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Essays

Toward A Theological Decolonization of the Nation-State in Africa

How does one read, providentially, such a murderous and malleable phenomenon as the nation-state in Africa?

Political Theology 25.4 is now online!

The journal Political Theology releases its newest issue which considers interesting topics, such as Eric Peterson on the modern nation state, Edith Stein and Jan Patočka in relation to the war in Ukraine, the “sacred” in leftist spaces, and the development of a “dark fantastic theological imaginary.”

An Economy of Flourishing

In any age, nostalgic campaign slogans must lead to clear articulation about which aspects of the past are worth retrieving. We must interrogate our own visions of the past to ensure that we’re not hiding the truth from ourselves.

Sitting in Public

Jesus doesn’t ban sitting or reclining in public. He encourages it, supports it, and even participates in it.

In Jesus’s Flesh, New Possibilities for Embodiment 

There is no single, correct mode of embodiment. For those who regard themselves as part of the body of Jesus, part of the family that grows from Jesus’s body, that one body is really many bodies, complicated bodies, with hands, blood, some foreskins, and a whole lot of multi-colored flesh.

Dorothy Day Through the Eyes of Her Granddaughters: An Interview with Kate and Martha Hennessy

In terms of Dorothy’s theology, I think that there is an inclination now where they want to write about piety. They don’t want to write about “Don’t pay your war taxes.”

Listening to Power’s Fears

Paying attention to Herod’s fears about Jesus can keep us from depoliticizing the gospel.

How to Not Panic about the Election

Is tranquility possible in an era of political emergency?

Atheism and the Critique of Sovereignty

By disrupting pernicious claims to transcendence, atheist political theologies can help us redress suffering in particular places while keeping hope for radical transformation.

Redefining Authority: The Political Theology of Rejection in Mark 6: 1-6

The political theology emerging from this narrative calls for a redefinition of authority and leadership. It emphasises qualities like service, compassion, and the capacity to heal and liberate over traditional markers of power like wealth, status, or lineage.

The African Youth Living Pope Francis’ Dream

Youth were not very welcome at the table. It was quite common for them to be referred to and accept that they are leaders of tomorrow or the next generation… How can we be the next generation when we’re already here [right now]?

“Will the Dust Praise You?”: Theologizing Death

Imagine a world in which we stop at every news of death. Imagine a world in which we do not trivialize or rationalize death. … Have we over-theologized life after death?