Political Theology

Political Theology

Original Illustration from Thomas Hobbe's Leviathan

Throughout history, theological concepts across religious traditions have been used to legitimate political systems, actions, and stances. These resources examine how religious beliefs and principles motivate specific political action. In particular, they explore historic and contemporary understandings of political engagement in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.

Our Experts

Shaun Casey

Director
Walsh School of Foreign Service

David Hollenbach

Senior Fellow
Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Theology

Michael Kessler

Managing Director
Department of Government and Law Center

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Publications

Article June 15, 2020

Waiting for Armageddon: Theological and Ethical Aspects of Nuclear Deterrence

Despite the association of nuclear weapons with the “end of days” and its religious dimension, expressed by concepts and images found in the Bible and theology, it is apparent that these associations do not provide us with a consistent assessment of the phenomenon of “nuclear weapons”.

Other Publications

Book May 14, 2020

Islam and Politics

Article December 18, 2019

Religion, State and Nation: Islamic Parties Between Ideology and Religion

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Events

Statue of Shiva, a principal deity of Hinduism.

Jul
29

2020

India’s Challenges in Wielding Religious Soft Power

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. EDT Online

Jun
18

2020

Christian Nationalism in the United States

Jan
28

2020

Defenders of the Faith?

Jan
23

2020

Christians in American Public Life

Dec
12

2019

Wahhabism in the World

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Blog Posts

January 27, 2020

National Populism and Christian Symbolism: A Conversation with Tobias Cremer

The Berkley Forum sat down with Visiting Researcher Tobias Cremer to discuss the ambiguous relationship between Christianity and national populist movements in the United States and Western Europe.

January 13, 2020

Islamic Soft Power in the U.S.-Iran Crisis: A Conversation with Peter Mandaville

The Berkley Forum sat down with Senior Research Fellow Peter Mandaville, director of the Berkley Center’s Geopolitics of Religious Soft Power Project, to discuss tensions between Iran and the United States in the broader context of religion and politics in the Middle East.

Moscow skyline with spires of an Orthodox church

December 18, 2019

The Culture Wars Today

Who are the actors of contemporary culture wars in the United States and Europe? What do participants in the global culture wars hope to accomplish? How might conservative norm mobilization affect the United States, Europe, and Russia?

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Videos

July 29, 2020

India’s Challenges in Wielding Religious Soft Power (Video)

Duration: 1 hours 4 minutes

June 18, 2020

Christian Nationalism in the United States (Video)

Duration: 1 hours 1 minutes

April 8, 2020

The COVID-19 Crisis and Challenges to the Common Good (Video)

Duration: 1 hours 15 minutes

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