The Civitas Podcast Episode 36: Surveying Modern Political Theology, with Peter Leithart and James Wood
Oct 31, 2025
Dive into a rich conversation on the nuances of Christian nationalism and political theology. Discover why thinkers like Barth and Bonhoeffer are seen as unconventional yet influential. Explore challenges like reconciling Christianity with liberalism, and the roles of magistrates in public life. Students' enthusiasm for figures like O'Donovan reveals a hunger for practical insights. The hosts dissect the implications of historical traditions on modern faith and public action, ultimately viewing current challenges as opportunities for theological revival.
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Episode notes
Nursing Father Presumes Divided Polities
- The Protestant 'nursing father' motif presumes a divided polity and often a Westphalian church-state arrangement.
- That presumption can imply civil authority tied to particular national churches rather than universal catholicity.
Westminster Revisions Kept Magistrate Duties
- Westminster revisions retained nursing-father language and duties to 'disapprove, detest, and oppose false worship.'
- Changes in wording did not fully remove magistrate obligations toward true religion.
Read Confessional Revisions Carefully
- When subscribing to historic confessions, examine retained clauses not just omissions.
- Ask what obligations remain rather than assuming removed text forbids practices.
