The Naked Intent: On Connecting Asceticism and Activism

This article explores the connections between political activism and Christian asceticism.It does so through a discussion with recent political theologies and historicalresearch into (early) Christian asceticism. Two present-day cases, the Occupy WallStreet movement and the Buy Nothing Year, are used to demonstrate similarities andpotential for fruitful engagement between the two traditions. It is suggested that asceticismneeds to be understood in a fuller range, incorporating introspective, imaginativeand institutional aspects in order to make visible the potential for a dialoguebetween the Christian ascetic tradition and present-day political activism. The articlethus contributes to the discussion concerning asceticism in the Christian tradition,developing public theology as a bodily practice and to a theological understanding ofpolitical activism.