The political thought of the historical Christian Church and Christian people. Historically, this means the major thinkers of the Catholic (see St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas), Protestant (John Calvin and Martin Luther), and Eastern Orthodox churches. Each group of Christians has formulated various ideas on the proper view of politics and religion, church and state, the role of the Christian in the world, Just-War Doctrine, and so on. Generally, Roman Catholic political thought has viewed the church as having authority over the state. Generally, Protestant (e.g., Baptist) thought has allowed state control over the church in worldly matters or the formal "separation" of church and state. Eastern Orthodox Christian thought (e.g., Greek Orthodox, Russian Orthodox churches) has tended to combine church and state authority sometimes with religious officials ruling the state or, in Russia, declaring the secular king (czar) "Christ on Earth."

In contemporary American politics, Christian political thought takes many forms. The liberal "mainline" churches (Episcopal, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, Lutheran) tend to be on the political left, advocating federal government welfare programs, women's rights, civil rights, gay and lesbian rights, and abortion rights. The Catholic Church tends to be liberal on economic policy (aid to the poor, etc.) but conservative on social policy (antiabortion, anti-divorce, anti-homosexuality). The Evangelical Protestant churches (Baptist, charismatic) tend to be conservative on both economic and moral issues.

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