At the Limits of the Secular Reflections of Faith and Public Life

Cathleen Kaveny-- author of Law's Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society"Should the Catholic Church advocate a spirit of openness to the modern world, or should it focus upon preserving and passing on its own rich heritage? This volume suggests it might just be possible to do both -- and thereby move beyond an impasse that has paralyzed the Church since the Second Vatican Council."Lisa Sowle Cahill-- author of Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics"William Barbieri here convenes notables in philosophy, theology, and the social sciences to address a quandary on the minds of many in modern Western societies: What does religion have to do with 'secular' public and political life? Together these authors show that religion is alive and well, and is already contributing productively to the renewal of civil society and of political participation in a renegotiated and newly hospitable 'secular' sphere. Readers will learn immensely and gain widened vision from the timely content and superb intellectual quality of this effort."Charles Taylor-- from foreword"This is a marvelously rich and suggestive book, which has helped to jar me out of the ruts I had fallen into. I am sure it will do the same for many others." "Catholic Books Review" A very valuable and stimulating project. . . . Almost uniformly, the essays draw nuanced conclusions, which cannot be classified along the tired liberal-conservative, or open-closed polarities. This is clearly a both/and' collection. "Theology" The fruit of a carefully conceived and structured process, the Secularity Project', which responded to Charles Taylor's seminal work "A Secular Age" through a series of seminars in which North American Catholic scholars reflected on faith and public life in the context of contemporary secularity. Taking Taylor's massive work as its point of departure, "At the Limits of the Secular" has a well-focused content lent by the seminars and the work of its editor. "Choice""This dense, thorough volume will be a primer for serious students of political science and religion. . . . Recommended."Cathleen Kaveny-- author of "Law's Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society""Should the Catholic Church advocate a spirit of openness to the modern world, or should it focus upon preserving and passing on its own rich heritage? This volume suggests it might just be possible to do both -- and thereby move beyond an impasse that has paralyzed the Church since the Second Vatican Council."Lisa Sowle Cahill-- author of "Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics""William Barbieri here convenes notables in philosophy, theology, and the social sciences to address a quandary on the minds of many in modern Western societies: What does religion have to do with 'secular' public and political life? Together these authors show that religion is alive and well, and is already contributing productively to the renewal of civil society and of political participation in a renegotiated and newly hospitable 'secular' sphere. Readers will learn immensely and gain widened vision from the timely content and superb intellectual quality of this effort."Charles Taylor-- from foreword"This is a marvelously rich and suggestive book, which has helped to jar me out of the ruts I had fallen into. I am sure it will do the same for many others." Cathleen Kaveny-- author of Law's Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society-Should the Catholic Church advocate a spirit of openness to the modern world, or should it focus upon preserving and passing on its own rich heritage? This volume suggests it might just be possible to do both -- and thereby move beyond an impasse that has paralyzed the Church since the Second Vatican Council.- Lisa Sowle Cahill-- author of Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics-William Barbieri here convenes notables in philosophy, theology, and the social sciences to address a quandary on the minds of many in modern Western societies: What does religion have to do with 'secular' public and political life? Together these authors show that religion is alive and well, and is already contributing productively to the renewal of civil society and of political participation in a renegotiated and newly hospitable 'secular' sphere. Readers will learn immensely and gain widened vision from the timely content and superb intellectual quality of this effort.- Charles Taylor-- from foreword-This is a marvelously rich and suggestive book, which has helped to jar me out of the ruts I had fallen into. I am sure it will do the same for many others.- Cathleen Kaveny author of "Law's Virtues: Fostering Autonomy and Solidarity in American Society""Should the Catholic Church advocate a spirit of openness to the modern world, or should it focus upon preserving and passing on its own rich heritage? This volume suggests it might just be possible to do both -- and thereby move beyond an impasse that has paralyzed the Church since the Second Vatican Council." Lisa Sowle Cahill author of "Global Justice, Christology, and Christian Ethics""William Barbieri here convenes notables in philosophy, theology, and the social sciences to address a quandary on the minds of many in modern Western societies: What does religion have to do with 'secular' public and political life? Together these authors show that religion is alive and well, and is already contributing productively to the renewal of civil society and of political participation in a renegotiated and newly hospitable 'secular' sphere. Readers will learn immensely and gain widened vision from the timely content and superb intellectual quality of this effort." Charles Taylor from foreword"This is a marvelously rich and suggestive book, which has helped to jar me out of the ruts I had fallen into. I am sure it will do the same for many others.""