Religious Voices in Public Places

by Nigel Biggar, Linda F. Hogan

Overview

Must religious voices keep quiet in public places? Does fairness in a plural society require it? Must the expression of religious belief be so authoritarian as to threaten civil peace? Do we need translation into 'secular' language, or should we try to manage polyglot conversation? How neutral is 'secular' language? Is a religious argument necessarily unreasonable? What issues are specific to Islam within this exchange?

These are just some of the pressing questions addressed by Religious Voices in Public Places. Drawn from Australia, Canada, France, Ireland and England-as well as the United States-thirteen contributors take the long-running discussion about religion in the public square beyond its usual American confines.

Religious Voices in Public Places comprehends both political philosophy and theology, and moves adeptly between political theory and practice. Whether offering critical analyses of key theorists such as John Rawls, Jeffrey Stout and Jürgen Habermas, or pursuing the issue of the public expression of religion into the debate about religious education in the USA, the legalisation of euthanasia in the UK, and human rights worldwide, this incisive volume speaks directly into crucial areas of religious and political complexity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780199566624
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	11/09/2009
Pages:	348
Product dimensions:	6.40(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.10(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction, Linda HoganI: Religion & Public Reason: Philosophical Views1. Why Can't We Just Get Along With Each Other?, Nicholas Wolterstorff2. Citizenship, Religion, and Political Liberalism, Raymond Plant3. Between Postsecular Society and the Neutral State: Religion as a Resource for Public Reason, Maureen Junker-KennyII: Religion & Public Reason: Theological Views4. Translation, Conversation, or Hospitality? Approaches to Theological Reasons in Public Deliberation, Luke Bretherton5. Messianic Ethics and Diaspora Communities: Upbuilding the Secular Theologically from Below, Travis Kroeker6. Christian Hope and Public Reason, Robert GascoigneIII: Religion & Public Reason: Public Policy Issues7. Not Translation, but Conversation: Theology in Public Debate about Euthanasia, Nigel Biggar8. Religious Education and Democratic Character, Paul Weithman9. Religion and Public Reason in the Global Politics of Human Rights, Linda HoganIV: Religion & Public Reason: National Contexts10. The Public Presence of Religion in England: Anglican Religious Leaders and Public Culture, Peter Sedgwick11. Religion, Rhetoric, and Running for Office: Public Reason on the U.S. Campaign Trail, Steven Michels and Brian Stiltner12. Islam and the Secularized Nation: A Transatlantic Comparison, Jocelyne CesariConclusion, Nigel Biggar