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Melissa Dow

PhD student in Politics at the University of Dallas, and adjunct faculty in the Philosophy program at Richland College.

Essays

Hope in God’s Glory and Justice

Our only hope is that the God who will raise us, the God whose justice is glorified, will eventually make all things right. Our trust in our just God should be evident in our words and our works as we live out the proclamation of the gospel.

Politics of Exile—Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7

Jeremiah’s letter is a bold admonishment to remember that we are all, together, members of the political community. Wherever we find ourselves, we must not forget that there is such a thing as the common good.

Do Not Fret—Psalm 37:1-11, 39-40

When we are tempted to anxiety in the face of the success of the wicked, the psalmist reorients us to the Lord.

Giving Strength—Psalm 29

Bookended by the call to ascribe glory and strength to the Lord, and the answering request that the Lord give strength and blessing to his people, Psalm 29 offers us a vision of good rule.

God’s Wisdom Through the Whirlwind—Job 38:1-7, 34-41

Human rulers like Job might imitate the rule of God, but God’s power goes beyond what they are capable of enacting.

Wisdom Over Folly—Ephesians 5:15-20

Sometimes politics is less about the leaders and more about whether communities choose to live together in wisdom or folly.

One Bringing Peace—John 20:19-31

In the first beginning, the Word gave form to that which was formless; in this new beginning, the same Word speaks a word and brings peace to men who are afraid.

Judgment in Light—Psalm 50:1-6

God brings his judgment in and as the light, providing us with a pattern for human justice.

The Rupture of Desire: An Interview with China Miéville

The following is a small portion of a longer interview with China Miéville in the journal Political Theology.

Pussy Riot and the Church

This piece is from the Political Theology Network archives originally posted on August 23, 2012.

In Memoriam:                                                                      Metropolitan John D. Zizioulas and the Journey of Theology Toward the Future

The prominent Eastern Orthodox theologian Metropolitan John D. Zizioulas of Pergamon (Ecumenical Patriarchate) passed in Athens, on February 2, 2023.

Vulnerability

From Myanmar to Mariupol, from the streets of Memphis to the waves and winds of the Mediterranean Sea: resistance to violence takes many forms. So does political protest against precarity. At which point does the unavoidable vulnerability of the living condition come to expression as political agency? Can such precarious politics constitute or configure an alternative community?