Religion and the Common Good: Catholic Contributions to Building Community in a Liberal Society - Softcover

Stiltner, Brian

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0847694364 ISBN 13: 9780847694365

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1999

Synopsis

The term "common good" has often been ill-defined or undefined in political, philosophical, and theological discourses. Brian Stiltner seeks to repair this deficit in his study Religion and the Common Good. He explores the meaning of the common good and the prospects for pursuing it in a liberal society. Focusing on the conceptions of common good in liberalism and communitarianism-the former stressing individual rights and social tolerance, the latter stressing a community's shared history and social practices-Stiltner argues that the two theories are not as irreconcilable as they seem, that they can be combined into a "communal liberalism."

About this title

Review:

Stiltner achieves a level of lucidity and clarity that untangles the complex philosophical issues surrounding the role of religion in promoting the common good. He provides an excellent layout of the essential terms and their lexical variants, as well as the competing philosophical claims and implications of the multi-faceted liberal-communitarian-Catholic dialogue of the common good. This book makes a significant contribution to the field of political philosophy by developing the unique resources within Roman Catholic social thought that can contribute to debates on religion's role in a contemporary liberal society.--Journal of Church and State

This book can be highly recommended to anyone interested in the place of religious beliefs in today's public square.--Theology Today

There is much to admire here. Stiltner clearly accomplishes what he sets out to do--to indicate the availability for contemporary thought of an alternative approach to the common good that might address concerns about the loss of common life. And he does this with admirable clarity, detail, and nuance.--Journal of the American Academy of Religion

Synopsis:

The term "common good" has often been ill-defined or undefined in political, philosophical and theological discourses. Brian Stiltner seeks to repair this deficit in this study. He explores the meaning of the common good and the prospects for pursuing it in a liberal society. Focusing on the conceptions of common good in liberalism and communitarianism - the former stressing individual rights and social tolerance, the latter stressing a community's shared history and social practices - Stiltner argues that the two theories are not as irreconcilable as they seem, that they can be combined into a "communal liberalism". He provides an outline of the 20th-century Catholic common good theory as an example of such a synthesis.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 0847694364
• ISBN 13: 9780847694365
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 212