6. Democracy and the “Kingdom of God,” by Howard P. Kainz. ISBN 0-87462-610-2. ©1995. Paperbound. Index. $25
“There is a consensus among Christian theologians that the symbol of the “kingdom of God,” inherited from the Judaic tradition, is the key to understanding Christianity. But theologians have for millennia differed among themselves as to the interpretation of this symbol. Political ramifications of, or reactions to, this Judaeo-Christian idea have included the Holy Roman Empire, the Crusades, the “Third Rome,” American Manifest Destiny, Zionism, the Third Reich, and Liberation Theology. This book focuses on the question of whether the “kingdom of God” is necessarily related to certain political implementations, and its possible implications for democracy and democratic theory. It examines the development of the symbol in the Old and New Testaments, the diversity of related theological interpretations and political concomitants, and the significance of the “kingdom of God” in the development of present and future political formations and political theory.” — From the author’s Preface
“Kainz’s contribution consists more in the method of argumentation which he uses to support it: a method which combines dialectical argumentation, expressed in chapters in the form of dialogues together with an historical survey. The result is precisely a dialectical presentation, both of the Kingdom of God and of democracy, and of their relationship. The advantage of this method of argumentation is that it allows one to refine the thesis itself, exposed to the criticism of the adversary, so that the final proposition takes into account the contrasting viewpoints and is aware of its own fragility, being liable to degenerate into onesideness.” — From the review in Salesianum 57 (1995) 381-82.5.
Marquette University Press
