ABSTRACT
Identifying the church as the chosen people in and with the Jews creates the possibility of imagining political alternatives to the voluntarism and violence of modernity. Gerhard Lohfink reminds that election, being God's people, has always implied a distinct political identity in contrast to the nations: In the Bible the people of God is always understood as a contrast-society. The politics of election articulates a different kind of freedom, grounded in the assurance of God's gracious covenant, and it makes possible a peace that is not the containment of violence through violence but rather the inauguration of the messianic reign of Christ made visible and through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The politics of election challenges the modern construction of freedom as abstract choice and alternatively construes Christian freedom as capacity to live faithfully. Christian freedom, understood as a goal of God's election of Israel, names quality of communal and personal life resulting from faithful participation in covenant.
