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Essays

Generous Foolishness and Foolish Giving

In a time of intense economic anxiety, both individuals and communities need to reflect on the call in John 12 to claim their responsibility to shun greed, resisting it with a seemingly foolish kind of generosity that parallels Jesus’s becoming poor for the sake of others.

Paradise Found: How War Gives Israel Purpose

This theological dimension, which does not exclude messianism but coexists with it, is not new to Zionism and has been present in it from its inception; articulating it will therefore contribute not only to understanding the history of Zionism, which is far from being as peace-seeking as it often tells itself, but also to understanding the wide Israeli support of the genocidal war on Gaza.

Political Science Contributions to Centering Nonviolence

It turns out that when weighing warfare’s costs, benefits, and odds of success, its overall record is surprisingly weak.

PTNCON25: Call for Seminar Streams

The Political Theology Network is hosting our fifth in-person conference, which will be held in Nashville, TN, from October 23-26, 2025. See details below!

Political Theology Journal Welcomes New Members to its Editorial Collective

The Political Theology Editorial Collective welcomes new members Fatima Tofighi and Joseph Winters!

Being Dead and Coming Alive

A colonial understanding of resurrection has only associated it with life after death, whereas a decolonial Dalit theology engages with new life experiences by breaking the grounds of death here and now, in life before death.

In Christ’s Name: Christian Zionism and the Liquidation of the Gaza Ghetto

The Western inability to recognize Palestinians as fully human is often attributed to Islamophobia, framed as a post-9/11 construct that portrays Muslim violence as a threat to the liberal West. However, this perspective remains superficial. To truly understand the roots of Western hatred, we must look deeper—beyond contemporary narratives—into the ideological foundations of Western thought.

From Teaching My Class to Catholic Social Teaching: Reflections on Extending the Reach of Nonviolence

It is imperative to respect the claims of conscience behind the pacifist convictions often associated with the rejection of the modern state. But if Catholic social teaching is going to incorporate nonviolence more fully, it also must develop the connection between nonviolence and modern politics.

Beyond Blood

One alternative to a disorienting retributive hierarchy … is repentance, offered to the living, not the dead. This is the honest acceptance of one’s own sin that leads to a turning from the destructive habits of assigning greater or lesser guilt to others. The activity of repentance, in turn, becomes the basis for the possibility of reconciliation between God and offender, between offender and the offended.

Some Resources from the Margins to Center Nonviolence in Catholic Social Teaching

The notion of quality of life, an extended conception of common good, and the solidarity with the victims can move nonviolence from the margins of Catholic Social Teaching to its center.

PTNCON25: Call for Seminar Streams

The Political Theology Network invites proposals for seminar streams for PTNCON25 to be held in Nashville, TN.

Citizens of Heaven

Heavenly citizenship for Paul is certainly not about escaping social responsibility within this life. The path that follows Christ is a path that moves one’s focus from earthly things to heavenly.