RE-MYTHOLOGISATION 0 OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS?

by: Pieter Bos
date: 11/19/2008
Category: Society

A NEW DIRECTION IN THE CHURCH-STATE DEBATE:
TOWARDS RE-MYTHOLOGISATION OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS?

Resuming the old church-state debate? Why under the heading of “re-mythologisation”? Where is God in international politics?
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Summary and conclusions

Around 500 BC the Greek Xenophanes started to question the known myths of his time: “What did really, factually, happen?” In this way he started a process of de-mythologisation, and so became the first “historian”, as some now claim.
In the Bible, which was written both before and after Xenophanes, the concept of “God’s hand in history” is clearly present. As a result it is also found in Christian theology. In fact European history has been shaped by powerful people who made intriguing, pious, aggressive and unashamed claims that they were carrying out God’s hand in history. Such claims have been supported by whole libraries of interpretations of the church-state relationship.
In the 19th century the concept of the “nation-state” emerged, politics was secularised and the church, through this and other dynamics, was more and more marginalised.
In the 1960’s in theology the movement of de-mythologisation started. Again the question was asked: “What did really, factually, happen?” Not this time by emerging historians, but by rationalistic theologians, who deemed the supernatural unscientific and/or no longer fitting in 20th century thinking. This resulted in a hardening of the “separation of church and state”. From an institutional separation of church and state (with which I agree) this concept moved to a conceptual exclusion: faith (myth, religion) is not relevant and therefore taboo and even labelled “fundamentalist” in public affairs. Religion was pushed out of the public debate into private life.
However, in the beginning of the 21ste century, the church-state debate, or at least the religion-politics debate is back on the scene. Several international dynamics have contributed: the development of post-modernism, the unconcealed influence of New Age thinking, the sudden and sometimes aggressive international presence of Islam are among them. Suddenly “God/god is back in the public arena” (not too obviously, though, to prevent accusations of “religious terror”).

This development brings the following questions to the front: What is the place of God/god in the state? And in public life? What is “God’s hand in history”? Is a process of re-mythologisation emerging?
This series of articles deals with the following topics.

Art.1 The task of the Church: from a church-state to a God-state relation
Is the Church (or: church) a “societal partner” in the fabric of public life, or a “spiritual body” mediating in the relation between God and the state? This article presents and elaborates the central THESIS:
Not the church-state relationship is the issue, but the God-state relationship; the Church is a “third party” mediating between the two, working towards a covenant relationship of God and state.
This article starts out by presenting definitions of Church, church, state, people, to avoid misunderstanding, and explores the realistic possibility of a covenant relationship between God and the state, and the factual relevance of the Church as a spiritual body in 21st century society.

Art. 2 Realism and hope for the Church, for nations and for politicians
This is the basic application of the Thesis. Historic church-state relationships are described, and then fourteen 21st century examples of God-state relationships are presented. These fourteen examples show the Church mediating between God and the state, indeed “ruling with Christ in the heavenlies”!

Art. 3 Realism and despair concerning the EU and the UN
This is a “hot” application of the Thesis, surveying the (still illuminating) referendum on the EU-constitution in 2005. It led toward a negative voting advice, both because of the constitution and because of the fragile foundation of the (covenantal) structure of the EU and UN.

Art 4 The bigger picture and the urgency
This is the long-term application of the Thesis. Nine current “Anti-covenants” block the God-state relationship that God intends, but at the same time push towards a “re-mythologisation” of international politics. Also increasing intolerance between the world religions Judaism, secularising Christianity, Islam, Buddhism and New Age tend in that direction. At the same time an increasing number of “test cases of God-state relationship” emerges. History will culminate as Jesus returns to be king, in our political reality!

Art 5 Conclusion: Understanding God’s master plan will cause a paradigm shift
This series presents an unusual view of history, both for this time and the near future. What the apostle John presented in Revelation is not so much the “end time” as the “bottleneck of history”, a transition to the realm of peace under Christ as king over the Commonwealth of Israel. God does have a “hand in history”! How does history develop in that direction? We hardly know, but the scenario is not the issue. The issue is whether the Church is ready for whatever scenario is coming!
The dynamics of world politics are tense with covenant passion and covenant breaking, with God’s rightful wrath and His amazing grace, with eternal death and eternal life of peoples and nations, with exalted kingship and passionate bridegroomship.
The God-state relationship during the Millennium as a political reality is a near-future phase in world politics. Do the main players notice the urgency?


NB: This series of articles is the elaboration and application of chapter 5 of “THE NATIONS CALLED, Theology of the Nations and their Redemption.” by the same author. This book explains in more detail the concept of God’s covenant with all the nations, as present, but mostly overlooked, throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible.

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