We need a theological critique of American nationalism and the way it shapes the American foreign policy. Such a work must be theologically grounded but also historically informed and politically aware. Peter Leithart's book Between Babel and Beast: America and Empires in Biblical Perspectivemeets the first criterion but fails on the second. The first third of Between Babel and Beast is an excellent work of political theology analyzing how the Bible treats different forms of polity. The rest is an attempt at critiquing the United States' foreign policy record. It is poorly-researched, imbalanced, and contradictory.
In the first portion of the book, Leithart argues that in the Bible there are different kinds of empire. A Babelic empire is one that demands uniformity in speech and worship and tries to impose homogenous order over its realm, like the builders of the eponymous tower infamous for their hubris. A Beastial empire is one of violence that oppresses and murders, like Pharaoh in the book of Exodus or, at various points, the Babylonians and Assyrians. The right use of political power is neither Babelic nor Beastial: it is to act as a guardian, uphold public order, execute justice, and cooperate with God's purposes.
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