Heinrich Meier convincingly traced the term "political theology" back to Mikhail Bakunin's derogatory 1871 attack, "La Théologie politique de Mazzini et l'Internationale".
At the Bay Area Anarchist Bookfair this weekend, Shawn P. Wilbur will be releasing a pamphlet titled "The Political Theology of Mazzini and the International" containing the text of Sarah Elizabeth Holmes English translation of Bakunin's essay. The translation was originally published serialized in Benjamin Tucker's individualist-anarchist periodical "Liberty" in 1886 and 1887.
Wilbur has made the full text of the translation available online too:
http://libertarian-labyrinth.org/archive/The_Political_Theology_of_Mazzini_and_the_International
To obtain the pamphlet, contact Shawn P. Wilbur (Bowling Green State University): swilbur@bgsu.edu
09 March 2010
Book: Constructing Irregular Theology: Bamboo and Minjung in East Asian Perspective
Quite pricey: Paul S. Chung, "Constructing Irregular Theology: Bamboo and Minjung in East Asian Perspective" (Brill, October 2009):
www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=210&pid=31367
Publisher's description: "The project of constructing Asian irregular theology in East Asian perspective, based on life-word of Bamboo and social political reality of minjung, embraces Dr. Chung's cross-cultural existence as he develops his long-standing interest and expertise in Christian minjung theology in new ways with the image of bamboo as a symbol for the theological perspective of grass roots marginality. Using the ancient Chinese story 'The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,' Dr. Chung engages with Christian eschatological discourse to support an aesthetical-utopian theological ethics that is opposed to an ethics concerned with legitimation of a socio-economic status quo. In addition, Dr. Chung's develops [sic] his deep commitment to the Lutheran theology of the cross and the suffering Christ through the Buddhist concept of dukkha (suffering) to create, in the end, a genuinely East Asian contextual theology".
Endorsements: "Paul Chung once described himself as having a Confucian mind, Taoist guts, Buddhist heart, and Christian body. This book embraces Chung's whole being as he appropriates and develops the ancient Chinese story [...] of scholars who fled the accommodation of Confucian ethics in support of the tyranny and political chaos of the third century. Asian irregular theology, built on the image of bamboo and minjung, marks a new model in constructing Asian contextual theology in light of the irregularity of God's speech event and from the perspective of grass roots marginality." (Elizabeth A. Leeper, Wartburg Theological Seminary)
"Chung constructs an interpretive and irregular theology provocatively in a global context. He is a creative, original, and thought-provoking pioneer [...], making a great contribution for a contemporary discussion of inculturation and emancipation." (Wang Zhicheng, Zhejiang University)
"One of the major issues facing the Christian Church today has to do with a right understanding of the relationship between Christ and Christian faith on the one hand, and the other great world religions on the other. The tired trilogy of exclusivist, inclusivist, and pluralist is woefully inadequate, but nothing has come along to replace it. In our multi-cultural and postmodern world of many religions and worldviews, the gospel itself calls us to imagine creative, new theological proposals. The Korean-American theologian Paul S. Chung has developed such a creative theological proposal which he calls 'irregular theology,' that is, a theology of God's irregular grace which moves beyond the walls of Christendom to speak a fresh word to us in the religious wisdom of other cultures (especially Asian). This book explores and develops his proposal in several important directions. The resulting synthesis of many voices and traditions is bracing, controversial, and rewarding. The careful reader will come away with new insights and new questions." (Alan G. Padgett, Luther Seminary; all endorsements originally in italics)
Paul S. Chung is Associate Professor of Mission and World Christianity at Luther Seminary.
www.brill.nl/default.aspx?partid=210&pid=31367
Publisher's description: "The project of constructing Asian irregular theology in East Asian perspective, based on life-word of Bamboo and social political reality of minjung, embraces Dr. Chung's cross-cultural existence as he develops his long-standing interest and expertise in Christian minjung theology in new ways with the image of bamboo as a symbol for the theological perspective of grass roots marginality. Using the ancient Chinese story 'The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove,' Dr. Chung engages with Christian eschatological discourse to support an aesthetical-utopian theological ethics that is opposed to an ethics concerned with legitimation of a socio-economic status quo. In addition, Dr. Chung's develops [sic] his deep commitment to the Lutheran theology of the cross and the suffering Christ through the Buddhist concept of dukkha (suffering) to create, in the end, a genuinely East Asian contextual theology".
Endorsements: "Paul Chung once described himself as having a Confucian mind, Taoist guts, Buddhist heart, and Christian body. This book embraces Chung's whole being as he appropriates and develops the ancient Chinese story [...] of scholars who fled the accommodation of Confucian ethics in support of the tyranny and political chaos of the third century. Asian irregular theology, built on the image of bamboo and minjung, marks a new model in constructing Asian contextual theology in light of the irregularity of God's speech event and from the perspective of grass roots marginality." (Elizabeth A. Leeper, Wartburg Theological Seminary)
"Chung constructs an interpretive and irregular theology provocatively in a global context. He is a creative, original, and thought-provoking pioneer [...], making a great contribution for a contemporary discussion of inculturation and emancipation." (Wang Zhicheng, Zhejiang University)
"One of the major issues facing the Christian Church today has to do with a right understanding of the relationship between Christ and Christian faith on the one hand, and the other great world religions on the other. The tired trilogy of exclusivist, inclusivist, and pluralist is woefully inadequate, but nothing has come along to replace it. In our multi-cultural and postmodern world of many religions and worldviews, the gospel itself calls us to imagine creative, new theological proposals. The Korean-American theologian Paul S. Chung has developed such a creative theological proposal which he calls 'irregular theology,' that is, a theology of God's irregular grace which moves beyond the walls of Christendom to speak a fresh word to us in the religious wisdom of other cultures (especially Asian). This book explores and develops his proposal in several important directions. The resulting synthesis of many voices and traditions is bracing, controversial, and rewarding. The careful reader will come away with new insights and new questions." (Alan G. Padgett, Luther Seminary; all endorsements originally in italics)
Paul S. Chung is Associate Professor of Mission and World Christianity at Luther Seminary.
08 March 2010
Book: Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction
Just published: "Liberation Theologies in the United States: An Introduction", edited by Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn (New York University Press, March 2010):
www.nyupress.org/books/Liberation_Theologies_in_the_United_States-products_id-11250.html
Publisher's description: "In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression. Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies. Chapters cover Black Theology, Womanist Theology, Latino/Hispanic Theology, Latina Theology, Asian American Theology, Asian American Feminist Theology, Native American Theology, Native Feminist Theology, Gay and Lesbian Theology, and Feminist Theology."
Endorsements: "An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it." (Kwok Pui-lan, Episcopal Divinity School)
"To acknowledge the limits and gifts of our theological past, to mourn and rage the depth of oppression, to gratefully accept our place in a lineage of struggle and hope, such is the blessing provided by the authors of Liberation Theologies in the United States. May their work be a catalyst for further acts of daring, compassion, and insight." (Sharon D. Welch, Meadville Lombard Theological School; here and above, italics originally bold)
Apparently, the book is also available as paperback (although I can't find it on the NYU Press website).
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas is Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University.
www.nyupress.org/books/Liberation_Theologies_in_the_United_States-products_id-11250.html
Publisher's description: "In the nascent United States, religion often functioned as a justifier of oppression. Yet while religious discourse buttressed such oppressive activities as slavery and the destruction of native populations, oppressed communities have also made use of religion to critique and challenge this abuse. As Liberation Theologies in the United States demonstrates, this critical use of religion has often taken the form of liberation theologies, which use primarily Christian principles to address questions of social justice, including racism, poverty, and other types of oppression. Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas and Anthony B. Pinn have brought together a stellar group of liberation theology scholars to provide a synthetic introduction to the historical development, context, theory, and goals of a range of U.S.-born liberation theologies. Chapters cover Black Theology, Womanist Theology, Latino/Hispanic Theology, Latina Theology, Asian American Theology, Asian American Feminist Theology, Native American Theology, Native Feminist Theology, Gay and Lesbian Theology, and Feminist Theology."
Endorsements: "An extraordinary resource for understanding the vitality of liberation theologies and their relation to social transformation in the changing U.S. context. Written in an accessible and engaged way, this powerful and informative text will inspire beginners and scholars alike. I highly recommend it." (Kwok Pui-lan, Episcopal Divinity School)
"To acknowledge the limits and gifts of our theological past, to mourn and rage the depth of oppression, to gratefully accept our place in a lineage of struggle and hope, such is the blessing provided by the authors of Liberation Theologies in the United States. May their work be a catalyst for further acts of daring, compassion, and insight." (Sharon D. Welch, Meadville Lombard Theological School; here and above, italics originally bold)
Apparently, the book is also available as paperback (although I can't find it on the NYU Press website).
Stacey M. Floyd-Thomas is Associate Professor of Ethics and Society at Vanderbilt University Divinity School.
Anthony B. Pinn is the Agnes Cullen Arnold Professor of Humanities and Professor of Religious Studies at Rice University.
03 March 2010
Recent articles on political theology, second installment
Here's a second installment of recent articles (this will be a recurrent feature from now on):
Wolfram Malte Fues (University of Basel), "The Foe. The Radical Evil. Political Theology in Immanuel Kant and Carl Schmitt", The Philosophical Forum, 41 (1-2), spring/summer 2010: pp. 181-204.
Excerpt: "'In a few weeks' time, I shall surprise you with a new work by Kant that will very much astound you,' Friedrich Schiller writes to his friend Christian Gottfried Körner on February 28, 1793, referring to Immanuel Kant's Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. 'One of the fundamental principles held in it, however, outrages my [...] feelings. For he [Kant, W.M.F.] asserts a propensity of the human heart to evil, which he calls the radical evil, and which under no circumstances must be confused with the stimuli of the sensuous nature. He places it above and beyond the sensuous, in man's spiritual nature, as the locus of freedom.' No sooner has self-enlightening reason drawn religion into its bounds, than it breaks with the old Manichaean-Christian dogma of evil as the sin of the flash against the spirit. Reason starts seeking evil within itself, within its principle of self-determination, and hence at the very 'locus of freedom.' A Janus-faced reason, which, entirely by its freedom of choice, conceals good behind evil, evil behind good? Whose 'progress in the consciousness of freedom' can lead us into paradise just as well as into utter catastrophe? It is not surprising that this radical evil fascinates Schiller as much as it outrages him. Let us investigate the causes for Schiller's conflicting sensations and their interconnection."
Geoffrey Waite (Cornell University), "Kant, Schmitt or Fues on Political Theology, Radical Evil and the Foe (pour une philosophie buissonière et parallactique)", The Philosophical Forum, 41 (1-2), spring/summer 2010: pp. 205-27.
No abstract or excerpt given.
R.R. Reno (Creighton University), "Lawe, loue and lewete: The Kenotic Vision of Traditional Christian Political Theology", in "Crisis, Call, and Leadership in the Abrahamic Tradition", eds. Peter Ochs and William Stacy Johnson (Palgrave Macmillan, December 2009): pp. 169-83.
www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=375019
Excerpt: "My purpose, then, is to show how [William Langland's late medieval poem] Piers Plowman and its allegorical dream sequences function as a scripturally reasoned response to the cry of the poor that gives spiritual transformation priority over social change. I begin with a brief account of the argument of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, and then I move to an exposition of the social analysis present in Langland's poem. In conclusion, I will gesture toward the question of how my interpretation of Piers Plowman might inform a postliberal effort to restore scriptural reasoning to a foundational role in forming our social consciences."
Jacob Schiff (University of Chicago), "From Anti-Liberal to Untimely Liberal: Leo Strauss' Two Critiques of Liberalism", Philosophy & Social Criticism, 36 (2), February 2010: pp. 157-81.
Abstract: "Leo Strauss' ubiquitous presence in recent US foreign policy debates demands a thorough analysis of his critique of liberalism. I identify and explain a previously unnoticed transformation in that critique. Strauss' Weimar critique of liberalism was philosophical and political; like Carl Schmitt, he sought philosophical grounds to replace liberalism with an authoritarian political system. However, post-emigration Strauss abandoned this political agenda, exclusively pursuing a philosophical critique that exposed modern liberalism's purported weaknesses in order to strengthen its core. I accentuate this change by reading Strauss' postwar lecture, 'The Three Waves of Modernity', as an implicit response to and reconstruction of Schmitt's 'Neutralizations and Depoliticizations' essay. Strauss' changing relationship to political theology and political philosophy was central to his transformation: while a philosophically grounded political theology undergirded his early disdain for liberalism, Strauss later abandoned political theology for a quasi-theological faith in political philosophy that motivated his more moderate, philosophical critique."
Govert J. Buijs (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), "The Souls of Europe", LIMES: Cultural Regionalistics, 2 (2), 2009: pp. 126-39.
Abstract: "How should Europe deal politically with its legacy as a so-called 'Christian civilization'? Should this imply an overt reference to God or to the Christian or Judeo-Christian tradition in European constitutional documents (as was debated when the so-called 'Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe' was tabled)? This debate raised the old 'politico-theological problem': does a political order need some kind of metaphysical or religious grounding, a 'soul', or can it present itself as a purely rational order, the result of a utilitarian calculus? In this article it is argued that the secular idea of the state as an inherent element in the 'Judeo-Christian tradition', for a 'divine state' usurps a place that is only God's. So, this religious tradition itself calls for a secular state, and this inherent relationship between religion and secularity has become a key element for the interpretation of European civilization, most notably in the idea of a separation of the church and the state. But the very fact that this is a religious idea does imply that the European political order cannot be seen as a purely rational political order without a soul. The idea of a 'plural soul' is proposed as a way out of the dilemma."
Shmuel Trigano (University Paris X Nanterre), "The Return of the Theological-Political in Democracy and the Rediscovery of Biblical Politics", Hebraic Political Studies, 4 (3), summer 2009: pp. 304-18. Available online:
www.hpstudies.org/20/admin/pdfs/07305e34-7d1c-437c-a8ce-f0fd3df92a25.pdf
Abstract: "The Spinozist moment was a turning point for democratic theory. It reduced the biblical heritage of political philosophy to mere theology and thus founded the 'autonomy of politics' so brilliantly theorized by Rousseau in his 'Social Contract.' Yet Spinoza and Rousseau could not found their system without reintroducing (an immanent or secularized) transcendence to politics, such that a kind of reenchantment, in the form of civil and political religions, has occurred in modern politics. These are crucial matters to consider today, as this transcendence so crucial to the foundations of democracy is collapsing. To confront this problem, one might consider that Spinoza theoretically founded democracy by expelling the biblical, and its rediscovery today might help us think through the present crisis."
Martín Plot, "The Democratico-Political: Social Flesh and Political Forms in Lefort and Merleau-Ponty", Theory & Event, 12 (4), 2009, no page numbers given.
Excerpt: "Modern democracy is an enigma. It is an enigma because, being born out of the split of the theological and the political, it places society face to face with its own institution. In theologico-political orders, societies take themselves for granted, they see themselves as a unity guaranteed by the objectifying gaze of God. Modern democracies, in contrast, confront the ambiguity proper of a being that becomes an entity before its own gaze – a two-dimensional, reversible being, a seer that is also a visible. No longer being a heteronomously constituted object, now the body politic becomes both a subject and an object, a flesh in the gaze of itself. In order to understand this mutation and the advent of the form of society that I will call democratico-political, one of my articulating strategies will be the uncovering of the implicit dimensions – and the exploration of the political potentialities – of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of flesh."
Paul W. Kahn (Yale Law School), "Torture and Democratic Violence", Ratio Juris, 22 (2), June 2009: pp. 244-59.
Abstract: "To understand the problem of torture in a democratic society, we have to take up a political-theological perspective. We must ask how violence creates political meaning. Torture is no more destructive and no more illiberal than other forms of political violence. The turn away from torture was not a turn away from violence, but a change in the locus of sacrifice: from scaffold to battlefield. Torture had been a ritual of mediation between sovereign and subject. Once sovereignty is located in the people, it no longer makes sense to speak of being sacrificed for the sovereign. Instead, sovereign presence is now realized in an act of self-sacrifice. The wars of modern nation-states have been acts of reciprocal self-sacrifice. Terror invokes torture in response because both speak a primitive language of political sacrifice, denying the enemy the privilege of self-sacrifice."
Gerard Mannion (Catholic University of Leuven), "A Brief Genealogy of Public Theology, Or Doing Theology when it Seems Nobody is Listening ...", Annali di Studi Religiosi, 10, November 2009: pp. 121-54.
Abstract: "This paper seeks to introduce the background to public theology, offering some reflections upon its origins, history, methodologies, as well as the recent state of public theology as a sub-discipline in its own right. After a brief discussion of the scope and definitions of public theology, the paper will offer a genealogical account of the origins and development of what is today termed 'public theology', throughout key periods of the history of the church. A discussion of the emergence of the sense of public theology as a sub-discipline in its own right in the later stages of the twentieth century will follow. Then, the paper will offer a tentative 'typology' of recent forms of public theology, before offering some suggestive conclusions concerning the most fruitful direction in which theological contributions to the wider public arena might progress."
Nimi Wariboko (Andover Newton Theological School), "Ethical Methodology: Between Public Theology and Public Policy", Journal of Religion and Business Ethics, 1 (1), 2009: article 4. Available online:
http://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol1/iss1/4/
Abstract: "That public theology is relevant to public policy debates and formulation should be self-evident. After all, public theologians aspire to develop ethical frameworks and discourses about how we should live together in plural civil societies. They offer public theology as a form of discourse. Unfortunately, they have largely failed to explicitly develop a procedural method of ethical analysis relevant to public policy decision-making. This paper proposes an ethical methodology as a form of public discourse, a meta-ethical model showing how themes, concerns, and insights of public theology can be systematically organized into practical policy arguments. It provides a robust 'mechanics' to aid public theologians prepare ethical analyses for public policies."
Nico N. Koopman (Stellenbosch University), "For God So Loved the World ... Some Contours for Public Theology in South Africa", Dutch Reformed Theological Journal/Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 50 (3-4), December 2009: pp. 409-26.
Abstract: "After a brief autobiographical outline of the author's involvement in public theology, this article argues in favour of a critical and constructive public theology, which reflects upon the role of Christian faith in public life in the young South African democracy and in other democratic societies. It offers some crucial contours for the development of public theology. It firstly calls attention to different approaches to and emphases in public theology. With different emphases and methodologies the three central questions of public theology regarding the inherent public nature of God's love for the world, the public rationality of this love, and the public implications of God's love for the world, are addressed. Public theology is secondly described as an intra-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarly practice. In the formulation of a third contour the possibilities of what [p]ublic theology might become are discussed, namely a theological discipline, subdiscipline, research field, curriculum organiser, catalyst or a new contextual theology. In two final sections the publics of public theology and the contemporary agenda of public theology are discussed."
David Novak (University of Toronto), "The Theopolitics of Abraham Joshua Heschel", Modern Judaism, 29 (1), February 2009: pp. 106-16.
Excerpt: "My late revered teacher, Abraham Joshua Heschel, even today is probably best remembered by many for his political activism during the 1960s and the early 1970s. Whenever newsreels taken during that time are shown again, one will inevitably see Heschel alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the march from Selma, Alabama, or one will frequently see Heschel marching in front of the White House protesting the war in Vietnam. Yet there is little in Heschel's earlier work, written or oral, to intimate that, let alone how, he would move into this kind of public role in the last years of his life".
Yaniv Belhassen (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) and Jonathan Ebel (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne), "Tourism, Faith and Politics in the Holy Land: An Ideological Analysis of Evangelical Pilgrimage", Current Issues in Tourism, 12 (4), July 2009: pp. 359-78.
Abstract: "This article aims to enhance the discussion of the role of ideology in the development of tourism practices through a closer examination of the case of Christian pilgrimage. The analysis focuses on the theo-political ideology of Christian Zionism and its roles and manifestations in the context of evangelical pilgrimages to Israel. Findings suggest that ideological dynamics within the development of these tours can be discussed by distinguishing between four tourism actors, namely, ideological organizations, tour organizers, Israeli officials, and the tourists. We suggest that these actors can be differentiated from each other in accordance with their ideological roles and orientations. Additionally, by demonstrating the similar utilization of pilgrimage by theo-political opponents of Christian Zionism, such as Sabeel and FOSNA, this article illustrates how pilgrimage to the Holy Land has become an arena for competition between these two rival ideologies within the Evangelical movement. The article concludes with a discussion on the role of pilgrimages to Israel as a platform through which theo-political ideologies are manifested, distributed, utilized, and consumed."
Benjamin H. Bratton (University of California, San Diego), "On Geoscapes and the Google Caliphate: Reflections on the Mumbai Attacks", Theory, Culture & Society, 26 (7-8), December 2009:
pp. 329-42.
Abstract: "When advanced technologies of globalization that are closely associated with secular cosmopolitics are opportunistically employed by fundamentalist politico-theologies for their own particular purposes, an essential irresolution of territory, jurisdiction and programmatic projection is revealed. Where some may wish to identify an ideal correspondence between a global political sphere into which multiple differences might be adjudicated and the visual, geographic representation of a single planetary space, this conjunction is dubious and highly conditional. Instead multiple territorial projections and competing claims on space are also generative of the very qualities of the spatial as a political medium altogether. For example, the well-publicized use of satellite-based mapping and telecommunications tools, such as Google Earth, by the terrorist group that attacked Mumbai in November 2008, raises several knotty and important questions about how contrary comprehensive images of the world can make use of one another in ways that undermine the 'unitotality' of global territory. It is not that Google and Jihad are 'equivalent' or even 'translatable', but rather because they are not, they are in practice interoperable. Instead links between urbanism, cosmography, and the socialization of planetary software networks demonstrate the centrality of design to the ongoing fashioning of the territory of territories, the geoscape."
Ana Belén Soage (University of Granada), "Introduction to Political Islam", Religion Compass, 3 (5), September 2009: pp. 887-96.
Abstract: "This paper explores how and why Islamism (i.e. political Islam) emerged in the last decades of the 19th century. It resorts to original sources to illustrate Muslim responses to the perceived threat of Westernisation and, notably, the development of Islamism as a reaction to the evolving socio-political conditions in the Middle East. In addition, it demonstrates that, despite claims to religious purity, Islamists have incorporated elements of the foreign ideologies they profess to oppose. The article ends by providing a tentative classification of modern-day Islamists."
Wolfram Malte Fues (University of Basel), "The Foe. The Radical Evil. Political Theology in Immanuel Kant and Carl Schmitt", The Philosophical Forum, 41 (1-2), spring/summer 2010: pp. 181-204.
Excerpt: "'In a few weeks' time, I shall surprise you with a new work by Kant that will very much astound you,' Friedrich Schiller writes to his friend Christian Gottfried Körner on February 28, 1793, referring to Immanuel Kant's Religion within the Boundaries of Mere Reason. 'One of the fundamental principles held in it, however, outrages my [...] feelings. For he [Kant, W.M.F.] asserts a propensity of the human heart to evil, which he calls the radical evil, and which under no circumstances must be confused with the stimuli of the sensuous nature. He places it above and beyond the sensuous, in man's spiritual nature, as the locus of freedom.' No sooner has self-enlightening reason drawn religion into its bounds, than it breaks with the old Manichaean-Christian dogma of evil as the sin of the flash against the spirit. Reason starts seeking evil within itself, within its principle of self-determination, and hence at the very 'locus of freedom.' A Janus-faced reason, which, entirely by its freedom of choice, conceals good behind evil, evil behind good? Whose 'progress in the consciousness of freedom' can lead us into paradise just as well as into utter catastrophe? It is not surprising that this radical evil fascinates Schiller as much as it outrages him. Let us investigate the causes for Schiller's conflicting sensations and their interconnection."
Geoffrey Waite (Cornell University), "Kant, Schmitt or Fues on Political Theology, Radical Evil and the Foe (pour une philosophie buissonière et parallactique)", The Philosophical Forum, 41 (1-2), spring/summer 2010: pp. 205-27.
No abstract or excerpt given.
R.R. Reno (Creighton University), "Lawe, loue and lewete: The Kenotic Vision of Traditional Christian Political Theology", in "Crisis, Call, and Leadership in the Abrahamic Tradition", eds. Peter Ochs and William Stacy Johnson (Palgrave Macmillan, December 2009): pp. 169-83.
www.palgrave.com/products/title.aspx?pid=375019
Excerpt: "My purpose, then, is to show how [William Langland's late medieval poem] Piers Plowman and its allegorical dream sequences function as a scripturally reasoned response to the cry of the poor that gives spiritual transformation priority over social change. I begin with a brief account of the argument of Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians, and then I move to an exposition of the social analysis present in Langland's poem. In conclusion, I will gesture toward the question of how my interpretation of Piers Plowman might inform a postliberal effort to restore scriptural reasoning to a foundational role in forming our social consciences."
Jacob Schiff (University of Chicago), "From Anti-Liberal to Untimely Liberal: Leo Strauss' Two Critiques of Liberalism", Philosophy & Social Criticism, 36 (2), February 2010: pp. 157-81.
Abstract: "Leo Strauss' ubiquitous presence in recent US foreign policy debates demands a thorough analysis of his critique of liberalism. I identify and explain a previously unnoticed transformation in that critique. Strauss' Weimar critique of liberalism was philosophical and political; like Carl Schmitt, he sought philosophical grounds to replace liberalism with an authoritarian political system. However, post-emigration Strauss abandoned this political agenda, exclusively pursuing a philosophical critique that exposed modern liberalism's purported weaknesses in order to strengthen its core. I accentuate this change by reading Strauss' postwar lecture, 'The Three Waves of Modernity', as an implicit response to and reconstruction of Schmitt's 'Neutralizations and Depoliticizations' essay. Strauss' changing relationship to political theology and political philosophy was central to his transformation: while a philosophically grounded political theology undergirded his early disdain for liberalism, Strauss later abandoned political theology for a quasi-theological faith in political philosophy that motivated his more moderate, philosophical critique."
Govert J. Buijs (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), "The Souls of Europe", LIMES: Cultural Regionalistics, 2 (2), 2009: pp. 126-39.
Abstract: "How should Europe deal politically with its legacy as a so-called 'Christian civilization'? Should this imply an overt reference to God or to the Christian or Judeo-Christian tradition in European constitutional documents (as was debated when the so-called 'Treaty Establishing a Constitution for Europe' was tabled)? This debate raised the old 'politico-theological problem': does a political order need some kind of metaphysical or religious grounding, a 'soul', or can it present itself as a purely rational order, the result of a utilitarian calculus? In this article it is argued that the secular idea of the state as an inherent element in the 'Judeo-Christian tradition', for a 'divine state' usurps a place that is only God's. So, this religious tradition itself calls for a secular state, and this inherent relationship between religion and secularity has become a key element for the interpretation of European civilization, most notably in the idea of a separation of the church and the state. But the very fact that this is a religious idea does imply that the European political order cannot be seen as a purely rational political order without a soul. The idea of a 'plural soul' is proposed as a way out of the dilemma."
Shmuel Trigano (University Paris X Nanterre), "The Return of the Theological-Political in Democracy and the Rediscovery of Biblical Politics", Hebraic Political Studies, 4 (3), summer 2009: pp. 304-18. Available online:
www.hpstudies.org/20/admin/pdfs/07305e34-7d1c-437c-a8ce-f0fd3df92a25.pdf
Abstract: "The Spinozist moment was a turning point for democratic theory. It reduced the biblical heritage of political philosophy to mere theology and thus founded the 'autonomy of politics' so brilliantly theorized by Rousseau in his 'Social Contract.' Yet Spinoza and Rousseau could not found their system without reintroducing (an immanent or secularized) transcendence to politics, such that a kind of reenchantment, in the form of civil and political religions, has occurred in modern politics. These are crucial matters to consider today, as this transcendence so crucial to the foundations of democracy is collapsing. To confront this problem, one might consider that Spinoza theoretically founded democracy by expelling the biblical, and its rediscovery today might help us think through the present crisis."
Martín Plot, "The Democratico-Political: Social Flesh and Political Forms in Lefort and Merleau-Ponty", Theory & Event, 12 (4), 2009, no page numbers given.
Excerpt: "Modern democracy is an enigma. It is an enigma because, being born out of the split of the theological and the political, it places society face to face with its own institution. In theologico-political orders, societies take themselves for granted, they see themselves as a unity guaranteed by the objectifying gaze of God. Modern democracies, in contrast, confront the ambiguity proper of a being that becomes an entity before its own gaze – a two-dimensional, reversible being, a seer that is also a visible. No longer being a heteronomously constituted object, now the body politic becomes both a subject and an object, a flesh in the gaze of itself. In order to understand this mutation and the advent of the form of society that I will call democratico-political, one of my articulating strategies will be the uncovering of the implicit dimensions – and the exploration of the political potentialities – of Maurice Merleau-Ponty's concept of flesh."
Paul W. Kahn (Yale Law School), "Torture and Democratic Violence", Ratio Juris, 22 (2), June 2009: pp. 244-59.
Abstract: "To understand the problem of torture in a democratic society, we have to take up a political-theological perspective. We must ask how violence creates political meaning. Torture is no more destructive and no more illiberal than other forms of political violence. The turn away from torture was not a turn away from violence, but a change in the locus of sacrifice: from scaffold to battlefield. Torture had been a ritual of mediation between sovereign and subject. Once sovereignty is located in the people, it no longer makes sense to speak of being sacrificed for the sovereign. Instead, sovereign presence is now realized in an act of self-sacrifice. The wars of modern nation-states have been acts of reciprocal self-sacrifice. Terror invokes torture in response because both speak a primitive language of political sacrifice, denying the enemy the privilege of self-sacrifice."
Gerard Mannion (Catholic University of Leuven), "A Brief Genealogy of Public Theology, Or Doing Theology when it Seems Nobody is Listening ...", Annali di Studi Religiosi, 10, November 2009: pp. 121-54.
Abstract: "This paper seeks to introduce the background to public theology, offering some reflections upon its origins, history, methodologies, as well as the recent state of public theology as a sub-discipline in its own right. After a brief discussion of the scope and definitions of public theology, the paper will offer a genealogical account of the origins and development of what is today termed 'public theology', throughout key periods of the history of the church. A discussion of the emergence of the sense of public theology as a sub-discipline in its own right in the later stages of the twentieth century will follow. Then, the paper will offer a tentative 'typology' of recent forms of public theology, before offering some suggestive conclusions concerning the most fruitful direction in which theological contributions to the wider public arena might progress."
Nimi Wariboko (Andover Newton Theological School), "Ethical Methodology: Between Public Theology and Public Policy", Journal of Religion and Business Ethics, 1 (1), 2009: article 4. Available online:
http://via.library.depaul.edu/jrbe/vol1/iss1/4/
Abstract: "That public theology is relevant to public policy debates and formulation should be self-evident. After all, public theologians aspire to develop ethical frameworks and discourses about how we should live together in plural civil societies. They offer public theology as a form of discourse. Unfortunately, they have largely failed to explicitly develop a procedural method of ethical analysis relevant to public policy decision-making. This paper proposes an ethical methodology as a form of public discourse, a meta-ethical model showing how themes, concerns, and insights of public theology can be systematically organized into practical policy arguments. It provides a robust 'mechanics' to aid public theologians prepare ethical analyses for public policies."
Nico N. Koopman (Stellenbosch University), "For God So Loved the World ... Some Contours for Public Theology in South Africa", Dutch Reformed Theological Journal/Nederduitse Gereformeerde Teologiese Tydskrif, 50 (3-4), December 2009: pp. 409-26.
Abstract: "After a brief autobiographical outline of the author's involvement in public theology, this article argues in favour of a critical and constructive public theology, which reflects upon the role of Christian faith in public life in the young South African democracy and in other democratic societies. It offers some crucial contours for the development of public theology. It firstly calls attention to different approaches to and emphases in public theology. With different emphases and methodologies the three central questions of public theology regarding the inherent public nature of God's love for the world, the public rationality of this love, and the public implications of God's love for the world, are addressed. Public theology is secondly described as an intra-disciplinary, inter-disciplinary and transdisciplinary scholarly practice. In the formulation of a third contour the possibilities of what [p]ublic theology might become are discussed, namely a theological discipline, subdiscipline, research field, curriculum organiser, catalyst or a new contextual theology. In two final sections the publics of public theology and the contemporary agenda of public theology are discussed."
David Novak (University of Toronto), "The Theopolitics of Abraham Joshua Heschel", Modern Judaism, 29 (1), February 2009: pp. 106-16.
Excerpt: "My late revered teacher, Abraham Joshua Heschel, even today is probably best remembered by many for his political activism during the 1960s and the early 1970s. Whenever newsreels taken during that time are shown again, one will inevitably see Heschel alongside Martin Luther King Jr. in the march from Selma, Alabama, or one will frequently see Heschel marching in front of the White House protesting the war in Vietnam. Yet there is little in Heschel's earlier work, written or oral, to intimate that, let alone how, he would move into this kind of public role in the last years of his life".
Yaniv Belhassen (Ben-Gurion University of the Negev) and Jonathan Ebel (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigne), "Tourism, Faith and Politics in the Holy Land: An Ideological Analysis of Evangelical Pilgrimage", Current Issues in Tourism, 12 (4), July 2009: pp. 359-78.
Abstract: "This article aims to enhance the discussion of the role of ideology in the development of tourism practices through a closer examination of the case of Christian pilgrimage. The analysis focuses on the theo-political ideology of Christian Zionism and its roles and manifestations in the context of evangelical pilgrimages to Israel. Findings suggest that ideological dynamics within the development of these tours can be discussed by distinguishing between four tourism actors, namely, ideological organizations, tour organizers, Israeli officials, and the tourists. We suggest that these actors can be differentiated from each other in accordance with their ideological roles and orientations. Additionally, by demonstrating the similar utilization of pilgrimage by theo-political opponents of Christian Zionism, such as Sabeel and FOSNA, this article illustrates how pilgrimage to the Holy Land has become an arena for competition between these two rival ideologies within the Evangelical movement. The article concludes with a discussion on the role of pilgrimages to Israel as a platform through which theo-political ideologies are manifested, distributed, utilized, and consumed."
Benjamin H. Bratton (University of California, San Diego), "On Geoscapes and the Google Caliphate: Reflections on the Mumbai Attacks", Theory, Culture & Society, 26 (7-8), December 2009:
pp. 329-42.
Abstract: "When advanced technologies of globalization that are closely associated with secular cosmopolitics are opportunistically employed by fundamentalist politico-theologies for their own particular purposes, an essential irresolution of territory, jurisdiction and programmatic projection is revealed. Where some may wish to identify an ideal correspondence between a global political sphere into which multiple differences might be adjudicated and the visual, geographic representation of a single planetary space, this conjunction is dubious and highly conditional. Instead multiple territorial projections and competing claims on space are also generative of the very qualities of the spatial as a political medium altogether. For example, the well-publicized use of satellite-based mapping and telecommunications tools, such as Google Earth, by the terrorist group that attacked Mumbai in November 2008, raises several knotty and important questions about how contrary comprehensive images of the world can make use of one another in ways that undermine the 'unitotality' of global territory. It is not that Google and Jihad are 'equivalent' or even 'translatable', but rather because they are not, they are in practice interoperable. Instead links between urbanism, cosmography, and the socialization of planetary software networks demonstrate the centrality of design to the ongoing fashioning of the territory of territories, the geoscape."
Ana Belén Soage (University of Granada), "Introduction to Political Islam", Religion Compass, 3 (5), September 2009: pp. 887-96.
Abstract: "This paper explores how and why Islamism (i.e. political Islam) emerged in the last decades of the 19th century. It resorts to original sources to illustrate Muslim responses to the perceived threat of Westernisation and, notably, the development of Islamism as a reaction to the evolving socio-political conditions in the Middle East. In addition, it demonstrates that, despite claims to religious purity, Islamists have incorporated elements of the foreign ideologies they profess to oppose. The article ends by providing a tentative classification of modern-day Islamists."
02 March 2010
Book on Islamic political theology and human rights
Again a book that in early announcements bore "political theology" in the (working) title, but which for unexplained reasons was ultimately published under another title. Abdulaziz Sachedina's new book, called "Reform through Human Rights: Islamic Political Theology" early last year, was published by Oxford University Press as "Islam and the Challenge of Human Rights" in November 2009:
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780195388428.do
Publisher's description: "Whether Islam is compatible with human rights in general, and with the Declaration of Human Rights in particular, has been both a Muslim issue and a concern of the international community. Muslim rulers, Western analysts and policymakers, and Muslim extremists as well as conservative Muslims, have often agreed for diverse reasons that Islam and human rights cannot co-exist. In this book Aziz Sachedina argues for the essential compatibility of Islam and human rights. He offers a balanced and incisive critique of leading Western experts who ignore or marginalize the relationship of religion to human rights. At the same time, he re-examines the inherited tradition that forms the basis of conservative Muslim objections, arguing that it is culturally conditioned and therefore open to development and change. Finally, and most importantly, Sachedina delineates a fresh contemporary Muslim position that argues for a correspondence between Islam and secular concepts of human rights, grounded in sacred sources as well as Islamic history and thought."
Excerpts: "Islamic political theology involves metaphysics and carries an underlying assumption that revelation-based certainty guides the move from the ontological-theological level to the ethical-political to create the ideal public order. [...] [T]he emergence of a new
theological-ethical vision of politics among traditionalist interpreters of political theology is basically different from the classically formulated political society in that the new vision of public order is nationalistic as well as self-deterministic. [...] The most critical challenge facing the traditional leadership is to search for an inclusive political theology that no longer discriminates by faith to determine an individual's rights and duties. [...] Islamic political theology from its early inception provided religious legitimacy to existing social and political structures by insisting upon certain extraneous characteristics to the public order under divinely ordained legal norms. [...] I undertake to analyze diverse interpretations of political theology as they impact upon human rights discourse".
Abdulaziz Sachedina is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia.
http://ukcatalogue.oup.com/product/9780195388428.do
Publisher's description: "Whether Islam is compatible with human rights in general, and with the Declaration of Human Rights in particular, has been both a Muslim issue and a concern of the international community. Muslim rulers, Western analysts and policymakers, and Muslim extremists as well as conservative Muslims, have often agreed for diverse reasons that Islam and human rights cannot co-exist. In this book Aziz Sachedina argues for the essential compatibility of Islam and human rights. He offers a balanced and incisive critique of leading Western experts who ignore or marginalize the relationship of religion to human rights. At the same time, he re-examines the inherited tradition that forms the basis of conservative Muslim objections, arguing that it is culturally conditioned and therefore open to development and change. Finally, and most importantly, Sachedina delineates a fresh contemporary Muslim position that argues for a correspondence between Islam and secular concepts of human rights, grounded in sacred sources as well as Islamic history and thought."
Excerpts: "Islamic political theology involves metaphysics and carries an underlying assumption that revelation-based certainty guides the move from the ontological-theological level to the ethical-political to create the ideal public order. [...] [T]he emergence of a new
theological-ethical vision of politics among traditionalist interpreters of political theology is basically different from the classically formulated political society in that the new vision of public order is nationalistic as well as self-deterministic. [...] The most critical challenge facing the traditional leadership is to search for an inclusive political theology that no longer discriminates by faith to determine an individual's rights and duties. [...] Islamic political theology from its early inception provided religious legitimacy to existing social and political structures by insisting upon certain extraneous characteristics to the public order under divinely ordained legal norms. [...] I undertake to analyze diverse interpretations of political theology as they impact upon human rights discourse".
Abdulaziz Sachedina is Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia.
01 March 2010
Book: Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America
Just published: Anthony B. Bradley's new book "Liberating Black Theology: The Bible and the Black Experience in America" (Crossway, February 2010):
www.crossway.org/product/9781433511479
Publisher's description: "When the beliefs of Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, assumed the spotlight during the 2008 presidential campaign, the influence of black liberation theology became hotly debated not just within theological circles but across cultural lines. How many of today's African-American congregations – and how many Americans in general – have been shaped by its view of blacks as perpetual victims of white oppression?
"In this interdisciplinary, biblical critique of the black experience in America, Anthony Bradley introduces audiences to black liberation theology and its spiritual and social impact. He starts with James Cone's proposition that the 'victim' mind-set is inherent within black consciousness. Bradley then explores how such biblical misinterpretation has historically hindered black churches in addressing the diverse issues of their communities and prevented adherents from experiencing the freedoms of the gospel. Yet Liberating Black Theology does more than consider the ramifications of this belief system; it suggests an alternate approach to the black experience that can truly liberate all Christ-followers."
Endorsements: "Anthony Bradley's analysis of black liberation theology is by far the best thing that I have read on the subject. [...] By covering such figures as James Cone, Cornell West, and Jeremiah Wright, we see all of the nuances involved with their approaches to the subject. His explanation of victimology, Marxism, and aberrant Christian doctrine make a noxious mix of ideas that would make any true Christian wary of anything even approaching black liberation theology." (Craig Vincent Mitchell, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
"I have read a number of books which purport to explain, define, or critique black liberation theology, but Liberating Black Theology is the easiest to understand. This is because Dr. Bradley unapologetically maintains a biblical, orthodox perspective while being sympathetic to the issues and concerns of black liberation theologians." (Wy Plummer, African American Ministries Coordinator, Mission to North America, Presbyterian Church in America)
Anthony B. Bradley is Visiting Professor of Theology at The King's College, New York, and a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.
www.crossway.org/product/9781433511479
Publisher's description: "When the beliefs of Barack Obama's former pastor, Rev. Jeremiah Wright, assumed the spotlight during the 2008 presidential campaign, the influence of black liberation theology became hotly debated not just within theological circles but across cultural lines. How many of today's African-American congregations – and how many Americans in general – have been shaped by its view of blacks as perpetual victims of white oppression?
"In this interdisciplinary, biblical critique of the black experience in America, Anthony Bradley introduces audiences to black liberation theology and its spiritual and social impact. He starts with James Cone's proposition that the 'victim' mind-set is inherent within black consciousness. Bradley then explores how such biblical misinterpretation has historically hindered black churches in addressing the diverse issues of their communities and prevented adherents from experiencing the freedoms of the gospel. Yet Liberating Black Theology does more than consider the ramifications of this belief system; it suggests an alternate approach to the black experience that can truly liberate all Christ-followers."
Endorsements: "Anthony Bradley's analysis of black liberation theology is by far the best thing that I have read on the subject. [...] By covering such figures as James Cone, Cornell West, and Jeremiah Wright, we see all of the nuances involved with their approaches to the subject. His explanation of victimology, Marxism, and aberrant Christian doctrine make a noxious mix of ideas that would make any true Christian wary of anything even approaching black liberation theology." (Craig Vincent Mitchell, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary)
"I have read a number of books which purport to explain, define, or critique black liberation theology, but Liberating Black Theology is the easiest to understand. This is because Dr. Bradley unapologetically maintains a biblical, orthodox perspective while being sympathetic to the issues and concerns of black liberation theologians." (Wy Plummer, African American Ministries Coordinator, Mission to North America, Presbyterian Church in America)
Anthony B. Bradley is Visiting Professor of Theology at The King's College, New York, and a Research Fellow at the Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty.
26 February 2010
Book: Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision
A new book edited by Douglas Harink: "Paul, Philosophy, and the Theopolitical Vision: Critical Engagements with Agamben, Badiou, Zizek, and Others" (Wipf and Stock, February 2010):
http://wipfandstock.com/store/Paul_Philosophy_and_the_Theopolitical_Vision_Critical_Engagements_with_Agamben_Badiou_Zizek_and_Others
Publisher's description: "The apostle Paul was a man of many journeys. We are usually familiar with the geographical ones he made in his own time. This volume traces others – Paul's journeys in our time, as he is co-opted or invited to travel (sometimes as abused slave, sometimes as trusted guide) with modern and recent Continental philosophers and political theorists. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Benjamin; Taubes, Badiou, Zizek, and Agamben – Paul journeys here among the philosophers. In these essays you are invited to travel with them into the regions of philosophy, hermeneutics, political theory, and theology. You will certainly hear the philosophers speak. But Paul will not remain silent. Above the sounds of the journey his voice comes through, loud and clear."
Endorsements: "To the surprise of many, the apostle Paul has brought new energy to continental philosophy. But to date, the 'Pauline turn' in contemporary theory has been rather isolated from scholars in biblical studies – where Paul is undergoing a different kind of reconsideration. Finally, this volume changes all of that, bringing together philosophers, biblical scholars, and theologians to assess and engage the 'postmodern Paul,' intimating a Pauline revolution that not even Zizek could have dreamed." (James K. A. Smith, Calvin College)
"[A] dialogue rich with insights flowing in both directions – from modern theory to new (or recovered) angles of illumination on Paul, and from the apostle's charged texts back to the presuppositions and conceits of modern theory. That the view of Paul often pressed is 'apocalyptic,' in the sense of drawing on the seminal work of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn, makes the analysis still richer. The result is a book that both educates and delights." (Douglas A. Campbell, Duke Divinity School)
"[The] secular despoilers of Paul are themselves despoiled here, and Christian theology has set before it a wealth of provocations to better faithfulness and understanding. [...] Philosophers and theologians alike are well reminded – indeed well warned – of the dynamite they take into their hands when, in quest of a better human politics, they turn to Paul." (Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen)
Douglas Harink is Professor of Theology at The King's University College, Edmonton, Canada.
http://wipfandstock.com/store/Paul_Philosophy_and_the_Theopolitical_Vision_Critical_Engagements_with_Agamben_Badiou_Zizek_and_Others
Publisher's description: "The apostle Paul was a man of many journeys. We are usually familiar with the geographical ones he made in his own time. This volume traces others – Paul's journeys in our time, as he is co-opted or invited to travel (sometimes as abused slave, sometimes as trusted guide) with modern and recent Continental philosophers and political theorists. Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, Heidegger, and Benjamin; Taubes, Badiou, Zizek, and Agamben – Paul journeys here among the philosophers. In these essays you are invited to travel with them into the regions of philosophy, hermeneutics, political theory, and theology. You will certainly hear the philosophers speak. But Paul will not remain silent. Above the sounds of the journey his voice comes through, loud and clear."
Endorsements: "To the surprise of many, the apostle Paul has brought new energy to continental philosophy. But to date, the 'Pauline turn' in contemporary theory has been rather isolated from scholars in biblical studies – where Paul is undergoing a different kind of reconsideration. Finally, this volume changes all of that, bringing together philosophers, biblical scholars, and theologians to assess and engage the 'postmodern Paul,' intimating a Pauline revolution that not even Zizek could have dreamed." (James K. A. Smith, Calvin College)
"[A] dialogue rich with insights flowing in both directions – from modern theory to new (or recovered) angles of illumination on Paul, and from the apostle's charged texts back to the presuppositions and conceits of modern theory. That the view of Paul often pressed is 'apocalyptic,' in the sense of drawing on the seminal work of J. Louis (Lou) Martyn, makes the analysis still richer. The result is a book that both educates and delights." (Douglas A. Campbell, Duke Divinity School)
"[The] secular despoilers of Paul are themselves despoiled here, and Christian theology has set before it a wealth of provocations to better faithfulness and understanding. [...] Philosophers and theologians alike are well reminded – indeed well warned – of the dynamite they take into their hands when, in quest of a better human politics, they turn to Paul." (Philip G. Ziegler, University of Aberdeen)
Douglas Harink is Professor of Theology at The King's University College, Edmonton, Canada.
Book: Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation
Peniel Rajkumar, "Dalit Theology and Dalit Liberation: Problems, Paradigms and Possibilities" (Ashgate, February 2010):
www.ashgatepublishing.com/default.aspx?page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=8772&edition_id=11345
Publisher's description: "In fulfilling the long-awaited need for a constructive and critical rethinking of Dalit theology this book offers and explores the synoptic healing stories as a relevant biblical paradigm for Dalit theology in order to help redress the lacuna between Dalit theology and the social practice of the Indian Church. Peniel Rajkumar's starting point is that the growing influence of Dalit theology in academic circles is incompatible with the praxis of the Indian Church which continues to be passive in its attitude towards the oppression of the Dalits [a self designation of the traditional low caste/untouchables] both within and outside the Church. The theological reasons for this lacuna between Dalit theology and the Church's praxis, Rajkumar suggests, lie in the content of Dalit theology, especially the biblical paradigms explored, which do not offer adequate scope for engagement in praxis."
Reviews: "Dr Peniel is an excellent guide through the complexities of the caste system and its enduring potency in the India of today. The central concern of Dalit theology is with the Dalit people, [...] who are still a vast number of poor, despised and underprivileged people. This is an important, relevant, and disturbing book. It should be widely read, and responded to." (Duncan B. Forrester, formerly University of Edinburgh)
"Peniel Rufus' incisive dismantling and insightful reconstruction of Dalit theology is a fresh and compelling contribution both to local and global theologies. Drawing creative synergy from his discontentment with Dalit [t]heology's apathy toward everyday liberative praxis, Rufus brilliantly re-interprets the synoptic healing stories to engender committed and concrete emancipatory patterns for overcoming caste-based discrimination in India. This is a passionate, original, constructive and courageous book." (Sathianathan Clarke, Wesley Theological Seminary)
"In many ways this is the book on Dalit theology that those of us working in the area of liberation hermeneutics have been waiting for. [...] Here in South Africa we have witnessed a similar failure in the 'practical efficacy' of liberation theologies. We have much to learn from this book, both because of the similarities between our struggles and their struggles, but also because of the differences." (Gerald West, University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Peniel Rajkumar is an ordained minister of the Church of South India, Diocese of Vellore, and Lecturer in Christian Social Ethics at the United Theological College, Bangalore.
www.ashgatepublishing.com/default.aspx?page=637&calcTitle=1&title_id=8772&edition_id=11345
Publisher's description: "In fulfilling the long-awaited need for a constructive and critical rethinking of Dalit theology this book offers and explores the synoptic healing stories as a relevant biblical paradigm for Dalit theology in order to help redress the lacuna between Dalit theology and the social practice of the Indian Church. Peniel Rajkumar's starting point is that the growing influence of Dalit theology in academic circles is incompatible with the praxis of the Indian Church which continues to be passive in its attitude towards the oppression of the Dalits [a self designation of the traditional low caste/untouchables] both within and outside the Church. The theological reasons for this lacuna between Dalit theology and the Church's praxis, Rajkumar suggests, lie in the content of Dalit theology, especially the biblical paradigms explored, which do not offer adequate scope for engagement in praxis."
Reviews: "Dr Peniel is an excellent guide through the complexities of the caste system and its enduring potency in the India of today. The central concern of Dalit theology is with the Dalit people, [...] who are still a vast number of poor, despised and underprivileged people. This is an important, relevant, and disturbing book. It should be widely read, and responded to." (Duncan B. Forrester, formerly University of Edinburgh)
"Peniel Rufus' incisive dismantling and insightful reconstruction of Dalit theology is a fresh and compelling contribution both to local and global theologies. Drawing creative synergy from his discontentment with Dalit [t]heology's apathy toward everyday liberative praxis, Rufus brilliantly re-interprets the synoptic healing stories to engender committed and concrete emancipatory patterns for overcoming caste-based discrimination in India. This is a passionate, original, constructive and courageous book." (Sathianathan Clarke, Wesley Theological Seminary)
"In many ways this is the book on Dalit theology that those of us working in the area of liberation hermeneutics have been waiting for. [...] Here in South Africa we have witnessed a similar failure in the 'practical efficacy' of liberation theologies. We have much to learn from this book, both because of the similarities between our struggles and their struggles, but also because of the differences." (Gerald West, University of KwaZulu-Natal)
Peniel Rajkumar is an ordained minister of the Church of South India, Diocese of Vellore, and Lecturer in Christian Social Ethics at the United Theological College, Bangalore.
Book: Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospel
Alexandre Christoyannopoulos, "Christian Anarchism: A Political Commentary on the Gospel" (Imprint Academic, January 2010).Publisher's description: "Christian anarchism has been around for at least as long as 'secular' anarchism. The existing literature cites Leo Tolstoy as its most famous (sometimes even as the only) proponent, but there are many others, such as Jacques Ellul, Vernard Eller, Dave Andrews or the people associated with the Catholic Worker movement. Both individually and collectively, these Christian anarchists offer a compelling critique of the state, the church and the economy based on numerous passages from the New Testament. Yet despite the relevance and growth of this literature, no generic study bringing together these different thinkers or reflecting on their contribution has been published to date, because such work involves meticulous searching, compiling and structuring of countless different texts and sources, not all of which are easily accessed. This book, however, provides precisely such a study, and thereby presents Christian anarchism to both the wider public and the wider academic community."
www.booksonix.com/imprint/bookshop/title.php?9781845401931
Endorsements: "Alexandre Chistoyannopoulos's [sic] engaging and intelligent study of Christian anarchism directly confronts the perception that these two traditions of thought are incompatible. [...] Anyone interested in the vital issues of non-violence, the limits of political obligation, resistance, compassion and justice will find this book enormously illuminating." (Ruth Kinna, Loughborough University)
"He combines a wide scope and meticulous scholarship with impressive analytical ability. He also writes clearly and well – not always the case in this area. This book is required reading for those interested in alternative conceptions of politics." (David McLellan, University of Kent/Goldsmith's College, University of London)
Alexandre J.M.E. Christoyannopoulos is an Associate Lecturer at the University of Kent, where he received his PhD in Politics and Government in 2008. This book is a revised version of his doctoral thesis.
24 February 2010
CFP: Engagements with the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz
Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion (AAR), Atlanta, Georgia, USA, 30 October-1 November 2010
In addition to the AAR calls for papers posted here last month, the "Explorations in Christian Theology and Apocalyptic" working group has released a call for individual paper proposals for an "additional meeting" on the following topic: "Engagements with the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz".
http://theologyandapocalyptic.wordpress.com
They especially welcome proposals that engage the turn to apocalyptic within Metz's theology and the ideas particularly associated with this turn in his theology, such as: the 'eschatological reserve', 'dangerous memory', the Second Coming, discipleship, mysticism and prayer, the relation of the Kingdom of God to history, the nature and definition of 'the political' and political authority/sovereignty (particularly 'the authority of those who suffer'), and martyrdom/witness. They also encourage proposals that explore these themes by bringing Metz into critical conversation with other political and liberationist theologians (such as Jürgen Moltmann, Gustavo Gutierrez, and Jon Sobrino), political theorists (such as Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and Giorgio Agamben), and prominent political activists and theologians (such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, William Stringfellow, Jacques Ellul, and Will Campbell).
Paper presentations will be approx. 20 minutes in length and the panel will include an invited respondent.
Proposals should include your name, institutional affiliation, and the title(s) of the proposed paper(s), as well as a 250 word abstract for each proposed paper.
Please submit proposals via email to Nathan Kerr (Trevecca Nazarene University): nkerr@trevecca.edu
and/or Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen): p.ziegler@abdn.ac.uk
Deadline: 22 March 2010
For the earlier AAR calls for papers on political theology (with a deadline of 1 March 2010) and further information on the conference, see:
www.political-theology.com/2010/01/cfp-political-theology-at-aar-2010.html
In addition to the AAR calls for papers posted here last month, the "Explorations in Christian Theology and Apocalyptic" working group has released a call for individual paper proposals for an "additional meeting" on the following topic: "Engagements with the Political Theology of Johannes Baptist Metz".
http://theologyandapocalyptic.wordpress.com
They especially welcome proposals that engage the turn to apocalyptic within Metz's theology and the ideas particularly associated with this turn in his theology, such as: the 'eschatological reserve', 'dangerous memory', the Second Coming, discipleship, mysticism and prayer, the relation of the Kingdom of God to history, the nature and definition of 'the political' and political authority/sovereignty (particularly 'the authority of those who suffer'), and martyrdom/witness. They also encourage proposals that explore these themes by bringing Metz into critical conversation with other political and liberationist theologians (such as Jürgen Moltmann, Gustavo Gutierrez, and Jon Sobrino), political theorists (such as Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and Giorgio Agamben), and prominent political activists and theologians (such as Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Dorothy Day, William Stringfellow, Jacques Ellul, and Will Campbell).
Paper presentations will be approx. 20 minutes in length and the panel will include an invited respondent.
Proposals should include your name, institutional affiliation, and the title(s) of the proposed paper(s), as well as a 250 word abstract for each proposed paper.
Please submit proposals via email to Nathan Kerr (Trevecca Nazarene University): nkerr@trevecca.edu
and/or Philip Ziegler (University of Aberdeen): p.ziegler@abdn.ac.uk
Deadline: 22 March 2010
For the earlier AAR calls for papers on political theology (with a deadline of 1 March 2010) and further information on the conference, see:
www.political-theology.com/2010/01/cfp-political-theology-at-aar-2010.html
20 February 2010
Book: Theology, Liberation and Genocide
Mario Aguilar, "Theology, Liberation and Genocide: A Theology of the Periphery" (SCM Press, September 2009):
www.scmpress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334041900
Publisher's description: "Mario Aguilar, one of the leading liberation theologians of the current generation, asks how it can be possible to do theology in the face of atrocities such as the genocide in Rwanda. He argues that the traditional ways of doing theology ('high theology') no longer work and that theology now has to take place at the periphery rather than in the social, cultural and political centre. In this book, Aguilar seeks further to unfold the new agenda for liberation theology as set by Ivan Petrella and others."
Endorsement: "With the Rwandan genocide, Christianity was once again implicated in atrocity. In his latest work, Mario Aguilar contends that a prevailing ecclesiology and theology set the context for the genocidal evil unleashed. Drawing parallels with the political struggles in Latin America, Aguilar applies the lens of liberation theology and detects signs of God's reign returning in the liberating praxis of love at the peripheries of Rwandan life. This hope-filled book stems from Aguilar's conviction that liberation theology remains a necessary hermeneutical tool and force for transformational justice." (Julie Clague, University of Glasgow)
Mario Aguilar is Professor of Religion and Politics at the University of St Andrews.
www.scmpress.co.uk/bookdetails.asp?ISBN=9780334041900
Publisher's description: "Mario Aguilar, one of the leading liberation theologians of the current generation, asks how it can be possible to do theology in the face of atrocities such as the genocide in Rwanda. He argues that the traditional ways of doing theology ('high theology') no longer work and that theology now has to take place at the periphery rather than in the social, cultural and political centre. In this book, Aguilar seeks further to unfold the new agenda for liberation theology as set by Ivan Petrella and others."
Endorsement: "With the Rwandan genocide, Christianity was once again implicated in atrocity. In his latest work, Mario Aguilar contends that a prevailing ecclesiology and theology set the context for the genocidal evil unleashed. Drawing parallels with the political struggles in Latin America, Aguilar applies the lens of liberation theology and detects signs of God's reign returning in the liberating praxis of love at the peripheries of Rwandan life. This hope-filled book stems from Aguilar's conviction that liberation theology remains a necessary hermeneutical tool and force for transformational justice." (Julie Clague, University of Glasgow)
Mario Aguilar is Professor of Religion and Politics at the University of St Andrews.
19 February 2010
JOB: Research Assistant (0.4fte) on a political theology grant
The University of Plymouth's School of Secondary and Further Education Studies (part of the Faculty of Education) is looking for a
Research Assistant 0.4fte (fixed-term for 12 months)
Salary: £22,879 to £26,523 p.a., pro rata (Grade 5)
The successful candidate will provide research assistance and support to the grant holder on a twelve-month Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research grant: "Political Theologies: Responses of Religious Leaders and Authority Figures in England to Contemporary Issues of Freedom of Expression".
This is a part-time, fixed-term position working 14.8 hours per week until 28 February 2011.
The University of Plymouth is acknowledged as having one of the best research performances in UK modern universities (former polytechnics). The Faculty of Education is proud of the outcome of the most recent RAE, which placed it comfortably in the top half of all British HEI Education departments, and in the top four of those from the 'new' universities. It supports innovative opportunities for research within the discipline of education and pedagogic enquiry both within and beyond the Faculty.
Deadline for applications: 26 February 2010, 12 noon
Interviews will be held in the week beginning 8 March 2010.
A detailed job description and information on how to apply (including application form) can be found here:
www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=29190
For an informal discussion only, please contact Prof Liam Gearon: liam.gearon@plymouth.ac.uk
Research Assistant 0.4fte (fixed-term for 12 months)
Salary: £22,879 to £26,523 p.a., pro rata (Grade 5)
The successful candidate will provide research assistance and support to the grant holder on a twelve-month Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) research grant: "Political Theologies: Responses of Religious Leaders and Authority Figures in England to Contemporary Issues of Freedom of Expression".
This is a part-time, fixed-term position working 14.8 hours per week until 28 February 2011.
The University of Plymouth is acknowledged as having one of the best research performances in UK modern universities (former polytechnics). The Faculty of Education is proud of the outcome of the most recent RAE, which placed it comfortably in the top half of all British HEI Education departments, and in the top four of those from the 'new' universities. It supports innovative opportunities for research within the discipline of education and pedagogic enquiry both within and beyond the Faculty.
Deadline for applications: 26 February 2010, 12 noon
Interviews will be held in the week beginning 8 March 2010.
A detailed job description and information on how to apply (including application form) can be found here:
www.plymouth.ac.uk/pages/view.asp?page=29190
For an informal discussion only, please contact Prof Liam Gearon: liam.gearon@plymouth.ac.uk
18 February 2010
CFP: Religion and Modernity in a Secular City
A postgraduate conference of the Catholic Academy in Berlin (Katholische Akademie in Berlin), the University of Manchester's Centre for Religion and Political Culture, and Humboldt University of Berlin's Program on Religion, Politics and Economics, taking place at the Katholische Akademie, Berlin, Germany, 16-18 September 2010
www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/1:5236/Veranstaltungen/2010/09/29889_Religion-and-Modernity-in-a-Secular-City.html
Call for papers: "Religion and Modernity in a Secular City"
Writing from Vichy France in early 1940, Walter Benjamin articulated what many theologians secretly feared in his "Über den Begriff der Geschichte" by portraying theology as the hunchback that must keep out of sight. However, Slavoj Žižek has recently suggested that it is time to reverse Benjamin's first thesis on the philosophy of history: "The puppet called 'theology' is to win all the time". This startling reversal reveals that the extent to which Enlightenment secularization imagined it could map the rational world onto a manipulable grid, manifested in the global spread of political, economic, and social structures that have attempted to inscribe the sacred within a strictly private sphere, is increasingly being called into question by the continuing public presence of political theologies. However, the question of what this new visibility of religion might mean in the context of the supposedly secular city remains less than clear.
The organizers invite proposals for papers to be delivered in no more than 30 minutes that address this broad theme from theology, philosophy, political theory, economics, sociology, as well as cultural and biblical studies.
Keynote speaker: Graham Ward (University of Manchester)
Abstracts of no more than 300 words, together with a CV, should be sent simultaneously via e-mail to both the conference organizers, Martin Knechtges (Katholische Akademie): knechtges@katholische‐akademie‐berlin.de
and Kyle Gingerich Hiebert (University of Manchester): kyle.gingerichhiebert@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Deadline: 30 April 2010
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 14 May 2010.
The language of the conference will be English. It will take place in the centre of Berlin and generous grants are available for presenters to cover the costs of registration, accommodation, and meals. Conference costs are as follows: for registration and meals: €60 (includes lunch on all three days); for accommodation onsite at Hotel Aquino (limited availability): €70 (2 nights) or €105 (3 nights). Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Berlin.
For further information, please contact the conference organizers.
www.katholische-akademie-berlin.de/1:5236/Veranstaltungen/2010/09/29889_Religion-and-Modernity-in-a-Secular-City.html
Call for papers: "Religion and Modernity in a Secular City"
Writing from Vichy France in early 1940, Walter Benjamin articulated what many theologians secretly feared in his "Über den Begriff der Geschichte" by portraying theology as the hunchback that must keep out of sight. However, Slavoj Žižek has recently suggested that it is time to reverse Benjamin's first thesis on the philosophy of history: "The puppet called 'theology' is to win all the time". This startling reversal reveals that the extent to which Enlightenment secularization imagined it could map the rational world onto a manipulable grid, manifested in the global spread of political, economic, and social structures that have attempted to inscribe the sacred within a strictly private sphere, is increasingly being called into question by the continuing public presence of political theologies. However, the question of what this new visibility of religion might mean in the context of the supposedly secular city remains less than clear.
The organizers invite proposals for papers to be delivered in no more than 30 minutes that address this broad theme from theology, philosophy, political theory, economics, sociology, as well as cultural and biblical studies.
Keynote speaker: Graham Ward (University of Manchester)
Abstracts of no more than 300 words, together with a CV, should be sent simultaneously via e-mail to both the conference organizers, Martin Knechtges (Katholische Akademie): knechtges@katholische‐akademie‐berlin.de
and Kyle Gingerich Hiebert (University of Manchester): kyle.gingerichhiebert@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk
Deadline: 30 April 2010
Notifications of acceptance will be sent by 14 May 2010.
The language of the conference will be English. It will take place in the centre of Berlin and generous grants are available for presenters to cover the costs of registration, accommodation, and meals. Conference costs are as follows: for registration and meals: €60 (includes lunch on all three days); for accommodation onsite at Hotel Aquino (limited availability): €70 (2 nights) or €105 (3 nights). Participants are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Berlin.
For further information, please contact the conference organizers.
12 February 2010
Book: Rooted in Jesus Christ: Toward a Radical Ecclesiology
Daniel Izuzquiza, "Rooted in Jesus Christ: Toward a Radical Ecclesiology" (Eerdmans, March 2009):
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802862792
Publisher's description: "Daniel Izuzquiza here proposes a vibrant interdisciplinary theology from the unique perspective of the 'least of these' – the poor – and extends an invitation to mystical, political, and ecclesial engagement. [...] Izuzquiza analyzes the language of theology, the role of social sciences, the transformation of culture, and the church's approach to politics. To that end he dialogues with some of the main theological proposals of the late twentieth century, from Latin American liberation theology to radical theology in the English-speaking world to European political theology. He also offers a more systematic development of radical ecclesiology, analyzing the sources of the proposal as alternative Christian practices. The result is a groundbreaking call to action and change for the entire church."
Daniel Izuzquiza is Director of Pueblos Unidos, a Jesuit social centre that works for the integration of migrants in Madrid, Spain. He is the author of numerous books and articles.
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802862792
Publisher's description: "Daniel Izuzquiza here proposes a vibrant interdisciplinary theology from the unique perspective of the 'least of these' – the poor – and extends an invitation to mystical, political, and ecclesial engagement. [...] Izuzquiza analyzes the language of theology, the role of social sciences, the transformation of culture, and the church's approach to politics. To that end he dialogues with some of the main theological proposals of the late twentieth century, from Latin American liberation theology to radical theology in the English-speaking world to European political theology. He also offers a more systematic development of radical ecclesiology, analyzing the sources of the proposal as alternative Christian practices. The result is a groundbreaking call to action and change for the entire church."
Daniel Izuzquiza is Director of Pueblos Unidos, a Jesuit social centre that works for the integration of migrants in Madrid, Spain. He is the author of numerous books and articles.
CONF: Rethinking the Theological-Political Complex: Derrida's Spinoza
Half-day symposium "Rethinking the Theological-Political Complex: Derrida's Spinoza" of the Jackman Humanities Institute (JHI), co-sponsored by the Centre for Jewish Studies, the Centre for Comparative Literature, the Department of Philosophy, and the Department of French at the University of Toronto, Jackman Humanities Building, Room 100, 170 St. George Street, Toronto, Canada, (Sunday!) 7 March 2010, 2.00-6.00 pm
www.humanities.utoronto.ca/event_details/id=198
Speakers: Warren Montag (English and Comparative Literature, Occidental College): "Immanence, Transcendence and the Trace: Derrida Between Levinas and Spinoza"; Gerard Bensussan (Philosophy, University of Strasbourg): "L'effroi de Spinoza: Derrida lecteure du Traité théologico-politique"; Willi Goetschel (German, University of Toronto): "Rethinking the Theological-Political: Derrida's Spinoza"; followed by a round table.
The location is wheelchair-accessible. If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation, please contact Kim Yates by
1 March 2010 to make appropriate arrangements: jhi.associate@utoronto.ca
You may want to contact them upfront to see whether persons from outside the University of Toronto can participate.
www.humanities.utoronto.ca/event_details/id=198
Speakers: Warren Montag (English and Comparative Literature, Occidental College): "Immanence, Transcendence and the Trace: Derrida Between Levinas and Spinoza"; Gerard Bensussan (Philosophy, University of Strasbourg): "L'effroi de Spinoza: Derrida lecteure du Traité théologico-politique"; Willi Goetschel (German, University of Toronto): "Rethinking the Theological-Political: Derrida's Spinoza"; followed by a round table.
The location is wheelchair-accessible. If you are a person with a disability and require accommodation, please contact Kim Yates by
1 March 2010 to make appropriate arrangements: jhi.associate@utoronto.ca
You may want to contact them upfront to see whether persons from outside the University of Toronto can participate.
11 February 2010
Book: Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu
A revised and updated edition of Michael Battle's "Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu" was published by Pilgrim Press in July 2009. It contains a foreword by Desmond Tutu and an afterword by Katharine Jefferts Schori:
https://secure3.convio.net/ucc/site/Ecommerce/1888883978?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=21801&store_id=1401
Publisher's description: "Reconciliation is Battle's highly original analysis of Bishop Tutu's theology of ubuntu – an African concept recognizing that persons and groups form their identities in relation to one another. This model proved successful in opposing the apartheid racism in South Africa, but it also offers a Christian paradigm for resisting oppression wherever it appears. Using a wide range of primary sources from Tutu, as well as a number of secondary sources, Battle shows Tutu as not only a dynamic preacher and at times an unwilling politician, but a genuinely committed theologian whose deepest roots are in prayer and protest."
From the back cover of the 1997 edition: "The author also looks at Bishop Tutu against the backdrop of major traditions in Western theology (specifically, Calvinist and Anglican) and, especially, contemporary liberation theologies (including those of James Cone and Itumeleng Mosala) — underscoring the ways in which Tutu's theology comes out of the particularity of the black South African experience."
Endorsement: "Will appeal to a broad readership in the academy and the church. Persons interested in social justice issues will find it especially provocative because it speaks volumes about the ways in which conflicting human identities can be approached and addressed in theory and practice. In this age of mounting emphasis on issues of diversity and multiculturalism, a more relevant and timely work is unthinkable." (Lewis V. Baldwin, Vanderbilt University)
Michael Battle, Rector of the Church of Our Saviour in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, was an adjudant to Archbishop Tutu from 1993 to 1994. He earned his PhD from Duke University.
https://secure3.convio.net/ucc/site/Ecommerce/1888883978?VIEW_PRODUCT=true&product_id=21801&store_id=1401
Publisher's description: "Reconciliation is Battle's highly original analysis of Bishop Tutu's theology of ubuntu – an African concept recognizing that persons and groups form their identities in relation to one another. This model proved successful in opposing the apartheid racism in South Africa, but it also offers a Christian paradigm for resisting oppression wherever it appears. Using a wide range of primary sources from Tutu, as well as a number of secondary sources, Battle shows Tutu as not only a dynamic preacher and at times an unwilling politician, but a genuinely committed theologian whose deepest roots are in prayer and protest."
From the back cover of the 1997 edition: "The author also looks at Bishop Tutu against the backdrop of major traditions in Western theology (specifically, Calvinist and Anglican) and, especially, contemporary liberation theologies (including those of James Cone and Itumeleng Mosala) — underscoring the ways in which Tutu's theology comes out of the particularity of the black South African experience."
Endorsement: "Will appeal to a broad readership in the academy and the church. Persons interested in social justice issues will find it especially provocative because it speaks volumes about the ways in which conflicting human identities can be approached and addressed in theory and practice. In this age of mounting emphasis on issues of diversity and multiculturalism, a more relevant and timely work is unthinkable." (Lewis V. Baldwin, Vanderbilt University)
Michael Battle, Rector of the Church of Our Saviour in the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles, was an adjudant to Archbishop Tutu from 1993 to 1994. He earned his PhD from Duke University.
07 February 2010
CONF: Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation
Conference "Sam Sharpe and the Quest for Liberation: Context, Theology and Legacy for Today" of the Oxford Centre for Christianity and Culture, the Baptist Union of Great Britain, the Jamaica Baptist Union, and BMS World Mission, at the University of Oxford, Regent's Park College, England, 13-16 April 2010
The conference takes as its centrepiece the story of Sam Sharpe, the Baptist deacon and enslaved person who played an important role in the "Great Jamaican Slave Revolt" of 1831. One of the leaders of a group of enslaved persons who took part in a "sit-down strike" against slavery, he was executed together with more than 500 others. Nevertheless, their revolt is recognized by historians and theologians as having a powerful influence on the process leading to the abolition of slavery, and Sam Sharpe is honoured as a national hero in Jamaica. The story is of a Baptist Christian whose actions were clearly motivated by his faith and by his reading of scripture; he is reported to have said, "In reading my Bible, I found that the white man had no more right to make a slave of me than I have to make a slave of the white man". He remains a witness to the principle of "liberation from below": that is, true liberation comes when those who are oppressed or marginalized participate in making their own freedom and justice, rather than simply having it granted to them by those who have power and authority. This is what the conference identifies as the "legacy" of Sam Sharpe today.
The conference aims to explore this story with regards to its context (making a scholarly examination of the characters, events, and social institutions of the time), theology (offering a theological reflection on the enslaved revolt, as a contribution to liberation theology), and legacy (asking what light the story might shed on present-day concerns of oppressed or minority groups, and exploring its global impact).
In particular, the conference will explore the relevance of the Sam Sharpe story for the West African experience of slavery. It will also offer a theological framework for the process among UK Baptist churches ("the Journey") which has followed the apology for slavery by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and will draw upon the experience of churches of both the Caribbean and the African diasporas in the UK and the USA.
The conference marks the publication of a book centred on Sam Sharpe, called "Burning for Freedom: A Theology of the Black Atlantic Struggle for Liberation" (Kingston: Ian Randle, 2010), authored by Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford).
Invited speakers include: Cawley Bolt (Jamaica Baptist Union); Neville Callum (Baptist World Alliance); Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed (London Baptist Association); Paul Fiddes (Oxford); Dwight Hopkins (University of Chicago); Wale Hudson-Roberts (Baptist Union of Great Britain); David Muir (Evangelical Alliance); Lynette Mullings (Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education); Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford); Horace Russell (Palmer Theological Seminary); David Shosanya (London Baptist Association); Burchell Taylor (Kingston, Jamaica); Mary Turner (School of Advanced Study, University of London)
To give a paper, contact Nicholas Wood (Oxford): nicholas.wood@regents.ox.ac.uk
To attend, contact Louise Nelstrop (Oxford): louise.nelstrop@regents.ox.ac.uk
The conference takes as its centrepiece the story of Sam Sharpe, the Baptist deacon and enslaved person who played an important role in the "Great Jamaican Slave Revolt" of 1831. One of the leaders of a group of enslaved persons who took part in a "sit-down strike" against slavery, he was executed together with more than 500 others. Nevertheless, their revolt is recognized by historians and theologians as having a powerful influence on the process leading to the abolition of slavery, and Sam Sharpe is honoured as a national hero in Jamaica. The story is of a Baptist Christian whose actions were clearly motivated by his faith and by his reading of scripture; he is reported to have said, "In reading my Bible, I found that the white man had no more right to make a slave of me than I have to make a slave of the white man". He remains a witness to the principle of "liberation from below": that is, true liberation comes when those who are oppressed or marginalized participate in making their own freedom and justice, rather than simply having it granted to them by those who have power and authority. This is what the conference identifies as the "legacy" of Sam Sharpe today.
The conference aims to explore this story with regards to its context (making a scholarly examination of the characters, events, and social institutions of the time), theology (offering a theological reflection on the enslaved revolt, as a contribution to liberation theology), and legacy (asking what light the story might shed on present-day concerns of oppressed or minority groups, and exploring its global impact).
In particular, the conference will explore the relevance of the Sam Sharpe story for the West African experience of slavery. It will also offer a theological framework for the process among UK Baptist churches ("the Journey") which has followed the apology for slavery by the Baptist Union of Great Britain, and will draw upon the experience of churches of both the Caribbean and the African diasporas in the UK and the USA.
The conference marks the publication of a book centred on Sam Sharpe, called "Burning for Freedom: A Theology of the Black Atlantic Struggle for Liberation" (Kingston: Ian Randle, 2010), authored by Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford).
Invited speakers include: Cawley Bolt (Jamaica Baptist Union); Neville Callum (Baptist World Alliance); Rosemarie Davidson-Gotobed (London Baptist Association); Paul Fiddes (Oxford); Dwight Hopkins (University of Chicago); Wale Hudson-Roberts (Baptist Union of Great Britain); David Muir (Evangelical Alliance); Lynette Mullings (Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education); Delroy A. Reid-Salmon (Oxford); Horace Russell (Palmer Theological Seminary); David Shosanya (London Baptist Association); Burchell Taylor (Kingston, Jamaica); Mary Turner (School of Advanced Study, University of London)
To give a paper, contact Nicholas Wood (Oxford): nicholas.wood@regents.ox.ac.uk
To attend, contact Louise Nelstrop (Oxford): louise.nelstrop@regents.ox.ac.uk
04 February 2010
Book: The political theology of Ernst Jünger
Peter Trawny is the author of a 2009 book published in German by Matthes & Seitz Berlin under the title "Die Autorität des Zeugen: Ernst Jüngers politisches Werk" (The Authority of the [Time] Witness: The Political Work of Ernst Jünger; my translation). The subtitle of this book was first announced as "Ernst Jüngers politische Theologie" (The Political Theology of Ernst Jünger), and – despite what is printed on the cover now and what it says on the publisher's website – so it is still listed, for example, on the German site of Amazon.
www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/scripts/buch.php?ID=281
Ernst Jünger was a soldier, writer, and contemporary of Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger and, after the Second World War, equally an outcast. However, unlike Schmitt and Heidegger, he succeeded in living down his nationalist right-wing past (helped by the fact that he had never joined the Nazis) and died in high honours at the age of 102 in 1998.
From the publisher's description: "As a world-warrior, Ernst Jünger knew what he wrote about: he had been there, (...) he was the witness and thus claimed a higher authority. His essay 'Der Arbeiter' [The Worker] (1933) was meant to be a 'little fighting machine' that invoked the future of a 'new race'. It does so as a political theology, as a foundational work, that legitimizes itself theologically. But Jünger fails. The authority of the witness isn't shattered by the war, but by the Shoah. His attempts to immerse into the pain of the events come to nothing. [...] Unpublished manuscripts and letters show to what extent Jünger's later efforts to cast himself as unpolitical are to be regarded as a cover-up." (my translation)
The book received very positive reviews in Germany.
Peter Trawny is a German philosopher who has been a visiting professor at various universities in Europe and Asia.
www.matthes-seitz-berlin.de/scripts/buch.php?ID=281
Ernst Jünger was a soldier, writer, and contemporary of Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger and, after the Second World War, equally an outcast. However, unlike Schmitt and Heidegger, he succeeded in living down his nationalist right-wing past (helped by the fact that he had never joined the Nazis) and died in high honours at the age of 102 in 1998.
From the publisher's description: "As a world-warrior, Ernst Jünger knew what he wrote about: he had been there, (...) he was the witness and thus claimed a higher authority. His essay 'Der Arbeiter' [The Worker] (1933) was meant to be a 'little fighting machine' that invoked the future of a 'new race'. It does so as a political theology, as a foundational work, that legitimizes itself theologically. But Jünger fails. The authority of the witness isn't shattered by the war, but by the Shoah. His attempts to immerse into the pain of the events come to nothing. [...] Unpublished manuscripts and letters show to what extent Jünger's later efforts to cast himself as unpolitical are to be regarded as a cover-up." (my translation)
The book received very positive reviews in Germany.
Peter Trawny is a German philosopher who has been a visiting professor at various universities in Europe and Asia.
CONF: RAKIA – Colloquium for Graduate Students
RAKIA – Colloquium for Graduate Students, at the newly-founded Hebraic Graduate School of Europe (HGSE) in Berlin, Germany,
14-18 February 2010
The western notion of modernity developed out of Enlightenment and secularization processes. This is one of the reasons, why the topic of modernity has become one of the central topoi in the present dialogue between cultures. Enlightenment and secularization are intimately interwoven with the way the different religious traditions that have shaped the face of Europe – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – have developed in the course of time.
Enlightenment and tradition are however not opposites in western thought. The emancipatory impulse of secularized Enlightenment is, in the form of Jewish monotheism and Greek rationalism, embedded in the fundamentals of western tradition on which Islam is also founded. In religion, philosophy, science, and art the peoples of Europe have interpreted the historical experiences of modernization. Besides this, there existed also a critique of modernity, a desire to preserve tradition, impulses, that have also left their imprint on the process of modernity.
The organizers want to explore the cultural, philosophical, social, and political aspects of the above problematic. Themes to be discussed include: "Secularization and Globalization" (Sunday, 7 pm); "Israel – Individual, People, and Nation in Western Tradition" (Monday, 9 am-
12 pm); "Nationalism, Zionism, and Messianism" (2-6 pm); "Europe between Athens and Jerusalem" (Tuesday, 9 am-12pm); "Political Theology and Political Theory" (2-6 pm); "Law and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" (Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm); "Jews and Muslims in Post-Christian Europe" (2-6 pm); "The State of Israel in European and Arabic Context" (Thursday, 9 am-12 pm); "Towards a 'Cultural Magna Charta for Europe' – Summation" (2-6 pm)
Particular attention will be paid to the perspective of the Shoah, the crisis (and possible renewal) of the humanities in Israel and Europe, and the Jewish Heritage of Europe in the tension between "Israel in Europe – Europe in Israel". Against the background of the destruction of the Jewish heritage of Europe, the bridge between Israel and Europe can serve as a way for a renewal of a common ethos.
The proposed Magna Charta will bear witness to the mutual influences of the different traditions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Greek-Roman Antiquity – that have shaped the face of Europe. This is necessary to find ways and means reflecting the "principle of differences" as a basis for equality, aiming at a new definition of the "contrat social" for the member states of Western, Central and Eastern Europe, after the breakdown of the great structures of the 19th century and the ideologies of the 20th century in the age of globalization.
The Colloquium will be conducted as an interdisciplinary seminar. The various topics will be presented by short lectures and papers, given by professors, doctoral candidates, and students, in which also current work-in-progress and research projects can be introduced and discussed. The evening programme includes public lectures and discussions, films, music, and literary readings.
Post-doctoral and doctoral researchers and masters students from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences such as Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology, History, Political Science, Law, Economics, Cultural Studies, Literature, and Education, are cordially invited to participate.
Please send applications to Michelle Piccirillio (Hebraic Graduate School of Europe): piccirillo@hgse.eu
14-18 February 2010
The western notion of modernity developed out of Enlightenment and secularization processes. This is one of the reasons, why the topic of modernity has become one of the central topoi in the present dialogue between cultures. Enlightenment and secularization are intimately interwoven with the way the different religious traditions that have shaped the face of Europe – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam – have developed in the course of time.
Enlightenment and tradition are however not opposites in western thought. The emancipatory impulse of secularized Enlightenment is, in the form of Jewish monotheism and Greek rationalism, embedded in the fundamentals of western tradition on which Islam is also founded. In religion, philosophy, science, and art the peoples of Europe have interpreted the historical experiences of modernization. Besides this, there existed also a critique of modernity, a desire to preserve tradition, impulses, that have also left their imprint on the process of modernity.
The organizers want to explore the cultural, philosophical, social, and political aspects of the above problematic. Themes to be discussed include: "Secularization and Globalization" (Sunday, 7 pm); "Israel – Individual, People, and Nation in Western Tradition" (Monday, 9 am-
12 pm); "Nationalism, Zionism, and Messianism" (2-6 pm); "Europe between Athens and Jerusalem" (Tuesday, 9 am-12pm); "Political Theology and Political Theory" (2-6 pm); "Law and Religion in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam" (Wednesday, 9 am-12 pm); "Jews and Muslims in Post-Christian Europe" (2-6 pm); "The State of Israel in European and Arabic Context" (Thursday, 9 am-12 pm); "Towards a 'Cultural Magna Charta for Europe' – Summation" (2-6 pm)
Particular attention will be paid to the perspective of the Shoah, the crisis (and possible renewal) of the humanities in Israel and Europe, and the Jewish Heritage of Europe in the tension between "Israel in Europe – Europe in Israel". Against the background of the destruction of the Jewish heritage of Europe, the bridge between Israel and Europe can serve as a way for a renewal of a common ethos.
The proposed Magna Charta will bear witness to the mutual influences of the different traditions – Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and Greek-Roman Antiquity – that have shaped the face of Europe. This is necessary to find ways and means reflecting the "principle of differences" as a basis for equality, aiming at a new definition of the "contrat social" for the member states of Western, Central and Eastern Europe, after the breakdown of the great structures of the 19th century and the ideologies of the 20th century in the age of globalization.
The Colloquium will be conducted as an interdisciplinary seminar. The various topics will be presented by short lectures and papers, given by professors, doctoral candidates, and students, in which also current work-in-progress and research projects can be introduced and discussed. The evening programme includes public lectures and discussions, films, music, and literary readings.
Post-doctoral and doctoral researchers and masters students from all disciplines in the humanities and social sciences such as Jewish Studies, Philosophy, Theology, Sociology, History, Political Science, Law, Economics, Cultural Studies, Literature, and Education, are cordially invited to participate.
Please send applications to Michelle Piccirillio (Hebraic Graduate School of Europe): piccirillo@hgse.eu
Public lecture: Alfarabi's Goal: Political Philosophy, not Political Theology
Tulane University, The Murphy Institute, Stibbs Conference Room, Lavin-Bernick Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA,
25 February 2010, 4.00 pm
Public lecture by Charles Butterworth: "Alfarabi's Goal: Political Philosophy, not Political Theology"
http://murphy.tulane.edu/events/lectures/1622.php
No abstract provided by the organizers.
Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and currently Visiting Professor in the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Charles Butterworth specializes in medieval Islamic political philosophy. His publications include critical editions of many commentaries written by Averroes on Aristotle's logic, as well as translations of treatises by Averroes, Alfarabi, Alrazi, and Maimonides. He has also published translations and analyses of the political teaching of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The lecture is free and open to all.
25 February 2010, 4.00 pm
Public lecture by Charles Butterworth: "Alfarabi's Goal: Political Philosophy, not Political Theology"
http://murphy.tulane.edu/events/lectures/1622.php
No abstract provided by the organizers.
Emeritus Professor of Government and Politics at the University of Maryland, College Park, and currently Visiting Professor in the Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Charles Butterworth specializes in medieval Islamic political philosophy. His publications include critical editions of many commentaries written by Averroes on Aristotle's logic, as well as translations of treatises by Averroes, Alfarabi, Alrazi, and Maimonides. He has also published translations and analyses of the political teaching of Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
The lecture is free and open to all.
03 February 2010
CFP: "GBS: Global Bernard Shaw" and political theology
Modern Language Association Convention, Los Angeles, California, USA, 6-9 January 2011
www.mla.org/convention
A "Special Shaw Session", titled "GBS: Global Bernard Shaw", is to be organized for this conference.
"Zoo. Why should you travel for pleasure! Can you not enjoy yourself at home?
The Elderly Gentleman. I wish to see the world." –
"Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman", Back to Methuselah
An international celebrity, world traveler, and global citizen, George Bernard Shaw was never at a loss for words on the matter of the world he lived in. This special session seeks papers that think through the entailments of "GBS" as Global Bernard Shaw. Topics may include (but are not limited to): Gender and international feminisms; Colonialism and postcolonialism (from Ireland to India and beyond); Cosmopolitanism; The "transatlantic" Shaw; Nationalism and transnationalism; Geopolitics and world order studies; Conflict, war, and peace; neoliberalism and free-market capitalism; Globalization and modernization; "Empire", "multitude", and "commonwealth" (Hardt and Negri); International Marxist, communist, and socialist movements; Religion and political theology (liberation theology, Zionism, Islamic radicalism, etc.); Cross-cultural performance; Influence, appropriation, and adaptation; Shaw as world literature (canonicity, translation, "the world republic of letters"); Shaw as world traveler
Please send a 250-word abstract and a short CV as e-mail attachment to Charles Joseph Del Dotto (Duke University): cjd@duke.edu
Deadline: 15 March 2010
All participants in convention sessions must be MLA members by
7 April 2010. At the discretion of the executive director, waivers of the membership requirement may be granted for non-scholars (medical doctors, visual artists, etc.) and scholars in the United States and Canada who work in disciplines other than language and literature. The request must be made on the Request for Waiver of Membership form, which is available on the MLA website. The form must be submitted no later than 1 April 2010. Speakers may be granted a waiver once every five years. The speaker's discipline (History, Economics, Psychology, etc.) or profession (curator, archivist, attorney, etc.) must be specified on the form. Please note that waived non-members cannot organize or chair a session.
A member may participate as speaker or respondent only twice (e.g. by organizing and chairing a meeting, reading a paper, or serving as a speaker, panelist, or respondent in one or two sessions) at a single convention.
Participants must indicate their audiovisual needs when they respond to a call for papers and should check with the chair of the session or with the MLA convention office to be sure that the necessary equipment has been ordered on the appropriate program copy forms by 1 April 2010. Because the need for audiovisual equipment is a major factor in the scheduling of meetings (and because the movement of equipment is both costly and hazardous), the deadline is firm.
Limited travel grants for certain participants and attendees who are members may be available. For further information, please visit the MLA website. Each year the MLA Executive Council authorizes very limited funds to provide partial assistance to persons who are not MLA members and who would not normally be expected to attend a professional meeting in the field of language and literature. Those who are eligible to receive such funds include distinguished persons in fields other than those directly represented by the MLA, creative writers who do not have academic positions, and MLA honorary members and fellows. Requests for such funds must be made on the fund-request form (which may be obtained on the MLA website), must be submitted by 15 April 2010, and must explain how the participant would enrich the program.
Calls for papers are simply statements of intent to propose a session; they do not in any way bind the organizer or the Program Committee.
www.mla.org/convention
A "Special Shaw Session", titled "GBS: Global Bernard Shaw", is to be organized for this conference.
"Zoo. Why should you travel for pleasure! Can you not enjoy yourself at home?
The Elderly Gentleman. I wish to see the world." –
"Tragedy of an Elderly Gentleman", Back to Methuselah
An international celebrity, world traveler, and global citizen, George Bernard Shaw was never at a loss for words on the matter of the world he lived in. This special session seeks papers that think through the entailments of "GBS" as Global Bernard Shaw. Topics may include (but are not limited to): Gender and international feminisms; Colonialism and postcolonialism (from Ireland to India and beyond); Cosmopolitanism; The "transatlantic" Shaw; Nationalism and transnationalism; Geopolitics and world order studies; Conflict, war, and peace; neoliberalism and free-market capitalism; Globalization and modernization; "Empire", "multitude", and "commonwealth" (Hardt and Negri); International Marxist, communist, and socialist movements; Religion and political theology (liberation theology, Zionism, Islamic radicalism, etc.); Cross-cultural performance; Influence, appropriation, and adaptation; Shaw as world literature (canonicity, translation, "the world republic of letters"); Shaw as world traveler
Please send a 250-word abstract and a short CV as e-mail attachment to Charles Joseph Del Dotto (Duke University): cjd@duke.edu
Deadline: 15 March 2010
All participants in convention sessions must be MLA members by
7 April 2010. At the discretion of the executive director, waivers of the membership requirement may be granted for non-scholars (medical doctors, visual artists, etc.) and scholars in the United States and Canada who work in disciplines other than language and literature. The request must be made on the Request for Waiver of Membership form, which is available on the MLA website. The form must be submitted no later than 1 April 2010. Speakers may be granted a waiver once every five years. The speaker's discipline (History, Economics, Psychology, etc.) or profession (curator, archivist, attorney, etc.) must be specified on the form. Please note that waived non-members cannot organize or chair a session.
A member may participate as speaker or respondent only twice (e.g. by organizing and chairing a meeting, reading a paper, or serving as a speaker, panelist, or respondent in one or two sessions) at a single convention.
Participants must indicate their audiovisual needs when they respond to a call for papers and should check with the chair of the session or with the MLA convention office to be sure that the necessary equipment has been ordered on the appropriate program copy forms by 1 April 2010. Because the need for audiovisual equipment is a major factor in the scheduling of meetings (and because the movement of equipment is both costly and hazardous), the deadline is firm.
Limited travel grants for certain participants and attendees who are members may be available. For further information, please visit the MLA website. Each year the MLA Executive Council authorizes very limited funds to provide partial assistance to persons who are not MLA members and who would not normally be expected to attend a professional meeting in the field of language and literature. Those who are eligible to receive such funds include distinguished persons in fields other than those directly represented by the MLA, creative writers who do not have academic positions, and MLA honorary members and fellows. Requests for such funds must be made on the fund-request form (which may be obtained on the MLA website), must be submitted by 15 April 2010, and must explain how the participant would enrich the program.
Calls for papers are simply statements of intent to propose a session; they do not in any way bind the organizer or the Program Committee.
31 January 2010
Book: Minjung and Process: Minjung Theology in a Dialogue with Process Thought
Minjung theology is Korean political/liberation theology. Books (in English) about it are rather rare. In 2009, Hiheon Kim's "Minjung and Process: Minjung Theology in a Dialogue with Process Thought" was published by Peter Lang:
www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=11735
Publisher's description: "This book reconstructs the legacy of Korean minjung theology by reformulating its essential ideas in a dialogue with process thought. In a minimal sense, this study is a theological reinterpretation of the doctrine of the minjung messiah, an idea which historically suffered from a misunderstanding that minjung theology created a 'messianic confusion' while replacing christology and soteriology by a radical anthropology. This erroneous conception occurred when the idea was placed within the philosophically dualistic framework of traditional doctrines in which the work of minjung is totally separated from the work of Christ. In order to avoid such a dualistic understanding, the author critically adopts process panentheism and makes minjung ideas more communicable and more comprehensive in current theological, religious, and philosophical debates. Beyond defending the idea of the minjung messiah, he also argues for an inclusive minjung hermeneutics that promotes the fundamental insight of minjung theology, in philosophical clarity. Through minjung hermeneutics, minjung theology expands its practical concern and overcomes the theoretical nihilism in postmodern studies."
Hiheon Kim received his PhD in 2007 from Claremont Graduate University (Philosophy of Religion and Theology programme). He served as a local pastor over ten years in Korea and the US and is now teaching at Hanshin University, Osan, Korea.
www.peterlang.com/index.cfm?vID=11735
Publisher's description: "This book reconstructs the legacy of Korean minjung theology by reformulating its essential ideas in a dialogue with process thought. In a minimal sense, this study is a theological reinterpretation of the doctrine of the minjung messiah, an idea which historically suffered from a misunderstanding that minjung theology created a 'messianic confusion' while replacing christology and soteriology by a radical anthropology. This erroneous conception occurred when the idea was placed within the philosophically dualistic framework of traditional doctrines in which the work of minjung is totally separated from the work of Christ. In order to avoid such a dualistic understanding, the author critically adopts process panentheism and makes minjung ideas more communicable and more comprehensive in current theological, religious, and philosophical debates. Beyond defending the idea of the minjung messiah, he also argues for an inclusive minjung hermeneutics that promotes the fundamental insight of minjung theology, in philosophical clarity. Through minjung hermeneutics, minjung theology expands its practical concern and overcomes the theoretical nihilism in postmodern studies."
Hiheon Kim received his PhD in 2007 from Claremont Graduate University (Philosophy of Religion and Theology programme). He served as a local pastor over ten years in Korea and the US and is now teaching at Hanshin University, Osan, Korea.
30 January 2010
CONF: Political and Legal Theology in Comparative Perspective
Conference "Political and Legal Theology in Comparative Perspective", co-sponsored by the Floersheimer Center for Constitutional Democracy and the Center for Jewish Law and Contemporary Civilization at Yeshiva University's Benjamin N. Cardozo Law School, 55 Fifth Avenue at 12 Street, Suite 542, New York, 21-22 February 2010
www.cardozo.yu.edu/MemberContentDisplay.aspx?ccmd=ContentDisplay&ucmd=UserDisplay&userid=10374&contentid=14096&folderid=340
Political theology is a mode of inquiry that understands the modern period as incompletely secularized. Theology has been adapted, reworked, and translated for secular use, but its hold on the political imagination remains strong. Although the Enlightenment and the rise of western political liberalism attempted to keep the public, political sphere completely secular while relegating religion to the private sphere, political theology argues that modern political systems have reoccupied the space that was once held by religious and theological systems. With the rise of political Islam abroad, and the increasing political power of the Christian Right in the United States, the exploration of the theological roots of the political imagination takes on great contemporary significance. Political theology, however, has been primarily concerned with ancient and medieval conceptions of the City of God and the theological polity, due to its links to western political nationalism after the fall of Christendom. In an age of political and religious globalization, there is a pressing need to bring non-Christian religions into these conversations.
Scholars have, for the most part, studied the impact of theology on our contemporary political commitments, but much less attention has been paid to the theological underpinnings of secular legal systems. Yet, a small but growing body of literature on legal theology has demonstrated that both in its origins and in its content, western law preserves and reoccupies spaces once held by God, revelation, prophets, and priests. The increasing presence of religion in the public square, both in the United States and abroad, has led to a rethinking of time-honored understandings of the relationship between religion, theology, and law. In an age in which political globalization has been accompanied by legal globalization, there is a need not only for disparate studies of political and legal theology, but to bring political theology and legal theology into productive conversation with one another. This conference aims to begin this new comparative and interdisciplinary conversation in political and legal theology.
Please note that this conference is not open to the public. Interested academics or students may want to contact the organizers, though, to see whether and how they can participate.
There will be one public panel on "American Exceptionalism and the Relevance of Political Theology in America", in the Moot Court Room, on 21 February, 6-8 pm (yes, that's a Sunday)
Panelists: Peter Berkowitz (Hoover Institution, Stanford), Paul Kahn (Yale Law School), Hendrik Hartog (History, Princeton), and Samuel Moyn (History, Columbia)
The concept of the qualitative uniqueness of America, known as American exceptionalism, dates back to Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century description of American democracy as "exceptional". American exceptionalism has been used both to describe and explain America's unique political, legal, social and religious landscapes. It has served as a justification of American foreign policy and America's frequent choice to act alone, rather than among the community of nations. American exceptionalism has been derided as a jingoist manifestation of American arrogance; it has been praised by proud Americans as an expression of their nation’s uniqueness. The term has been used neutrally by scholars attempting to compare America and other nations, and by those attempting to evaluate the validity of the expression. In recent decades, American exceptionalism has been re-examined by a number of scholars and thinkers, and has once again become a subject of heated debate in scholarship as well as public policy.
Claims of uniqueness and exceptionalism can be understood as secularized versions of claims to theological chosenness and uniqueness that lie in the foreground of American history, and the perennial quest to serve as a "city on a hill" or a "light among the nations". In this sense, American exceptionalism merits exploration in the context of political theology, a concept famously encapsulated by Carl Schmitt as the notion that all modern political concepts are secularized theological ones. In a forthcoming book, legal scholar Paul Kahn argues that a re-examination of Schmitt's concept of political theology and his associated understanding of sovereignty can be tremendously useful in a re-examination of American exceptionalism, and the continual tension in America between the rule of law and the concept of popular sovereignty. Panelists will address the nexus between American exceptionalism and the enduring relevance of political theology in contemporary American society.
Followed by a reception.
Please RSVP to: jewishlaw@yu.edu
www.cardozo.yu.edu/MemberContentDisplay.aspx?ccmd=ContentDisplay&ucmd=UserDisplay&userid=10374&contentid=14096&folderid=340
Political theology is a mode of inquiry that understands the modern period as incompletely secularized. Theology has been adapted, reworked, and translated for secular use, but its hold on the political imagination remains strong. Although the Enlightenment and the rise of western political liberalism attempted to keep the public, political sphere completely secular while relegating religion to the private sphere, political theology argues that modern political systems have reoccupied the space that was once held by religious and theological systems. With the rise of political Islam abroad, and the increasing political power of the Christian Right in the United States, the exploration of the theological roots of the political imagination takes on great contemporary significance. Political theology, however, has been primarily concerned with ancient and medieval conceptions of the City of God and the theological polity, due to its links to western political nationalism after the fall of Christendom. In an age of political and religious globalization, there is a pressing need to bring non-Christian religions into these conversations.
Scholars have, for the most part, studied the impact of theology on our contemporary political commitments, but much less attention has been paid to the theological underpinnings of secular legal systems. Yet, a small but growing body of literature on legal theology has demonstrated that both in its origins and in its content, western law preserves and reoccupies spaces once held by God, revelation, prophets, and priests. The increasing presence of religion in the public square, both in the United States and abroad, has led to a rethinking of time-honored understandings of the relationship between religion, theology, and law. In an age in which political globalization has been accompanied by legal globalization, there is a need not only for disparate studies of political and legal theology, but to bring political theology and legal theology into productive conversation with one another. This conference aims to begin this new comparative and interdisciplinary conversation in political and legal theology.
Please note that this conference is not open to the public. Interested academics or students may want to contact the organizers, though, to see whether and how they can participate.
There will be one public panel on "American Exceptionalism and the Relevance of Political Theology in America", in the Moot Court Room, on 21 February, 6-8 pm (yes, that's a Sunday)
Panelists: Peter Berkowitz (Hoover Institution, Stanford), Paul Kahn (Yale Law School), Hendrik Hartog (History, Princeton), and Samuel Moyn (History, Columbia)
The concept of the qualitative uniqueness of America, known as American exceptionalism, dates back to Alexis de Tocqueville's nineteenth-century description of American democracy as "exceptional". American exceptionalism has been used both to describe and explain America's unique political, legal, social and religious landscapes. It has served as a justification of American foreign policy and America's frequent choice to act alone, rather than among the community of nations. American exceptionalism has been derided as a jingoist manifestation of American arrogance; it has been praised by proud Americans as an expression of their nation’s uniqueness. The term has been used neutrally by scholars attempting to compare America and other nations, and by those attempting to evaluate the validity of the expression. In recent decades, American exceptionalism has been re-examined by a number of scholars and thinkers, and has once again become a subject of heated debate in scholarship as well as public policy.
Claims of uniqueness and exceptionalism can be understood as secularized versions of claims to theological chosenness and uniqueness that lie in the foreground of American history, and the perennial quest to serve as a "city on a hill" or a "light among the nations". In this sense, American exceptionalism merits exploration in the context of political theology, a concept famously encapsulated by Carl Schmitt as the notion that all modern political concepts are secularized theological ones. In a forthcoming book, legal scholar Paul Kahn argues that a re-examination of Schmitt's concept of political theology and his associated understanding of sovereignty can be tremendously useful in a re-examination of American exceptionalism, and the continual tension in America between the rule of law and the concept of popular sovereignty. Panelists will address the nexus between American exceptionalism and the enduring relevance of political theology in contemporary American society.
Followed by a reception.
Please RSVP to: jewishlaw@yu.edu
28 January 2010
CFP: Walter Benjamin: Convergences of Aesthetics and Political Theology
An international conference organized by Universidad de Chile, Instituto de Humanidades/Universidad Diego Portales, Goethe Institut, and DAAD, to take place in Santiago de Chile, 20-22 October 2010
Call for papers: "Walter Benjamin: Convergences of Aesthetics and Political Theology"
With his stress on the constellation of art, religion, and politics, Walter Benjamin has become a key thinker for the contemporary debate on the role of religion in the public sphere. Benjamin placed philosophy – the practice of criticism – at the service of art, seeking to release a political and theological potential he called "messianic", far from every theocracy and fundamentalism.
Benjamin's urgent demand for the "politicization of art" as an antidote to the fascist "aesthetization of politics" is well known. The aim of this international conference is to understand and discuss the bridge between the aforementioned demand and the contemporary attempts, by many thinkers influenced by Benjamin, to "politicize theology", now understood as an antidote to the fundamentalist theologization of politics.
Proposals are welcomed for 20-30 minute papers on all topics relevant to the conference theme, including the following: The artwork's aura and its effacement: technical reproducibility or alterity of the absolute?; The crisis of experience; The concept of "profane illumination"; Language and the sacred; The Angel of History and "dialectics at a standstill"; Allegory and melancholy from the Trauerspiel to Baudelaire; Benjamin and the question of sovereignty; The Benjamin-Scholem dialogue; Kabbalah and Messianism; Benjamin and Political Theology
Papers on other relevant topics will also be considered. Conference languages are Spanish and English. The organizers will work with simultaneous translation during plenary sessions.
Please send an abstract of max. 600 words and a short bio to: conferenciabenjamin@gmail.com
Deadline: 15 April 2010
Early submissions are welcome. Notification of acceptance will be sent no later than 30 April 2010.
Confirmed international speakers: Hauke Brunkhorst (University of Flensburg), Gertrud Koch (Free University of Berlin), and Bettina Menke (University of Erfurt)
Conference Committee: Vanessa Lemm, Eduardo Sabrovsky, Miguel Vatter (all Universidad Diego Portales), Horst Nitschack, and Pablo Oyarzún (both Universidad de Chile)
For further information, please contact the organizers at the above e-mail address.
Call for papers: "Walter Benjamin: Convergences of Aesthetics and Political Theology"
With his stress on the constellation of art, religion, and politics, Walter Benjamin has become a key thinker for the contemporary debate on the role of religion in the public sphere. Benjamin placed philosophy – the practice of criticism – at the service of art, seeking to release a political and theological potential he called "messianic", far from every theocracy and fundamentalism.
Benjamin's urgent demand for the "politicization of art" as an antidote to the fascist "aesthetization of politics" is well known. The aim of this international conference is to understand and discuss the bridge between the aforementioned demand and the contemporary attempts, by many thinkers influenced by Benjamin, to "politicize theology", now understood as an antidote to the fundamentalist theologization of politics.
Proposals are welcomed for 20-30 minute papers on all topics relevant to the conference theme, including the following: The artwork's aura and its effacement: technical reproducibility or alterity of the absolute?; The crisis of experience; The concept of "profane illumination"; Language and the sacred; The Angel of History and "dialectics at a standstill"; Allegory and melancholy from the Trauerspiel to Baudelaire; Benjamin and the question of sovereignty; The Benjamin-Scholem dialogue; Kabbalah and Messianism; Benjamin and Political Theology
Papers on other relevant topics will also be considered. Conference languages are Spanish and English. The organizers will work with simultaneous translation during plenary sessions.
Please send an abstract of max. 600 words and a short bio to: conferenciabenjamin@gmail.com
Deadline: 15 April 2010
Early submissions are welcome. Notification of acceptance will be sent no later than 30 April 2010.
Confirmed international speakers: Hauke Brunkhorst (University of Flensburg), Gertrud Koch (Free University of Berlin), and Bettina Menke (University of Erfurt)
Conference Committee: Vanessa Lemm, Eduardo Sabrovsky, Miguel Vatter (all Universidad Diego Portales), Horst Nitschack, and Pablo Oyarzún (both Universidad de Chile)
For further information, please contact the organizers at the above e-mail address.
27 January 2010
Book: Bearing the Weight of Salvation: The Soteriology of Ignacio Ellacuría
Michael E. Lee, "Bearing the Weight of Salvation: The Soteriology of Ignacio Ellacuría" (Crossroad Publishing, April 2009), with a foreword by Gustavo Gutiérrez:
www.ipgbook.com/showbook.cfm?bookid=0824524217
Publisher's description: "Exploring the nature of Christian salvation, known as soteriology, and its relation to Christian action, this insightful account thoroughly discusses theologian and martyr Ignacio Ellacuría's perspectives on the character of Christian discipleship and controversies over liberation theology. Recognizing philosophical, Christological, and ecclesiological dimensions, the volume carefully analyzes the complexities of topics that include praxis as real discipleship, transforming realities and contesting orthodoxies, and the impact of Ellacuría's theological legacy."
Endorsements: "The outstanding work of Michael Lee goes to the source of Ellacuría's thought and, from there, tackles its different elements. He says with precision, 'This book takes [the] meeting of Ellacuría's martyrdom and apologetics as its starting point.' And so it is." (Gustavo Gutiérrez, University of Notre Dame)
"This book has numerous virtues, perhaps foremost among them that of making a difficult author, whose work has not been fully translated, accessible to an Anglophone readership. ... Will richly reward anyone interested in what the next generation of liberation theologians, in Latin and North America, will look like." (J. Matthew Ashley, University of Notre Dame)
Michael E. Lee is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Fordham University.
www.ipgbook.com/showbook.cfm?bookid=0824524217
Publisher's description: "Exploring the nature of Christian salvation, known as soteriology, and its relation to Christian action, this insightful account thoroughly discusses theologian and martyr Ignacio Ellacuría's perspectives on the character of Christian discipleship and controversies over liberation theology. Recognizing philosophical, Christological, and ecclesiological dimensions, the volume carefully analyzes the complexities of topics that include praxis as real discipleship, transforming realities and contesting orthodoxies, and the impact of Ellacuría's theological legacy."
Endorsements: "The outstanding work of Michael Lee goes to the source of Ellacuría's thought and, from there, tackles its different elements. He says with precision, 'This book takes [the] meeting of Ellacuría's martyrdom and apologetics as its starting point.' And so it is." (Gustavo Gutiérrez, University of Notre Dame)
"This book has numerous virtues, perhaps foremost among them that of making a difficult author, whose work has not been fully translated, accessible to an Anglophone readership. ... Will richly reward anyone interested in what the next generation of liberation theologians, in Latin and North America, will look like." (J. Matthew Ashley, University of Notre Dame)
Michael E. Lee is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Fordham University.
26 January 2010
Book: Faith-Based War: From 9/11 to Catastrophic Success in Iraq
T. Walter Herbert, "Faith-Based War: From 9/11 to Catastrophic Success in Iraq" (Equinox, October 2009).From the description on Amazon: "The Bush administration was prompted to invade Iraq by a religious vision that blinded them to the realities of the struggle against terror, and propelled them into moral and political catastrophe. The propaganda campaign that promoted the war, the choice of a self-defeating 'Shock and Awe' invasion, and the expanded torture program bear witness to a faith-based policy that violated democratic ideals and perverted religious truth. The White House embraced a version of Christian nationalism in which the president serves as the agent of God's of wrath to punish evildoers, in keeping with a tradition that descends from the Massachusetts Bay Puritans, who considered themselves a 'chosen people' occupying a 'promised land.' As native peoples resisted Puritan encroachment at the frontiers of expansion, they were marked as devils incarnate, fit for total destruction.
"A modern version of this imperialist vision was invoked on 9/11, when the social and political conditions giving rise to the terrorist atrocity were forgotten, and sanctimonious wrath against evildoers ruled the White House response. At the heart of this religious mythology stands the 'frontier hero,' who takes action when the 'not chosen' strike back against the advance guard of the 'chosen.' [...] The classic mythology of the American frontier allowed Christian militarists in the Religious Right of the Republican party to make common cause with broad sectors of the American public. They achieved predominant influence in the Bush White House, and in the future will seek to regain control over U.S. foreign policy."
www.equinoxpub.com/books/showbook.asp?bkid=169
Reviews: "In trying to expose the flawed political theology that may indeed animate too much of American foreign policy, Herbert simply exchanges one troubling political theology for another. Offended by the Right's secularized 'city on a hill' of imperialism and cultural and economic hegemony, he embraces the Left's secularized 'city on a hill' of international social justice. Disturbed by the Right's politicized Jesus who endorses 'Christian Americanism,' he embraces the Left's politicized Jesus who advocates a new order of humanitarian sympathy." (Richard Gamble, "The American Conservative")
"Herbert's Faith-Based War is a fascinating and richly perceptive blend of social ethical, political, theological, and historical analysis on the moral problem of American empire. Showing the relevance of political theology, it builds to a stunning meditation on the contradictions of 'Christian empire' currently playing out in Iraq." (Gary Dorrien, Union Theological Seminary/Columbia University)
T. Walter Herbert is Professor Emeritus of English at Southwestern University.
Book: Tight Fists or Open Hands? Wealth and Poverty in Old Testament Law
David L. Baker, "Tight Fists or Open Hands? Wealth and Poverty in Old Testament Law" (Eerdmans, July 2009):
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802862839
From the publisher's description: "Any Christian response to today's ever-growing problem of poverty around the globe must be firmly rooted in biblical teaching. While books on various aspects of wealth and poverty in the Old and New Testaments have been published, so far there has been no thorough study of Old Testament law on the topic. [...] Each section of Tight Fists or Open Hands? includes an extended conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, considers relationships with other biblical texts, and points to the significance of the laws for today's world."
From the description on christianbooks.com: "The global pandemic is overwhelming. The rich are becoming more – and more – wealthy, while the poor remain in rags and starving. David L. Baker [...] argues that the popular modes of theological thought dealing with poverty and wealth, Liberation Theology and Prosperity Doctrines, are either too simplistic or deceptively manipulate, or selectively choose biblical texts to support a pre-existing ideology. Baker stands against this use of Scripture believing that support of modern political ideologies cannot be legitimately turned into political theologies. [...]
"Old Testament Law, concerning the poor, can illuminate the ways in which material possessions should[,] and indeed can, be dealt with appropriately. He believes that the attitude toward the poor expressed in the New Testament is rooted in the Mosaic Law and that this Law teaches that God desires justice for everyone, not only the poor. The issue is the poor are in no position to deprive others of economic justice, and therefore the exhortations Liberation theologians tend to point out focus on obtaining justice only for the poor at the expense of others. Conversely, prosperity teachings are wrapped up inside their own interests and selfish morality believed to be the teaching of Scripture. Inevitably these create a theological justification for the hoarding of wealth."
David L. Baker is Senior Lecturer in Old Testament at Trinity Theological College, Perth.
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802862839
From the publisher's description: "Any Christian response to today's ever-growing problem of poverty around the globe must be firmly rooted in biblical teaching. While books on various aspects of wealth and poverty in the Old and New Testaments have been published, so far there has been no thorough study of Old Testament law on the topic. [...] Each section of Tight Fists or Open Hands? includes an extended conclusion that summarizes the main ideas, considers relationships with other biblical texts, and points to the significance of the laws for today's world."
From the description on christianbooks.com: "The global pandemic is overwhelming. The rich are becoming more – and more – wealthy, while the poor remain in rags and starving. David L. Baker [...] argues that the popular modes of theological thought dealing with poverty and wealth, Liberation Theology and Prosperity Doctrines, are either too simplistic or deceptively manipulate, or selectively choose biblical texts to support a pre-existing ideology. Baker stands against this use of Scripture believing that support of modern political ideologies cannot be legitimately turned into political theologies. [...]
"Old Testament Law, concerning the poor, can illuminate the ways in which material possessions should[,] and indeed can, be dealt with appropriately. He believes that the attitude toward the poor expressed in the New Testament is rooted in the Mosaic Law and that this Law teaches that God desires justice for everyone, not only the poor. The issue is the poor are in no position to deprive others of economic justice, and therefore the exhortations Liberation theologians tend to point out focus on obtaining justice only for the poor at the expense of others. Conversely, prosperity teachings are wrapped up inside their own interests and selfish morality believed to be the teaching of Scripture. Inevitably these create a theological justification for the hoarding of wealth."
David L. Baker is Senior Lecturer in Old Testament at Trinity Theological College, Perth.
23 January 2010
Book: Public Theology for a Global Society
Deirdre King Hainsworth and Scott R. Paeth (editors), "Public Theology for a Global Society: Essays in Honor of Max L. Stackhouse"
(Eerdmans, December 2009):
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802865076
Publisher's description: "In these essays [...], leading Christian scholars consider the historical roots and ongoing resources of public theology as a vital element in the church's engagement with global issues. Public Theology for a Global Society explores the concept of public theology and the challenge of relating theological claims to a larger social and political context. The range of essays included here allows readers to understand public theology as both theological practice and public speech, and to consider the potential and limits of public theology in ecumenical and international networks.
"The essays begin by introducing the reader to the development of public theology as an area of study and to the historical interrelationship of religious, legal, and professional categories. The later essays engage the reader with emerging problems in public theology, as religious communities encounter shifting 'publics' that are being transformed by globalization and sweeping political and technological changes. The breadth and scholarship of Public Theology for a Global Society make this volume a fitting tribute to Stackhouse – a central figure in Christian ethics and pioneer in the church's study of globalization."
Deirdre King Hainsworth is Assistant Professor of Ethics and Director of the Center for Business, Religion and Public Life at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Scott R. Paeth is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at DePaul University.
(Eerdmans, December 2009):
www.eerdmans.com/shop/product.asp?p_key=9780802865076
Publisher's description: "In these essays [...], leading Christian scholars consider the historical roots and ongoing resources of public theology as a vital element in the church's engagement with global issues. Public Theology for a Global Society explores the concept of public theology and the challenge of relating theological claims to a larger social and political context. The range of essays included here allows readers to understand public theology as both theological practice and public speech, and to consider the potential and limits of public theology in ecumenical and international networks.
"The essays begin by introducing the reader to the development of public theology as an area of study and to the historical interrelationship of religious, legal, and professional categories. The later essays engage the reader with emerging problems in public theology, as religious communities encounter shifting 'publics' that are being transformed by globalization and sweeping political and technological changes. The breadth and scholarship of Public Theology for a Global Society make this volume a fitting tribute to Stackhouse – a central figure in Christian ethics and pioneer in the church's study of globalization."
Deirdre King Hainsworth is Assistant Professor of Ethics and Director of the Center for Business, Religion and Public Life at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary.
Scott R. Paeth is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at DePaul University.
Book: What Makes a Good Church? Public Theology and the Urban Church
Elaine Graham and Stephen Lowe, "What Makes a Good Church? Public Theology and the Urban Church" (Darton, Longman and Todd, June 2009):
www.dltbooks.com/book_details.asp?bID=940&bc=0&sID=ALL&Type=B&cp=1
Publisher's description: "In its Faithful Cities report (2006), the [Anglican Archbishops'] Commission on Urban Life and Faith [of which both Graham and Lowe were members] identified the question 'What makes a good city?' as a key catalyst for thinking about the future of our cities and towns. In this groundbreaking work of practical theology, the authors [...] explore this question in depth, from historical, social, economic and spiritual perspectives and offer a vision for the long-term future of the 'good city'".
Elaine Graham is Grosvenor Research Professor at the University of Chester. Until October 2009, she was the Samuel Ferguson Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology at the University of Manchester. From 2005 to 2007, she served as President of the International Academy of Practical Theology.
Stephen Lowe retired from his position as suffragan Bishop of Hulme, in the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, in July 2009. From 2006, he was the Church of England's first Bishop for Urban Life and Faith. He also chaired its Urban Bishops Panel.
www.dltbooks.com/book_details.asp?bID=940&bc=0&sID=ALL&Type=B&cp=1
Publisher's description: "In its Faithful Cities report (2006), the [Anglican Archbishops'] Commission on Urban Life and Faith [of which both Graham and Lowe were members] identified the question 'What makes a good city?' as a key catalyst for thinking about the future of our cities and towns. In this groundbreaking work of practical theology, the authors [...] explore this question in depth, from historical, social, economic and spiritual perspectives and offer a vision for the long-term future of the 'good city'".
Elaine Graham is Grosvenor Research Professor at the University of Chester. Until October 2009, she was the Samuel Ferguson Professor of Social and Pastoral Theology at the University of Manchester. From 2005 to 2007, she served as President of the International Academy of Practical Theology.
Stephen Lowe retired from his position as suffragan Bishop of Hulme, in the Anglican Diocese of Manchester, in July 2009. From 2006, he was the Church of England's first Bishop for Urban Life and Faith. He also chaired its Urban Bishops Panel.
17 January 2010
Public lecture: The Primal Scenes of Political Theology
University of California at Davis, Davis Humanities Institute (DHI),
126 Vorhies Hall, 1st and A streets, Davis, California, USA,
21 January 2010, 4.00-5.30 pm
Public lecture by Jacques Lezra (Professor of Comparative Literature and Spanish and Portuguese at New York University):
"The Primal Scences of Political Theology"
http://dhi.ucdavis.edu/?p=2987
"And earthly power doth then show likest God's / When mercy seasons justice." – William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice"
"This analogy is the very site of the theologico-political, the hyphen [trait d'union] or translation between the theological and the political." – Jacques Derrida, "Of Spirit: Heidegger and the Question"
In "The Primal Scenes of Political Theology", Jacques Lezra will approach a cluster of urgent questions in contemporary political and cultural theory by reading Freud's readings of Schiller: Is there indeed a "trait d'union" between the theological and the political, marked (as Carl Schmitt and other proponents of the secularization thesis argue) somewhere in the period of early modernity? Which "early modernity" do we mean? And under what conditions can we approach it? What forms of cultural mediation determine the encounter between theology and politics for us today? And conversely: is our understanding of "cultural mediation" itself marked by the encounter between theology and politics in the early modern period?
This event is sponsored by the Graduate Program in Critical Theory, the Departments of English, German, Comparative Literature, Spanish and Portuguese, and the Early Modern Research Cluster.
For more information please contact Matthew Stratton (UC Davis): mstratton@ucdavis.edu
126 Vorhies Hall, 1st and A streets, Davis, California, USA,
21 January 2010, 4.00-5.30 pm
Public lecture by Jacques Lezra (Professor of Comparative Literature and Spanish and Portuguese at New York University):
"The Primal Scences of Political Theology"
http://dhi.ucdavis.edu/?p=2987
"And earthly power doth then show likest God's / When mercy seasons justice." – William Shakespeare, "The Merchant of Venice"
"This analogy is the very site of the theologico-political, the hyphen [trait d'union] or translation between the theological and the political." – Jacques Derrida, "Of Spirit: Heidegger and the Question"
In "The Primal Scenes of Political Theology", Jacques Lezra will approach a cluster of urgent questions in contemporary political and cultural theory by reading Freud's readings of Schiller: Is there indeed a "trait d'union" between the theological and the political, marked (as Carl Schmitt and other proponents of the secularization thesis argue) somewhere in the period of early modernity? Which "early modernity" do we mean? And under what conditions can we approach it? What forms of cultural mediation determine the encounter between theology and politics for us today? And conversely: is our understanding of "cultural mediation" itself marked by the encounter between theology and politics in the early modern period?
This event is sponsored by the Graduate Program in Critical Theory, the Departments of English, German, Comparative Literature, Spanish and Portuguese, and the Early Modern Research Cluster.
For more information please contact Matthew Stratton (UC Davis): mstratton@ucdavis.edu
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