Challenging theocracy : ancient lessons for global politics / edited by David Edward Tabachnick, Toivo Koivukoski, and Hermínio Meireles Teixeira.

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Class of 1924 Book Fund.

Tabachnick, David Edward, 1972- editor.

Koivukoski, Toivo, editor.

Teixeira, Hermínio Meireles, 1961- editor.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Theocracy.

History.

Theocracy--History.

Religion and politics--History.

Religion and politics.

Political science--Philosophy.

Political science.

Philosophy, Ancient.

World politics--21st century.

World politics.

Genre:

History.

Physical Description:

xxii, 343 pages ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Toronto ; Buffalo ; London : University of Toronto Press, 2018.

Summary:

"Commonly perceived as a direct threat to the practice of liberal democracy, the global reemergence of theocratic claims to political rule is a misunderstood development of twenty-first century politics. Analyzing the relationship between religion and politics throughout the Middle East, Africa, and the United States, as well as classical and medieval political philosophical sources, Challenging Theocracy critiques the contemporary formation of theocracy. Providing an account of the origins and influence of theocracy, the chapters in this volume explore ancient texts that articulate the theocratic political ideas that continue to bubble under the surface of political life today. In an effort to consider how regimes extend beyond their immediate institutional and legal forms and find their foundation in timeless ideas, the contributors examine ancient and modern political thought to better understand their persistent power and impact on global politics."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Part 1 Theocracy in Ancient Political Thought and Practice

1 Theocracy as Temptation: Empire and Mindfulness p. 5 / Fred Dallmayr

2 The Confrontation between Classical Political Philosophy and the Gods of the City p. 10 / Mark J. Lutz

3 Between Rationalism and Theocracy: Plato, the Mysteries, and F.W.J. Schelling's Analysis of the Modern State p. 38 / Steven F. McGuire

4 The Place of Religion in Politics: On Analogous Gods and the Piety of the Unspoken p. 59 / Toivo Koivukoski

5 The Aristotelian Roots of Religious Governance Approaches p. 79 / Jeremy Neill

Part 2 Theocracy and Modern State Politics

6 The Non-Theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) p. 105 / Houchang Hassan-Yari

7 Islamism in North Africa: From Cairo to Tunis p. 126 / Jeffry R. Halverson

8 Theocratic Arguments in Judaism p. 148 / Alan Mittleman

9 Saving Miracles: Political Theology and Theocracy in the Schmitt-Benjamin Encounter p. 167 / Hermínio Meireles Teixeira

Part 3 Responding to the Challenges of Theocracy

10 Theocracy's Challenge p. 195 / Peter L. P. Simpson

11 The Impossibility of Theocracy: The Weakness of the Gods p. 217 / Yvonne Sherwood

12 Understanding Our Adversaries: Ancient vs. Modern Political Thought p. 264 / James Franke and Laurie M. Johnson

13 Religion, Tolerance, and American Theocratic Politics: Lessons for the Contemporary Era p. 285 / Scott W. Hibbard

14 Shaftesbury's Characteristics and the Problem of Priestcraft p. 307 / Ronald Beiner.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Class of 1924 Book Fund.

ISBN:

9781442649293

1442649291

9781442626676

1442626674

OCLC:

1026998334