Religion in Public Life: Must Faith Be Privatized? - Softcover

This is as robust a defence of the claim of religious faith to be heard in the public square as one could wish. The stance is orthodox Chrisitan; the voice is the voice of sanity and calm reason. The book is an antidote to the unthinking political correctness with which we are regaled day by day government ministers and sections of the media. It is truly a tract for our times... [a] courteous but devastating polemic (Paul Avis, Ecclesiastical Law Journal)

An important book on a vital issue (Peter Costello The Irish Catholic)

How far can religion play a part in the public sphere, or should it be only a private matter? Roger Trigg examines this question in the context of today's pluralist societies, where many different beliefs clamour for attention. Should we celebrate diversity, or are matters of truth at stake? In particular, can we maintain our love of freedom, while cutting it off from religious roots? In societies in which there are many conflicting beliefs, the place of religion is a growing political issue. Should all religions be equally welcomed in the public sphere? Favouring one religion over others may appear to be a failure to treat all citizens equally, yet for citizens in many countries their Christian heritage is woven into their way of life. Whether it is the issue of same-sex marriages, the right of French schoolgirls to wear Islamic headscarves, or just the public display of Christmas trees, all societies have to work out a consistent approach to the public influence of