Islam and Liberal Citizenship

The Search for an Overlapping Consensus

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Middle East Religions, Islam
Cover of the book Islam and Liberal Citizenship by Andrew F. March, Oxford University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Andrew F. March ISBN: 9780199887064
Publisher: Oxford University Press Publication: March 27, 2009
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Andrew F. March
ISBN: 9780199887064
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication: March 27, 2009
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

How can Muslims be both good citizens of liberal democracies and good Muslims? This is among the most pressing questions of our time, particularly in contemporary Europe. Some argue that Muslims have no tradition of separation of church and state and therefore can't participate in secular, pluralist society. At the other extreme, some Muslims argue that it is the duty of all believers to resist Western forms of government and to impose Islamic law. Andrew F. March is seeking to find a middle way between these poles. Is there, he asks, a tradition that is both consistent with orthodox Sunni Islam that is also compatible with modern liberal democracy? He begins with Rawls's theory that liberal societies rely for stability on an ''overlapping consensus'' between a public conception of justice and popular religious doctrines and asks what kinds of demands liberal societies place on citizens, and particularly on Muslims. March then offers a thorough examination of Islamic sources and current trends in Islamic thought to see whether there can indeed be a consensus. March finds that the answer is an emphatic ''yes.'' He demonstrates that there are very strong and authentically Islamic arguments for accepting the demands of citizenship in a liberal democracy, many of them found even in medieval works of Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, he shows, it is precisely the fact that Rawlsian political liberalism makes no claims to metaphysical truth that makes it appealing to Muslims.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

How can Muslims be both good citizens of liberal democracies and good Muslims? This is among the most pressing questions of our time, particularly in contemporary Europe. Some argue that Muslims have no tradition of separation of church and state and therefore can't participate in secular, pluralist society. At the other extreme, some Muslims argue that it is the duty of all believers to resist Western forms of government and to impose Islamic law. Andrew F. March is seeking to find a middle way between these poles. Is there, he asks, a tradition that is both consistent with orthodox Sunni Islam that is also compatible with modern liberal democracy? He begins with Rawls's theory that liberal societies rely for stability on an ''overlapping consensus'' between a public conception of justice and popular religious doctrines and asks what kinds of demands liberal societies place on citizens, and particularly on Muslims. March then offers a thorough examination of Islamic sources and current trends in Islamic thought to see whether there can indeed be a consensus. March finds that the answer is an emphatic ''yes.'' He demonstrates that there are very strong and authentically Islamic arguments for accepting the demands of citizenship in a liberal democracy, many of them found even in medieval works of Islamic jurisprudence. In fact, he shows, it is precisely the fact that Rawlsian political liberalism makes no claims to metaphysical truth that makes it appealing to Muslims.

More books from Oxford University Press

Cover of the book Form-Focused Instruction and Teacher Education - Oxford Applied Linguistics by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book What is a Superhero? by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book John Birch by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book From a Raw Deal to a New Deal by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Contracts of Fiction by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book A Way of Music Education by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book The Enlightenment of Sympathy by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book On Biblical Poetry by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book A Cabinet Of Roman Curiosities : Strange Tales And Surprising Facts From The World's Greatest Empire by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Buddhist Extremists and Muslim Minorities by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Environmental Justice as Social Work Practice by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Ketogenic Diet and Metabolic Therapies by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book The Making of Indian Diplomacy by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Teaching Language as Communication - Oxford Applied Linguistics by Andrew F. March
Cover of the book Broken Landscape : Indians, Indian Tribes, and the Constitution by Andrew F. March
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy