The Oxford-Princeton Seminar in Christian Ethics engages in discussions on different aspects of Christianity and Western political thought. This year’s theme is Christianity and the State: 16th to 20th Century Perspectives. The basic question guiding this year’s seminar is: What should Christians want from the state?
The seminar engages in monthly online sessions on key figures and texts around this question, led by scholars who are already working on resourcing each figure’s thought. In continuity with our previous seminars and conferences, the purpose of these sessions is to investigate texts and figures from the past to answer present questions and concerns. We will aim to have a final conference where the invited participants in the seminar–senior and graduate students alike–will have a chance to present a paper on the topic of Christianity and the State.
Seminar participants are expected to pre-read primary texts selected by seminar leaders. Seminars begin with a short word of introduction from the seminar leader, followed by sustained discussion organized around the text and questions of political theology. Sessions are 90 minutes long. Past and future seminar leaders include Gerald McKenny (on John Calvin), Oliver O'Donovan (on Hugo Grotius), Elisabeth Kincaid (on Francisco Suarez), and Paul Weithman (on John Rawls).
If you are an Oxford University graduate student or scholar interested in joining, please contact Ruan Bessa (ruan.bessa@theology.ox.ac.uk) or Matthew Vogel (matthew.vogel@theology.ox.ac.uk).
The most up-to-date schedule and readings can be found here.
