ABSTRACT
Although Hannah Arendt’s political thought is not organized around major questions of political theology, there are several topics that heavily interested her with regard to religion and religious faith. In my paper, I specify the aspects under which Arendt theorizes religion and its relationship to politics. The claim I will argue for is that Arendt cannot attribute special importance to religious faith because of her conviction of the pluralistic character of the public space. Furthermore, we find in Arendt’s thought an almost sacral interpretation of the public sphere. In this framework, political activity obtains the highest significance among human activities. The paper analyzes, first, Arendt’s description of the role of Christianity in the decline of the public sphere, and, secondly, her view on religion in connection with tradition and authority.
