The Mighty and the Almighty
An Essay in Political Theology

Questions how the church and state should be related, through an examination of the relationship between divine and political authority.

Nicholas Wolterstorff (Author)

9781107673809, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 27 February 2014

190 pages
23 x 15.3 x 1 cm, 0.28 kg

'Nicholas Wolterstorff guides the reader through the world of political theology, in a way that is refreshingly clear and well reasoned. The book … retain[s] the conversational tone and accessibility required in a lecture and desirable in any written introduction to a complex field. … It is refreshingly Christian in its approach … a lively analysis of the freedom the Church ought to enjoy in the liberal democratic state.' Stephen Farrell, Search: A Church of Ireland Journal

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.

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.

Subject Areas: Theology [HRLB], Philosophy of religion [HRAB]