I. A Dangerous and/or Useful Kingdom? ............ 5 II. Is There a Concept of the Kingdom of God? . . . . .. . 9 III. The Development of the Concept of a Kingdom of God in the Old Testament ................... 15 IV. Is an Apolitical Kingdom of God Possible? ....... 21 V. The Vicissitudes of Theocracy in Israel ........... 27 VI. New Testament Conceptualization of Messianic Fulfillment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 37 . . . . . . . . VII. Is an Alternative Messianic Scenario Conceivable? ................... . . . . . . .. . . 43 . VIII. Did Jesus make a Major Mistake? ............. 51 IX. The Dialectics of Christian Interpretation . . . . . .. . . 59 X. Hermeneutical Circle, or circulus vitiosus? ........ 67 XI. Political Milestones: Three Romes, Three Reichs, Three Kingdoms, and a "Holy Roman ." 73 E mplre ................................. . viii XII. Catholic Political Theology: The "Two Cities" and "Two Swords," and Beyond. . . . . . . . . .. . . 83 . XIII. How Visible can a "City of God" be? ......... 101 XIV. Protestant Political Theology: Beyond the "Two Kingdoms" and the "Two Regiments" . . . . .. . . 109 XV. Does Hegelian Political Theology have a Future? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 119 . . . . . . . . . XVI. The Emergence of the Secular Kingdom of God ..................................... 125 XVII. Secularization-a Boon to Mankind? ......... 137 XVIII. Religious Experience, Chosenness, and Political Expression ....................... 145 XIX. Does Democracy need Redefinition? .......... 157 XX. The Dialectics of Democracy ................. 169 XXI. Democracy and the Kingdom of God . . . . . . .. . . 183 XXII. Are Church and State "Mutually Conducive"? .. 195 XXIII. World Federalism and Ecumenical Christianity 205 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 221 . . . . . . . . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . 225 . . . . . . .

“Perhaps the best book on Christian anarchism since Jacques Ellul . . . a timely and valuable addition to resurgent interest in political theology.”—Eric Gregory, Princeton University Anarchy and the Kingdom of God reclaims the concept of “anarchism” both as a political philosophy and a way of thinking of the sociopolitical sphere from a theological perspective. Through a genuinely theological approach to the issues of power, coercion, and oppression, Davor Džalto advances human freedom—one of the most prominent forces in human history—as a foundational theological principle in Christianity. That principle enables a fresh reexamination of the problems of democracy and justice in the age of global (neoliberal) capitalism.

This book traces the history of the biblical idea of the Kingdom of God and suggests its contemporary relevance. “To grasp what is meant by the Kingdom of God is to come very close to the heart of the Bible’s gospel of salvation.”—from the Preface

Before the fall of mankind, heaven and earth were under on kingdom: the kingdom of God. After the fall, we attempted to establish our own order, but this new world order operates under the subtle influence of Satan, the ancient enemy of God. He was expelled with his demons for trying to establish a Democracy in Heaven. After being limited to the earth, he usurped the dominion given to Adam and Eve, and now he seeks to be god of his world and usher in his anti-Christ government. To do this he will depend on our ignorance and our desire for control. Just as he once lured the angels into holding elections in heaven, Satan now lures us into thinking that we too can chose who should hold power. However, true power always rests with the Lord. Don't be deceived and enticed by the promises of democracy, for Satan is recruiting all of mankind to join him in a final war against God.

A 'kingdom' is a group of people ruled by one person, the 'king', who makes all the laws himself without their votes or approval. The concept is anathema to contemporary democracy and its confidence in government by the people, the naive assumption that majorities will always get it right. History does not encourage optimism. There have been more bad kings than good, even in God's chosen people Israel. Behind our world's problems, which baffle our finest politicians and philosophers, lies a fundamental, racial and fatal error of having chosen the wrong king. Born into his kingdom, he has deceived us into thinking we can each of us be our own kingdom, inevitably clashing with each other, as individuals or nations. The only solution is to find the right king and become his loyal citizens. One day all other kingdoms will be shaken to pieces but this will remain, for ever. Only then will the conflict, in which every one of us is involved, be resolved.

In Christ and the Common Life Luke Bretherton provides an introduction to historical and contemporary theological reflection on politics and opens up a compelling vision for a Christian commitment to democracy. In dialogue with Scripture and various traditions, Bretherton examines the dynamic relationship between who we are in relation to God and who we are as moral and political animals. He addresses fundamental political questions about poverty and injustice, forming a common life with strangers, and handling power constructively. And through his analysis of debates concerning, among other things, race, class, economics, the environ­ment, and interfaith relations, he develops an innovative political theology of democracy as a way through which Christians can speak and act faithfully within our current context. Read as a whole, or as stand-alone chapters, the book guides readers through the political landscape and identifies the primary vocabulary, ideas, and schools of thought that shape Christian reflection on politics in the West. Ideal for the classroom, Christ and the Common Life equips students to understand politics and its positive and negative role in fostering neighbor love.

American Christians, weary of decades of entrenched partisan feuding, are increasingly distancing themselves from politics. Some, however, continue to turn toward the state and public policy to find solutions to the world's problems. The problem is that both responses allow a narrow vision of politics to determine the church's mission and ministries, which often ends up separating its commitment to personal faith from the pursuit of social justice--the King from the kingdom. Christians too easily forget that the church is inherently political, a community defined by its allegiance to a King, its citizenship in a new world, and its call to work alongside others in pursuit of a new way of life. The church needs a political vision that is more than blind acceptance or mere rejection of past models. It needs a positive vision that takes its cues about politics not from the nation-state but from another political reality: the kingdom of God. This book tells the stories of the visits of two researchers to five diverse congregations across the United States. From the megachurch energy of Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California, to a young Emergent community in Minneapolis, to the politically active home of Martin Luther King in Atlanta, these stories illuminate the vastly different ways congregations understand and approach politics--and offer a glimpse of a new political imagination for today's church.