Contemporary Democratic Theory and Religion

Should democratic politics and religion, political reason and faith be completely separated from each other, or should they be seen in a relationship of discursive interaction?

The continuous presence of religion in the public sphere has undermined state-induced attempts to privatise faith, and it has raised anew normative and practical issues related to the place of religion in a democratic polity, generating spirited political debates. This textbook:

• Provides an introduction to, and a critical appraisal of the major schools of political thought with a focus on the relationship between democracy and religion.
• Contains an analysis of different schools: political liberalism, postmodernism, and Christian thought, analytical and continental political theory.
• Discusses religion from the perspective of the emerging field of international political theory.
• Features reflections on the question of Islam and Islamism.
• Include an analysis and appraisal of the issue of religion in contemporary republican thinking.
• Deals with the relationship between democracy and religion from the perspective of two opposing theologians, representing important theological trends.
• Teases out the political implications of post-modern thought in a jargon-free manner.

This important text will be of great to use to students of religion and politics in the fields of political and legal theory, and religious and theological studies.