Democracy and the "Kingdom of God"

ISBN-13: 9789401047159 / Angielski / Miękka / 2012 / 252 str.

Howard P. Kainz

Opis

There is a consensus among Christian theologians that the symbol of the 'kingdom of God', inherited from the Judaic tradition, is the key to understanding Christianity. But theologians have for millenia differed among themselves as to the interpretation of this symbol. Political ramifications of, or reactions to, this Judaeo-Christian idea have included the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusades, the 'Third Rome', American Manifest Destiny, Zionism, the Third Reich, and Liberation Theology. This book focuses on the question of whether the kingdom of God is necessarily related to certain political implications, and its possible implications for democracy and democratic theory. It examines the development of the symbol in the Old and New Testaments, the diversity of related theological interpretations and political concomitants, and the significance of the 'kingdom of God' in the development of present and future political formations and political theory.

Spis treści

Preface. I. A Dangerous and/or Useful Kingdom? II. Is there a Concept of the Kingdom of God? III. The Development of the Concept of a Kingdom of God in the Old Testament. IV. Is an Apolitical Kingdom of God Possible? V. The Vicissitudes of Theocracy in Israel. VI. New Testament Conceptualization of Messianic Fulfilment. VII. Is an Alternative Messianic Scenario Conceivable? VIII. Did Jesus make a Major Mistake? IX. The Dialectics of Christian Interpretation. X. Hermeneutical Circle, or circulus vitiosus? XI. Political Milestones: Three Romes, Three Reichs, Three Kingdoms, and a `'Holy Roman Empire' XII. Catholic Political Theology: the `Two Cities' and `Two Swords', and Beyond. XIII. How Visible can a `City of God' be? XIV. Protestant Political Theology' Beyond the `Two Kingdoms' and the `Two Regiments'. XV. Does Hegelian Political Theology have a Future? XVI. The Emergence of the Secular Kingdom of God. XVII. Secularization - a Boon to Mankind? XVIII. Religious Experience, Chosenness, and Political Expression. XIX. Does Democracy need Redefinition? XX. The Dialectics of Democracy. XXI. Democracy and the Kingdom of God. XXII. Are Church and State `Mutually Conducive'. XXIII. World Federalism and Ecumenical Christianity. Conclusion. Bibliography. Concordance of Names and Subjects.