Assignment 2: Political Theology, Scripture, and Public Life (1,500–2,000 words)

Weighting: 30% of final grade

Due: End of Week 7 (Sunday, 11:59 p.m., local time)

Length: 1,500–2,000-word essay (excluding title page, references, and appendices)

Submission: Upload a single Word or PDF file to the course LMS (Turnitin-enabled)

Assignment Context

Across the universities listed in this course outline, recent offerings in Theology, Religious Studies, and Political Theory highlight how sacred texts and doctrines are used to justify or challenge contemporary political arrangements.
This assignment asks you to bring together biblical or theological analysis with critical engagement in political and social theory, in line with current approaches to political theology and religion in the public sphere.
You are expected to engage both primary texts (scripture or classic theological sources) and recent peer-reviewed scholarship published between 2018 and 2026.

Task Description

Write a 1,500–2,000-word essay that analyzes how a specific Christian doctrine or scriptural passage is used to support or critique a modern political issue, institution, or movement.
You may draw on case material from North America, the UK, Europe, Africa, or the Asia–Pacific region, provided that you ground your discussion in the theological and political theories covered in this unit.
Your work should move beyond description to offer a clearly argued position on how theology should inform public life in the chosen case.

Step 1: Choose One Focus Area

Select one of the following broad themes as the focus of your essay:

• Religion, nationalism, and state power
• Human rights, dignity, and the image of God
• Migration, borders, and hospitality
• Economic justice, poverty, and stewardship
• Race, colonialism, and reconciliation
• War, peacebuilding, and nonviolent resistance

Step 2: Select Your Theological Lens

Within your chosen theme, select one primary theological lens:

• A specific biblical text or cluster of texts (e.g., Exodus narrative; Sermon on the Mount; Romans 13; Revelation 21–22)
• A major doctrinal locus (e.g., creation, sin, salvation, ecclesiology, eschatology)
• A key historical theologian or tradition (e.g., Augustine, Aquinas, Reformers, Black Liberation Theology, Political Catholicism, Public Theology)

Your essay must explain why this lens is appropriate, then show how it illuminates and evaluates your chosen political issue or case study.

Step 3: Develop Your Argument

1. Formulate a clear, arguable thesis statement that states how your theological lens should shape Christian engagement with the selected political issue.
2. Interpret the chosen biblical passages or doctrinal themes with attention to historical context, theological nuance, and relevant scholarly debate.
3. Describe the contemporary political issue, policy, or movement with reference to at least one reputable source in political science, history, or sociology.
4. Critically evaluate how your theological lens challenges, revises, or affirms dominant political narratives and practices in your chosen case.
5. Offer a reasoned conclusion that articulates specific implications for Christian public witness, institutional practice, or policy engagement.

Assignment Requirements

• Length: 1,500–2,000 words (essays outside ±10% may be penalised according to school policy).
• Sources: Minimum of 8 scholarly sources, including:
  • At least 2 biblical or classic theological primary sources.
  • At least 4 peer-reviewed journal articles or academic book chapters (2018–2026).
  • At least 2 sources from political theory, history, or social analysis that frame your case study.
• Citation style: Use your programme’s required style consistently (e.g., Chicago, Turabian, Harvard, or APA). Include a full reference list.
• Formatting: Double-spaced, 12-point standard font, 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins, page numbers included.
• Academic integrity: Any use of AI tools, notes sites, or contract cheating services must comply with university policy and be fully disclosed where required.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Demonstrate accurate understanding of a central Christian doctrine or scriptural passage and its historical interpretations.
• Analyse a contemporary political issue using appropriate theories and methods from religious studies, theology, and political science.
• Construct a coherent, evidence-based theological argument about religion in public life.
• Communicate complex ideas clearly in written academic English, with proper citation of sources.

Grading Rubric / Marking Criteria

1. Theological and Biblical Understanding (25%)

• Accurate explanation of key doctrines, texts, and theological concepts.
• Evidence of engagement with recognised scholars and major interpretive debates.
• Appropriate integration of biblical exegesis, doctrinal reflection, and tradition-specific perspectives.

2. Engagement with Political and Historical Context (25%)

• Clear description of the chosen political issue, institution, or movement.
• Use of credible political science, historical, or sociological sources to frame the context.
• Insightful connection made between theological claims and concrete social or political realities.

3. Critical Analysis and Argumentation (25%)

• Presence of a precise, arguable thesis that guides the essay.
• Logical development of ideas with well-structured paragraphs and signposting.
• Critical evaluation of competing viewpoints, not mere description or summary.
• Persuasive use of evidence to support claims and address possible objections.

4. Research, Referencing, and Academic Writing (25%)

• Use of a sufficient number and quality of scholarly sources, including material from 2018–2026.
• Accurate and consistent referencing in the required style and complete reference list.
• Clear, precise, and grammatically correct prose appropriate for upper-level undergraduate work.
• Adherence to length, formatting, and submission guidelines.

Many students frame their essays around widely debated passages such as Romans 13 or the Sermon on the Mount, using them to interrogate nationalism, policing, migration, or economic policy.
A focused argument explains not only how these texts have been read historically, but also how contemporary scholarship in political theology reconsiders their implications for public life.
Stronger essays go beyond devotional reflection and show, with specific evidence, how theological convictions either reinforce or disrupt existing political narratives and institutional practices.
Careful engagement with recent peer-reviewed research will signal that your essay is rooted in current debates across theology, religious studies, and political science.

References

1. Cavanaugh, W.T. & Scott, P.M. (eds.) 2019, The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology, 2nd edn, Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford.
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2. Bretherton, L. 2019, Christ and the Common Life: Political Theology and the Case for Democracy, Wm. B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids.

3. Gorski, P.S. 2017, American Covenant: A History of Civil Religion from the Puritans to the Present, Princeton University Press, Princeton. (Use as a foundational text; still widely cited 2018–2026.)

4. Kessler, M. & Rieger, J. (eds.) 2020, Oxford Handbook of Political Theology, Oxford University Press, Oxford.

5. Spencer, A. & Chaplin, J. 2021, God and Government: A Biblical Perspective on the Role of the State, SPCK, London.