John Rawls and Christian Social Engagement
John Rawls and Christian Social Engagement

Author: Greg Forster

Publisher: Lexington Books

Published: 2014-12-18

Total Pages: 217

ISBN-13: 1498504957

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This book critiques the Rawlsian concepts of “justice as fairness” and “public reason” from the perspective of Christian political theory and practice. The Rawlsian paradigm has become pervasive in multiple disciplines outside political philosophy and is unconsciously embedded in a great deal of Christian public discourse; this calls for a new level of analysis from Christian perspectives. This is the first volume to examine Rawls based on Christian principles drawn from theological ethics, social thought, political theory and practical observation. In addition to theoretical perspectives, the book connects its critique of Rawls to specific hot-topic practical questions in three areas: social issues (abortion, marriage, etc.), economic issues (wealth creation, poverty programs, etc.), and the increasing difficulty of political compromise and peaceful coexistence in the context of the culture war. The book includes some of the leading Christian political theorists in America.

A Brief Inquiry Into the Meaning of Sin and Faith
A Brief Inquiry Into the Meaning of Sin and Faith

Author: John Rawls

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2009-03-31

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 9780674033313

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John Rawls never published anything about his own religious beliefs, but after his death two texts were discovered which shed extraordinary light on the subject. A Brief Inquiry into the Meaning of Sin and Faith is Rawls’s undergraduate senior thesis, submitted in December 1942, just before he entered the army. At that time Rawls was deeply religious; the thesis is a significant work of theological ethics, of interest both in itself and because of its relation to his mature writings. “On My Religion,” a short statement drafted in 1997, describes the history of his religious beliefs and attitudes toward religion, including his abandonment of orthodoxy during World War II. The present volume includes these two texts, together with an Introduction by Joshua Cohen and Thomas Nagel, which discusses their relation to Rawls’s published work, and an essay by Robert Merrihew Adams, which places the thesis in its theological context. The texts display the profound engagement with religion that forms the background of Rawls’s later views on the importance of separating religion and politics. Moreover, the moral and social convictions that the thesis expresses in religious form are related in illuminating ways to the central ideas of Rawls’s later writings. His notions of sin, faith, and community are simultaneously moral and theological, and prefigure the moral outlook found in Theory of Justice.

Rawls and Religion
Rawls and Religion

Author: Tom Bailey

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Published: 2014-12-23

Total Pages: 329

ISBN-13: 0231538391

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John Rawls's influential theory of justice and public reason has often been thought to exclude religion from politics, out of fear of its illiberal and destabilizing potentials. It has therefore been criticized by defenders of religion for marginalizing and alienating the wealth of religious sensibilities, voices, and demands now present in contemporary liberal societies. In this anthology, established scholars of Rawls and the philosophy of religion reexamine and rearticulate the central tenets of Rawls's theory to show they in fact offer sophisticated resources for accommodating and responding to religions in liberal political life. The chapters reassert the subtlety, openness, and flexibility of his sense of liberal "respect" and "consensus," revealing their inclusive implications for religious citizens. They also explore the means he proposes for accommodating nonliberal religions in liberal politics, developing his conception of "public reason" into a novel account of the possibilities for rational engagement between liberal and religious ideas. And they reevaluate Rawls's liberalism from the "transcendent" perspectives of religions themselves, critically considering its normative and political value, as well as its own "religious" character. Rawls and Religion makes a unique and important contribution to contemporary debates over liberalism and its response to the proliferation of religions in contemporary political life.

The Superiority of an Evangelical Model of Religious Liberty
The Superiority of an Evangelical Model of Religious Liberty

Author: Daniel J. Trippie

Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers

Published: 2022-11-14

Total Pages: 202

ISBN-13: 1666745383

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Religious liberty is America's first freedom. But in recent years, challenges to religious liberty have abounded. For example, some claim that religious freedom promotes intolerance and bigotry, while others contend religious freedom condemns people to hell. And others weaponize religious liberty for culture warring. Nevertheless, evangelicals believe that religious liberty is fundamentally a matter of human dignity; thus, religious liberty is a right we must preserve for all people. This book will explore how evangelical anthropology, cosmology, and eschatology offer the most stable basis for religious freedom. Secular and Roman Catholic theories may positively contribute to religious liberty, but the evangelical model is superior because it answers fundamental questions left unanswered in other models.

Social Conservatism for the Common Good
Social Conservatism for the Common Good

Author: Andrew Walker

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2022-12-21

Total Pages: 444

ISBN-13: 1433580667

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Carl R. Trueman and Other Christian Evangelical Scholars Examine the Life and Work of Renowned Catholic, Social Conservative Thinker Robert P. George Robert P. George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, is one of the most influential conservative intellectuals of his generation. Among many honors and accolades, George received the US Presidential Citizens Medal from President George W. Bush and served as chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF). Though a Catholic himself, George's influence has transcended traditional religious categories to shape evangelical discourse on politics, ethics, and political philosophy throughout his career. In this thorough introduction and careful analysis of George's work for Protestant audiences, editor Andrew T. Walker gathers essays from high profile evangelical writers and academics—including Carl R. Trueman, Hunter Baker, Jennifer Marshall Patterson, and Scott Klusendorf—to explore subjects such as faith and reason, George's New Natural Law theory, and how to collaborate across ideological lines. Social Conservatism for the Common Good helps Christian evangelicals understand George's philosophy and apply it to their own cultural engagement and public witness. Biography of Influential Conservative Scholar Robert P. George: Explores the breadth of his political philosophy and activism, as well as his relevance to the evangelical community Engaging Political Analysis from a Biblical Perspective: With a foreword by US Senator Ben Sasse, this book covers important cultural and academic topics including human rights, social and public ethics, and pro-life issues Ideal Resource for Evangelical Scholars and Thinkers: Written for pastors, students, and those interested in politics, this robust book appeals to readers of Carl R. Trueman's The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self

Flannery O’Connor and the Perils of Governing by Tenderness
Flannery O’Connor and the Perils of Governing by Tenderness

Author: Jerome C. Foss

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2019-01-03

Total Pages: 201

ISBN-13: 1498532608

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Flannery O’Connor’s fiction continues to haunt American readers, in part because of its uncanny ability to remind us who we are and what we need. Foss’s book reveals the extent to which O’Connor was a serious reader of the history of political philosophy. She understood the ideas upon which the American regime rests, and she evaluated those ideas from the standpoint of both faith and reason. Foss’s book explains why O’Connor feared that the modern habit to govern by tenderness would lead to terror. After a thorough account of her familiarity with the history of political philosophy, Foss shows how the works of Plato, Aristotle, Saint Augustine, Saint Thomas Aquinas, Machiavelli, Locke, Rousseau, and Nietzsche inform O’Connor’s stories. This does not mean that O’Connor was writing about politics in the narrow sense. Her vision was deeply theological, and she carefully avoided topical stories that promote social agendas. Her concern was with the health of the American regime more broadly, insofar as the manners of a regime affect citizens’ attitudes toward religion. O’Connor does not present a political theory of her own, but as Foss argues, she was a political philosopher in the original sense of the word. Her stories give clear accounts of her political wisdom. Foss further shows the continued relevance of her wisdom in age dominated by abstract modern theories, such as that of John Rawls.

Reforming Criminal Justice
Reforming Criminal Justice

Author: Matthew T. Martens

Publisher: Crossway

Published: 2023-10-16

Total Pages: 501

ISBN-13: 143358185X

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Noted Attorney and Seminary Graduate Matthew T. Martens Answers the Question: Does the Design and Operation of the American Criminal Justice System Reflect Christian Love of Neighbor? Jesus told his followers that the entirety of the Old Testament's law is encapsulated in the commands to love God and to love their neighbors as themselves. In Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, Matthew T. Martens argues that love of neighbor must be the animating force for true reformation of the criminal justice system, obligating us to seek the best for both the criminally victimized and the criminally accused. Using his theological training Martens reveals how Scripture provides several guideposts (accuracy, due process, accountability, impartiality, and proportionality) for loving our neighbors as it relates to criminal justice. Then, drawing on his near quarter century practicing criminal law, he examines how America's justice system falls short of the biblical standard. By understanding how our current system operates and considering how love of neighbor relates to issues of crime and justice, we will be better equipped to seek true Christian reform of the justice system. A Biblical Perspective on Criminal Justice: Offers a biblical framework for thinking about the concept of justice for both the victim and the perpetrator Examines the History of the American Criminal Justice System: Surveys the evolution of the criminal justice system in the United States with a focus on its misuse from the time of the Civil War to the civil rights movement Assesses the Criminal Justice System: Examines the operation of the American justice system today, including plea bargains, assistance of counsel, the death penalty, and more Foreword by Derwin L. Gray: Pastor of Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, and the author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide and Building a Multiethnic Church

Proceedings of the Sixth Annual International Conference on Shi‘i Studies
Proceedings of the Sixth Annual International Conference on Shi‘i Studies

Author: Ali Paya

Publisher: ICAS Press

Published: 2022-01-01

Total Pages: 175

ISBN-13: 1907905545

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The Annual International Conference on Shi‘i Studies is organised by the Research and Publications Department of The Islamic College, London. The conference aims to provide a broad platform for scholars working in the field of Shi‘i Studies to present their latest research and to explore diverse opinions on Shi‘i thought, practice, and heritage. This book comprises a selection of papers from the sixth conference held on 13 March 2021.

Religious Communities and Civil Society in Europe
Religious Communities and Civil Society in Europe

Author: Rupert Graf Strachwitz

Publisher: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG

Published: 2019-08-19

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13: 3110645882

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The seemingly vitalizing impact of religiosity on civil society is a research topic that has been extensively looked into, not only in the USA, but increasingly also in a European context. What is missing is an evaluation of the role of institutionalized religious communities, and of circumstances that facilitate or impede their status as civil society organisations. This anthology in two volumes aims at closing this gap by providing case studies regarding political, legal and historical aspects in various European countries. Vol. I provides an introduction and looks at cases in Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as chapters on legal issues and data, and comprehensive bibliography.

Constitutional Democracy and Judicial Supremacy
Constitutional Democracy and Judicial Supremacy

Author: Jerome C. Foss

Publisher:

Published: 2016-05-31

Total Pages: 214

ISBN-13: 9781604979282

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"The best books on politics offer us fresh insight into the way things are, and powerful arguments about how things ought to be. Jerome Foss's superb book accomplishes both of these ends, rescuing John Rawls's work from the dusty corners of overly abstract theorizing by emphasizing Rawls's dedication to a very practical reinvention of the American political experiment. This approach has the virtue not only of according with Rawls's mature interpretation of his work, but also of setting up a lively contrast between the constitutional republicanism of the framers and Rawls's constitutional democracy. This book is a trustworthy guide to the American constitutional tradition as well as Rawls's innovative alternative, offering a respectful treatment of the latter while providing an engaging and persuasive defense of the former." -Micah J. Watson, William Spoelhof Teacher-Scholar Chair in Political Science, Calvin College "Foss's careful study of the transformative intention of Rawls's political theory brings extraordinary insights to our academic debates, and to the real causes of our polarized, dysfunctional politics. The analysis of Rawls's pragmatism reveals its breathtaking goal to elevate progressive-liberal judges as epitomes of public reason, seeking to construct a rationalist, egalitarian-minded democracy to replace the framers' complex republicanism. Rawls has partially succeeded; we increasingly are ruled by living judicialism rather than the rule of law, under novel power wielded by federal courts, law professors, and lawyers. Foss gives Rawls a fair hearing, but insists we confront the arbitrary and utopian bases of this radical project, and the costs of elevating equality and constructed theory at the expense of liberty, self-government, and natural rights. Those who care about the fate of constitutional self-government, and whether utopian theories produce sustainable polities or political-social disorder, must confront this book." -Paul Carrese, Professor of Political Science, U.S. Air Force Academy