housegroup discussion material

Is it right for church leaders to make pronouncements about politics? Can it be classified as being 'prohetic'? When should they speak out and within what boundaries? This came out of an article I read in the Church Times a few weeks ago written by Canon Alan Billings who among other things is Director for Ethics and religion at Lancaster University. I quote a little at the end of his article :- ' The modernchurch seeks to make up for its loss of political power by being preachy and didactic. As long as it does that, it will give its members the impression that the real business of politics can be done somewhere other than through the practise of politics itself. Those who think they are being prophetic are contributing to the disillusion with politics'. He had started his article by commenting on Archbishop John Sentamu pitching his tent in the cathedral and making some comments on the conflict between Israel and Hizbollah in the Lebannon.