About us

The very name "political theology" strikes fear into many. It seems like an unnatural, dangerous combination of religious and secular ideas, of different forms of thinking, authority and a blend of two often directly opposing world views. We do, however, face up to the challenge of that seemingly impossible task. Instead of following the exclusive paths of humanism and secularism, we are attempting to play upon the similarities between politics and theology, taking into account their long history, various forms and past integration as well. The point of this exercise is not, of course, to politicise religion or canonicalise politics, but rather to use our knowledge of theology to further develop our understanding of politics. We believe that, without political theology, a serious reflection on the various issues of society is futile and that political philosophy only deserves its recognition when political theology is cast into the picture as well.

Political theology has never been a popular creed in Poland. Under the communists, relations between the religious and the political spheres were treated either indirectly, as a social science, or within the constraints of the Marxist doctrine. Paradoxically, little changed after the fall of communism. A fear of dangerous ideologies, such as religious extremism and nationalism, led to a clear line separating religious and socioeconomic thought. Recently, however, as debate has grown in the West about the role of religion in the public sphere, interest in the subject has also grown in Central and Eastern Europe.

Political Theology is a philosophical yearly which concentrates on this field of inquiry, considering social affairs from a religious perspective. Launched in 2003 and edited by Marek A. Cichocki and Dariusz Karłowicz, it is the only journal in Poland to combine political, economic, philosophical and religious issues. It aims to be a forum for philosophical and theological public debate and to inspire wider discussion on the theological aspects of public life. It publishes essays on a broad range of subjects affecting the modern world as well as translations of articles on political theology previously published abroad. But Political Theology is more than just a journal: we regularly organize lectures, seminars and debates with the participation of some of the most prominent figures in the Polish political, academic and intellectual world. While we wish to cater for a wide audience, students and young academics remain our primary focus.

Marek A. Cichocki, Prof. (born 1966) Polish philosopher and political scientist, helds professor title in humanities, historian of political ideas, political journalist and publicist, social adviser to President Lech Kaczynski. Expert in Polish-German relations. He is also the editor-in-chief and co-founder of Political Theology.  He has authored the following books: Problem politycznej jedności w Europie, Warsaw 2012, Władza i Pamięć, Cracow, 2005; Porwanie Europy, Cracow 2004; Ciągłość i zmiana, Cracow 1999. 
Selected reading: The One who Restrains

Dariusz Karłowicz, Polish philosopher, university lecturer (University of Warsaw), columnist and a book publisher. The president of the St. Nicolas Foundation (Fundacja Świętego Mikołaja) which is an NGO involved in charitable, educational, cultural and scientific activity. An Editor-in-chief of the Polish philosophical magazine "Political Theology" ("Teologia Polityczna") which analyzes the connections and relationships between philosophy, religion, and politics. Co-author of a weekly television program "Trzeci Punkt Widzenia" on the channel TVP Kultura (on the public television). A member of the policy council for the magazine First Things – the Polish edition (2006-2008), The author of books and articles. The winner of the Andrzej Kijowski Prize for the book "Koniec snu Konstantyna" (2005). Was awarded by the Order of Polonia Restituta for charity work (2012).

Books translated into English:
The Archparadox of Death. Martyrdom as a philosophical category, Polish edition published by Znak, Kraków 2000, and by Fronda, Warszawa 2007, English edition published by Peter Lang, Frankfurt 2016.
Socrates and Other Saints, published by Fronda, Warszawa 2005, English edition published by Cascade Books, Wipf and Stock Publishers, Eugene, Oregon 2017.

Books translated into English >> order here:

http://wipfandstock.com/socrates-and-other-saints.html

https://www.peterlang.com/view/product/23838?tab=aboutauthor

Dariusz Gawin, Prof. (born 1964) Historian and author, Dariusz Gawin is the Deputy Director of the Warsaw Rising Museum and President of the Stefan Starzynski Institute as well as the Head of the Department of Studies of Civil Society at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. His chief field of interest is the history of Polish political and social thought. His articles appeared in publications such as Res Publika Nowa, Znak, Więź, Życie and Rzeczpospolita. He has co-authored several books on history and social education. He has held scholarships at Nuffield College, Oxford University, the Mershon Center for International Security Studies, Ohio State University, and the Wissenschaftzentrum Berlin fur Sozialforschung.

Selected reading: "August 1980 in Light of the Republican Tradition, Thinking in Values", "Totalitarianism and Modernity"

Joanna Paciorek – M.A. in economics, vice president of the Board of the St. Nicholas Foundation and Executive Director, responsible for development and finance. She organized many social campaigns, for example for Warsaw Hospice for Children, Polish Humanitarian Action, Caritas Poland.

Book: "Mama w pracy"

For further information, please contact: redakcja@teologiapolityczna.pl

Our office address: Koszykowa 24 lok. 7, 00-553 Warsaw. We are open from Monday through Friday from 9 am to 5 pm.

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