Search results for ""author paul j. weithman""

Political philosophy in the English-speaking world has been dominated for more than two decades by various versions of liberal theory, which holds that political inquiry should proceed without reference to religious views. Although a number of philosophers have contested this stance, no one has succeeded in dislodging liberalism from its position of dominance. The most interesting challenges to liberalism have come from those outside of the discipline of philosophy. Sociologists, legal scholars, and religious ethicists have attacked liberalism's embodiment in practice, arguing that liberal practice—particularly in the United States—has produced a culture which trivializes religion. This culture, they argue, is at odds with the beliefs and practices of large numbers of citizens. Disciplinary barriers have often limited scholarly exchange among philosophical liberals and their critics in theology. Religion and Contemporary Liberalism, edited by Paul J. Weithman, brings together essays by philosophers, sociologists, theologians, and legal theorists that are intended to encourage discussion among those concerned with the place of religion in a liberal society. Contributors: Paul J. Weithman, Robert Audi, Sanford Levinson, Martha C. Nussbaum, Philip L. Quinn, Nicholas Wolterstorff, Timothy P. Jackson, J. L. A. Garcia, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John A. Coleman, S.J., and David Hollenbach, S.J.

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Philip Quinn, John A. O’Brien Professor at the University of Notre Dame from 1986 until his death in 2004, was well known for his work in the philosophy of religion, political philosophy, and core areas of analytic philosophy. Although he had a wide range of philosophical interests, such that it would be virtually impossible to identify any one set as representative, the contributors to this volume provide an excellent introduction to, and advance the discussion of, some of the questions of central importance to Quinn in the last years of his working life. Paul J. Weithman argues in his introduction that Quinn’s interest and analyses in many areas grew out of a distinctive and underlying sensibility that we might call “liberal faith.” It included belief in the value of a liberal education and in rigorous intellectual inquiry, the acceptance of enduring religious, cultural, and political pluralism, along with a keen awareness of problems posed by pluralism, and a deeply held but non-utopian faith in liberal democratic politics. These provocative essays, at the cutting edge of epistemology, the philosophy of religion, philosophical theology, and political philosophy, explore the tenets of liberal faith and invite continuing engagement with the philosophical issues. Contributors: Paul J. Weithman, Linda Zagzebski, Richard Foley, Eleonore Stump, Paul J. Griffiths, Robert Audi, and Sumner B. Twiss.

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