Resisting Theology, Furious Hope: Secular Political Theology and Social Movements (Radical Theologies and Philosophies)

This book puts radical theology and political theology into an interdisciplinary conversation with sustained and serious readings of resistance. Using an anthropology of ritual as a common thread, Jordan E. Miller explores the reality of the relationship between political theology, radical theology, and political theory, action, and power without cynicism in a creative, forward-moving way. The first half of the book develops a radical political theology and the second half applies that theory to a series of social movements, including The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP), Occupy Wall Street, and #BlackLivesMatter, and includes reflections on the events at Standing Rock, ND. Preface 7 Acknowledgments 13 Contents 17 List of Tables 19 Chapter 1: Introduction to Resisting Theology 20 Chapter 2: Subjunctivity 37 Religion, Not Spirituality 37 Manufacturing the World 45 Introduction to Illustrations 52 Illustration 1: Martin Buber and Communion Without God 55 Illustration 2: René Girard and God’s Withdrawal 58 Illustration 3: Paul Tillich’s Theology of Culture 63 Chapter 3: Political Theology 69 Political Theology Otherwise 69 Sovereignty or Authority 77 From Theory to Application 83 Chapter 4: Resisting Theology Part 2 87 Toward a Radical Theology of Politics 87 Resisting Theology (Again) 89 Modernity, Politics, and Religion 99 Theology Today 105 Tactics and Liberation 109 Democracy, or Anarchy 115 The City 119 Chapter 5: Act Up 128 Chapter 6: Occupy Wall Street 144 Seasons 144 Spirit 150 Silence 160 Chapter 7: #BlackLivesMatter 169 Chapter 8: Conclusion: Standing Rock 181 Bibliography 185 Index 203 Front Matter ....Pages i-xix Introduction to Resisting Theology (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 1-17 Subjunctivity (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 19-50 Political Theology (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 51-68 Resisting Theology Part 2 (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 69-109 Act Up (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 111-126 Occupy Wall Street (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 127-151 #BlackLivesMatter (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 153-164 Conclusion: Standing Rock (Jordan E. Miller)....Pages 165-168 Back Matter ....Pages 169-198