The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology

Written by a team of international experts, drawn from various traditions of political theology, this outstanding resource brings together 35 newly-commissioned essays in the field.

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• Demonstrates that Christian theology is inherently political and shows how theology impacts on present-day political issues.
  
• Considers the interface of theology with political ideologies, including the contribution of theology to feminist, ecological, black and pacifist movements.
  
• Assesses the contribution of the major political theologians and theological movements.
  
• Explores the political aspects of Christian sources such as scripture and liturgy.

Contributors viii

Introduction 1
William T. Cavanaugh and Peter Scott

Part I Traditioned Resources: Scripture, Traditions, Liturgy 5

1 Scripture: Old Testament 7
Walter Brueggemann

2 Scripture: New Testament 21
Christopher Rowland

3 Augustine 35
Jean Bethke Elshtain

4 Aquinas 48
Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt

5 The Reformation 62
Andrew Bradstock

6 Liturgy 76
Bernd Wannenwetsch

Part II Political Theologies: Survey 91

7 Eastern Orthodox Thought 93
Michael Plekon

8 Carl Schmitt 107
Michael Hollerich

9 Karl Barth 123
Haddon Willmer

10 Dietrich Bonhoeffer 136
Stanley Hauerwas

11 John Courtney Murray 150
Michael J. Baxter

12 William Temple 165
Alan M. Suggate

13 Reinhold Niebuhr180
William Werpehowski

14 Feminist Theology, Southern 194
Kwok Pui-lan

15 Feminist Theology, Northern 210
Elaine Graham

16 Jürgen Moltmann 227
Nicholas Adams

17 Johann Baptist Metz 241
J. Matthew Ashley

18 Political Theologies in Asia 256
Aloysius Pieris

19 Black Political Theologies 271
M. Shawn Copeland

20 Gustavo Gutiérrez 288
Roberto S. Goizueta

21 Stanley Hauerwas 302
R. R. Reno

Part III Constructive Political Theology 317

22 Trinity 319
Kathryn Tanner

23 Creation 333
Peter Scott

24 Christology 348
Raymund Schwager

25 Atonement 363
Timothy J. Gorringe

26 Spirit 377
Mark Lewis Taylor

27 Church 393
William T. Cavanaugh

28 Eschatology 407
Robert W. Jenson

Part IV Structures and Movements 421

29 State and Civil Society 423
Daniel M. Bell, Jr.

30 Democracy 439
John W. de Gruchy

31 Critical Theory 455
Marsha Aileen Hewitt

32 Postmodernism 471
Catherine Pickstock

33 Globalization 486
Peter Sedgwick

Part V Perspectives 501

34 The Islamic Quest for Sociopolitical Justice 503
Bustami Mohamed Khir

35 Abrahamic Theo-politics: A Jewish View 519
Peter Ochs

Index of Names and Subjects 535

Index of Biblical References 563

"Just when I was beginning to think that there are too many companion volumes in the world, I have read one that is pure delight. Political theology is a hot topic, and this book is required reading for it ... It is a book of books." Stephen H. Webb, Wabash College, Indiana

"An excellent resource for both teaching and research, this anthology is recommended for every theology library." Daniel J. Kuntz, Brescia University, Owensboro

“This is a very important, pioneering book, full of scintillating arguments and fresh insights. It is likely to redefine political theology for a new generation, and arouse a great deal of useful and vigorous debate. It will be an indispensible stimulus and resource for students and scholars concerned with the bearing of Christian theology on the political and public sphere.” Duncan Forrester, University of Edinburgh

“The strength of the collection lies in part two, a state-of-the-art summary of political theologies. The usefulness of companion, suitable for seminary libraries, is enhanced by an index of names and subjects and an index of biblical references.”
Timothy D. Lincoln
Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary

Peter M. Scott is Senior Lecturer in Christian Social Thought and Director of the Lincoln Theological Institute at the University of Manchester, UK. He is the author of Theology, Ideology and Liberation (1994) and A Political Theology of Nature (2003). He is a member of the Center of Theological Inquiry, Princeton and the Manchester Centre for Public Theology, and is a director of the Manchester Research Institute for Religion and Civil Society.

William T. Cavanaugh is Associate Professor of Theology at the University of St Thomas in St Paul, Minnesota, USA. He is the author of Torture and Eucharist (Blackwell, 1998) and Theopolitical Imagination (2003).

Written by a team of international experts, this Companion provides the first comprehensive survey and interpretation of contemporary Christian political theology.

The Companion comprises 35 freshly commissioned essays that embody the best current thinking in the field. These essays:

• explore the political aspects of Christian sources such as scripture and liturgy
• consider the interface of theology with political ideologies, including the contribution of theology to feminist, ecological, black, and pacifist movements
• assess the contribution of major political theologians and theological movements
• indicate how central Christian doctrines such as the Trinity and atonement have politics embedded within them
• show how theology impacts upon present-day political issues.

The contributors are drawn from various traditions of political theology, but all of them demonstrate that Christian theology is inherently political, and that politics is properly illuminated by Christian perspectives.