Religious Commitment and Secular Reason [Paperback]

Robert Audi (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521775701 | ISBN-13: 978-0521775700 | Publication Date: March 13, 2000

Many religious people are alarmed about features of the current age--violence in the media, a pervasive hedonism, a marginalization of religion, and widespread abortion. These concerns influence politics, but just as there should be a separation between church and state, so should there be a balance between religious commitments and secular arguments calling for social reforms. Robert Audi offers a principle of secular rationale, which does not exclude religious grounds for action but which rules out restricting freedom except on grounds that any rational citizen would accept. This book describes the essential commitments of free democracy, explains how religious and secular moral considerations can be integrated to facilitate cooperation in a world of religious pluralism, and proposes ideals of civic virtue that express the mutual respect on which democracy depends.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Helpful and thorough...provocative..." Journal of International Migration and Integration

"Audi's account of church-state separation, joined with an attempted integration of religious commitment and secular morality, is among the best of the current descriptions of the place of religious convictions within pluralistic democracies." Religious Studies Review

"This is one of the best books on religion and politics in current literature." Philosophia Christi, Brendan Sweetman, Rockhurst University

Book Description

Robert Audi offers a principle of secular rationale, which does not exclude religious grounds for action but which rules out restricting freedom except on grounds that any rational citizen would accept. The book describes the essential commitments of free democracy, explains how religious and secular moral considerations can be integrated to facilitate co-operation in a world of religious pluralism, and proposes ideals of civic virtue that express the mutual respect on which democracy depends. Audi offers a balanced and sophisticated treatment of the relations between religion and politics in a modern, secular society.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (March 13, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521775701
• ISBN-13: 978-0521775700
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,961,245 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Strong description of the tension between "freedom" and "equality", December 30, 2007

By 

Micheal W. Palmer (Chapel Hill, NC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Religious Commitment and Secular Reason (Hardcover)

Audi defines a "liberal democracy" as one that is committed to both freedom and equality. He sees these two values as being in tension, tending to "pull a society in different directions" (p. 5). He articulates a view of religion and politics that he believes is appropriate for both citizens and institutions (p. ix).

What ethical standards should govern the participation of religious citizens in politics? What standards should govern the conduct of all citizens when they act in ways that significantly affect religion? What views of freedom and equality should be operative? These are the central questions that Audi raises and attempts to answer in a detailed and well nuanced discussion.

The creative tension between religious commitment and secular reason in U.S. society will continue to shape our national and international agendas into the future. Audi's book is a welcomed treatment of this tension and a valuable voice in the ongoing debate.