Augustinian Alternative

£31.99 £51.99

Augustinian Alternative

Religious Skepticism and the Search for a Liberal Politics

Religious ethics Religion and politics Christianity Theology

Author: Benjamin J. Wood

Dinosaur mascot

Collection: Emerging Scholars

Language: English

Published by: Fortress Press

Published on: 15th July 2017

Format: LCP-protected ePub

Size: 240 pages

ISBN: 9781506418841


This book's central claim is that a close reading of Augustine's epistemology can help political theologians develop affirmative accounts of political liberalism. This claim is set in a scholarly context that is profoundly hostile to constructive theological readings of liberal culture. As a corrective to such antagonism, this book suggests that, far from being natural opponents, Christian communities can work fruitfully with political liberals based on common principles. A key component in this argument is the theological reevaluation of the ancient skeptical tradition. While the ancient skeptics are habitually treated by scholars as minor characters in the story of Augustine's theological development, this volume argues that they played a significant role in shaping both Augustine's theology and the subsequent character of the Augustinian tradition. By placing Augustine's reading of the skeptics in dialogue with contemporary culture, this book constructs a viable form of liberal Christian politics that is attentive both to his sin-sensitive account of public life and his eschatological vision of the church.

Show moreShow less