Abstract
Protestant perspectives on pluralism in political theology are predictably plural. While prevalent narratives of modern decline bemoan Protestant pluralism and its ostensive side-effects, others celebrate pluralism as a good in its own right. One aim of this essay is to display the diverse perspectives in Protestant political theology regarding political theology itself, pluralism, secularism, and democracy, while clarifying and refining these terms. I do so by considering each theme in turn. Finally, I consider the ways that religious dissenters of the 1790s defy prominent depictions of Protestantism, even as they exemplify the plurality at its core. The dissenters wed an ancient legacy of reflection on theological virtues such as charity to appeals for human and women’s rights, and suggest that love of country, neighbor, alien and God is central to protestant political theology. Given the plurality inherent in Protestantism, Christianity, and modern democratic societies alike, we have good reasons, I argue, to turn from a politics of refusal to one of tending and organizing for goods shared in common.
Highlights
Protestant perspectives on pluralism in political theology are predictably plural
We find a range of views about pluralism and related concepts, such as: secularism, liberalism, democracy, tolerance, and the common good
How do Protestant’s conceive of, identify with, or reject political theology? Here, as one might expect, we find considerable plurality
Summary
In order to consider whether there is anything distinctively Protestant about Protestant political theologies of pluralism, it will help to ask a prior question. Political theology in the broadest sense includes this vast legacy—from the Exodus and wilderness story of the Hebrew Scriptures, which have become central to much liberation theology, to the kingdom of God (Basileia tou Theou) of the New Testament scriptures, and from third-century martyrs of the Roman Empire, such as Perpetua and Felicity, to nineteen and twentieth-century martyrs of American Empire, including enslaved persons, Civil Rights protesters, and Oscar Romero among countless and nameless others. He refuses the term “political theology” even as he agrees with those, like Bretherton, who see the inherently political nature of theology. A debate remains among Protestant political theologians, broadly conceived, about whether the politics of Jesus call primarily for a politics of refusal, foot-dragging, and disruption, or instances of these as one aspect of tending, organizing, and a broader spectrum of political participation. The rest of this essay attends to some of these theologians who contribute to this debate
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