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 critical virtues to democratic life, 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 less