Ruminations on William Bain’s Political Theology of International Order
| Author | Friedrich Kratochwil |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/17550882221144467 |
| Published date | 01 February 2023 |
| Date | 01 February 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Forum |
https://doi.org/10.1177/17550882221144467
Journal of International Political Theory
2023, Vol. 19(1) 110 –124
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/17550882221144467
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Ruminations on William
Bain’s Political Theology of
International Order
Friedrich Kratochwil
European University Institute, Italy
Abstract
This article reviews Wiliam Bains book and places it in the wider discussion of
seciularization vs. secularism taking place in the social science. in general.
Keywords
International thought, modernity, political theology, William Bain
William Bain has written a great book: it is well conceptualized (instead of just relying
on the usual common places that reverberate within the networks of the discipline), care-
ful and nuanced in its argumentation, and illuminating for readers who dare to follow
him on this unorthodox exploration. This presents the reviewer with considerable diffi-
culties to do justice to the argument, but also to raise further questions by taking up the
challenge and suggesting how this exploration could be continued—which I consider the
most productive way. For making this point, I will first try to map out the contrast space
in which several attempts to deal with the intersection of politics and religion can be
placed, so that the distinctiveness of Bains “political theology” becomes clear as well as
its relations to other approaches can be established. In a second round I then engage with
Bain’s main thesis, and conclude with four further questions, aimed at identifying further
explorations.
Mapping the space
The intersection of politics and religion has been a perennial issue, and despite the pre-
tenses of modernity to have left the difficulties that arise in this context behind, they are
still with us. Precisely because the announced victory of reason over old prejudices was
Corresponding author:
Friedrich Kratochwil, European University Institute, Florence, Italy.
Email: Friedrich.Kratochwil@gmx.de
1144467IPT0010.1177/17550882221144467Journal of International Political TheoryKratochwil
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