Reformed Theology and Politics
HDS 2267
Subject & Catalog Number
Course Information
Description
The Reformed Protestant tradition (including Calvinism and Neo-Calvinism) has had a long and complex relationship to politics, spanning from the tradition's sixteenth-century emergence in Europe during times of war, colonization, and state refiguration, to many subsequent political moments: the English Civil War, early American settler colonies; 19th-20th century socialism, fascism, and continued colonization in South Africa and Indonesia; later twentieth-century U.S. dominionism and Christian Reconstruction; and, most recently, specific articulations of Christian nationalism. This seminar will look at key theological writings from major Reformed authors, some of whom remain widely-read and some of whom are more obscure but nevertheless impactful. Authors may include: Calvin, Bucer, Voetius, Cocchius, Turretin, Rutherford, Schleiermacher, Kuyper, Barth, Van Til, Rushdoony, and others involved in contemporary conversations on Christian nationalism. The goal is for students to better understand: 1) how theological texts have constructed and advocated certain models of the human (in relation to God, creation, sin, and grace) in the aim of forming both persons and communities; (2) the implicit/explicit political implications of this pedagogical formations; and, thus, (3) a more nuanced working sense for how religious training can actively animate political sensibilities.
Course Notes
Interested students should review the course Canvas site, where instructions on how to apply to this course will be posted when available.
Available for BTI Cross Registration
Available for Harvard Cross Registration
NOTE: This course requires additional sections; you will be prompted to choose secondary components during the Add to Cart process
Religion, Ethics, and Politics
Religious Thought, Philosophy, and Theology
