Politica e Religione (Online)

Sulla storia del concetto di theologia civilis

Michele Nicoletti — 2024-12-30

In its Greek origins, the concept of theology is intimately linked to the political dimension, because it is the science of divine things linked to the constitution of the city and to a specific social group that is the bearer of a knowledge and function. From these roots the Roman theologia civilis developed, which is part of the tripartite theology elaborated especially by Varro. The Christian tradition, in particular Augustine, makes a profound critique of civil theology as superstition and attributes its functions to Christian theology as such and to ecclesiastics. In the Middle Ages, the concept of theologia civilis is an antiquarian notion that refers to the Roman world, while a profound mixture of theological and political develops that borrows formulas and concepts from the ancient world applied to the theological and liturgical sphere and vice versa. In the modern age, interest in Roman religion is revived and the theme of theologia civilis and the theological-political is used to indicate the state’s activity in religious matters, but there are also other new meanings such as that offered by Vico in terms of the “science of divine providence” or the “Christian theology of politics”. In the 19th century, the term “political theology” came into use both to denote a traditionalist interpretation of politics linked to a theological derivation of power (Bakunin) and to indicate a Christian theology that was not only speculative but also militant. In the 20th century, it was Carl Schmitt in polemic with Bakunin and Kelsen who wielded the term as a polemical weapon and stimulated contemporary thinking in the theological as well as in the legal and political fields. But even in Schmitt’s version “political theology” appears as a form of knowledge linked to a determined social body.

"Pythagoras in legibus suis”: lineamenti di teologia civile in Alberto Magno

Alessandro Palazzo — 2024-12-30

Like many other medieval thinkers, Albert the Great, a 13th-century Dominican theologian, shows no particular interest in the tradition of so-called civil theology: in his vast corpus, we do not find analyses of this conception or of its two most typical elements – namely the role of Numa Pompilius and Augustine’s critique of Varro’s tripartite theology. However, Albert’s reflections on the Leges Pythagorae do constitute an original contribution to civil theology. Albert explores both the religious implications and the moral and political usefulness of these “laws”. In his works Pythagoras is depicted as a theologian-legislator, whose task is to educate the people and make them good citizens, to give morality and society a theological foundation through his religious laws (metempsychosis, vegetarianism, ritual prescriptions, and a strict lifestyle).

L’influenza della Föderaltheologie sul pactum symbioticum nella Politica di Johannes Althusius

Ilaria Pizza — 2024-12-30

This essay examines Johannes Althusius’ doctrines on covenant and natural right (jus communis). While assessing the operation of these concepts within the broader context of Althusius’ political model, the essay aims to shed light on a particular form of political theology: the “federal” one, which was spreading in Calvinist intellectual circles in early modern Europe.

Bayle tra «religion du serment» e «religion du souverain»

Stefano Brogi — 2024-12-30

While it may seem odd to expect a proper “political theology” from Bayle, his work is a perfect viewpoint from which to analyze the relationship between religion and politics within the context of the European wars of religion. This paper takes into consideration the evolution of Bayle’s position, with regard to two key concepts: the “religion du serment”, that is, the subject’s duty to obey his legitimate ruler, in spite of their different faith, and the “religion du souverain”, that is, the sovereign’s duty to follow, as Henry IV did, a principle of “raison d’État”, rather than his own private beliefs.

“L’altare che sostiene il globo”: la Scienza Nuova come teologia civile

Francesca Fidelibus — 2024-12-30

This paper aims to identify the meaning and significance that the expression “civil theology” assumes in Giambattista Vico’s Scienza Nuova. In particular, an attempt will be made to investigate the double meaning that “knowledge of some divinity” takes on in the work of the Neapolitan philosopher: one placeable on the level of principles and the other on the historical-factual level. The investigation will show that the Scienza Nuova presents itself as “civil theology” since only by thinking of it in these terms can Vico attempt to respond to the alleged rational self-foundation of politics and law and to the split between norm and fact, sustained as much by erudite libertinism as by modern contractualism and natural law.

Problema teologico-politico e teologia civile dei Romani in Montesquieu

Gabriele Pulvirenti — 2024-12-30

This paper offers a survey of some major issues in Montesquieu’s works that can properly be called “theologico-political”. The first, which may be considered the main “theologico-political problem” in the Esprit des lois, concerns the political weight of theological doctrines, that is, their potential to be treated as models to conceive sovereignty. Other issues are identified in the Dissertation sur la politique des Romains dans la religion, where Montesquieu also refers to the De Civitate Dei and Varro’s three theologies. While enquiring into the reasons for Montesquieu’s interest in the civil theology of the Romans, this paper aims to offer some useful elements to appreciate the author’s place in a broader study on the history of the concept of “civil theology”.

The concept of “political religion:” a historical overview

Tamás Nyirkos — 2024-12-30

A historical overview of the rich ambiguity of the concept of “political religion” is offered here. After a glance at the early modern period, some of the most important authors who treated political religions as secular religions, such as Condorcet and Voegelin, are analyzed before diving into the current debates. Although the exact use of the term “political religion” is not yet fully defined, this paper makes an argument that the early meaning of the concept did not refer to the secularization of religion, nor to the sacralization of politics, but rather to the public character of religion, as opposed to inner or private beliefs.

A “Reformed Führerprinzip”? On Schmitt’s criticism of Barth in the preface to the second edition of Political Theology

Tommaso Manzon — 2024-12-30

The similarities existing between Carl Schmitt’s thought and that of Karl Barth have been noticed by a growing number of scholars. Nonetheless, there is still much that can be uncovered by comparing their ideas. The specific aim of this paper is to compare their Theologico-political projects. The starting point of my analysis will be Schmitt’s polemics with Barth and his fellows, undertaken in the preface to the second edition of Political Theology. Later in my exposition I will discuss the connections between this text and Barth’s manifesto Theological Existence Today!

Models of sovereignty and civil religions: a possible dialogue between the writings of Erik Peterson and Eastern Orthodox theologians

Ana Petrache — 2024-12-30

My paper focuses on Erik Peterson’s contribution to the classical debate on political theology, especially on his description of models of sovereignty: the divine monarchy model, the King of Persia Model, and the angels of the nations’ model, which form the basis of the Eusebian civil theology. Considering these models initially, I suggest a possible subsequent dialogue between Erik Peterson’s writings and Eastern Orthodox theology. Peterson’s focus on eschatology, ecclesiology, liturgy, and the Church Fathers makes his work relevant for the Orthodox tradition. In addition, his work critically confronts the frameworks of imperialism and nationalism, which represent the principal challenge for the Orthodox space. To a limited extent this discussion has already started, such as in the work of Cyril Hovorun, Pantelis Kalaitzidis or Christos Yannaras. However, a closer look into Peterson’s theological reflections, especially his deconstruction of the Eusebian model of symphonia based on a dogmatic reasoning, deserves further consideration. A critical assessment of the way religious language is used to construct models of sovereignty – first in the Hellenistic world, then later in the Roman Empire – lies at the heart of Peterson’s research. Questions of analogy and order and how religious narratives contribute to maintaining social bonding within a community, and thus the status quo, are central aspects of his work. Hence, engaging with Peterson’s ideas can provide useful insights for Orthodox theologians, who critically assess theological images and language adopted with respect to political realities.

Voyage au bout de la théologie politique. Carl Schmitt e la postfazione di Teologia politica II

Alvise Capria — 2024-12-30

On the occasion of Hans Blumenberg’s arguments in his book The Legitimacy of the Modern Age, which did not accept the theses set forth in Political Theology, Carl Schmitt, in the afterword to Political Theology II, returns to the question of the legitimacy of the Gesamtordnung by insistently relating it to the entire conceptual constellation of his thought. The first part of the paper will briefly reconstruct what meaning Schmitt gives to the lemma Political Theology and in what sense the secularisation of modern political concepts plays a central role in it. The second part will attempt to understand why the text attracted criticism from Blumenberg, and why according to him secularisation is primarily a linguistic problem indicating a gap in semantic function. Finally, the last part will analytically trace Schmitt’s response to the German philosopher: it will be seen how the jurist not only reiterates how it is not possible to eliminate transcendence from the modern political horizon, but how the political categories themselves are intimately affected by the ineradicable question of enmity, which can only be grasped through fundamental questioning of the origin of theological-political concepts. As much as it takes the form of an “impossible dialogue”, since both remain firm on their positions, the confrontation between Schmitt and Blumenberg is a precious testimony of how necessary it is to confront the problem of transcendence in the production of the political order.