Political Theology and Biopolitical Critique

Political theology examines the ways in which theological concepts and structures inform modern understandings of sovereignty, law and authority. Originating in the work of Carl Schmitt, it posits that secular states inherit the logic of divine omnipotence in the organisation of political power. Biopolitical critique, drawing on Michel Foucault, interrogates the management and regulation of human life through mechanisms such as health policy, surveillance and population control. Together, these fields reveal how states invoke exceptional measures—often framed in quasi-theological or moral terms—to govern bodies and populations. Recent debates have emphasised the interplay between the sovereign right to decide on exceptions and the imperative to optimise collective life, showing that the very preservation of life can become a justification for extended state intervention. This synthesis has proven especially salient during global crises—such as pandemics, migration emergencies and ecological collapse—where the boundary between saving life and exerting power is continually negotiated. By mapping theological categories onto practices of biopolitical governance, scholars uncover the latent sacrality embedded in contemporary security discourses, as well as the resistance strategies that arise when individuals or communities seek to reclaim agency over their own lives.

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Political Theology and Biopolitical Critique publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in political theology and biopolitical critique across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Biopolitics: The practice of governing populations through techniques aimed at managing life, health and bodies.

Bare life: A concept denoting existence stripped of political rights, rendering individuals subject to sovereign decisions of inclusion or exclusion.

Sovereign power: Authority vested in a ruler or state to decide exceptions to law and normal order, often justified by necessity or emergency.

State of exception: A condition in which legal norms are suspended by sovereign decree, granting extraordinary powers to contain crises.

Political theology: The study of how theological ideas and categories underpin secular political structures, especially notions of authority and rule.

References

1. Political Theology and COVID-19: Agamben’s Critique of Science as a New “Pandemic Religion”. Open Theology (2021).
2. A Farewell to Homo Sacer? Sovereign Power and Bare Life in Agamben’s Coronavirus Commentary. Law and Critique (2021).
3. Biopolitical Strategies in Media Discourses: Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Russia, Germany, and France. MGIMO Review of International Relations (2024).