Migrations of the holy : God, state, and the political meaning of the church

Whether one thinks that "religion" continues to fade or has made a comeback in the contemporary world, there is a common notion that "religion" went away somewhere, at least in the West. But William Cavanaugh argues that religious fervor never left -- it has only migrated toward a new object of worship. In Migrations of the Holy he examines the disconcerting modern transfer of sacred devotion from the church to the nation-state. In these chapters Cavanaugh cautions readers to be wary of a rigid separation of religion and politics that boxes in the church and sends citizens instead to the state for hope, comfort, and salvation as they navigate the risks and pains of mortal life. When nationality becomes the primary source of identity and belonging, he warns, the state becomes the god and idol of its own religion, the language of nationalism becomes a liturgy, and devotees willingly sacrifice their lives to serve and defend their country. Cavanaugh urges Christians to resist this form of idolatry, to unthink the inevitability of the nation-state and its dreary party politics, to embrace radical forms of political pluralism that privilege local communities -- and to cling to an incarnational theology that weaves itself seamlessly and tangibly into all aspects of daily life and culture. Read more about the book in a blog post by Cavanaugh on Introduction 1. "Killing for the Telephone Company": Why the Nation-State Is Not the Keeper of the Common Good 7 2. From One City to Two: Christian Reimagining of Political Space 46 3. Migrant, Tourist, Pilgrim, Monk: Identity and Mobility in a Global Age 69 4. Messianic Nation: A Christian Theological Critique of American Exceptionalism 88 5. How to Do Penance for the Inquisition 109 6. The Liturgies of Church and State 115 7. The Church as Political 123 8. The Sinfulness and Visibility of the Church: A Christological Exploration 141 9. A Politics of Vulnerability 170 Index 196 Whether one thinks that ôreligionö continues to fade or has made a comeback in the contemporary world, there is a common notion that ôreligionö went away some-where, at least in the West. Yet William Cavanaugh argues that religious fervor never left-it has only migrated toward a new object of worship. In Migrations of the Holy he examines the disconcerting modern transfer of sacred devotion from the church to the nation-state