Sovereignty
God, State, and Self
By Jean Bethke Elshtain
(Basic Books, 2008)
Elshtain examines the origins and meanings of “sovereignty” as it relates to the ways we attempt to explain our world: God, state, and self.
Examining the early modern ideas of God which formed the basis for the modern sovereign state, Elshtain carries her research from theology and philosophy into psychology, showing that political theories of state sovereignty fuel contemporary understandings of sovereignty of the self. As the basis of sovereign power shifts from God, to the state, to the self, Elshtain uncovers startling realities often hidden from view. Her thesis consists in nothing less than a thorough-going rethinking of our intellectual history through its keystone concept.
Based on her 2005–06 Gifford Lectures, this book is the culmination of over thirty years of critically applauded work in feminism, international relations, political thought, and religion and could open new ground for our understanding of our own culture and its past, present, and future.
Category: Featured Books by the Fellows
