Political Theology for a Plural Age

New challenges that emerged in the postwar era have given rise to ongoing debate about the place of religion in public life, in the United States and in other established democracies, and this debate has dramatically reshaped the way scholars, policymakers, and religious leaders think about political theology. Political Theology for a Plural Age examines historic and contemporary understandings of political engagement in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam, engaging political theologies not merely as a set of theoretical concepts but as religious beliefs and principles that motivate specific political action. The essays in this volume, written by leading thinkers and practitioners within each tradition and their secular counterparts, examine a number of core issues at the intersection of religion and politics. They contest the definition of political theology, establish a common discourse across the three Abrahamic traditions, and closely examine how globalization, secularization, and pluralism affect the construction and plausibility of political theologies. Finally, they offer insight into how political theologies might adapt to the shared global challenges of the twenty-first century.

Auteur

Michael Kessler is Associate Director of the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University, a Visiting Assistant Professor of Government, and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the Georgetown University Law Center. He works in theology, ethics, and the nexus of law, politics, and religion.

Contenu

Contributors Introduction, Michael Kessler Part I: Theologies of the Political: A Conversation José Casanova, Michael Kessler, Mark Lilla, and John Milbank Part II: Domesticating Religion: The Abrahamic Faiths and the Democratic State Chapter 2: The Great Combination: Modern Political Thought and the Collapse of the Two Cities, Patrick Deneen Chapter 3: The Emergence and Development of Liberal Jewish Political Theology, Jerome Copulsky Chapter 4: Christianity and the Rise of the Democratic State, Eric Gregory Chapter 5: Is the King a Democrat? The Politics of Islam in Morocco, Paul Heck Part III: Confronting Pluralism: Main Trends in Political Theologies Today Chapter 6: Difference, Resemblance, Dialogue: Some Goals for Comparative Political Theology in a Plural Age, Michael Kessler Chapter 7: ''Reading'' the Status of Public Theologies: Rhetorical Analysis of the Media Construction of Political Islam, Elizabeth Bucar Chapter 8: The Future of Political Theology: From Crisis to Pluralism, Robin Lovin Chapter 9: Doing Political Theology Today, David Novak Chapter 10: Augustinian Christian Republican Citizenship, Charles Mathewes Chapter 11: Islamic Political Theologies and International Relations, Jocelyne Cesari Index