Course Information: Political Theology G-

M-ED1
Lectureres: Prof. Dr. Theo Boer; Dr. Lieke Werkman, lawerkman@pthu.nl, coordinator

Course objectives

Students have an insight in current theological debates about the implications of globalisation and of
its countermovements, including the crisis of liberal democracy, the contested normativity of human
rights (freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, women’s and children’s rights), the existence of
deep pluralism within states, religiously inspired conflict (and reconciliation), and economic and
ecological justice;
Students are able to reflect theologically on these debates relying on theoretical models of relating
theology and politics;
Students are able to use the theoretical tools from these debates to relate to their own contexts.

Content

Issues concerning political theology have an urgency in many of the countries our international
students come from. Questions concerning the relation between church and state, conflicting values
and interests within societies, human rights discourses (domestic violence, women’s rights, sexual
abuse) , poverty and violence are close to their hearts as is obvious from the topics many of them
choose to write theses about. Dutch students live in a society in which religion is an increasingly
contested issue debated in domains of religious education, judicial questions concerning freedom of
speech and freedom of religion and political debates concerning national identity and integration.
Both groups of students live in a world with growing tensions between political power blocs and
cultural spheres of influence, religion-related violence and global questions of international justice
and environmental crises. Exchange and comparison between different contexts enhances the
understanding of the shared dimensions of many of these problems.

Study Load

5 ECTS: 140 uur.

7 x 3 hrs. = 21 hrs. Lectures
3 hrs.-- Written exam
40 hrs --- Writing essay
76 uur Study time

Competences

Disciplinary competence
Assessment of discipline competence
In a written exam students’ knowledge of and insight in theological reflections on politics are tested.

Academic competence
Assessment of academic competence
In an essay students show the competence to relate theoretical concepts to empirical observations

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Hermeneutical competence
Assessment of hermeneutical competence
In an essay students show the ability to relate (certain topics from) the course to their own contexts.

Content/Schedule:
Fridays: 10 – 12.45 hrs.

Lecture 1, 16/11/2018: Opening Session

Introducing the subject matter:
David Miller, Political Philosophy. A Very Short Introduction, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2003.
(130 pp.) Available through the RUG/library as e-book; this book will be part of the study load for the
written exam. In this lecture chapters 1 and 2 of Miller’s book will be introduced.

Lecture 2, 23/11/2018: Political Theology

Jürgen Moltmann, ‘European Political Theology’, in: Craig Hovey, Elizabeth Phillip, The Cambridge
Companion to Christian Political Theology, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 3-22. (20 pp.)
Fragments from: Robert P. Ericksen, Theologians under Hitler. Gerhard Kittel, Paul Althaus and
Emanuel Hirsch, New Haven & London: Yale University Press, 1985.

Lecture 3, 30/11/2018: Liberation Theoloy

Miguel A. De La Torre, ‘Liberation Theology’, in: Craig Hovey, Elizabeth Phillip, The Cambridge
Companion to Christian Political Theology, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 23-43. (21
pp.)
José Miguez Bonino, ‘Theology and Theologians of the New World: II Latin America. Five Theses
Towards an Understanding of the ‘Theology of Liberation’, Expository Times, Vol. 87, No. 7, 1976, pp.
196-200, (5 pp.)
Mery Kolimon, ‘Empowerment: A New Generative Theme of Christian Mission in a Globalized World’,
Exchange 40 (2011) 35-56. (22 pp.)
Relevant for this subject is chapter 5 of the book of Miller

Lecture 4, 7/12/2018: Public Theology

Hak Joon Lee, ‘Public Theology’, in: Craig Hovey, Elizabeth Phillip, The Cambridge Companion to
Christian Political Theology, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 44-65. (22 pp.)
Charles Villa-Vicencio, ‘Christianity and Human Rights’, Journal of Law and Religion, Vol. 14, No.2
(1999-2000), pp. 579-600. (22 pp.)
Relevant for this subject are chapters 3 and 4 of the book of Miller

Lecture 5, 21/12/2019: Dealing with Religious Pluralism

Karel Steenbrink, ‘Muslim-Christian Relations in the Pancasila State of Indonesia’, The Muslim World
Vol. LXXXVIII, NO. 3-4 July-October, 1998, pp. 320-352. (33 pp.) Relevant for this chapter are
chapters 5 and 7 from the book of Miller.

Lecture 6, 11/1/2019: Dealing with Religious Pluralism: the Example of the Netherlands
Roland Pierik and Wibren van der Burg, ‘What is Neutrality?’, Ratio Juris, Vol. 27 No. 4 December
2014 (496–515). (20 pp.).
Theo A. Boer, ‘Euthanasia and Dying Well: Some Remarks from a Dutch Perspective’, Focus of the
Community of Protestant Churches in Europe 2011, 1, 16‐7

Lecture 7, 19/1/2019: Closing Session

Theme and texts to be announced. We will pay attention to chapter 6 of the book of Miller

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Written exam: date to be announced (test exam will be published on Blackboard); Most of the
questions will be ‘open book’ questions, but the main concepts of the book by Miller should be
known ‘blindly’.

Deadline essay: first day of period 3

Guidelines essay

Write a short essay, 2500 words +/- 10%

Choose a topic from one or more of the lectures: for example the topic of Religious Pluralism we
talked about in lectures 5 and 6, or a comparison between political and public theology or the
debates about the Christian origins of Human Rights or …..

Of course you have to refer to the obligatory literature we read in this course and you have to find
additional literature from at least three different sources (+/- 150 pp.)

Formulate a central question and relate the literature to a concrete political debate. Refer to your
own context.

Make correct foot notes and add a complete bibliography.

If you have doubts about your topic, research questions or if you want help in finding literature you
can contact me lawerkman@pthu.nl