Can Religion Save Democracy?: How More Faith--Not Less--Can Heal Our Public Life

"Keep religion and politics separate!" For decades, scholars assumed that less religion would lead to a more peaceful and unified form of politics. And yet, as religious identity recedes from American public life, the opposite appears to be the case. Our post-religious politics are growing more polarized, anxious, and unstable each day. Could a return to ancient religious wisdom and community be the key to healing what secular politics can't fix? In Can Religion Save Democracy? two friends and colleagues--a Christian theologian and a Muslim political scientist--make a bold case: If American democracy is going to survive, it will require more religion, not less. Drawing on wisdom from their respective religious traditions, they explore · why secularism has only deepened our divides,· what ancient insights from Christianity and Islam can strengthen our common life,· how spiritual practices contribute something critical and irreplaceable to democracy, and· how citizens can navigate a new world of deep polarization and mistrust.This is not a call for theocracy or religious authoritarianism. It's a hopeful, clear-eyed vision showing how religious faith offers vital tools to renew the soul of democracy in a divided nation. Read more