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Arendt's political theology: from political religion to profanation

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Arendt's political theology: from political religion to profanation. / Diken, Bulent; Laustsen, Carsten Bagge.
In: Arendt Studies, Vol. 3, 01.10.2019, p. 111-131.

Research output: Contribution to Journal/MagazineJournal articlepeer-review

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Diken B, Laustsen CB. Arendt's political theology: from political religion to profanation. Arendt Studies. 2019 Oct 1;3:111-131. Epub 2019 Aug 28. doi: 10.5840/arendtstudies201982721

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Diken, Bulent ; Laustsen, Carsten Bagge. / Arendt's political theology : from political religion to profanation. In: Arendt Studies. 2019 ; Vol. 3. pp. 111-131.

Bibtex

@article{e0dd953e44eb4c45bd00edb3b416f4cc,
title = "Arendt's political theology: from political religion to profanation",
abstract = "The article elaborates on Arendt{\textquoteright}s take on the religious and the political and on how they interact and merge in modernity, especially in totalitarianism. We start with framing the three different understandings of religion in Arendt: first, a classic understanding of religion, which is foreign to the logic of the political; second, a secularized political religion; and third, a weak messianism. Both the classic understanding of religion and the political religion deny human freedom in Arendt{\textquoteright}s sense. Her transcendent alternative to them both is the notion of the democratic political community: the Republic. Then we turn to Arendt{\textquoteright}s political theology, illuminating why interrogating Nazism is central to examine the relationship between politics and religion in modernity. This is followed by a discussion of Nazism as a type of political religion. We focus here on totalitarianism, both as an idea and actual institution. We conclude with an assessment of the role of profanation in Arendt{\textquoteright}s work and its significance vis-{\`a}-vis the contemporary {\textquoteleft}return of religion{\textquoteright} as well as totalitarian tendencies which call for new forms of voluntary servitude. ",
keywords = "Arendt, totalitarianism, religion, political theology, profanation, Nazism, the camp",
author = "Bulent Diken and Laustsen, {Carsten Bagge}",
year = "2019",
month = oct,
day = "1",
doi = "10.5840/arendtstudies201982721",
language = "English",
volume = "3",
pages = "111--131",
journal = "Arendt Studies",
issn = "2474-2406",
publisher = "Philosophy Documentation Center",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Arendt's political theology

T2 - from political religion to profanation

AU - Diken, Bulent

AU - Laustsen, Carsten Bagge

PY - 2019/10/1

Y1 - 2019/10/1

N2 - The article elaborates on Arendt’s take on the religious and the political and on how they interact and merge in modernity, especially in totalitarianism. We start with framing the three different understandings of religion in Arendt: first, a classic understanding of religion, which is foreign to the logic of the political; second, a secularized political religion; and third, a weak messianism. Both the classic understanding of religion and the political religion deny human freedom in Arendt’s sense. Her transcendent alternative to them both is the notion of the democratic political community: the Republic. Then we turn to Arendt’s political theology, illuminating why interrogating Nazism is central to examine the relationship between politics and religion in modernity. This is followed by a discussion of Nazism as a type of political religion. We focus here on totalitarianism, both as an idea and actual institution. We conclude with an assessment of the role of profanation in Arendt’s work and its significance vis-à-vis the contemporary ‘return of religion’ as well as totalitarian tendencies which call for new forms of voluntary servitude.

AB - The article elaborates on Arendt’s take on the religious and the political and on how they interact and merge in modernity, especially in totalitarianism. We start with framing the three different understandings of religion in Arendt: first, a classic understanding of religion, which is foreign to the logic of the political; second, a secularized political religion; and third, a weak messianism. Both the classic understanding of religion and the political religion deny human freedom in Arendt’s sense. Her transcendent alternative to them both is the notion of the democratic political community: the Republic. Then we turn to Arendt’s political theology, illuminating why interrogating Nazism is central to examine the relationship between politics and religion in modernity. This is followed by a discussion of Nazism as a type of political religion. We focus here on totalitarianism, both as an idea and actual institution. We conclude with an assessment of the role of profanation in Arendt’s work and its significance vis-à-vis the contemporary ‘return of religion’ as well as totalitarian tendencies which call for new forms of voluntary servitude.

KW - Arendt

KW - totalitarianism

KW - religion

KW - political theology

KW - profanation

KW - Nazism

KW - the camp

U2 - 10.5840/arendtstudies201982721

DO - 10.5840/arendtstudies201982721

M3 - Journal article

VL - 3

SP - 111

EP - 131

JO - Arendt Studies

JF - Arendt Studies

SN - 2474-2406

ER -