ABSTRACT
This chapter offers an interpretation of Oceana as a secularizing work. Writers like Harrington had two good reasons to neutralize the biblical commonwealth in an indirect and non-confrontational manner. For the sake of simplicity, the author divides Harrington's techniques for removing Christianity from politics into four groups. Moreover, when Harrington gives a detailed account of the agrarian in Oceana, he never praises Israel's without pointing out its in-built causes of failure, and/or drawing historical parallels. Harrington's Erastian model is supported by the examples of Moses, Athens, Sparta, Rome, Venice, Holland and other historical and contemporary cases. Harrington claims that Erastianism, national religion, and private liberty of conscience form a time-tested combination, citing Israel, Athens and Rome. He notes that Israel is a special case, as it's ecclesiastical and civil laws were the same. There is no institution that Harrington recommends for emulation that comes from the Hebrew Republic alone.
