Chapter 7 – Gramsci and the Long March Through Culture

While Marx envisioned revolution through economic upheaval, Antonio Gramsci foresaw a different battlefield: culture. A foundational figure in Western Marxism, Gramsci diagnosed why revolution failed in industrial Europe and proposed a subtler, more pervasive strategy—one that would eventually permeate universities, media, churches, and civil society.

This chapter explores Gramsci’s concept of cultural hegemony, its profound influence on modern social movements, and how it stands in contrast to the biblical vision of truth and discipleship.

Cultural Hegemony: The Real Power Behind the Curtain

Gramsci observed that capitalist societies maintained their dominance not just through coercion (laws, police, military) but through consent. The ruling class shapes culture so effectively that the subordinate classes internalize their worldview as common sense.

This “cultural hegemony” is maintained through institutions like schools, churches, the press, and entertainment. These institutions reproduce dominant values and marginalize dissent—not by force, but by persuasion and normalization.

Gramsci’s conclusion: before political revolution is possible, there must be a cultural one.

The War of Position

Unlike Marx’s frontal assault (a “war of maneuver”), Gramsci advocated a “war of position”—a slow infiltration of civil society to erode the ruling class’s cultural dominance. Revolutionaries must embed themselves in schools, newspapers, film, universities, and religious institutions.

This strategy gave rise to the phrase “the long march through the institutions”—popularized later by thinkers like Rudi Dutschke and adopted by generations of activists and intellectuals.

Legacy and Influence

Gramsci’s vision proved prophetic. From the 1960s onward, Western societies saw a shift in power not through class war, but through narrative and language. Critical theory, identity politics, and postmodern pedagogy owe much to Gramsci’s insight.

Movements for racial, gender, and sexual liberation often focus on controlling symbols, stories, and speech. They understand, as Gramsci did, that whoever controls the cultural imagination shapes the political future.

When Truth Becomes Strategy

Gramsci’s method exposes how power hides in culture. But it also turns truth into a tool. If ideas are just weapons in a war of position, then persuasion is no longer about truth, but utility.

In this framework, churches and schools are not places to seek what is good or real—they are fronts in a culture war. Every doctrine is political, every sermon is strategy.

This raises the stakes for faith communities. Neutrality is an illusion; silence is complicity. The question is not whether Christians will shape culture, but how and why.

A Biblical Contrast: Discipleship, Not Domination

Scripture also cares about culture. Jesus spoke in parables, not policies. Paul engaged poets, not just preachers. The early church shaped Roman society not by seizing institutions, but by embodying a new kind of life.

The biblical model is not cultural hegemony through ideological conquest—it is faithful presence, truth in love, and suffering witness.

While Gramsci sought to win minds through infiltration, the church is called to renew minds through transformation. The Spirit does not indoctrinate; He regenerates.

Resisting the False Gospel of Cultural Power

Gramsci’s strategy tempts believers to measure success by influence. But Christian witness cannot be reduced to narrative dominance. The Gospel does not compete for airtime—it confronts the powers with a cross.

We must resist both cultural despair and triumphalism. Yes, the culture matters. But we do not fight with the weapons of this world. We preach a foolish message by worldly standards—and trust God to give the growth.

Gramsci helps us see where culture hides power. But the Gospel reveals a deeper power still: the power to love enemies, forgive sinners, and raise the dead.