FORLØSNING FRA DENNE VERDENS ONDER

Abstract

Politics and theology constitute two domains that we would prefer to understand as separate and as operating according to different principles, but as the term “political theology” would indicate, certain common traits do exist. Both areas are capable of displaying ardent followers with fierce ideological or dogmatic devotions—devotions that have a history of developing into violent movements. It is the intention of this text to describe and explain in more analytical terms the principal idea behind this devotion, as it arises when certain theological motives achieve their heyday in politics. The key object is therefore the concept of eschatology and the reasons why it constitutes such a central theme in collective redemptive efforts. The text presents itself in three stages. First, the concept of eschatology is introduced, followed by the concept of Gnosticism as an example of the world-negating view inherent in eschatology. Second, it is shown how a present day position in theology is influenced by eschatology. And third, to explain how a once purely transcendent structure may become immanent, the concept of secularization is introduced. Secularization accounts for how theological patterns of interpretation have been transplanted to the secular realm of everyday politics, most prominently through the redemptive concept of eschatology.