30 September 2011

Book: Agamben and Theology

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Book: Agamben and Theology

Drawing on the literature on political theology, although the author seems inclined to avoid the term: Colby Dickinson (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium), "Agamben and Theology" (T & T Clark International, April 2011)

Excerpt: "[P]olitics would seem to be an almost religious ritual of sorts, a continuous reenacting of the exclusive inclusion performed upon the self in order to constitute some sense of sovereign being in relation to the others (both persons and animals) surrounding this newly formed 'humanity' ... This is the profound implication of Agamben's 'political theology'".

28 September 2011

Article: The Historiography of the Dragon: Heraldic Violence in the Alliterative Morte Arthure

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Article: The Historiography of the Dragon: Heraldic Violence in the Alliterative Morte Arthure

On the political theology of King Arthur: Alex Mueller (University of Massachusetts, Boston), "The Historiography of the Dragon: Heraldic Violence in the Alliterative Morte Arthure " ("Studies in the Age of Chaucer", 32, 2010: pp. 295-324).

Excerpt: "For admirers of Ernst Kantorowicz's The King's Two Bodies, the myth of King Arthur has an irresistible appeal. ... Yet, as Giorgio Agamben points out, Kantorowicz fails to acknowledge the absolutist nature of sovereignty that this political theology entails. ... Optimism about Arthur's return abounds in most Arthurian texts, but resistance to such political theology can be found in the early fifteenth-century alliterative Morte Arthure, an intimate portrayal of Arthur as a prideful sovereign."

27 September 2011

Article: The Hermaphrodite Sovereign: Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and the Permanent State of Exception

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Article: The Hermaphrodite Sovereign: Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and the Permanent State of Exception

On the uses and abuses of the state of exception: J.D. Mininger (Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania), "The Hermaphrodite Sovereign: Walter Benjamin, Carl Schmitt, and the Permanent State of Exception" ("Baltic Journal of Law & Politics", 3 [2], 2010: pp. 144-64).

Quote: "This article re-imagines the textual relationship between Carl Schmitt and Walter Benjamin as one of much greater affinity than has typically been granted to it. This reworking of their textual relationship draws largely from a study of how and in what ways the figure of the sovereign in Walter Benjamin's study of the German Trauerspiel can be read as a response to Carl Schmitt's theory of sovereignty as found in Political Theology."

Book: The Republic of Grace: Augustinian Thoughts for Dark Times

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Book: The Republic of Grace: Augustinian Thoughts for Dark Times

On theological virtues in political life: Charles Mathewes (University of Virginia), "The Republic of Grace: Augustinian Thoughts for Dark Times" (Eerdmans, October 2010).

Endorsement: "Charles Mathewes has rapidly developed respect in the scholarly guild for his first-rate scholarship offering a renewal of Augustinian public theology for our time. The Republic of Grace marks Mathewes's turn toward the communication of this rich tradition to a broader audience. ... A major contribution to Christian political (and ecclesial) theology." (David P. Gushee, Mercer University)

Book: Anatomyzing Divinity: Studies in Science, Esotericism and Political Theology

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Book: Anatomyzing Divinity: Studies in Science, Esotericism and Political Theology

Just published: James L. Kelley (University of Oklahoma), "Anatomyzing Divinity: Studies in Science, Esotericism and Political Theology" (Trine Day, September 2011).

Quote: "[T]he study focuses on the ancient wisdom of China, India, Egypt and the Hellenistic world. Furthermore, this treatise explores the mind of G. W. Leibniz, the man who ... found his roots in the Frankish metaphysical tradition, thus thrusting forth the ideas of ancient alchemy into the modern world. Combining the study of alchemy and history, this examination forges a new window into the history of law in the West."

26 September 2011

Book: The Kingdom and the Glory: For a Theological Genealogy of Economy and Government

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Book: The Kingdom and the Glory: For a Theological Genealogy of Economy and Government

Just published in English: The Italian philosopher, Giorgio Agamben, on the Schmitt/Peterson debate, Kantorowicz, and political theology, in "The Kingdom and the Glory: For a Theological Genealogy of Economy and Government", trans. Lorenzo Chiesa, with Matteo Mandarini (Stanford University Press, September 2011).

Excerpt: "[T]wo broadly speaking political paradigms, antinomical but functionally related to one another, derive from Christian theology: political theology, which founds the transcendence of sovereign power on the single God, and economic theology, which replaces this transcendence with the idea of an oikonomia, conceived as an immanent ordering - domestic and not political in a strict sense - of both divine and human life. Political philosophy and the modern theory of sovereignty derive from the first paradigm; modern biopolitics up to the current triumph of economy and government over every other aspect of social life derive from the second paradigm."

25 September 2011

Article: Crisis, Modernity, Authority: Carl Schmitt on Order and the State

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Article: Crisis, Modernity, Authority: Carl Schmitt on Order and the State

Another find in an exceedingly remote location: Daniel McLoughlin (University of Adelaide), "Crisis, Modernity, Authority: Carl Schmitt on Order and the State" ("The Australian Feminist Law Journal", 31, December 2009: pp. 135-52).

Abstract: "Jurist Carl Schmitt's work Political Theology is used as a focal point for analysis of contemporary crisis politics."

Book: The Hebrew Republic: Jewish Sources and the Transformation of European Political Thought

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Book: The Hebrew Republic: Jewish Sources and the Transformation of European Political Thought

Available in paperback next month: Eric Nelson (Harvard), "The Hebrew Republic: Jewish Sources and the Transformation of European Political Thought" (Harvard University Press, March 2010).

Quote: "Nelson argues that ... political thought in early-modern Europe became less, not more, secular with time, and it was the Christian encounter with Hebrew sources that provoked this radical transformation. ... Nelson demonstrates that central features of modern political thought emerged from an attempt to emulate a constitution designed by God. This paradox ... in turn illuminates fault lines in contemporary political discourse."

Article: The Shock of Baptismal Dying: Can We Recover the Radical Political and Transformative Nature of Baptism?

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Article: The Shock of Baptismal Dying: Can We Recover the Radical Political and Transformative Nature of Baptism?

On the political theology of baptism: Jenny Dawson (Anglican Diocese of Wellington), "The Shock of Baptismal Dying: Can We Recover the Radical Political and Transformative Nature of Baptism?" ("Stimulus: The New Zealand Journal of Christian Thought and Practice", 17 [1], February 2009: pp. 33-41).

Quote: "A radical political and transformative theology of baptism is suggested that would help Christians relive the shock of baptismal dying ... and engage with the relationship between the baptised life and extended society ... as it addresses injustices in the human community."

Article: Voting and Political Discourse as Practical Theology: Catholics, Bishops, and Obama in the U.S. Elections of 2008

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Article: Voting and Political Discourse as Practical Theology: Catholics, Bishops, and Obama in the U.S. Elections of 2008

Just published: Bryan T. Froehle (St. Thomas University, Miami Gardens), "Voting and Political Discourse as Practical Theology: Catholics, Bishops, and Obama in the U.S. Elections of 2008" ("International Journal of Practical Theology", 15 [1], August 2011: pp. 74-93).

Abstract: "During the 2008 election campaign in the United States, multiple and contradictory Catholic public theologies were expressed by Catholic leaders, voters, and politicians. This study explores these Catholic public theological discourses in light of an empirical practical theological method that interrelates theological understanding with an analysis of action."

24 September 2011

Book: Sovereignty, Emergency, Legality

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Book: Sovereignty, Emergency, Legality

Schmittean political theology informs many of the chapters (particularly 2, 3, and 4) in the contributed volume, "Sovereignty, Emergency, Legality", edited by Austin Sarat (Amherst) and published by Cambridge University Press in February 2010. Chapter 2 includes a section titled "Political Theology".

Quote: "This book concentrates on officials and the choices they make in defining, anticipating, and responding to conditions of emergency as well as the impact of their choices on embodied subjects, whether citizen or stranger."

23 September 2011

Book: Between Race and Reason: Violence, Intellectual Responsibility, and the University to Come

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Book: Between Race and Reason: Violence, Intellectual Responsibility, and the University to Come

On race as a political theology: Susan Searls Giroux (McMaster University), "Between Race and Reason: Violence, Intellectual Responsibility, and the University to Come" (Stanford University Press, July 2010), particularly chapters 4 and 5 ("Critique of Racial Violence: The Theologico-Political Reflections of Lewis R. Gordon").

Excerpt: "Chapter 4 thus explores the complex intersections among political theologies, liberal modernity, and the racial states ... Continuing this meditation on violence and counterviolence, Chapter 5 offers much-needed historical depth to what are all-too-frequently presentist analyses of the challenges that the university has long confronted and continues to confront in relation to truth, knowledge, commerce, militarism, and war."

Article: The Cross Politics of Ecuador's Penal State

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Article: The Cross Politics of Ecuador's Penal State

On the political theology of "crime" and "security" in Ecuador: Chris Garces (Cornell), "The Cross Politics of Ecuador's Penal State" ("Cultural Anthropology", 25 [3], August 2010: pp. 459-96).

Quote: "This essay examines inmate 'crucifixion protests' in Ecuador's largest prison during 2003-04. ... This form of protest, I argue, simultaneously clarified and obscured the multiple layers of sovereign power that pressed down on urban crime suspects ... The essay shows how the politico-theological performance of self-crucifixion responded to these internested forms of sovereign violence, and were briefly effective." (italics removed)

21 September 2011

Public lecture: Re-Mapping Political Theology in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture

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Public lecture: Re-Mapping Political Theology in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture

The Orient Institute Beirut, Lebanon - part of the Foundation of German Humanities Institutes Abroad (DGIA) -, will be hosting a public lecture by François-Xavier Gleyzon (University of Central Florida), "Re-Mapping Political Theology in Shakespeare and Early Modern Culture", on 27 September 2011, 7.00 pm.

Quote: "The aim of this paper is to offer a critical insight into Shakespeare and political theology from ... the Middle Eastern point of view ... It ... offers specific ways of both understanding/penetrating and visualizing Shakespeare's imagined oriental world. The paper will conclude by considering how ... a developing globalization brought Shakespeare's stage into contact with Islam."

CONF: Hannah Arendt/Reiner Schürmann Symposium: Political Theology

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CONF: Hannah Arendt/Reiner Schürmann Symposium: Political Theology

The Hannah Arendt/Reiner Schürmann Memorial Symposium in Political Philosophy at the New School for Social Research in New York City meets twice a year for two days at a time. On 4-5 November 2011, a public symposium on "Political Theology" will take place.

The impressive lineup of speakers includes Seyla Behabib and Simon Critchley.

Admission is free, and seating on a first-come first-served basis.

19 September 2011

Article: Boogeymen: Reflections on the political theology of fear according to Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Hobbes (in German)

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Article: Boogeymen: Reflections on the political theology of fear according to Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Hobbes (in German)

While the article was published in German, an English abstract has been provided: "Schreckensgespenster: Überlegungen zur politischen Theologie der Angst nach Kierkegaard, Heidegger und Hobbes" ("Boogeymen: Reflections on the political theology of fear according to Kierkegaard, Heidegger and Hobbes"; my translation), by Tobias Nikolaus Klass (University of Wuppertal), appeared in the inaugural issue 0 of the "Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturforschung" ("Journal of Media and Cultural Research"; 2009: pp. 103-18).

Quote: "This essay deals with the question which kind of fear it is that terror plays with, or which kind of fear terror tries to generate. ... In the foreground of this identification stand the residues of political theology which nourish political terror."

Book: Evangelical Free Will: Phillipp Melanchthon's Doctrinal Journey on the Origins of Faith

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Book: Evangelical Free Will: Phillipp Melanchthon's Doctrinal Journey on the Origins of Faith

Contains a section on "Luther's Political Theology: 1522-1523": The monograph, "Evangelical Free Will: Phillipp Melanchthon's Doctrinal Journey on the Origins of Faith", was authored by Gregory Graybill, a minister in rural Pennsylvania with a DPhil from Oxford (Oxford University Press, July 2010).

Excerpt: "Meanwhile, within Melanchthon's writings in the early to mid-1520s, the influence of Luther's political theology of dualities could clearly be seen. ... Melanchthon continued formally to agree with Luther on the bondage of the will when it came to the decision to trust in Jesus for one's salvation. But as a result of the Wittenberg disturbances and the influence of Luther's political theology, Melanchthon now spoke of this bondage of the will solely in relation to the spiritual realm. In the temporal realm, he taught that the will was genuinely free and responsible for its decisions".

Article: "Catholic waves" of democratization? Roman Catholicism and its potential for democratization

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Article: "Catholic waves" of democratization? Roman Catholicism and its potential for democratization

On the political theology of the Roman Catholic Church: Jodok Troy (University of Innsbruck), "'Catholic waves' of democratization? Roman Catholicism and its potential for democratization" ("Democratization", 16 [6], December 2009: pp. 1093-114).

Quote: "[T]he Catholic Church ... perceives the social message of the gospels not merely as theory but also as a call to action, ... the result of the church's changing political theology, following the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which enabled the church's adoption of a pronounced focus on: human rights, religious freedom, democracy, and economic development."

Article: Augustine and Corruption

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Article: Augustine and Corruption

On the political theology of corruption in the church father: Peter Kaufman (University of Richmond), "Augustine and Corruption" ("History of Political Thought", 30 [1], 2009: pp. 46-59).

Abstract: "Augustine's political thought or, as it is often called, political theology is a matter of considerable dispute. 'Augustine and Corruption' approaches that dispute by examining the evidence that Ramsay MacMullen presented to substantiate his observation that Augustine 'approved of' corruption. I read that evidence differently and use Augustine's remarks about bribes paid to court clerks, schemes to defraud philanthropists, and tax evasion to support what has been aptly called 'a minimalist' interpretation of his political expectations."

Article: Miguel de Unamuno's Cómo se hace una novela: Confession, Abjection, Religious Economy

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Article: Miguel de Unamuno's Cómo se hace una novela: Confession, Abjection, Religious Economy

On political theology in early twentieth-century Spain: Julia Biggane (University of Aberdeen), "Miguel de Unamuno's Cómo se hace una novela: Confession, Abjection, Religious Economy" ("The Modern Language Review", 104 [4], October 2009: pp. 1018-37).

Quote: "This article explores the political valences of Unamuno's religious and economic thought, ... its advocacy of an expansive transcendentalized liberal exchange economy, ... a cognizance of the shrinking possibilities of such a political theology in the face of the challenges presented by Left and Right political bodies during the Primo de Rivera dictatorship." (bold removed)

15 September 2011

Book: Theocratic Democracy: The Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism

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Book: Theocratic Democracy: The Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism

On the case of Israel, but just as instructive with regard to many Islamic nations, I would imagine: Nachman Ben-Yehuda (Hebrew University of Jerusalem), "Theocratic Democracy: The Social Construction of Religious and Secular Extremism" (Oxford University Press, October 2010).

Quote: "Haredi [ultra-orthodox] activists try to push Israel toward a more theocratic society. Driven by a theological notion that all Jews are mutually responsible and accountable to the Almighty, these activists believe that the sins of the few are paid for by the many. Making Israel a theocracy will, they believe, reduce the risk of transcendental penalties. Ben-Yehuda shows how the political structure that accommodates the strong theocratic and secular pressures Israel faces is effectively a theocratic democracy. Characterized by chronic negotiations, tensions, and accommodations, it is by nature an unstable structure."

Article: On Grotius's Mare Liberum and Vitoria's De Indis, Following Agamben and Schmitt

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Article: On Grotius's Mare Liberum and Vitoria's De Indis, Following Agamben and Schmitt

On the freedom of the seas as a politico-theological concept: Johannes Thumfart (Free University of Berlin), "On Grotius's Mare Liberum and Vitoria's De Indis, Following Agamben and Schmitt" ("Grotiana", 30 [1], 2009: pp. 65-87).

Quote: "Grotius called the right to travel and trade freely a ius sanctissimum, a 'sacrosanct law'. He also perceived the Freedom of the Seas as being a direct result of the will of God. ... In Grotius's work, Vitoria's concept of a universal right to Christian mission supervised by the pope was transformed into a theologically supported right to free trade. ... One can speak therefore, following Giorgio Agamben, of an 'economic theology' in regard to Grotius, a term that is, in turn, derived from Carl Schmitt's notion of 'political theology'.

This article is part of a special issue of the journal, " Mare Liberum (1609-2009)".

Article: Ideology and Organization in the Qing Empire

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Article: Ideology and Organization in the Qing Empire

On early modern political theology in China: R. Kent Guy (University of Washington), "Ideology and Organization in the Qing Empire" ("Journal of Early Modern History", 14 [4], 2010: pp. 355-77).

Quote: "This article considers an essay on provincial government written by the Yongzheng Emperor of China shortly after his ascension to the throne in 1723. The essay ... expresses the Emperor's new concern with the value of administrative efficacy. The essay argues that this was a fundamental innovation in the political theology of the Chinese state."

Article: Pragmatism, Power, and Politics: A Pentecostal Conversation with President Obama's Favorite Theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr

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Article: Pragmatism, Power, and Politics: A Pentecostal Conversation with President Obama's Favorite Theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr

On Christian Realism and Pentecostal pragmatism: Tony Lee Richie (Regent University), "Pragmatism, Power, and Politics: A Pentecostal Conversation with President Obama's Favorite Theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr" ("Pneuma", 32 [2], 2010: pp. 241-60).

Quote: "In conversation with Reinhold Niebuhr, this essay explores ecumenical, economical, and political theology and practice against a contextual backdrop of recent developments in Cuba relative to the United States with specific implications for North American Pentecostal Christians."

14 September 2011

CFP: The Roman Catholic Church and World Politics

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CFP: The Roman Catholic Church and World Politics

A second panel on political theology, titled "The Roman Catholic Church and World Politics", has been added to the programme of the 22nd World Congress of Political Science, organized by the International Political Science Association (IPSA) under the theme, "Reshaping Power, Shifting Boundaries", in Madrid, Spain, 8-12 July 2012.

This stand-alone panel is listed in the general pool of "Congress Sessions" (that is, it forms neither part of a multi-panel main theme session nor a Research Committee session).

Quote: "Also, theoretical papers are called for, and they should deal with, ... in more general terms, the relation between the Church's theological views and its political attitudes ('international political theology')."

Convenor: Petr Kratochvíl (Institute of International Relations, Prague): kratochvil@iir.cz

To submit a paper proposal, you'll need to create a free IPSA website account. It appears not to be possible to submit a proposal to a panel directly. Panel convenors are expected to find the paper in the database once it has been submitted and link it to their respective panels. This means that if you wish to submit your proposal to a particular panel, you'll need to inform the panel convenor by e-mail too.

It may also be possible to submit a paper to the general pool, rather than a particular session/panel. Papers may then be allocated to an existing panel, or further panels may be formed.

An as yet incomplete list of panels accepted into the programme of this triennial conference has been posted on the IPSA website.

Additional information on how to submit paper proposals is to be found here: http://www.ipsa.org/events/congress/madrid2012/submit-abstractpaper-proposal

The deadline to submit proposals has been extended to 17 October 2011.

11 September 2011

Article: The Trouble with Transcendence: Carl Schmitt's "Exception" as a Challenge for Religious Studies

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Article: The Trouble with Transcendence: Carl Schmitt's "Exception" as a Challenge for Religious Studies

Still finding political theology articles published last year: Robert Yelle (University of Memphis), "The Trouble with Transcendence: Carl Schmitt's 'Exception' as a Challenge for Religious Studies" ("Method & Theory in the Study of Religion", 22 [2-3], 2010: pp. 189-206).

Quote: "Schmitt's thesis - namely, that secular liberalism is a disguised and disenchanted 'political theology' which depends on an exclusion of charismatic ruptures in the natural and moral orders - must be taken seriously. A genealogy of the prohibition of the miracle by the radical Reformation provides evidence for Schmitt's contention that an ostensibly secular modernity, no less than its theological opponents, has had its own trouble with transcendence or the 'exception.'"

Article: Jesus and the minjung revisited: The Legacy of Ahn Byung-Mu (1922-1996)

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Article: Jesus and the minjung revisited: The Legacy of Ahn Byung-Mu (1922-1996)

On minjung theology as a Korean political theology: Volker Küster (Protestant Theological University, Kampen), "Jesus and the minjung revisited: The Legacy of Ahn Byung-Mu (1922-1996)" ("Biblical Interpretation: A Journal of Contemporary Approaches", 19 [1], 2011: pp. 1-18).

Quote: "Ahn Byung-Mu was not only one of the leading theological thinkers of 20th century Korea, a mediator between Western, especially German theological tradition and Korean Christianity, but also ... one of the founding fathers of minjung theology by giving this political theology in the Korean context a biblical foundation. ... The article ... tackles the question how his legacy can be re-contextualized."

Article: Bede Jarrett, Sir Ernest Barker and the Political Significance of the Dominican Order

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Article: Bede Jarrett, Sir Ernest Barker and the Political Significance of the Dominican Order

Presumably on political theology in twentieth-century English Catholicism: Nick O'Brien (University of Liverpool), "Bede Jarrett, Sir Ernest Barker and the Political Significance of the Dominican Order" ("New Blackfriars", 92 [1040], July 2011: pp. 464-83).

Quote: "This article seeks to reappraise the scholarly work of Bede Jarrett OP by drawing out his debt to Sir Ernest Barker. A shared interest in medieval political and social institutions, and in the constitution of the Dominican Order as a model of voluntary association, ... establishes links with nineteenth and early twentieth-century Christian Socialism, as well as echoing certain current preoccupations within political theology."

Article: The Idol of the Heart: Liberty, Tyranny, and Idolatry in the Work of Fulke Greville

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Article: The Idol of the Heart: Liberty, Tyranny, and Idolatry in the Work of Fulke Greville

On political theology in early modern literature: Freya Sierhuis (Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich), "The Idol of the Heart: Liberty, Tyranny, and Idolatry in the Work of Fulke Greville" ("The Modern Language Review", 106 [3], July 2011: pp. 626-46).

Abstract: "This paper examines the central concepts in the political theology of Fulke Greville. By situating Greville's work in the context of the work of Huguenot political thinkers such as Agrippa d'Aubigné, it is argued that it is Calvinism's notion of idolatry, and its distrust of the sacralization of power, regarded as a form of voluntary servitude, which lay at the heart of Greville's critique of absolute monarchy." (bold removed)

09 September 2011

CFP: Theological Reflections on Political Questions

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CFP: Theological Reflections on Political Questions

Paper proposals are invited for a panel, "Theological Reflections on Political Questions", accepted into the programme of the 22nd World Congress of Political Science, organized by the International Political Science Association (IPSA) under the theme, "Reshaping Power, Shifting Boundaries", in Madrid, Spain, 8-12 July 2012.

This panel on political theology is part of the session (conference section) sponsored by Research Committee (RC) 43, "Religion and Politics".

Quote: "[T]heologians and religious traditions have long been engaging political questions - from Thomas Aquinas to Liberation Theology, Papal Encyclicals or Radical Orthodoxy. In a world where religion is playing an increasingly active political role, these theological contributions can no longer be ignored by political thinkers. ... The aim of the panel is to invite papers on this aspect of political theology."

The RC asks that paper proposals, of no more than 1500 characters/approx. 250 words length, be submitted (along with name and institutional affiliation) to Alexandre Christoyannopoulos (Loughborough University): a.christoyannopoulos@gmail.com

An as yet incomplete list of other accepted panels at this triennial conference has been posted on the IPSA website.

It may also be possible to submit a paper to the general pool, rather than a particular session/panel. Papers may then be allocated to an existing panel, or further panels may be formed.

Additional information on how to submit paper proposals is to be found here: http://www.ipsa.org/events/congress/madrid2012/submit-abstractpaper-proposal

The deadline to submit proposals has been extended to 17 October 2011.

08 September 2011

Chapter: René Girard's Contribution to Political Theology: Overcoming Deadlocks of Competition and Enmity

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Chapter: René Girard's Contribution to Political Theology: Overcoming Deadlocks of Competition and Enmity

Wolfgang Palaver (University of Innsbruck) is the author of an essay, "René Girard's Contribution to Political Theology: Overcoming Deadlocks of Competition and Enmity", published in the contributed volume, "Between Philosophy and Theology: Contemporary Interpretations of Christianity", eds. Lieven Boeve and Christophe Brabant (Ashgate, December 2010; pp. 149-65).

Excerpt: "A political theology reflecting on the current state of our world gains significantly by taking the insights of [René Girard's] mimetic theory into account. It will come to a better understanding concerning the type of solidarity that is needed in a globalizing world. Finally, a political theology along this line focuses also on the important role the church has to fulfil today."

The chapter forms part of a section of the book titled "Philosophical Interpretations with Political Theological Consequences". It is discussed, along with all other contributions to the volume, in the editors' concluding chapter.

Chapter: The Death of a Shifter: Jupiterian History in Julius Caesar

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Chapter: The Death of a Shifter: Jupiterian History in Julius Caesar

Much importance has been attributed to political theology in recent Shakespeare studies. Here is one more contribution to this burgeoning field: The essay, "The Death of a Shifter: Jupiterian History in Julius Caesar ", by Anselm Haverkamp (New York University), was published as a chapter in his book, "Shakespearean Genealogies of Power: A Whispering of Nothing in Hamlet, Richard II, Julius Caesar, Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, and The Winter's Tale" (Routledge, October 2010; pp. 57-71).

The book also includes a previously published essay on " Richard II, Bracton, and the End of Political Theology" (pp. 47-56).

Excerpt (from the newly published text): "As far as Shakespeare is concerned, the question 'What comes after political theology' seems simple enough. After Richard II comes Julius Caesar as the first of what should amount to a 'Roman Trilogy' including Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra ...; they beg the question of a rising actuality of Roman affairs after the end of political theology and, more precisely, of interest in the crisis of the Roman Republic that led to the highly auspicious form of the Empire."

Book: After Secular Law

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Book: After Secular Law

Just published: A contributed volume informed by political theology, "After Secular Law", edited by Winnifred Fallers Sullivan (SUNY, Buffalo), Robert A. Yelle (University of Memphis), and Mateo Taussig-Rubbo (SUNY, Buffalo), has become available from Stanford Law Books (September 2011).

Included are chapters such as: Robert A. Yelle, "Moses' Veil: Secularization as Christian Myth" (pp. 23-42); Banu Bargu (New School for Social Research), "Stasiology: Political Theology and the Figure of the Sacrificial Enemy" (pp. 140-59); and Bruce Rosenstock (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign), "Against Sovereign Impunity: The Political Theology of the International Criminal Court" (pp. 160-77).

Excerpt (from the editors' introduction): "Schmitt's own concept of political theology and of the influence of Jewish and Christian theological traditions, most notably the writings of Paul, on modernity has engaged scholars at the intersection of political and legal theory, philosophy, and theology. Several essays in this volume take up a consideration of Schmitt's challenge to secular liberalism."

CONF: New Frontiers in Liberation Theology: In Conversation with Allan Boesak

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CONF: New Frontiers in Liberation Theology: In Conversation with Allan Boesak

It's short notice, but if you're in Gauteng province on 14 September 2011 you may wish to attend a colloquium on "New Frontiers in Liberation Theology: In Conversation with Allan Boesak" (9.00 am-4.30 pm) at the University of Johannesburg in Auckland Park.

Quote: "Professor Allan Boesak will lead a one-day colloquium and a number of other leading liberation and feminist theologians will act as discussants to his different presentations. ... This colloquium will consider new frontiers in liberation theology, in relation to themes such as empire, global war and peace, economic and social justice, the quest for sexual justice and the dignity of sexual orientation."

Allan Boesak was President of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, 1982-91.

Space and catering are limited, so if you'd like to attend the colloquium you'll need to apply and pre-register.

Journal special issue: Black Theology in South African Context

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Journal special issue: Black Theology in South African Context

"Scriptura: International Journal of Bible, Religion and Theology in Southern Africa" last year dedicated a special issue to the theme, "Black Theology in South African Context" (105, 2010 [3]).

While it seems impossible to access the journal without an individual or institutional subscription to either "Scriptura" or the Sabinet database, a table of contents has been made available here: http://academic.sun.ac.za/tsv/scriptura/Vol_105.pdf

Among the contributors to this special issue is one who participated in person in the Political Theology Agenda Symposium 2010 and with a tabled paper in the PTAS 2011, both of which, organized by me, took place in Geneva.

No abstracts provided.

05 September 2011

CFP: Sovereignty, Representation and Authority: Current Interpretations of Political Theology / Lecturas actuales de teología política

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CFP: Sovereignty, Representation and Authority: Current Interpretations of Political Theology / Soberanía, representación y autoridad: lecturas actuales de teología política

A bilingual call for papers for a special issue of a Chilean journal. According to the Spanish CFP (below), submissions are welcome in English, Spanish, or Italian:

"Second Call for Papers and Book Reviews:
REVISTA PLÉYADE Nº8
YEAR IV, 2ND SEMESTER 2011

"'SOVEREIGNTY, REPRESENTATION AND AUTHORITY: CURRENT INTERPRETATIONS OF POLITICAL THEOLOGY'

"Carl Schmitt's claim that 'all significant concepts of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts,' written in 1922, has proven to be influential in contemporary political thought. On the one hand, this claim has given rise to efforts to understand the inherent relation between religion and politics, both of which were traditionally thought as being separate regions. On the other hand, Schmitt's concept of political theology, which is based on the power of the 'sovereign' has given rise to interpretations that connect the form of authority to dictatorship or theocracy. However, the current crisis of political representation signals the need to re-think the significance of the sovereign as the representative leader and/or of the people as an empowered body. Political theology has proposed an understanding of the relations of power between the representative and the represented.

"In this dossier, Revista Pléyade invites submissions addressing the concepts of sovereignty, representation and authority, both from the traditional perspective of an authoritarian conception of power, as well as from the perspective of democratic theory, or from new conceptions of the relation between politics and religion.

"COORDINATION DOSSIER: Ely Orrego Torres, eorrego@caip.cl
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: October 28th, 2011
LANGUAGES: SUBMISSIONS IN SPANISH OR ENGLISH
DATE OF PUBLICATION: December 2011

"SUBMISSIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED ELECTRONICALLY TO: contacto@caip.cl

"More information: http://es.scribd.com/doc/63954505/Second-Call-for-Papers-Pleyade"

* * *
"SEGUNDA CONVOCATORIA REVISTA PLÉYADE 8
VOLUMEN IV, Nº2. SEGUNDO SEMESTRE 2011

"SOBERANÍA, REPRESENTACIÓN Y AUTORIDAD: LECTURAS ACTUALES DE TEOLOGÍA POLÍTICA

"Desde que Carl Schmitt escribió en 1922: 'todos los conceptos políticos sobresalientes de la moderna teoría del Estado son conceptos teológicos secularizados', la lectura sobre las relaciones de poder derivó en una serie de consecuencias en el pensamiento político contemporáneo. Por un lado, se plantea una relación inherente entre religión y política, ambos tradicionalmente pensados de forma aislada. Por otra parte, a partir del concepto schmittiano de teología política basado en el poder del 'soberano', se han propuesto interpretaciones que vinculan la figura de la autoridad a la dictadura o teocracia. Sin embargo, la actual crisis de representación nos propone re-pensar la relación de la soberanía en tanto líder que representa y/o del pueblo en tanto cuerpo empoderado. Así, la teología política ha propuesto un entendimiento de las relaciones de poder entre el representante y los representados.

"En el presente dossier, se invita a cuestionar los conceptos de soberanía, representación y autoridad, tanto desde su tradicional lectura autoritaria así como de una posibilidad democrática del poder, o de nuevas concepciones sobre esta relación.

"COORDINACIÓN DEL DOSSIER: Ely Orrego Torres, eorrego@caip.cl
ENTREGA DE ARTÍCULOS: 28 de octubre de 2011
IDIOMAS: Se receptarán propuestas en español, inglése[,] italiano
PUBLICACIÓN: Diciembre de 2011
ENVÍO DE ARTÍCULOS A: contacto@caip.cl

"Más información: http://es.scribd.com/doc/63954731/Segunda-Convocatoria-Revista-Pleyade"

04 September 2011

Book: God's Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics

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Book: God's Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics

A global view on political theologies: Monica Duffy Toft (Harvard), Daniel Philpott (University of Notre Dame), and Timothy Samuel Shah (Georgetown University), "God's Century: Resurgent Religion and Global Politics" (W.W. Norton & Company, March 2011).

Excerpt: "Our aim is to show not only that religion matters but also how it matters. Our second thesis is that a religious actor's political theology and its relationship to political authority explain much about why it takes on the kind of politics that it does - violent or peaceful, democratic or dictatorial, and the like. ... Political theology is a matter of how religious actors think and promulgate their ideas."

03 September 2011

Book: The Royal Remains: The People's Two Bodies and the Endgames of Sovereignty

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Book: The Royal Remains: The People's Two Bodies and the Endgames of Sovereignty

A book that will have a hard time living up to the expectations raised by the author's friends: Eric L. Santner (University of Chicago), "The Royal Remains: The People's Two Bodies and the Endgames of Sovereignty" (University of Chicago Press, May 2011).

Endorsements: "Eric Santner's The Royal Remains stands out, not only as the most important book on political theology of the last decade, but as a classic ... My reaction to reading this book is of wonder and awe; it is as if a new Benjamin (with the added features of Freud and Lacan) is walking among us." (Slavoj Žižek, University of Ljubljana/Birkbeck, University of London)

"To read any work by Eric L. Santner is to enter a crowded, glorious, and alien world. A brilliant contribution to democratic and literary theory, political theology, secular studies, and aesthetics." (Bonnie Honig, Northwestern University)

Just how much of this is hyperbole?

Book: Two Funerals and "Two Bodies" of King Richard II: A Study on the Idea of Kingship, Transference of Power and Political Theology

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Book: Two Funerals and "Two Bodies" of King Richard II: A Study on the Idea of Kingship, Transference of Power and Political Theology

On medieval political theology: Kosana Jovanović (University of Rijeka, Croatia), "Two Funerals and 'Two Bodies' of King Richard II: A Study on the Idea of Kingship, Transference of Power and Political Theology" (VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, April 2010).

Quote: "[T]his book describes three events connected to the last days of Richard IIs reign. By combining the analysis on the moment of abdication, death and subsequent two funerals of the King it is possible to demonstrate how each separate aspect influenced the matter of the transmission of government."

Articles: On the Political Theology of Carl Schmitt / Political Theology from the Left / Political Theology of Judaism (all in German)

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Articles: On the Political Theology of Carl Schmitt / Political Theology from the Left / Political Theology of Judaism (all in German)

Two articles by Siegfried Gerlich (Institut für Staatspolitik), published in German in consecutive issues of the same journal: "Zur Politischen Theologie Carl Schmitts" ("On the Political Theology of Carl Schmitt"; all translations by me), as part of a special issue on "Carl Schmitt" ("Sezession", 42, June 2011; no page numbers given), and "Politische Theologie des Judentums" ("Political Theology of Judaism"), just published ("Sezession", 43, August 2011).

Also: "Politische Theologie von links" ("Political Theology from the Left") by one Johannes Ludwig, in the special issue ("Sezession", 42, June 2011).

No abstracts provided.

01 September 2011

Chapter: Historiography and political theology: Momigliano and the end of history

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Chapter: Historiography and political theology: Momigliano and the end of history

The chapter, "Historiography and political theology: Momigliano and the end of history", by Howard Caygill (Goldsmiths, University of London) was published in the contributed volume, "The Western Time of Ancient History: Historiographical Encounters with the Greek and Roman Pasts", ed. Alexandra Lianeri (Cambridge University Press, March 2011: pp. 99-116).

Excerpt: "Momigliano ... consistently questions the implied equation between oracular politics, prophetic historiography and the ressentiment of 'pariah' groups, and most consistently in the case of Jewish and Christian oracular and prophetic historiography. He defends such historiography in the name of a political theology sensitive to the place of eschatological and messianic themes in the writing of history and the philosophy of history. His early and sustained interest in Weimar debates in political theology and messianism enabled him to develop an account of historical temporality able to do justice to both progressive and messianic philosophies of history and even to perceive cases of their mutual compatibility."

Article: Rowan Williams's Political Theology: Multiculturalism and Interactive Pluralism

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Article: Rowan Williams's Political Theology: Multiculturalism and Interactive Pluralism

On the Primate of All England: Mark D. Chapman (Oxford), "Rowan Williams's Political Theology: Multiculturalism and Interactive Pluralism" ("Journal of Anglican Studies", 9 [1], May 2011: pp. 61-79).

Quote: "This essay discusses the political thought of Rowan Williams in the context of his leading influences and wider theology. It shows the continuity in his political writing from his early days as a radical to his frequent political speeches and lectures as Archbishop of Canterbury. The over-riding theme is that of 'interactive pluralism', which seeks to establish a form of politics with a very weak system of sovereignty."

Book: Migrations of the Holy: God, State, and the Political Meaning of the Church

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Book: Migrations of the Holy: God, State, and the Political Meaning of the Church

A collection of previously published articles: William T. Cavanaugh (DePaul University), "Migrations of the Holy: God, State, and the Political Meaning of the Church" (Eerdmans, February 2011).

Endorsement: "In these essays William Cavanaugh continues to provide leadership and vision in the field of political theology. He addresses essential questions about the religious status of the nation-state, the political character of the church, and how the tradition of Christian political thought might be brought to bear upon contemporary politics." (Luke Bretherton, King's College London)