Political Theology After Humanism: Eco-theopolitics for the Twenty-first Century

Lovász, Ádám and Pető, Zoltán (2025) Political Theology After Humanism: Eco-theopolitics for the Twenty-first Century. POLITICAL THEOLOGY, 2025. pp. 1-23. ISSN 1462-317X

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Abstract

In this article, we summarize Carl Schmitt’s notion of political theology, while also exploring ways of going beyond its limitations. Schmitt remains within the bounds of anthropocentrism: like most modern political thinkers, the political is here entirely human and only human subjects can be the subjects of politics. However, by expanding Schmitt’s critique of modernity, a different path is possible. In the twenty-first century, the era of “technicity” is reaching its apotheosis. Peter Langford and Saul Newman highlight how the Anthropocene has become the “central domain” of thought in our era. The Anthropocene represents a metaphysical and spiritual challenge for humanity and politics alike. We propose a posthumanist elaboration of political theology through and beyond Schmitt. In our view, Langford and Newman do not go far enough in their rejection of humanist and modern politics. Instead of empowerment, the ecological crisis necessitates a “theopolitics” that disempowers the human species, while empowering nature. Against Langford and Newman, we argue that sovereignty need not be abandoned, but rather reconfigured in an ecocentric manner.

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