Theopolitical Imagination

Rating:
Summary: A Milestone in Theological Politics
Review: William T. Cavanaugh has produced yet another excellent book on the issue of theology, the church and politics. Building off his earlier work in "Torture and Eucharist", Cavanaugh explores the themes of the state, civil society, capitalism and globalism from a distinctly ecclesial, Eucharistic perspective. Cavanaugh's overarching argument is that the Christian practice of the Eucharist offers resources for building of a body (the body of Christ) of resistance to the violence and totalizing designs of the nation-state.

Cavanaugh's argument proceeds in three chapters, 1) The Myth of the State as Savior, 2) The Myth of Civil Society as Free Space and 3) The Myth of Globalism as Catholicity.

In his first chapter, Cavanaugh chronicles the rise of the modern nation-state against the historical backdrop of the "wars of religion". He shows, against the common perception, that the modern nation-state arose, not in order to police the violence of religious wars, but actually created the existence of religion (defined as an inner faith that has no direct political implications). The "wars of religion" are thus a misnomer, as they were not, as Cavanaugh shows caused by doctrinal zealotry, but by the political designs of rising nation-states. Cavanaugh shows how the state passed itself off as an "alternative soteriology to that of the church", purporting to save to world from the church as peacemaker. However, as the last four centuries have testified, the state has turned out to be a false soteriology, breeding more violence than ever before in history. Thus, Cavanaugh argues, the path for the church to follow is not to attempt to wrest the sword of Christendom from its rusty sheath, but to cultivate forms of resistance to the violence of the state through the communal practice of the Eucharist, which is a profoundly political act, as it relativizes the boundaries drawn by nation-states and declares the fellow members of the body of Christ are our true fellow-citizens. As such, the church, through the Eucharistic practice resists the violence of the state and offers a political alternative to it.

In his second chapter, Cavanaugh goes on to discuss civil society. He notes that many Christians have attempted to place Christian public contribution and activism within the sphere of "civil society" which is purported to be a public square that is outside the state, but still equally public and actually is able to impact state from without. Cavanaugh critiques this understanding and shows how the structures of the state pervade "civil society" to such a degree that no true boundaries can be drawn between them. Cavanaugh concludes that "civil society" does not offer a free space of dialogue in which the church has ground to speak. He thus moves on to argue that the church itself is a space for such dialogue. Against the hegemonic designs of the state, which represses and controls the public square, the church itself is irreducibly public through its proclamation and liturgical practice, which form the church community to be a body capable of resistance to the designs of the totalizing state. This again is connected to the fact that the church relativizes the boundaries of nation-states through participation in the Eucharist, in which one's countrty and fellow-citizens are redefined as members of the body of Christ. In so doing, the church creates the space for different kinds of political discussions and dialogues that the state is unable to sustain, give its inherent violence and greed.

In his final chapter, Cavanaugh moves into a discussion of globalism. He proceeds to show that globalism, rather than marking a departure from the paradigm of the nation-state, is in fact a hyperextension thereof. Globalism presupposes the nation-state paradigm and arises out of it. Again, the answer to globalism, Cavanaugh argues is the church's practice of the Eucharist. Globalism is actually a false catholicity, or universality. The Eucharist, by contrast establishes true catholicity, offering an alternative to the destructive politics of capitalistic globalism.

All in all, this is an excellent, lucid and well-argued book on the political nature of the church. "Theopolitical Imagination" should be required reading for anyone attempting to think through the political nature of the church in a world of statized global capitalistic consumerism.

Rating:
Summary: A Milestone in Theological Politics
Review: William T. Cavanaugh has produced yet another excellent book on the issue of theology, the church and politics. Building off his earlier work in "Torture and Eucharist", Cavanaugh explores the themes of the state, civil society, capitalism and globalism from a distinctly ecclesial, Eucharistic perspective. Cavanaugh's overarching argument is that the Christian practice of the Eucharist offers resources for building of a body (the body of Christ) of resistance to the violence and totalizing designs of the nation-state.

Cavanaugh's argument proceeds in three chapters, 1) The Myth of the State as Savior, 2) The Myth of Civil Society as Free Space and 3) The Myth of Globalism as Catholicity.

In his first chapter, Cavanaugh chronicles the rise of the modern nation-state against the historical backdrop of the "wars of religion". He shows, against the common perception, that the modern nation-state arose, not in order to police the violence of religious wars, but actually created the existence of religion (defined as an inner faith that has no direct political implications). The "wars of religion" are thus a misnomer, as they were not, as Cavanaugh shows caused by doctrinal zealotry, but by the political designs of rising nation-states. Cavanaugh shows how the state passed itself off as an "alternative soteriology to that of the church", purporting to save to world from the church as peacemaker. However, as the last four centuries have testified, the state has turned out to be a false soteriology, breeding more violence than ever before in history. Thus, Cavanaugh argues, the path for the church to follow is not to attempt to wrest the sword of Christendom from its rusty sheath, but to cultivate forms of resistance to the violence of the state through the communal practice of the Eucharist, which is a profoundly political act, as it relativizes the boundaries drawn by nation-states and declares the fellow members of the body of Christ are our true fellow-citizens. As such, the church, through the Eucharistic practice resists the violence of the state and offers a political alternative to it.

In his second chapter, Cavanaugh goes on to discuss civil society. He notes that many Christians have attempted to place Christian public contribution and activism within the sphere of "civil society" which is purported to be a public square that is outside the state, but still equally public and actually is able to impact state from without. Cavanaugh critiques this understanding and shows how the structures of the state pervade "civil society" to such a degree that no true boundaries can be drawn between them. Cavanaugh concludes that "civil society" does not offer a free space of dialogue in which the church has ground to speak. He thus moves on to argue that the church itself is a space for such dialogue. Against the hegemonic designs of the state, which represses and controls the public square, the church itself is irreducibly public through its proclamation and liturgical practice, which form the church community to be a body capable of resistance to the designs of the totalizing state. This again is connected to the fact that the church relativizes the boundaries of nation-states through participation in the Eucharist, in which one's countrty and fellow-citizens are redefined as members of the body of Christ. In so doing, the church creates the space for different kinds of political discussions and dialogues that the state is unable to sustain, give its inherent violence and greed.

In his final chapter, Cavanaugh moves into a discussion of globalism. He proceeds to show that globalism, rather than marking a departure from the paradigm of the nation-state, is in fact a hyperextension thereof. Globalism presupposes the nation-state paradigm and arises out of it. Again, the answer to globalism, Cavanaugh argues is the church's practice of the Eucharist. Globalism is actually a false catholicity, or universality. The Eucharist, by contrast establishes true catholicity, offering an alternative to the destructive politics of capitalistic globalism.

All in all, this is an excellent, lucid and well-argued book on the political nature of the church. "Theopolitical Imagination" should be required reading for anyone attempting to think through the political nature of the church in a world of statized global capitalistic consumerism.