The thesis offers an interpretation of Paul's political thought and political theology in the context of current philosophy. The first part presents a methodological basis of the work: the concept of political theology is conceived as a methodological tool that enables us to concentrate on interrelations and mutual effects of religion and politics and to expose implicit or explicit political meanings and implications of religious ideas. The second methodological subchapter deals with Max Weber's approach to "economic ethics of world religions": Weber concentrates on historical crossroads and switches which are a result of random chain of coincidences and factors forming a specific relation to values (Wertbeziehung) which enables us to understand further historical development. Paul's missionary activity and theology is seen as such historical crossroad with far- reaching social consequences. Another part elaborately deals with the most important and influential interpretations of Paul in current non-Christian philosophy: Jacob Taubes, Alain Badiou, Giorgio Agamben. The attention is given not only to presentation of their interpretations but also to utilizations and interpretative gaps, which could be observed in the way these authors read and understand Paul. Though for different reasons, for all of them...

The thesis offers an interpretation of Paul's political thought and political theology in the context of current philosophy. The first part presents a methodological basis of the work: the concept of political theology is conceived as a methodological tool that enables us to concentrate on interrelations and mutual effects of religion and politics and to expose implicit or explicit political meanings and implications of religious ideas. The second methodological subchapter deals with Max Weber's approach to "economic ethics of world religions": Weber concentrates on historical crossroads and switches which are a result of random chain of coincidences and factors forming a specific relation to values (Wertbeziehung) which enables us to understand further historical development. Paul's missionary activity and theology is seen as such historical crossroad with far- reaching social consequences. Another part elaborately deals with the most important and influential interpretations of Paul in current non-Christian philosophy: Jacob Taubes, Alain Badiou, Giorgio Agamben. The attention is given not only to presentation of their interpretations but also to utilizations and interpretative gaps, which could be observed in the way these authors read and understand Paul. Though for different reasons, for all of them...

This thesis examines the concept of sovereignty, as developed by the jurist Carl Schmitt, and argues that this concept helps to elucidate the very core of Fear and Trembling, a text that continues to be heavily misunderstood despite its great fame in Western thought today. Through a close examination of Schmitt’s formulation of the concept of sovereignty and the method by which he develops this concept through Kierkegaard’s concept of the exception in Repetition, I show how Kierkegaard influenced Schmitt and also how Schmitt’s interpretation is useful for reading Fear and Trembling. However, I also show how Schmitt’s usage of Kierkegaard, despite its ingenuity, is misleading, and present a more faithful reading of Kierkegaard’s concept of exception. With this reorientation, I in turn critique Schmitt’s methodology and the way he understands sovereignty. Following this reinterpretation of sovereignty, I examine the text of Genesis 22 and Fear and Trembling and examine the theological themes that ground the narrative of the Binding of Isaac. I argue that the problem of the Binding and the arguments set forth in Fear and Trembling cannot be understood adequately without a clear awareness of the image of reality that is presupposed. Here, I make use of Erich Auerbach’s illuminating reading of Genesis 22, and Jacob Taubes’ understanding of eschatology. I then examine the problem of violence as presented in the Binding, and how Kierkegaard departs from both Kant’s and Hegel’s critique of Abraham. Finally, I examine Derrida’s reading of Fear and Trembling in The Gift of Death and the way he challenges the height of sovereignty that is implicit within Kierkegaard’s “absolute relation to the absolute.” / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

This thesis explores the sense and the implications of the messianicity without messianism, a quasi-concept coined by the thinker Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) in the 1990s that refers to a “structure of experience” characterized by a lack of conclusion. On the one hand, this thesis examines the role that this notion plays within the vast work of Derrida; it aims at demonstrating that it neither indicates a rupture nor it constitutes a mere reformulation of his previous postulates. On the other hand, it establishes a dialogue between this quasi-concept and the use that a number of authors of the XXth century and the beginning of the XXIst, from different contexts and interests, do of the messianic tradition in order to formulate their own understandings of history, linguistics, politics and ethics. This thesis goes in depth into the shortcomings of the proposals of these authors and claims that the messianicity without messianism avoids many of them and offers a more fertile model for describing reality and acting in it. The final aim is to contribute to the reception of this quasi-concept ―which, in our opinion, so far has been slanted and insufficient― and prove that it rescues us from both the risks of the fundamentalisms and those of the paralyzing “everything goes” brought about by the phenomenon of the death of God. / Esta tesis explora el sentido y las implicaciones de la mesianicidad sin mesianismo, un casi-concepto acuñado por el pensador Jacques Derrida (1930-2004) en los años noventa del siglo XX que alude a una “estructura general de la experiencia” caracterizada por la ausencia de conclusión. Por un lado, esta tesis examina el papel que dicha noción desempeña dentro de la vasta obra de Derrida; quiere demostrar que ni supone una ruptura en su obra ni se trata de una mera reformulación de postulados anteriores. Por el otro, establece un diálogo entre este casi-concepto y el uso que una serie de autores del siglo XX e inicios del XXI, desde contextos e intereses distintos, hacen de la tradición mesiánica para formular sus propias concepciones de la historia, la lingüística, la política y la ética. Esta tesis ahonda en las limitaciones de las propuestas de estos autores y defiende que la mesianicidad sin mesianismo evita muchas de ellas y ofrece un modelo más fértil para describir la realidad e intervenir en ella. Todo ello con la voluntad de contribuir a la recepción de este casi-concepto ―que consideramos que, hasta el momento, ha sido sesgada e insuficiente― y mostrar que nos rescata de los riesgos tanto de los fundamentalismos como del paralizante “todo vale” acarreado por el fenómeno de la muerte de Dios.