christian democracy: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Political
Quick answer
What does “christian democracy” mean?
A political ideology that promotes democratic governance combined with Christian social teachings, emphasising human dignity, social solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A political ideology that promotes democratic governance combined with Christian social teachings, emphasising human dignity, social solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good.
A centrist political movement and party family, historically prominent in Western Europe and Latin America, which seeks to apply Christian ethical principles (often Catholic social teaching) to public policy. It generally supports a social market economy, moderate welfare states, and pluralistic democracy, while being socially conservative on certain issues.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In the UK, the term is used primarily in political science and historical contexts, as no major party bears the name. In the US, the term is rare in domestic politics but used in international/comparative political analysis. The American usage may more frequently reference the international movement.
Connotations
In the UK/EU: Connotes mainstream, centre-right, historically powerful post-war European parties. In the US: May be perceived as a somewhat foreign concept, sometimes conflated with the 'Religious Right' by non-experts, though they are ideologically distinct.
Frequency
Low frequency in general discourse in both regions. Much higher frequency in academic political science, history, and European news contexts.
Grammar
How to Use “christian democracy” in a Sentence
[Christian democracy] + [verb: flourished, emerged, declined, advocates][The] + [ideology/party] + [of] + [Christian democracy][Christian democracy] + [is/was] + [based on/founded on] + [noun phrase]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “christian democracy” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The movement sought to christian-democratise the post-war political landscape.
adjective
British English
- The Christian-democratic tradition remains influential in the EU.
American English
- Scholars analyzed the Christian-democratic foundations of the social market economy.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare, except in discussions of the social market economy model.
Academic
Frequent in political science, modern history, and comparative politics texts.
Everyday
Very rare; used mainly in news about European politics.
Technical
Common as a specific classification in political party databases and ideological analysis.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “christian democracy”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “christian democracy”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “christian democracy”
- Capitalising incorrectly: 'christian Democracy'. It's either both words capitalised (as proper ideology/party name) or neither.
- Using 'Christian democrat' (a person/party member) interchangeably with 'Christian democracy' (the ideology).
- Confusing it with the 'Christian Right' or evangelical politics in the US, which is different in origin and policy focus.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Christian democracy supports democratic governance within a pluralistic society, not a theocracy. It seeks to apply Christian ethical principles to policy, not to impose a state religion.
Prominent examples include the CDU/CSU in Germany, ÖVP in Austria, and various parties in the European People's Party (EPP) group in the EU. Historically, Italy's Democrazia Cristiana (DC) was a major force.
Not as a major, self-identified political movement. The US political landscape, with its different religious history and two-party system, has not produced a major party analogous to European Christian democracy.
It is traditionally considered centre-right on economic and cultural issues, but its strong support for social welfare can place it to the left of liberal or conservative parties on some economic policies. It is a distinct 'centrist' tradition.
A political ideology that promotes democratic governance combined with Christian social teachings, emphasising human dignity, social solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good.
Christian democracy is usually formal, academic, political in register.
Christian democracy: in British English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪs.tʃən dɪˈmɒk.rə.si/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌkrɪs.tʃən dɪˈmɑː.krə.si/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “A 'third way' between socialism and laissez-faire capitalism (often associated with Christian democracy)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CHRISTIAN' values + 'DEMOCRACY' = a political system that votes for social welfare based on religious ethics.
Conceptual Metaphor
POLITICS IS A MORAL JOURNEY (guided by faith-based principles towards a just society).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is a core principle most associated with Christian democracy?