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Essays

Deconstructing the Canon

If one speaks of Political Theology as a “field” with its own “canon” one must surely be preparing to deconstruct it.

Political Hypocrisy and True Ritual—Isaiah 1:1, 10–20

True ritual is a searching indictment of all injustice, a corrective for it, and a model for righteous behavior. Presenting ourselves before God in our ceremonies, we invite his inspection of the entirety of our lives; recognizing this fact, we must comport ourselves accordingly in all that we do. Civil religion and cultural religiosity will betray all those who put their hope in them.

The Politics of a Homeland—Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16

The quest for a homeland and the experience of being a stranger and an alien—a refugee—in the world is central to the calling of the faithful in Hebrews 11. This reality should remain integral to our self-understanding as the people of God today.

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At the End of Liberal Theory

The texts I have identified as “need to become ‘essential’ texts” function in this spirit…Each addresses questions of community-creation outside of liberal norms and modes of power.

Christ Is All and In All—Colossians 3:1-11

This text is not preaching erasure of difference under One Christ but reminding us that we are all interdependent. Our difference is always in relation, and not an ontological chasm.

Islamophobia: The Racial Paradox

The racial paradox presents a clear and present racial dilemma for scholars, advocates, and policymakers. How can Islamophobia be indicted and redressed?

Meet the Sodomites—Genesis 18:20-32

Properly to hear the story of Genesis 18-19, we must first unlearn all that we thought we knew about the Sodomites.

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Register now for the Political Theology Network’s conference, October 17-19, 2019, in New York City.

Troubling Islamophobia: Redefining the Conversation on Anti-Muslim Violence

Without a sustained focus on material inequalities and repressive state power, the conversation on Islamophobia too easily slips into a mealy-mouthed appeal to diversity and tolerance.

Hospitality or Harm?—Genesis 18:1–10 and Amos 8:1–12

Just as asylum seekers fill US migrant detention centers, so too this week’s lectionary readings address social injustices faced by the stranger and the poor. Both readings present consequences for those who fail to extend hospitality to the vulnerable other.

Human Dignity, Religion, & Rights in Contemporary China

The reader should take away from this special issue the sense that the basic dichotomy of “the West” versus “China” needs to be reformulated. While the West has much to learn from listening to non-Western voices, the work of actually listening reveals that such sharp distinctions do more harm than good.