The mighty and the almighty
Subtitle: an essay in political theology
By: Nicholas Wolterstorff
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: Cambridge [England]; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 181
ISBN-13: 9781107027312
Subjects: Church and state; Christianity and politics; Political theology; RELIGION / Theology
Description: "For a century or more political theology has been in decline. Recent years, however, have seen increasing interest not only in how church and state should be related, but in the relation between divine authority and political authority, and in what religion has to say about the limits of state authority and the grounds of political obedience. In this book, Nicholas Wolterstorff addresses this whole complex of issues. He takes account of traditional answers to these questions, but on every point stakes out new positions. Wolterstorff offers a fresh theological defense of liberal democracy, argues that the traditional doctrine of 'two rules' should be rejected and offers a fresh exegesis of Romans 13; the canonical biblical passage for the tradition of Christian political theology. This book provides useful discussion for scholars and students of political theology, law and religion, philosophy of religion and social ethics"--
Table of contents: title: Machine generated contents note: 1. Framing the issues: understanding Polycarp; 2. Yoder's objection to our framing of the issues; 3. The two cities objection to our framing of the issues; 4. Authority; 5. Governance; 6. Authority to govern; 7. Calvin on God, governmental authority, and obedience; 8. What did Paul actually say?; 9. God's governance of humankind; 10. Recap; 11. The political implications of the nature and existence of the Church; 12. Discarding the two rules doctrine; 13. The rights-limited state; 14. Sphere sovereignty and the authority of the state; 15. Revisiting Polycarp; Bibliography; Index.