theological debate on the prophetic mission of the church in the public sphere, the current article explores the leading meanings that the biblical prophets and Jesus drew attention to according to the Gospel of Matthew. The presented study was conducted with the aim of gaining a better understanding of the prophetic in the mission of the prophets and the Christ, which should be paid attention to by the church, which is called to be the continuer of their prophetic mission. Having studied the biblical lives of the prophets and Jesus, we can distinguish three key issues in the prophetic mission of the church in the public sphere, which, apparently, have not lost their urgency and relevance to this day. First of all, these are the issues of leadership, as well as the issue of spirituality, and the issue of justice. According to the Gospel of Matthew, the church and prophets of Christ have a duty to Christ and the society they serve to defend justice. At the same time, the prophets and the church do not become a political unit because they do not seek power. But instead, they have to demonstrate their loyalty to Christ as God and Messiah
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