Between Two Gileads: Christian Nationalism, Fundamentalism, Romans 13:1-7, and the Future of Political Theology - Softcover

Spaulding III, Henry Walter

Softcover

ISBN 13: 9798385218356

Publisher: Cascade Books, 2026

Synopsis

In Between Two Gileads, Spaulding explores the complex intersection of Christian nationalism, fundamentalism, and political theology, focusing on the transformative power of Scripture in shaping political ideologies. Through a critical analysis of Romans 13:1–7 and its historical misinterpretations, Spaulding challenges the rise of authoritarian readings of the Bible, which serve to justify domination and division. Drawing on literary theology, he contrasts the dystopian vision of Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale with the grace-filled Gilead of Marilynne Robinson’s novels, illuminating two divergent paths for Christian engagement with politics. Through this exploration, Spaulding calls for a theological reimagining of Scripture that resists fundamentalist nationalism, offering a vision of faith that is inclusive, compassionate, and rooted in the redemptive love of God. This book is an urgent call to reclaim the Bible not as a tool of power, but as a wellspring of grace for confronting injustice in our fractured world.

About this title

About the Authors

Henry Walter Spaulding III is editorial assistant for the Center for Barth Studies at Princeton Theological Seminary. He also serves as an adjunct professor of Christian ethics at Ashland University, Ashland Theological Seminary, George Fox University, and Indiana Wesleyan University. He is the author of several books including Iconoclastic Sex: Christian Sexual Ethics and Human Trafficking and the forthcoming Between Two Gileads with Cascade. He has published a number of articles in journals such as the Wesleyan Theological Journal, Review and Expositor, and Literary Imagination. He is also pastor at Hope United Methodist Church in Columbus, Ohio.


Rodney Clapp is an editor with Cascade Books. He is the author of several prize-winning books, most recently Johnny Cash and the Great American Contradiction: Christianity and the Battle for the Soul of a Nation.

Edition details

• Publisher: Cascade Books
• Publication date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 13: 9798385218356
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 260