29 November 2011

Article: French Laïcité and the Recent Reception of the German Secularization Debate into France

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Article: French Laïcité and the Recent Reception of the German Secularization Debate into France

Just published: Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins (Columbia University), "French Laïcité and the Recent Reception of the German Secularization Debate into France" ("Politics, Religion & Ideology", 12 [4], 2011: pp. 433-47).

Quote: "[B]eginning in the 1980s some leading French intellectuals turned their attention towards the German debate over secularization that Carl Schmitt initiated with his work Political Theology in the early 1920s. ... The second part of this article demonstrates ... the interest of French scholars who wish to reconceptualize the historical origins and developments of French laïcité in light of questions involving Islam, French identity, and the idea of Europe."

27 November 2011

Article: Prophetically Political, Politically Prophetic: William Cavanaugh's "Theopolitical Imagination" as an Example of Walter Brueggemann's

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Article: Prophetically Political, Politically Prophetic: William Cavanaugh's "Theopolitical Imagination" as an Example of Walter Brueggemann's "Prophetic Imagination"

Just published: Lisa P. Stephenson (Lee University), "Prophetically Political, Politically Prophetic: William Cavanaugh's 'Theopolitical Imagination' as an Example of Walter Brueggemann's 'Prophetic Imagination" ("Journal of Church & State", 53 [4], autumn 2011: pp. 567-86).

Excerpt: "What does the political theology of a Protestant Old Testament scholar have to do with that of a Roman Catholic theologian? ... One of the primary reasons why Brueggemann's and Cavanaugh's political theologies are similar is because they are both operating with the same understanding of what the task of political theology is."

25 November 2011

Articles: Meeting Opposites: The Political Theologies of Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt / Secret Agreements and Slight Adjustments

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Articles: Meeting Opposites: The Political Theologies of Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt / Secret Agreements and Slight Adjustments: On Giorgio Agamben's Messianic Citations

Just published: Marc de Wilde (University of Amsterdam), "Meeting Opposites: The Political Theologies of Walter Benjamin and Carl Schmitt" ("Philosophy & Rhetoric", 44 [4], 2011: pp. 363-81).

Quote: "Challenging existing interpretations, this article shows how the political theologies of Benjamin and Schmitt are not static but developed in the course of their dialogue, in which both authors respond to each other's criticism by changing and correcting their own positions in significant ways."

The author of another article on Benjamin and Giorgio Agamben just asked me to post a note: Jason Thomas McKinney (University of Toronto), "Secret Agreements and Slight Adjustments: On Giorgio Agamben's Messianic Citations" ("The Journal of Religion", 91 [4], October 2011: pp. 496-518).

Excerpt: "I would like to critically examine some of Agamben's citations of Paul, Benjamin, and a few others. I want to argue that in certain cases both Paul and Benjamin are ultimately misread. These errors are, to be sure, more strategic than careless ..., the deployment of one form of messianism against another."

For the latter article, follow this link: http://www.jstor.org/pss/10.1086/660903

23 November 2011

Article: Political Theology in the Poetry of Richard Crashaw

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Article: Political Theology in the Poetry of Richard Crashaw

Just published: Jayme M. Yeo (Rice University), "Political Theology in the Poetry of Richard Crashaw" ("Literature and Theology", 25 [4], December 2011: pp. 393-406).

Quote: "Richard Crashaw is not normally considered a political poet. And yet, he wrote a number of early poems on the British monarchy ... This article demonstrates that the theology of 'The Flaming Heart' informs a deeply political project, in which mystical union with God is reimagined as a fundamental encounter with the other that forms the basis for an ideal society."

Book: An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theology

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Book: An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theology

Just published: "An Eerdmans Reader in Contemporary Political Theology", edited by Craig Hovey (Ashland University), William T. Cavanaugh (DePaul University), and Jeffrey Bailey (Cambridge), translators not named (Eerdmans, November 2011).

Quote: "Given that the locus of Christianity is undeniably shifting to the global South, this volume uniquely integrates key voices from Africa, Asia, and Latin America with central texts from Europe and North America on such major subjects as church and state, gender and race, and Christendom and postcolonialism. ... [A]n ideal primary-source introduction to contemporary political theology".

22 November 2011

Book: Church, Gospel, and Empire: How the Politics of Sovereignty Impregnated the West

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Book: Church, Gospel, and Empire: How the Politics of Sovereignty Impregnated the West

Just published: Roger Haydon Mitchell (Lancaster University), "Church, Gospel, and Empire: How the Politics of Sovereignty Impregnated the West" (Wipf and Stock, November 2011).

Endorsements: "The book lays down a challenge of enormous audacity to previous accounts of secularism as the product of modernity, offering a new political conception of the genesis of modernity. It is a major contribution to contemporary Christian political theology". (Graham Ward, University of Manchester)

"In this powerful, controversial, and passionately argued book, Roger Haydon Mitchell offers a genealogy of political theology - its past, its present, and, most importantly, its future." (Arthur Bradley, Lancaster University)

21 November 2011

Article: Toward a Practical Black Theology and Liberation Ethic: An Alternative African-American Perspective

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Article: Toward a Practical Black Theology and Liberation Ethic: An Alternative African-American Perspective

On "Black Theology for the post-Civil Rights era": Mark Gawaine Harden (Bethel University), "Toward a Practical Black Theology and Liberation Ethic: An Alternative African-American Perspective" ("Black Theology: An International Journal", 9 [1], 2011: pp. 35-55).

Quote: "This essay utilizes critical analysis, reflections, and observations to derive at a method that leads to a relevant and useful Black theology that may bridge individual life practices in the context of the Black church. ... The author argues that action, beliefs, and the context are the necessary sources for theological reflection ... grounded in the African-American experience."

Article: Political Theology Ten Years After 9/11

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Article: Political Theology Ten Years After 9/11

Political theology, multidisciplinary and interreligious: Julie Clague (University of Glasgow), "Political Theology Ten Years After 9/11" ("Political Theology", 12 [5], 2011: pp. 645-59).

Quote: "'Political Theology Ten Years After 9/11' examines the nature of the discourse of political theology before 9/11, and discusses its tendencies to parochialism and denominationalism. In the post-9/11 context, new more inclusive, cross-cutting discussions are required by those who work in the field".

Article: Religion, Politics and Liberation: A Dialogue between Gustavo Gutiérrez, the 14th Dalai Lama and Gianni Vattimo

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Article: Religion, Politics and Liberation: A Dialogue between Gustavo Gutiérrez, the 14th Dalai Lama and Gianni Vattimo

A liberation theologian, a Buddhist, and a nihilist: Mario I. Aguilar (University of St Andrews), "Religion, Politics and Liberation: A Dialogue between Gustavo Gutiérrez, the 14th Dalai Lama and Gianni Vattimo" ("Political Theology", 12 [1], 2011: pp. 144-66).

Quote: "Gustavo Gutiérrez, the 14th Dalai Lama and the Italian philosopher Gianni Vattimo ... have made an enormous contribution to ... the practice of religion and politics centred on the poor ... This paper argues that the practice of a religion of love and a compassionate politics stressing commonalities rather than differences have a lot to offer to a contemporary practice and critical reflection on political theology."

17 November 2011

Book: Jesus Goes to McDonald's: Theology and Consumer Society

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Book: Jesus Goes to McDonald's: Theology and Consumer Society

Just published in English: Luiz Alexandre Solano Rossi (Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná), "Jesus Goes to McDonald's: Theology and Consumer Society", trans. not named (Wipf and Stock, November 2011).

Quote: "This book demonstrates that Latin American liberation theology continues to produce substantial biblical exegesis, absorbing theological reflection, and a sharp social critique that enhances the worldwide church. ... Not since Gustavo Gutiérrez's On Job has there been such a compelling reading of the book of Job as a literary mirror of oppressive socioeconomic and political conditions."

15 November 2011

Book: How Civilizations Die (And Why Islam Is Dying Too)

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Book: How Civilizations Die (And Why Islam Is Dying Too)

Just published: The book, "How Civilizations Die (And Why Islam Is Dying Too)", by "Asia Times" columnist David P. Goldman, a.k.a. Spengler (Regnery Publishing, September 2011), includes five chapters on "Theopolitics".

In an interview, Goldman said that "Theopolitics" "was my original working title for the book ... Why do some nations find the spiritual resources to embrace life, while others chant, 'We love death'? What is the rational self-interest of a nation that has chosen to become extinct? And how will nations on the way to extinction respond to their predicament? These are the great questions of our time, and materialist political science does not have the tools to answer them. Franz Rosenzweig's sociology of religion, for example, provides a better framework for understanding these problems than the political rationalism of Leo Strauss."

CFP: Liberation Theology

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CFP: Liberation Theology

The Religion and American Culture Caucus (RAAC) of the American Studies Association (ASA) has issued a call for papers on liberation theology:

"Participants are sought for a panel on Liberation Theology for the 2012 American Studies (ASA) Annual Meeting, to be held November 15-18 in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Scholars from all fields are encouraged to consider the topic broadly. Topics include the development and application of liberation theology in various denominational contexts and specific nations; the politics of liberation theology, especially in America; public responses to liberation theology; and the future of liberation theology. Scholars outside of religious studies are especially encouraged to submit proposals, as are scholars focusing on lesser-known religious traditions. Scholarship focusing on Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean are [sic] especially welcome. Historical and contemporary topics are invited.

"The Religion and American Culture Caucus of the American Studies Association is organizing panels for submission to the Program Committee of the ASA for the 2012 Annual Meeting. While only the ASA Program Committee has authority to select panels, the Caucus hopes to encourage participation in religion-focused panels by scholars in all fields.

"Presenters, chairs, commentators, and chair/commentators are sought for this panel. Presenters can read traditional papers, lead discussions or activities, share a lecture, present visual analyses, or share their research in other ways in 15-25 minute presentations. Chairs introduce panelists, manage presentation time, and facilitate discussion after the presentations. Commentators provide feedback on individual presentations and offer brief comments that synthesize findings. Chair/commentators fulfill both roles.

"With rare exceptions of non-academics who seek the approval of the ASA program committee, all participants must be members of the ASA in order to present, though membership is not required to submit a panel for consideration. Membership costs vary according to income and employment status. All participants must also register for the ASA Annual Meeting; registration cost likewise varies. Please see the http://www.theasa.net [sic] for information about cost of membership and registration. By submitting a presentation proposal or volunteering to serve as chair, commentator, or chair/commentator, you agree that, if your panel is accepted, you will join the ASA if you are not otherwise a member and register for and attend the Annual Meeting.

"ASA Annual Meeting participants may appear on the program only once - as a panelist, chair, commentator, or commentator/chair. Please submit only one presentation proposal or volunteer for only one role as submitting more than one proposal or volunteering for more than one role will disqualify all panels for which you volunteer.

"Would-be presenters should submit a 2-page CV and a 500 word abstract with title and your name to Religion and American Culture Caucus co-chair Rebecca Barrett-Fox at rbarrettfox@bethelks.edu by December 15, 2011. These should be submitted as MS Word documents or as PDFs. In addition, include a list of 3-5 key words and any AV needs at the bottom of the abstract.

"Scholars volunteering to serve as chairs, commentators, and chair/commentators should submit 2-page CVs as well as a list of topics of particular expertise and the role(s) in which they are willing to serve. Senior scholars and those who plan on attending ASA anyway but not presenting are especially encouraged to volunteer in these roles. Again, this information should be sent to Rebecca Barrett-Fox at rbarrettfox@bethelks.edu by December 15, 2011.

"The Religion and American Culture Caucus will organize panels by January 1, 2012. At that point, potential panelists and chairs will be matched and introduced to each other via email and encouraged to work together to draft a 500 word panel proposal, which must then be forwarded by panel members to the ASA Program Committee via the ASA's website. Panel submissions, which will include the panel proposal as well as individual presentation proposals and presenter and chair and commentator or chair/commentator CVs, are due to the ASA by January 26, 2012. The ASA Program Committee will identify accepted panels by early spring 2012 and will release the final schedule for the Annual Meeting early in the summer of 2012.

"Religion and American Culture Caucus members are proud of the many panels focusing on religion that appeared in the Annual Meeting program in 2011 and of the large audiences that these panels drew and hope to extend this trend to 2012's Meeting. The Caucus seeks to support scholars as well as journalists, activists, and others who work in this area, especially those whose primary home is not in religious studies programs. If you are interested in participating in the work of the Caucus, please visit http://www.theasa.net/caucus_religion/. If you are considering submitting a presentation proposal but would like support in developing or articulating your ideas in writing, please email Rebecca Barrett-Fox at rbarrettfox@bethelks.edu for assistance."

13 November 2011

Book: The WASP Question: An Essay on the Biocultural Evolution, Present Predicament, and Future Prospects of the Invisible Race

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Book: The WASP Question: An Essay on the Biocultural Evolution, Present Predicament, and Future Prospects of the Invisible Race

A far-right political theology of race: Andrew Fraser, formerly of Macquarie University, Sydney, is the author of "The WASP Question: An Essay on the Biocultural Evolution, Present Predicament, and Future Prospects of the Invisible Race" (Arktos, June 2011). The book includes a chapter titled "Political Theology: How America's Civil Religion Fosters Anglo-Saxon Ethnomasochism".

Quote: " The WASP Question is valuable for focusing attention on the plight of Anglo-Saxon societies assailed by runaway materialism and imposed diversity. The book articulates a role for national religions in defending populations of ethnic kin. For Anglo-Saxons, that role is fulfilled by the orthodox Christian doctrine of nations. Fraser's appeal to a patriot king who can restore Anglo-Saxons' biocultural identity and ethno-religious autonomy is a provocative alternative."

11 November 2011

Article: Global Economics and US Public Policy: Human Liberation for the Global Poor

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Article: Global Economics and US Public Policy: Human Liberation for the Global Poor

On the praxis of black liberation theology: Keri Day (Brite Divinity School), "Global Economics and US Public Policy: Human Liberation for the Global Poor" ("Black Theology: An International Journal", 9 [1], 2011: pp. 9-33).

Quote: "This article explores how Black liberation theologies can respond to chronic poverty experienced by communities of color around the world. This article argues that ... these theologies would do well to couple the theological task with a political task in offering practical guidance toward a preferable future".

10 November 2011

Article: The Judgment of God and the Immeasurable: Political Theology and Organizations of Power

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Article: The Judgment of God and the Immeasurable: Political Theology and Organizations of Power

An exercise in comparative political theology: Anthony Paul Smith (DePaul University), "The Judgment of God and the Immeasurable: Political Theology and Organizations of Power" ("Political Theology", 12 [1], 2011: pp. 69-86).

Quote: "This article considers how political theologies understand and organize power ...: liberal political theology ...; conservative political theology ...; and political anti-theology ... It ends by way of a speculative account of a political non-theology ... that makes each of these political theologies relative to the immeasurable itself and thus turns them into simple material that may be used to construct relative different organizations of power with greater situational efficacies."

Public lectures: Politics, Religion and Theology

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Public lectures: Politics, Religion and Theology

The Institute for Philosophy & Religion at Boston University is running a 2011-12 Lecture Series on "Politics, Religion and Theology".

Quote: "This ... series will explore ... the specific notions of civil religion (in the broadest sense from Rousseau to Tocqueville to Robert Bellah) and political theology (in a comparative way, as it has been reflected especially in political thinkers whose work has been influenced by the three monotheistic traditions of Islam, Judaism and Christianity)."

All lectures are free and open to the public.

09 November 2011

Book: Immunitas: The Protection and Negation of Life

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Book: Immunitas: The Protection and Negation of Life

Just published in English: Roberto Esposito (Italian Institute of Human Sciences), "Immunitas: The Protection and Negation of Life", trans. Zakiya Hanafi (Polity, November 2011).

Endorsement: "Esposito offers the reader a stunning genealogy of the category of immunization ... across a series of disciplines, including law, political theology, philosophical anthropology, and biopolitics, all culminating in the the model of the transplant for imagining an immunization that might lead to 'the immune common.' ... An absolute must read for anyone interested in thinking the future of life and politics in a biopolitical age." (Timothy C. Campbell, Cornell University)

Book - Roberto Esposito - Immunitas

Article: A Case Study in Soviet Political Religion: Modernism, The USSR in Construction, and Stalin's Russia

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Article: A Case Study in Soviet Political Religion: Modernism, The USSR in Construction, and Stalin's Russia


Just published: Matthew Feldman (University of Northampton), "A Case Study in Soviet Political Religion: Modernism, The USSR in Construction, and Stalin's Russia" ("Religion Compass", 5 [11], November 2011: pp. 685-97).

Quote: "The following article provides a case study in political religion theory via exploration of a neglected Soviet journal ... which appeared between January 1930 and June 1941 ... Contributors may be seen as propagandists, strangely enough, in an etymological sense: propagators of a faith - in this case a 'political theology' - on behalf of a Stalinist utopia that they believed was currently 'under construction'."

A Case Study in Soviet Political Religion: Modernism, The USSR in Construction, and Stalin’s Russia - Feldman - 2011 - Religion Compass - Wiley Online Library

05 November 2011

Article: Connolly's Mysterious Trinity Machine: A Panentheistic Reading

Erich Kofmel - Google+
Article: Connolly's Mysterious Trinity Machine: A Panentheistic Reading

Part of a symposium of articles on William E. Connolly's "Capitalism and Christianity, American Style": Catherine Keller (Drew University), "Connolly’s Mysterious Trinity Machine: A Panentheistic Reading" ("Political Theology", 12 [2], 2011: pp. 202-9).

Quote: "Discerning a secret Trinitarian structure in Connolly's immanent naturalism, though not the Father, Son and Ghost, the article explores the potentials for developing a counter-apocalyptic strategy for political theology that can counter fundamentalist drives and lay the basis for releasing new energies of earthly becoming."

Keller

Article: A Black Theology of Liberation or Legitimation?: A Postcolonial Response to Cone's Black Theology and Black Power at Forty

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Article: A Black Theology of Liberation or Legitimation?: A Postcolonial Response to Cone's Black Theology and Black Power at Forty


On liberationist "black ... middle class theology": Elonda Clay (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago), "A Black Theology of Liberation or Legitimation?: A Postcolonial Response to Cone's Black Theology and Black Power at Forty" ("Black Theology: An International Journal", 8 [3], 2010: pp. 307-26).

Quote: "The signifier 'liberation' has become decontextualized (politically, economically, and culturally) in the second and third iterations of U.S. black liberation theology, causing the discourse to become perpetually oriented towards past, not present or future alternative dreams of social transformation and sites of struggle informed by the black Christian radical tradition."

Clay

Article: Habermas between Athens and Jerusalem: Public Reason and Atheistic Theology

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Article: Habermas between Athens and Jerusalem: Public Reason and Atheistic Theology

Just published: Miguel Vatter (Diego Portales University, Chile), "Habermas between Athens and Jerusalem: Public Reason and Atheistic Theology" ("Interpretation: A Journal of Political Philosophy", 38 [3], fall 2011: pp. 243-59).

Excerpt: "Here I discuss Habermas's sympathetic approach to the so-called critical political theology, developed by German theologians ... The third part of this presentation takes up Habermas's 'methodological atheism,' ... In this context, I compare Habermas's atheistic standpoint with that of Spinoza in light of their use of a conception of public reason to resolve the conflict between reason and faith."

The link is to a full-text copy of the journal.

http://www.interpretationjournal.com/backissues/Vol_38_3.pdf

04 November 2011

Book: Theological Tractates

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Book: Theological Tractates

Available in English for the first time: Erik Peterson, "Theological Tractates", ed./trans. Michael J. Hollerich (Stanford University Press, October 2011).

Quote: "The essays in Theological Tractates were published between 1925 and 1937 ... Among them is Peterson's landmark essay on ancient 'political theology,' 'Monotheism as a Political Problem,' which shows how ancient writers - pagans, Jews, and Christians - justified earthly monarchy by its parallel with the monotheistic belief in one divinity in heaven. Peterson asserted that such a political theology was incompatible with Christianity, a thesis that became a reference point for modern political theology."

Theological Tractates - Erik Peterson Edited, Translated, and with an Introduction by Michael J. Hollerich

Article: Machining fantasy: Spinoza, Hume and the miracle in a politics of desire

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Article: Machining fantasy: Spinoza, Hume and the miracle in a politics of desire

Another article by Kyle McGee, an independent scholar with a J.D. from Villanova University (2009): "Machining fantasy: Spinoza, Hume and the miracle in a politics of desire" ("Philosophy & Social Criticism", 36 [7], September 2010: pp. 837-56).

Quote: "Political theology understands the miracle poorly, for it captures only the inaugural movement of exception; it knows nothing of the social and political conditions it inspires. ... The article works out a conceptual genealogy, tracing the descent of the miracle back from Deleuze and Guattari to Baruch Spinoza and David Hume. Each contributes an element essential for the constitution of miraculation."

Machining fantasy: Spinoza, Hume and the miracle in a politics of desire