The New Fidelity

Extract

For some time past the market has been flooded with books and articles on the weaknesses of modern liberalism. They differ on many points, but on one at least they show a remarkable degree of agreement. What liberalism lacks, it seems, is a truly living faith. The Communists are united throughout the world in passionate allegiance to the doctrines of orthodox Marxism, and are inspired thereby to prodigies of self-confident action. The supporters of constitutional democracy, on the other hand, are paralysed by doubts and self-questionings. The only way to remedy this situation, so the argument runs, is to restore liberalism as a fighting faith, and to arm liberals with a doctrine at least as sure and fanatical as that of their enemies. Attempts to discover such a doctrine, or laments for its non-existence, have become one of the staple products of current political thought.

Out of this background there has emerged a movement which is best described as “The New Fidelity.” “The Revival of Christianity” would be a more usual, but less accurate designation for this particular current of thought. For true Christians love of Christ is the end of human existence, and everything else is significant only as a means to that end. The New Fidelity is distinguished not by faith in Christ, but by faith in faith. Starting from the proposition that the end of human existence is to achieve political and social stability, it regards belief in Christ as a desirable and even indispensable means to the attainment of this end. Unlike Christianity, it has its eyes fixed not on a heavenly but on an earthly kingdom.