Books

As lead editor and contributor, Dr. Kabala brought together nationally and internationally recognized scholars in political theory, ethics, religion, and legal studies, many of whom drew on experience in public life to integrate practical insights into their contributions. The volume addresses our global crisis by turning to Augustine, a master at integrating disciplines, philosophies, and human experiences in times of upheaval. It covers themes of selfhood, church and state, education, liberalism, realism, and 20th-century thinkers. The contributors enhance our understanding of Augustine’s thought by heightening awareness of his relevance to diverse political, ethical, and sociological questions. Bringing together Augustine and Gallicanism, civil religion, and Martin Luther King, Jr., this volume expands the boundaries of Augustine's scholarship through a consideration of subjects at the heart of contemporary political theory. The book is available from the Publisher and booksellers. Its Table of Contents and some parts can be viewed on the Palgrave website:

(https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-030-61485-0).

Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested $149.99

Augustine in a Time of Crisis: Politics and Religion Contested €124,79

Editors: Boleslaw Z. Kabala, Ashleen Menchaca-Bagnulo, Nathan Pinkoski
Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan; 1st ed. 2021 edition (March 2, 2021)
Hardcover: 470 pages; ISBN: 978-3-030-61484-3
eBook: ISBN: 978-3-030-61485-0; https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-61485-0

As in the previous volume, Dr. Kabala, the lead editor and contributor, brought together nationally and internationally recognized scholars from different disciplines, faith traditions, and political commitments, all of whom have deemed it worthwhile to return to Augustine to learn about a signature theme of common life in the twenty-first century and look for inspiration in addressing the problems of the increasingly polarized world. The chapters address various topics, including civic engagement, feminism, Black religious thought, domination, liberalism, and time. In an age of pluralism, the hope is to access the insights of the thinker who struggled with a plurality of desires, motivations, and political-theological imaginations, and to benefit from his thoughts. The book should be of particular interest to scholars of theology, philosophy, and political science. It is available from the Publisher and booksellers. Its Table of Contents and some parts can be viewed on the Routledge website (https://www.routledge.com/Augustine-and-Frontiers-of-Pluralism/Kabala-Harmon-Menchaca-Bagnulo/p/book/9781032784076?).

Augustine and Frontiers of Pluralism (New Critical Thinking in ...) Kindle $54.99

Augustine and Frontiers of Pluralism (New Critical Thinking in ...) $174.85

Editors: Boleslaw Z. Kabala, Thomas P. Harmon, and Ashleen Menchaca-Bagnulo
Publisher: Routledge; 1st ed. 2025 edition (May 14, 2025)
Hardcover: 310 pages; ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1032784076
eBook: ISBN-13: 978-1040348314

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Kabala, B. Z., 2016. Hobbes, The New Secular Clerisy, and Spinoza’s Concern, Dissertation, pp. 395. Yale University, Department of Political Science, New Haven, CT, May, 2016

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CURRENT BOOK PROJECT:

Millennial Visions: Hobbes, Spinoza, and the Return of Theological Politics

Hobbes and Spinoza are Enlightenment political thinkers read together since the 17th century. Yet the significance of their dialogue continues to be debated—with interpreters emphasizing power, natural right, and institutional design. For the first time, Millennial Visions examines Hobbes and Spinoza's exchange through the lens of theological politics. In so doing, it shows their direct relevance to questions of politics and religion, reason in the public sphere, and secularization, all of which continue to challenge political theorists. This study makes use of the full range of primary texts by both thinkers, including letters, and situates them in a mid-17th century context flush with scientific discovery but rife with the millennial claims of revolutionaries who sought to hasten the end of time. Concretely, this analysis links the institutional and normative innovations Spinoza makes relative to Hobbes, such as the beginnings of separation of church and state, the separation of powers, and a standard of public reason, to a specific concern the Dutch philosopher had about the English thinker's civil sovereign in Leviathan. Namely: that government would become a prize for the spiritually ambitious, and in particular those whose aim was to use the machinery of government to accelerate the coming of a golden age. As this study shows, inscribed in these institutions is the memory of a political possibility that early modern rationalist philosophers sought to avoid.

Through this interpretation, consistent with some contemporary secularization narratives but not others, Millennial Visions highlights historical and conceptual resources in the thought of Hobbes and Spinoza to clarify current institutional choices and normative commitments, at a time when theological politics seems to have returned.