Liberal Government, Civil Society and Faith Communities

In: Political theology, Band 4, Heft 2, S. 206-218

Abstract

This article explores the relationship between faith communities & the liberal system of government, that operates in contemporary GB. The problem addressed is as follows: liberal democracy relies upon the assumption of the validity of certain general truths: human rights, social justice, individual autonomy, & so on. In our postmodern society, however, social fragmentation has eroded the validity of such assumptions, leaving no universal or neutral benchmark through which to judge competing truth-claims. In particular, different faith traditions posit potentially incommensurable claims about what constitutes a good society. This article assesses the suggestion that in our pluralistic & differentiated society, more & more social decisions should be left to the market or to private rather than collective judgment & responsibility. It suggests various possibilities for reconceptualizing liberalism: for instance, as a modus vivendi providing a framework within which different moral outlooks can 'live & let live,' but suggests that liberalism can have a positive moral content of its own, & need not be merely a coping mechanism for dealing with diversity. Adapted from the source document.