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| Additional Physical Format: | Online version: Thiemann, Ronald F. Religion in public life. Washington, D.C. : Georgetown University Press, c1996 (OCoLC)605184930 |
|---|---|
| Document Type: | Book |
| All Authors / Contributors: |
Ronald F Thiemann |
| ISBN: | 0878406093 9780878406098 0878406107 9780878406104 |
| OCLC Number: | 33281463 |
| Notes: | "A Twentieth Century Fund book." |
| Description: | xiii, 186 p. ; 24 cm. |
| Contents: | Religion in public life: an American dilemma -- Our contemporary dilemma in historical perspective: religion, values, and the framing of the Constitution -- The Constitutional tradition: a perplexing legacy -- Political liberalism and public religion -- Political liberalism revisioned -- Public religion in a pluralistic democracy: a proposal -- Beyond the wall of separation: reconceiving American public life. |
| Responsibility: | Ronald F. Thiemann. |
Abstract:
Arguing that both increased secularism and growing religious diversity since the 1960s have fragmented commonly held values, Thiemann observes that there has been an historical ambivalence in American attitudes towards religion in public life. He proposes abandoning the idea of an absolute wall between church and state and all the conceptual framework built around that concept in interpreting the First Amendment. He returns instead to James Madison's views and the Constitutional principles of liberty, equality, and toleration. Refuting both political liberalism (as too secular) and communitarianism (as failing to meet the challenge of pluralism), Thiemann offers a new definition of liberalism that gives religions a voice in the public sphere as long as they heed the Constitutional principles of liberty, equality, and toleration or mutual respect.
The American republic, Thiemann notes, is a constantly evolving experiment in constructing a pluralistic society from its many particular communities. Religion can act as a positive force in its moral renewal, by helping to shape common cultural values. All those interested in finding solutions to today's divisive political discord, in finding ways to disagree civilly in a democracy, and in exploring the extent to which religious convictions should shape the development of public policies will find that this book offers an important new direction for religion and the nation.
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