The Case for Civility: And Why Our Future Depends on It - Hardcover

Guinness, OS

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0061353434 ISBN 13: 9780061353437

Publisher: HarperOne, 2008

Synopsis

In a world torn apart by religious extremism on the one side and a strident secularism on the other, no question is more urgent than how we live with our deepest differences--especially our religious and ideological differences. The Case for Civility is a proposal for restoring civility in America as a way to foster civility around the world. Influential Christian writer and speaker Os Guinness makes a passionate plea to put an end to the polarization of American politics and culture that--rather than creating a public space for real debate--threatens to reverse the very principles our founders set into motion and that have long preserved liberty, diversity, and unity in this country.

Guinness takes on the contemporary threat of the excesses of the Religious Right and the secular Left, arguing that we must find a middle ground between privileging one religion over another and attempting to make all public expression of faith illegal. If we do not do this, Guinness contends, Western civilization as we know it will die. Always provocative and deeply insightful, Guinness puts forth a vision of a new, practical "civil and cosmopolitan public square" that speaks not only to America's immediate concerns but to the long-term interests of the republic and the world.

About this title

From the Back Cover:

"How do we live with our deepest differences, especially when those differences are religious and ideological?" The place to begin to search for answers is the United States. Not because the problem is worse here than elsewhere--on the contrary--but because America has the best resources, and therefore the greatest responsibility to point the way in answering the deepest questions. The Case For Civility is a proposal for restoring civility in America, as one model for fostering civility around the world and helping to make a world safe for diversity.
Guinness makes a passionate plea to put an end to the culture wars that--rather than creating a public space for real debate--threaten to reverse the very principles our founders set into motion that have long preserved liberty, diversity, and unity in this country. Guinness argues that we must:
-Say "No!" to the sacred public square-we cannot privilege one religion over another; the Christian Right has it wrong
-Say "No!" to the naked public square-public expressions of faith must remain legal; intolerance in the name of tolerance by the secular left is equally wrongheaded
The world is watching how Americans behave and, in the eyes of the world, we are failing to live up to our own ideals. Rich with historical anecdotes that unlock the genius of the American experiment, Guinness also takes on the contemporary threat of both the religious right and the secular left to construct a new way forward in the midst of the buildup to the Fall 2008 presidential elections.

About the Author:

Os Guinness, an author and social critic, has written or edited more than twenty-five books, including The Call, Long Journey Home, Unspeakable, and The American Hour. A frequent speaker and seminar leader at political and business conferences in the United States, Europe, and Asia, Guinness has lectured at many of the world's leading universities and has often spoken on Capitol Hill. He lives in Washington, D.C.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperOne
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0061353434
• ISBN 13: 9780061353437
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 224