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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

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David Hollenbach

Senior Fellow
Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Theology and Religious Studies

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Michael Kessler

Executive Director
Department of Government and Georgetown Law

Current and Past Projects

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Future of Political Theologies

The Berkley Center’s Future of Political Theologies project mapped and analyzed historic and contemporary understandings of political engagement across Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The Berkley Center project engaged political theologies not…

Political Theology A-Z Subtopics

Narrow your search for Political Theology content by selecting from this list of subtopics

Videos

April 2, 2024

The Church's Mission in a World in Crisis (Video)

Duration: 44 minutes

March 15, 2024

500 Years of Christianity in the Philippines and the Global Filipin@ (Video)

Duration: 1 hours 57 minutes

October 18, 2023

9th Annual Costan Lecture in Early Christianity by Luke Timothy Johnson (Video)

Duration: 1 hours 9 minutes

Publications

Book June 4, 2024

Exiting Violence: The Role of Religion

This volume, edited by Debora Tonelli and Gerard Mannion, offers a nuanced and thought-provoking exploration of the multifaceted role religion plays in the human struggle for peace and justice.

Blog Posts

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