The paper addresses the theology of Carl Schmitt. Schmitt often stresses his ‘natural
born Catholicism.’ At the same time he also claims repeatedly not to be a theologian
in the professional sense. On the other hand, his main ideas like the concept of the
political (Der Begriff des Politischen), the public character of the church (Römischer
Katholizimus und politische Form), and finally, his Politische Theologie II in reaction
to Erik Peterson’s refutation of Politische Theologie I show that Schmitt’s ideas
imply deep and problematic theological positions. The role of the katechon, or the
Grand Inquisitor and his criticism of Peterson’s patristic arguments, especially the
rejection of the anti-Arian reasoning of Gregory Nazianzen show a markedly unorthodox
theological stance reminiscent of Charles Maurras’ political Catholicism. Schmitt’s
transcends patristic orthodoxy in order to apply his historically conditioned 19th-century
theology to sacralizing his idea of the political.
