Political Theology Ancient and Medieval - Syllabus_GGversion_new_ 2015

Late Antique and Medieval Political TheologyFall 2015 Medieval Studies MA course, 2 credits Time: tba Location: tba Instructors: György Geréby Course description: Following Carl Schmitt

Late Antique and Medieval Political Theology

Fall 2015 Medieval Studies

MA course, 2 credits Time: tba Location: tba Instructors: György Geréby

Course description:

Following Carl Schmitt’s “Political Theology” (originally in 1922) the late 20th century rediscovered the significance of religion in shaping political legitimacy, with a lasting impact even on modernity, since the process of secularisation retained important structural aspects of earlier theological concepts Schmitt’s formulaic statement was that

“All significant concept of the modern theory of the state are secularized theological concepts” This insight inspired many a research programs, like that of Ernst Kantorowicz, Leo Strauss, Jacob Taubes, Jan Assmann and many others

The term political theology, however, has a long, sometimes explicit, sometimes implicit history Already in antiquity it formed part of the Hellenist tripartite theology (besides natural theology and mythical theology) Polybius and Panaitios defined it as a type of theology that serves the interest of politicians More generally, it could be understood as a theology which is constitutive for a given political order, by providing justification and legitimacy

The Hellenistic concept of the universal empire relied on a cosmic vision While Roman thinkers such as Varro, Cicero, and Seneca insisted

on the necessity of political theology to maintain public order, the Church Fathers, like Hippolytus, Tertullian, and Augustine refuted political theology and contrasted it with their new concept of a Christian “true religion” and “true theology”, based on revelation This radical opposition to the empire, however, was not shared by all Christian theologians of the time, like by Origen, Lactantius The struggle between Emperor and Church, the secular and the religious became one of the pivotal issues both in the Byzantine Empire and in the West

In other words, the basic question is if a political theology can legitimately be based on the Christian creed This question has remained with Christianity in East and West ever since

Goals:

With the help of close reading of choice text this survey course aims to confront and familiarize students with ancient and medieval traditions and discussions of political theology, to understand the concept of the universal empire, theocracy, the church, its ambiguous relationship to the empire, and the difference between the Eastern (or Byzantine) and the Western (Latin) approaches

Learning outcomes:

The students will be familiarized foundational texts as well as with the political and theological vocabulary of the Hellenistic, and Christian traditions They will acquire a better ability to understand ancient and medieval political terminologies by learning about their historical origins and contexts They gain the historical knowledge that is necessary to understand long lasting ideas, like the present-day church-state relations, and more widely, strategies of legitimacy in different intellectual traditions of Europe

Attendance

Attendance at all lectures is mandatory and will be kept record of Students taking the class for grade must not miss more than two sessions Students taking the class for audit must not miss more than three sessions

Course requirements and grading:

1 A final paper of 3000 words to be submitted by 10 January The paper should refer to the whole reader but focus on certain time periods or topics according to individual interest

(50 %)

2 Class journals: weekly cca 500-550 words-protocols of the class discussion to be submitted 48 hours before the next class

(30 %)

3 Participation: contribution to class discussion and voluntary presentations of readings

(20 %)

Introductory readings:

Scott, Peter and William T Cavanaugh, The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology, Wiley: Blackwell, 2006.

Hoelzl, Michael and Graham Ward (eds.), Religion and Political Thought,

London and New York: Continuum, 2006

Brent, A A political history of early Christianity London – New York: T &

T Clark, 2009

Dagron, G Emperor and priest The Imperial Office in Byzantium tr J.

Birrell Cambridge: CUP, 2003

Dvornik, F Early Christian and Byzantine Political Philosophy Origins and

Background Washington DC: 2 vols Dumbarton Oaks, 1966.

Canning, F A history of medieval political thought 300-1450 London:

Routledge, 1966

Schedule

Week 1: Introduction Basic terms, ideas, problems Legitimacy Sovereignty Political form Preamble: Alexander the Great and the universal empire

Readings: a) Dvornik, F ‘The Hellenization of Roman Political Theory’ in:

Early Christian and Byzantine Political Philosophy Origins and Background Washington DC: 2 vols Dumbarton Oaks, 1966 vol.

2 ch viii

b) Ps-Aristotle, De mundo (selections) c) Dio Chrysostom, On kingship

Week 2: The Hellenistic perspective on monarchy The “tripartite theology.” The “Pythagorean treatises.” The Roman imperial political theology: The Roman mission Pax romana Law and justice Peace: the ara pacis Civic religion versus religious truth

Readings: a) Polybius, Histories (selection from book 6)

b) Dvornik, ch 8 Suggested reading:

c) Riedl, Matthias, „Truth versus utility: The debate on civil religion in the Roman Empire of the 3rd and 4th century,“ in: John von

Heyking/Ronald Weed: Civil Religion in Political Thought Washington

D.C.: Catholic University of America Press, 2010, pp.47-65.

c) Fustel de Coulanges, The ancient city Bks III and V (96-188 and 302-342)

Week 3: The political message of the Bible Hellenistic Judaism against the empire Kingship: divinely ordained, or human institution? Terminology in the Bible: theocracy, lawgiving, the kingdom of God The biblical account of kingship, city, nations Theocracy The empires in the history of salvation.

Readings: a) Selections from the Old and New Testament

b) Josephus, Against Apion 2:17-18 c) Philo, On the creation of the world 1-31

d) The Book of Daniel, ch.2.

Week 4: Early Christianity: from the NT to Constantine The New Testament on political legitimacy "My kingdom is not of this world." The kingdom of God The nations and the church.

Readings:

a) Paul of Tarsus, Letters (Hebrews, Romans & Galatians -selections)

b) Epistle to Diognetus Suggested readings:

b) Murray, R The Symbols of Church and Kingdom ch 1

c) Wood, "We have no king but Christ' ch.3.

Week 5 Imperial Theology in Christianity The vocation of the nations The ecumenical empire in the history of salvation

Readings: a) Paul of Tarsus, Letters (Hebrews, Romans & Galatians

-selections)

b) Origen, Against Celsus (selections) c) Eusebius of Caesarea, Ecclesiastical History, bk 10 d) Eusebius of Caesarea, Oration in Praise of Constantine

Week 6: Anti-imperial theology The Book of Revelations: Rome as the apocalyptic Babylon Rome as the katechon

Readings: a) The Passion of the Scillitan Martyrs

b) Epistle to Diognetus c) Tertullian: Selections from Apologeticum, De pallio d) Gregory of Nazianzus, Third Theological Oration

Week 7: The epoch of Constantine Augustine: The church and the Kingdom of God The role of eschatology

Readings: a) Augustine, The City of God, Book VI

b) Augustine, The City of God, Book VII c) Augustine, The City of God, Book XV d) Augustine, The City of God, Book XIX

e) Armstrong, G T Church and State Relations: The Changes Wrought by Constantine Journal of Bible and Religion, Vol 32,

No 1 (Jan., 1964), pp 1-7

Week 8: The Byzantine imperial theology The later theories The new polity: the orthodox Christian empire The emperor and the patriarch Caesaropapism? The origins of symphonia Theocracy in the East

Readings:

a) Ostrogorsky, G ‘The Byzantine Emperor and the Hierarchical World Order.’ The Slavonic and East European Review, Vol 35,

No 84 (Dec., 1956), pp 1-14 b) Geanakoplos, D J ‘Church and State in the Byzantine Empire:

A Reconsideration of the Problem of Caesaropapism.’ Church History, 34 (1965), No 4 (Dec., 1965), pp 381-403

c) Anastos, Milton, ‘Constantinople and Rome.’ in: Aspects of the

Mind of Byzantium, Ashgate,2001 (Selections):

http://www.myriobiblos.gr/texts/english/milton1_21.html

Week 9: The Two Swords in the Latin realm Pope Gelasius, and the Latin tradition The significance of the (pseudo-)Donation of Constantine The Investiture On the power of the Pope Papal Government versus Universal Monarchy Secular and spiritual power.

Readings: a) Pope Galasius, Letter to Emperor Anastasius Duo sunt

c) Pope Boniface VIII., The Bull “Unam Sanctam”

Week 10: Medieval Latin theories on kingship and church:

Readings:

a) Anonymous, Norman Tracts (Tractatus Eboracensis) b) Anonymous, Before there were clerics

c) Kantorowicz: The King’s Two Bodies A Study in Mediaeval

Political Theology, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1997,

pp 3-23 and 42-61

Week 11: Conciliarism On the power of the Pope.

Readings:

a) Giles of Rome, On ecclesiastical power (selections) b) Dante: Divine Comedy (selections); Monarchy (selections)

.

Week 12: Summary: A Christian Political Theology? The

Schmitt-Peterson Debate

Readings: a) Erik Peterson, “Monotheism as a political problem: a

contribution to the history of political theology in the Roman

Empire,” in Theological Tractates, trans Michael J Hollerich,

Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2011.

b) Geréby, György, “Carl Schmitt and Erik Peterson on the Problem of Political Theology A footnote to Kantorowicz,” in:

János M Bak, Aziz al-Azmeh, eds., Monotheistic Kingship The

Medieval Variant, Budapest: CEU Press, 2005, pp 31-61.