Orthodoxy in the Agora: Orthodox Christian Political Theologies Across History

Abstract

The radical socio-political changes in the wake of the fall of communism in many predominantly Orthodox countries of Eastern and Southeastern Europe have triggered an intense interest in formulating a specifically Orthodox Christian political theology in various forms. The present volume focuses on these developments, but also offers a panorama of the evolution of Orthodox political theologies across time, from early Byzantium until today. The contributions examine their historical background, consider their specific parameters, and critically assess their particular features. Given that political theology has a much more robust history within Western Christianity, some contributions contextualise the topic more broadly by comparing Orthodox with Western Christian political theologies. Considering that the analysis of the Orthodox side has been mostly neglected or ignored in the past, this volume aims at filling a serious gap in the related research.