Volf - Monotheism, Nationalism, & Violence

Friends,

 

In the spring of 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine, and with it we saw another expression of Christian Nationalism expose itself. Many of us were used to the familiar American variety, but could it be that a similar spirit of political and religious sensibilities was giving rise to this new violence in Ukraine?

 

As a way to seek understanding of the religious dimensions of this violence, I decided to offer a session of my systematic theology course at Yale Divinity School, dedicated to some thinking about the relation between monotheism and nationalism.

 

That session led to the development of these 25 interlocking theses.

 

Earlier this week, terrorist atrocities have awoken another war in Israel and Palestine, and again the concept of national identity, and perhaps monotheism, is intermixed with the eruption of this violence.

 

These theses emerge from my conviction that God is indeed the creator and lover of all people. And I hope they offer some insight during times such as now.

 

Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School, October 2023. – 58 p.

 

Introduction

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Endnotes