Synopses & Reviews
While the dominant approaches to the current study of political philosophy are various, with some friendlier to religious belief than others, almost all place constraints on the philosophic and political role of revelation. Mainstream secular political theorists do not entirely disregard religion. But to the extent that they pay attention, their treatment of religious belief is seen more as a political or philosophic problem to be addressed rather than as a positive body of thought from which we might derive important insights about the nature of politics and the truth of the human condition.
In a one-of-a-kind collection, DeHart and Holloway bring together leading scholars from various fields, including political science, philosophy, and theology, to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy and to demonstrate the role that religion can and does play in political life. Contributing authors include such important thinkers as Peter Augustine Lawler, Robert C. Koons, J. Budziszewski, Francis J. Beckwith, and James Stoner.
Review
What has Athens to do with Jerusalem? When it comes to politics, a great deal, as the superb set of essays Holloway and DeHart have gathered show so well. In these pages the political is nourished by the theological, something we sorely need today.”
R. R. Reno, Editor, First Things
Review
Religion is typically regarded by contemporary political philosophers as a problem. It's a problem for the state, since religion threatens oppression and violence; and it's a problem for political theorists themselves, since religion is held to be irrational and its intrusion into political thought would corrupt the pure rationality of acceptable political theory. The authors of this collection, while agreeing that religion can be a problem, argue persuasively that it is also a resource, both for our life together and for our theorizing, a resource that we neglect at our peril. It's a bold and courageous book, contesting the pieties of our present day. ”
Nicholas Wolterstorff, Yale University
Review
This splendid collection is a valuable contribution to the fields of political science and philosophy.”
Vincent Phillip Muñoz, University of Notre Dame
About the Author
Paul R. DeHart is assistant professor of political science at Texas State University in San Marcos and author of
Uncovering the Constitutions Moral Design.
Carson Holloway is associate professor of political science at University of Nebraska at Omaha and author of The Way of Life: John Paul II and the Challenge of Liberal Modernity.