Pastoral Care of the Polis: Combative Discourse as Societal Enactment and the Need for Redemptive Discourse

In this article, I argue that political polarization is supported by combative discourse—a discourse that fosters hostility and division, closing off possibilities for understanding, agreement, cooperation or compromise. Combative discourse and resulting political polarization signify a societal enactment, which is a form of resistance to accountability, understanding, and change. From this analysis, I propose a pastoral response, redemptive discourse, which is founded on three Christian metaphors, namely imago dei, kenosis, and Kingdom of God.