Among contemporary philosophers, Agamben is surely among the most theologically erudite. Particularly since the publication of his seminar on Paul, The Time That Remains (2000), Agamben's work has been marked by a seemingly ever-increasing range of theological references—primarily but not exclusively Christian—that have corresponded with the vast expansion of the Homo Sacer project to cover key concepts of Western institutional life beyond the first volume's seemingly exclusive focus on political sovereignty. Many of these references are negative, tracing a destructive or oppressive aspect of the "Western machine" back to a Christian root. At the same time, though, Christian texts, most notably those of Paul but also selected representatives of "minority traditions" (such as Ticonius or John Scotus Eriugena), also exemplify the "messianic" element that Agamben views as necessary for rendering the "machine" inoperative. These two strains are both already present in The Time That Remains, where Agamben repeatedly traces modern concepts back to Paul's messianic interventions. These brief genealogies often anticipate later work in the Homo Sacer series—for instance, the analysis of Luther and Weber's notion of "calling" later culminates in Opus Dei's dissection of the notions of "office" or "duty," which for Agamben vitiate Western ethics. This pattern of references initially seems to point toward a familiar "decline narrative," wherein the uniformly positive early Christianity is later betrayed, laying the groundwork for its descent into its familiar and disappointing present-day institutional form. Yet this paper will argue that Agamben's approach is more sophisticated, simultaneously acknowledging the seeds of the "betrayal" in the foundational texts and holding out the ever-present potentiality to reconnect with Christianity's authentically messianic heritage.