Faith, Fallibility, and the Virtue of Anxiety : An Essay in Religion and Political Liberalism

Malone-France brings together important themes from religious studies, philosophy, and political theory to articulate a fundamental re-conception of religious faith and an innovative argument for classic liberal norms. The relationship between religion and liberal-democratic society has emerged as one of the defining issues of the twenty-first century. Drawing together insights from political philosophy and theory, philosophy of religion, theology, epistemology, and metaphysics, Derek Malone-France argues for a fundamental reorientation of religious conceptions of faith and reframes the debate regarding what role, if any, religious justifications should play in public discourse and the law. Through an innovative re-reading of the existentialist notion of 'anxiety', Malone-France develops a 'fallibilist' warrant for classic liberal norms of tolerance, non-coercion, and individual freedom, disclosing 'the religious logic of liberal autonomy.'. "The relationship between religion and liberal-democratic society has emerged as one of the defining issues of the twenty-first century. Drawing together insights from political philosophy and theory, philosophy of religion, theology, epistemology, and metaphysics, Derek Malone-France argues for a fundamental reorientation of religious conceptions of faith and reframes the debate regarding what role, if any, religious justifications should play in public discourse and the law. Through an innovative re-reading of the existentialist notion of 'anxiety', Malone-France develops a 'fallibilist' warrant for classic liberal norms of tolerance, non-coercion, and individual freedom, disclosing "the religious logic of liberal autonomy.""--Provided by publisher Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-20 Anxiety....Pages 21-49 Anxiety, Secrecy, and Authority in the Abrahamic and Liberal Traditions....Pages 51-76 Faith, Freedom, Reason, and Responsibility....Pages 77-97 Divine Anxiety and the Metaphysics of Freedom....Pages 99-136 Process Metaphysics and Democratic Deliberation....Pages 137-156 Back Matter....Pages 157-184