Can Christians Join the Overlapping Consensus

Prospects and Pitfalls for a Christian Justification of Political Liberalism

Bibliographic Data

ID20316867
AuthorsPaul Billingham (0000-0003-2262-9064, New York University Press, corresponding author)
Year2021
Volume47
Issue3
Pages519-547
Publication date2021-01-01
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueSocial Theory and Practice (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0037-802X • E-ISSN: 2154-123X
PublisherPhilosophy Documentation Center (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.5840/soctheorpract202169131
OpenAlexW3167260876
LanguageEN
Citations received3
References cited6

The success of political liberalism depends on there being an overlapping consensus among reasonable citizens—including religious citizens—upon principles of political morality. This paper explores the resources within one major religion—Christianity—that might lead individuals to endorse (or reject) political liberalism, and thus to join (or not join) the overlapping consensus. I show that there are several strands within Christian political ethics that are consonant with political liberalism and might form the basis for Christian citizens’ membership of the overlapping consensus. Nonetheless, tensions remain, and it is not clear that Christians could wholeheartedly endorse the political conception or give unreserved commitment to political liberal ideals

Classical liberalism · Environmental ethics · Join (topology) · Law and economics · Liberalism · Morality · Political economy · Political philosophy · Political science · Politics · Sociology · American Constitutional Law and Politics · Law · Philosophy · Political Philosophy and Ethics · Religion and Society Interactions

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