The philosopher Eric Voegelin (1901-85) held that at the
heart of an adequate political philosophy must be a
philosophy of consciousness. This study discusses
Voegelin's thought in its significance for "political
theology", by which is understood that mode of theological
thinking which focuses on the relationship of
Christian faith to the pursuit of social justice.
The study falls into two parts. Part One is an exposition
of Voegelin's thought with the perspective of political theology continuously in mind. Chapter One justifies the choice of this perspective. There follow chapters an the symbol of the metaxy, which Voegelin takes from Plato and which is fundamental to his thought, and on the rational structure of symbols and their articulation. Then the modes of symbolic discourse most important for Voegelin are considered in turn: myth, classical philosophy, Christian theology, history, and politics. Part One finishes with a discussion of Voegelin's work on the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures.
Part Two concentrates on three topics central to the
concerns of Voegelin and political theologians alike.
Besides being intrinsically important, these topics
permit one to estimate how valuable is Voegelin's work as
a resource for political theology. The topics are the
relationship between individual and societal transformation;
the scope and limits of Christian hope for the attainment of a just social order within history; and the nature of political responsibility and irresponsibility in the light of faith. The thesis ends with a summary of its conclusions.
It is argued that Voegelin's thought offers a powerful
and constructive challenge to political theologians, but
that political theology in turn provides a vantage point
which reveals certain serious shortcomings in Voegelin's
powerful thought. In particular, it is argued that
Voegelin fails to articulate adequately the social
implications of his own philosophical principles.