Religion and the Demise of Liberal Rationalism: The Foundational Crisis of the Separation of Church and State

Owen, J. Judd

ISBN 10: 0226641929 / ISBN 13: 9780226641928

Published by University of Chicago Press, 2001

About this Item

Acceptable condition. Reading copy. May have signs of wear and previous use scuffs, library copy, highlighting, writing, and underlining . May have foxing, slight water damage or tears. 100% GUARANTEE! Shipped with delivery confirmation. If you're not satisfied with purchase just return it!

Seller Inventory # HSV.0226641929.A

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Religion and the Demise of Liberal Rationalism: The Foundational Crisis of the Separation of Church and State
• Publisher: University of Chicago Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0226641929
• ISBN 13: 9780226641928
• Binding: Soft cover
• Condition: acceptable

About this title

Synopsis

If liberalism is premised on inclusion, pluralism, and religious neutrality, can the separation of church and state be said to have a unitary and rational foundation? If we accept that there are no self-evident principles of morality or politics, then doesn't any belief in a rational society become a sort of faith? And how can liberalism mediate impartially between various faiths—as it aims to do—if liberalism itself is one of the competing faiths?

J. Judd Owen answers these questions with a remarkable critical analysis of four twentieth-century liberal and postliberal thinkers: John Dewey, John Rawls and, most extensively, Richard Rorty and Stanley Fish. His unique readings of these theorists and their approaches to religion lead him to conclusions that are meticulously constructed and surprising, arguing against the perception of liberalism as simple moral or religious neutrality, calling into question the prevailing justifications for separation of church and state, and challenging the way we think about the very basis of constitutional government.

About the Author

J. Judd Owen is an assistant professor of political science at Emory University.