Abstract
The justly praised Wiley Blackwell Companion to Political Theology has been expanded and updated in this new (second) edition to represent the increased variety of approaches, topics, and geographical areas in contemporary political theology. An especially valuable inclusion is the considerably expanded introduction by the editors, which provides a brief history of political theology along with an insightful overview of current topics and debates in this field.
The five-part structure and nearly all of the essays from the first edition are retained. Only two essays have been omitted from this revised edition: Alan M. Suggate’s excellent but focused discussion of William Temple’s political theology has been replaced with Luke Bretherton’s more comprehensive “Anglican Political Theology,” and Peter Sedgwick’s now dated essay on globalization has been removed from the section on “Structures and Movements.” Instead, several new essays on postcolonialism, political economy, technology and information, grassroots social movements, and a heavily philosophical analysis of postsecular political theology have been added to this section. These tantalizingly brief but focused and perceptive essays contribute greatly to making this edition more appropriate to contemporary politics and to the range of current issues in political theology.
Another important addition is a second, broader, essay on liberation theology by Mario I. Aguilar, complementing Roberto S. Goizueta’s article focusing on the work of Gustavo Gutiérrez. Together these essays provide a more adequate treatment of the breadth and ongoing development of liberation theology. Along with Emmanuel Katongole’s new essay, “Political Theologies of Africa” and Agnes M. Brazal’s “Postcolonialism,” this more thorough treatment of liberation theology expands the conversation beyond the Euro-American focus that nevertheless remains dominant even in this revised edition, as the editors acknowledge. The new essays on John Milbank and on (Euro-American) Anabaptist political theologies further nuance—and reinforce—the attention to Euro-American and Christian political theology. Despite the inherent limitations, this new edition ensures that the book remains a critical resource for scholars of political theology.