Reading Scriptures and Thinking Politics

The Bible and its receptions are the focus of this monographic section. It investigates, on the one hand, aspects of governance and the relationship with the state or among states as perceived in certain biblical texts. On the other hand, it explores scriptural influences and uses in various hermeneutical reflections and reworkings of politics in post-biblical times, from Augustine to Martin Luther. Four contributions, written by an international group of scholars, address different aspects of the issue. While each article has a specific focus, collectively, they provide a broad and representative (though not exhaustive) overview of the topics. Specifically, the diachronic approach of these contributions reveals how the pluralism of ideologies – often conflicting – arising from ancient Israel, early Judaism, and Christianity, and permeating their sacred texts, has generated a diversity of perceptions, conceptions, and practical applications concerning the intricate realm of politics across various literary texts and historical periods.