Still an interesting piece, although published last year. The "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" on 12 January 2008 published an article titled "Die politische Theologie des Barack Obama" (The political theology of Barack Obama).
It was the German translation of an article, "Good news in bad times", by Jonathan Raban that was first published on 5 January 2008 in English:
www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/jan/05/uselections2008.barackobama
The author argues that Obama's language and rhetoric is molded on black liberation theology.
29 January 2009
The political theologies of Paul of Tarsus
A seminar at the Annual Meeting of the American Comparative Literature Association (ACLA), 26-29 March 2009 at Harvard.
www.acla.org/acla2009/?p=170
The figure of Paul dominates the self-understanding of western political and social institutions as Judeo-Christian in their heritage; its significance extends beyond purely religious concerns. The recent resurgence of interest in Paul among theologians, philosophers, and political theorists also attests to the importance of Pauline theology for the contemporary socio-political realm. This "globalization" of Paul has in no small part been enabled by the recognition that Paul's concern for law and justice has little to do with individual salvation or private righteousness, and rather more with its own "globalization" of a "local" context: the decaying Roman empire, in which "nationality" consisted in a multiplicity of "ethnoi" hoping for a justice to come beyond any particular instantiation of justice by law. Taking the plurality and multilingualism of peoples and faiths underlying Paul's universalizing aspirations as a departure, this seminar invites papers to explore and elaborate on any aspect of the politicization and radicalization of his thought. Possible topics include: How does the recent focus on Paul — in texts by Agamben, Badiou, Derrida, and Taubes, for instance - seek to renew a critical language of authority, hospitality, community, and universality within contemporary philosophical and political discourse? To what extent do these political theologies join or part ways with other interpretive communities such as psychoanalysis and Latin American liberation theology? How might translation - by Paul, by his exegetes from Origen to Barth - help (re)draw political boundaries in Pauline discourse? Does the engagement with Paul in literature and film by Hölderlin, Hebel, Kafka, Pasolini, or others challenge the exegetical tradition, or does the local character of interpretation participate in Paul's epistolary message about radical community?
Seminar Organizers: Julia Ng, Northwestern University; Virgil Brower, Northwestern University and Chicago Theological Seminary; Markus Hardtmann, Centre College
www.acla.org/acla2009/?p=170
The figure of Paul dominates the self-understanding of western political and social institutions as Judeo-Christian in their heritage; its significance extends beyond purely religious concerns. The recent resurgence of interest in Paul among theologians, philosophers, and political theorists also attests to the importance of Pauline theology for the contemporary socio-political realm. This "globalization" of Paul has in no small part been enabled by the recognition that Paul's concern for law and justice has little to do with individual salvation or private righteousness, and rather more with its own "globalization" of a "local" context: the decaying Roman empire, in which "nationality" consisted in a multiplicity of "ethnoi" hoping for a justice to come beyond any particular instantiation of justice by law. Taking the plurality and multilingualism of peoples and faiths underlying Paul's universalizing aspirations as a departure, this seminar invites papers to explore and elaborate on any aspect of the politicization and radicalization of his thought. Possible topics include: How does the recent focus on Paul — in texts by Agamben, Badiou, Derrida, and Taubes, for instance - seek to renew a critical language of authority, hospitality, community, and universality within contemporary philosophical and political discourse? To what extent do these political theologies join or part ways with other interpretive communities such as psychoanalysis and Latin American liberation theology? How might translation - by Paul, by his exegetes from Origen to Barth - help (re)draw political boundaries in Pauline discourse? Does the engagement with Paul in literature and film by Hölderlin, Hebel, Kafka, Pasolini, or others challenge the exegetical tradition, or does the local character of interpretation participate in Paul's epistolary message about radical community?
The deadline for paper proposals has passed.
Seminar Organizers: Julia Ng, Northwestern University; Virgil Brower, Northwestern University and Chicago Theological Seminary; Markus Hardtmann, Centre College
28 January 2009
Two events at UC Irvine
Alain Badiou, "Can the Word Jew Be a Philosophical Concept?"
Saturday, 7 February 2009, 3-5 pm
www.thinkingwithshakespeare.org/index.php?id=377
Conference: "Points of Departure: Political Theology on the Scenes of Early Modernity"
20-21 February 2009, 10 am-2 pm
www.thinkingwithshakespeare.org/index.php?id=347
A conference convened by UCI and SUNY Buffalo under the direction of Julia Reinhard Lupton and Graham Hammill; sponsored by UCI's Department of English, the Political Theology Group, the Program in Religious Studies, the Group for the Study of Early Cultures, with additional support from UCLA's Critical Religious Studies Group and the Department of English at SUNY Buffalo.
In literary studies, the phrase "political theology" has come to designate the common sources and affiliations shared by politics and religion, as well as their antagonisms and internal resistances. In Renaissance and early modern studies, "political theology" unites scholars who aim to develop some of the texts and impulses associated with critical theory (especially psychoanalysis, later deconstruction, and the Baroque meditations of Walter Benjamin) in a direction defined by issues of secularization, sovereignty, and bio power in the Renaissance and in contemporary life. The phrase "political theology" has its origins in medieval iconographies of sacred kingship as distributed and displayed in the political, dramatic, and artistic forms of European civilization, along with the critique of traditional sovereignty mounted by Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, and others in the seventeenth century. There is thus a special relationship between political theology as a critical approach to literature, politics, and thought and early modernity as a period and area of study.
This conference brings together established and emerging scholars in early modern studies who share an interest in the role that seventeenth century literature and thought has played in modern theories of secularization, sovereignty, and forms of life. We have asked speakers to address texts or moments from the early modern period that have served as a "point of departure" for later developments of politics and theology in modernity. Our goal is to present situated introductions to major figures in modern political theology, revealed through their exegetical engagements with early modern texts. The conference aims to make the case not only for the relevance of political theology as a critical discourse in the humanities today, but for the essential role that Renaissance and Baroque literature and thought have played in its pre- and post-histories.
Contact: Julia Reinhard Lupton, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, jrlupton@uci.edu
Saturday, 7 February 2009, 3-5 pm
www.thinkingwithshakespeare.org/index.php?id=377
Conference: "Points of Departure: Political Theology on the Scenes of Early Modernity"
20-21 February 2009, 10 am-2 pm
www.thinkingwithshakespeare.org/index.php?id=347
A conference convened by UCI and SUNY Buffalo under the direction of Julia Reinhard Lupton and Graham Hammill; sponsored by UCI's Department of English, the Political Theology Group, the Program in Religious Studies, the Group for the Study of Early Cultures, with additional support from UCLA's Critical Religious Studies Group and the Department of English at SUNY Buffalo.
In literary studies, the phrase "political theology" has come to designate the common sources and affiliations shared by politics and religion, as well as their antagonisms and internal resistances. In Renaissance and early modern studies, "political theology" unites scholars who aim to develop some of the texts and impulses associated with critical theory (especially psychoanalysis, later deconstruction, and the Baroque meditations of Walter Benjamin) in a direction defined by issues of secularization, sovereignty, and bio power in the Renaissance and in contemporary life. The phrase "political theology" has its origins in medieval iconographies of sacred kingship as distributed and displayed in the political, dramatic, and artistic forms of European civilization, along with the critique of traditional sovereignty mounted by Hobbes, Spinoza, Locke, and others in the seventeenth century. There is thus a special relationship between political theology as a critical approach to literature, politics, and thought and early modernity as a period and area of study.
This conference brings together established and emerging scholars in early modern studies who share an interest in the role that seventeenth century literature and thought has played in modern theories of secularization, sovereignty, and forms of life. We have asked speakers to address texts or moments from the early modern period that have served as a "point of departure" for later developments of politics and theology in modernity. Our goal is to present situated introductions to major figures in modern political theology, revealed through their exegetical engagements with early modern texts. The conference aims to make the case not only for the relevance of political theology as a critical discourse in the humanities today, but for the essential role that Renaissance and Baroque literature and thought have played in its pre- and post-histories.
Contact: Julia Reinhard Lupton, Professor of English and Comparative Literature, jrlupton@uci.edu
CFP: Special issue on religion, political theology, and IR
"Perspectives: Review of International Affairs" invites authors to submit their papers for a special issue on religion in international relations and the political theology of international relations.
The editors of the special issue still accept proposals, although the deadline is quickly approaching. If anyone is interested, please submit an abstract as soon as possible.
Background:
The growing interest of the scholarly community in the resurgence of religion after the constructivist turn and the renewed attention to the relation between the discipline’s evolution and religion has led the editors to dedicate the next special issue of the journal to the exploration of the relevance of religion for international relations. Both purely theoretical articles and theoretically relevant empirical studies will be welcome. Every article submitted for publication undergoes the process of double-blind peer review.
On the journal:
"Perspectives" is a distinguished peer-reviewed scholarly journal published twice a year in English. It has been published since 1993, and by now it has established itself as a leading journal in Central and Eastern Europe.
Databases abstracting/indexing the journal: Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO), ABI/INFORM Global, Academic Research Library (via ProQuest), World Affairs Online, Columbia International Affairs Online, IBSS London School of Economics and Political Science, etc.
Contact:
Perspectives: perspectives@iir.cz
Editor-in-Chief: Petr Kratochvíl, kratochvil@iir.cz
Associate Editor: Mats Braun, braun@iir.cz
The guidelines for authors and more can be retrieved from www.iir.cz/perspectives
The editors of the special issue still accept proposals, although the deadline is quickly approaching. If anyone is interested, please submit an abstract as soon as possible.
Background:
The growing interest of the scholarly community in the resurgence of religion after the constructivist turn and the renewed attention to the relation between the discipline’s evolution and religion has led the editors to dedicate the next special issue of the journal to the exploration of the relevance of religion for international relations. Both purely theoretical articles and theoretically relevant empirical studies will be welcome. Every article submitted for publication undergoes the process of double-blind peer review.
On the journal:
"Perspectives" is a distinguished peer-reviewed scholarly journal published twice a year in English. It has been published since 1993, and by now it has established itself as a leading journal in Central and Eastern Europe.
Databases abstracting/indexing the journal: Academic Search Premier (via EBSCO), ABI/INFORM Global, Academic Research Library (via ProQuest), World Affairs Online, Columbia International Affairs Online, IBSS London School of Economics and Political Science, etc.
Contact:
Perspectives: perspectives@iir.cz
Editor-in-Chief: Petr Kratochvíl, kratochvil@iir.cz
Associate Editor: Mats Braun, braun@iir.cz
The guidelines for authors and more can be retrieved from www.iir.cz/perspectives
Third World Forum on Theology and Liberation
Information on the Third World Forum on Theology and Liberation (21-25 January 2009 in Brazil), including some papers, can be found here:
www.wftl.org/default.php?lang=en-us&t=padrao&p=capa&m=padrao
The Forum's theme was "Water, Earth, Theology - for another possible world".
There are also links to the earlier fora (2005, 2007) on the site.
www.wftl.org/default.php?lang=en-us&t=padrao&p=capa&m=padrao
The Forum's theme was "Water, Earth, Theology - for another possible world".
There are also links to the earlier fora (2005, 2007) on the site.
27 January 2009
Comparative Political Theology
The Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society (SCIS) organized the section "Political Theology as Political Theory" at the Fourth General Conference of the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), University of Pisa, Italy, 6 September 2007.
In the third panel on "Political Theology and Theological Politics", Erich Kofmel introduced the concept of "Comparative Political Theology":
www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/generalconference/pisa/papers/PP1206.pdf
A revised version of this paper will be published in "Anti-Liberalism and Political Theology", by Erich Kofmel (Editor), Exeter and Charlottesville: Imprint Academic, on 1 August 2009.
In the third panel on "Political Theology and Theological Politics", Erich Kofmel introduced the concept of "Comparative Political Theology":
www.essex.ac.uk/ecpr/events/generalconference/pisa/papers/PP1206.pdf
A revised version of this paper will be published in "Anti-Liberalism and Political Theology", by Erich Kofmel (Editor), Exeter and Charlottesville: Imprint Academic, on 1 August 2009.
Anti-democratic thought and political theology
Please circulate widely! Blog about it! etc.
Imprint Academic has just released the long-awaited new book
"Anti-Democratic Thought", by Erich Kofmel (Editor), Exeter and Charlottesville: Imprint Academic, 250 pages, paperback
The book can be ordered from any bookstore on- and offline.
For example, Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Anti-Democratic-Thought-Erich-Kofmel/dp/1845401247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233149632&sr=8-1
Back cover description:
From a historical and cross-cultural perspective it cannot be denied that most democracies failed. Only western democracies for a short while - from the fall of Soviet communism to the rise of radical Islam - believed themselves to be invincible. It has therefore become necessary to think about political alternatives once more and to study threats to democracy from within and without as well as common modes of failure of democracy across times and cultures.
This book marks the start of a daring new debate and re-introduces anti-democratic thought and practice to the academic discourse and into the syllabus.
It wishes to offer a serious discussion of anti-democratic thought, rather than an apology of democracy.
"I am the proponent of a new engagement with anti-democratic thought. This book outlines a positive agenda for the future." - Erich Kofmel (Editor)
In a comprehensive overview, contributors to this volume discuss theoretical perspectives as well as examples of anti-democratic thought from ancient Greece to modern-day Israel and Bangladesh.
A book that grew out of an international workshop on Anti-Democratic Thought organized by the Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society (SCIS) and held at the 2007 annual conference "Workshops in Political Theory" in Manchester, England.
The book is fully searchable on Google Book Search:
books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=KkMdJtaaeOYC
Contents relevant to political theology include in particular:
- "'The Sovereign Disappears in the Voting Booth': Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger on Sovereignty and (Perhaps) Governmentality" (Thomas Crombez, Theatre Studies, University of Antwerp; on Carl Schmitt's "Political Theology")
- "Leo Tolstoy's Anarchist Denunciation of State Violence and Deception" (Alexandre J.M.E. Christoyannopoulos, Political Science, University of Kent; on Christian anarchism)
- "The Criticism of Democracy in Rabbi E.E.M. Shach's Thought" (Moshe Hellinger, Political Studies and Law, Bar-Ilan University; on orthodox religious Judaism)
Imprint Academic has just released the long-awaited new book
"Anti-Democratic Thought", by Erich Kofmel (Editor), Exeter and Charlottesville: Imprint Academic, 250 pages, paperback
The book can be ordered from any bookstore on- and offline.
For example, Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Anti-Democratic-Thought-Erich-Kofmel/dp/1845401247/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1233149632&sr=8-1
Back cover description:
From a historical and cross-cultural perspective it cannot be denied that most democracies failed. Only western democracies for a short while - from the fall of Soviet communism to the rise of radical Islam - believed themselves to be invincible. It has therefore become necessary to think about political alternatives once more and to study threats to democracy from within and without as well as common modes of failure of democracy across times and cultures.
This book marks the start of a daring new debate and re-introduces anti-democratic thought and practice to the academic discourse and into the syllabus.
It wishes to offer a serious discussion of anti-democratic thought, rather than an apology of democracy.
"I am the proponent of a new engagement with anti-democratic thought. This book outlines a positive agenda for the future." - Erich Kofmel (Editor)
In a comprehensive overview, contributors to this volume discuss theoretical perspectives as well as examples of anti-democratic thought from ancient Greece to modern-day Israel and Bangladesh.
A book that grew out of an international workshop on Anti-Democratic Thought organized by the Sussex Centre for the Individual and Society (SCIS) and held at the 2007 annual conference "Workshops in Political Theory" in Manchester, England.
The book is fully searchable on Google Book Search:
books.google.com/books?printsec=frontcover&id=KkMdJtaaeOYC
Contents relevant to political theology include in particular:
- "'The Sovereign Disappears in the Voting Booth': Carl Schmitt and Martin Heidegger on Sovereignty and (Perhaps) Governmentality" (Thomas Crombez, Theatre Studies, University of Antwerp; on Carl Schmitt's "Political Theology")
- "Leo Tolstoy's Anarchist Denunciation of State Violence and Deception" (Alexandre J.M.E. Christoyannopoulos, Political Science, University of Kent; on Christian anarchism)
- "The Criticism of Democracy in Rabbi E.E.M. Shach's Thought" (Moshe Hellinger, Political Studies and Law, Bar-Ilan University; on orthodox religious Judaism)
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