Theology in the Raw Kaitlyn Schiess: Is "Exile" Really a Helpful Political Identity?
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Oct 13, 2025 Kaitlyn Schiess, a doctoral student in Christian ethics at Duke Divinity School, explores the concept of exile in political theology. She discusses how exile metaphors shape both comfort and claims of oppression among congregants. Kaitlyn debates the legitimacy of labeling American Christians as persecuted and warns against using exile to justify inaction. She urges Christian engagement in public life, advocating for both scripture-based values and responsible civic duties while navigating the complexities of political identity.
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Exile Frames Ambiguous Christian Political Life
- Exile metaphors shape political theology by framing history as ambiguous rather than definitively liberated.
- Augustine's exile emphasizes mixed loyalties and living between earthly and eternal goods.
Historical Uses Reveal Motives
- Different historical uses of exile reveal varying motives like purity or political realism.
- Reading context matters: exile can justify withdrawal or advise seeking the city's good depending on who reads it.
Modern Turning Points Recast Exile
- Scholars like Brueggemann and Yoder make exile feel especially relevant now by pointing to cultural turning points.
- They locate modern exile in lost cultural dominance or shocks like 9/11 that unsettle familiar symbols.
