| Liberty of Conscience: In Defense of America's Tradition of Religious Equality Contributor(s): Nussbaum, Martha (Author) |
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ISBN: 046501853X ISBN-13: 9780465018536 Publisher: Basic Books OUR PRICE: $17.06 Product Type: Paperback - Other Formats Published: January 2010 Annotation: The respect for religious difference has formed the bedrock of our nation and made equality possible. Yet today we are told that "moral values"--code for a government shaped by religious concerns--must be the keystone of our social compact. A rich and compelling chronicle of an essential idea, "Liberty of Conscience" tells the story of America's great tradition of religious freedom. Philosopher Martha Nussbaum's ambitious book is both a work of history and a pointed rejoinder to conservative efforts to break down barriers between church and state. |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Political Science | Civil Rights - Religion | Religion, Politics & State |
| Dewey: 323.442 |
| Physical Information: 1.05" H x 6.44" W x 8.94" (1.18 lbs) 416 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: In one of the great triumphs of the colonial and Revolutionary periods, the founders of the future United States overcame religious intolerance in favor of a constitutional order dedicated to fair treatment for people's deeply held conscientious beliefs. It granted equal liberty of conscience to all and took a firm stand against religious establishment. This respect for religious difference, acclaimed scholar Martha Nussbaum writes, formed our democracy. Yet today there are signs that this legacy is misunderstood. The prominence of a particular type of Christianity in our public life suggests the unequal worth of citizens who hold different religious beliefs, or no beliefs. Other people, meanwhile, seek to curtail the influence of religion in public life in a way that is itself unbalanced and unfair. Such partisan efforts, Nussbaum argues, violate the spirit of our Constitution. Liberty of Conscience is a historical and conceptual study of the American tradition of religious freedom. Weaving together political history, philosophical ideas, and key constitutional cases, this is a rich chronicle of an ideal of equality that has always been central to our history but is now in serious danger. |