All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism

A new assessment of Catholic integralism and other new and radical religious alternatives to liberal democracy is presented in this book, which explores the revival of religious politics in nations such as Russia, India, Poland, and Turkey. Philosopher Kevin Vallier examines these ideologies, treating anti-liberal thinkers with respect and offering moderate skeptics of liberalism a clear account of the alternatives. He invites readers to explore unfamiliar ideals through the lenses of theology, philosophy, politics, economics, and history.

Format: Unspecified
Length: 320 pages
Publication date: 04 October 2023
Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc

A renewed examination of Catholic integralism and other innovative and radical religious alternatives to liberal democracy.

According to a prevalent narrative, the twentieth century marked the demise of faith-driven political movements. Their ideologies, such as Catholic integralism, would soon fade into obscurity. Humans had finally learned to separate religion from politics. Or had we? In the twenty-first century, nations as diverse as Russia, India, Poland, and Turkey have witnessed a resurgence of religious politics, and numerous religious movements in other countries have demonstrated similar resilience. A new generation of political theologians is passionately reinterpreting ancient religious doctrines to revolutionize modern political life. They argue that states should recognize the true religion and reject modern liberal ideals of universal religious freedom and church-state separation.

In this book, philosopher Kevin Vallier explores these new doctrines, not as bizarre oddities but as though they might be true. Vallier's test case is the anti-liberal doctrine known as Catholic integralism. Yet his approach naturally extends to similar ideologies within Chinese Confucianism and Sunni Islam. Vallier treats anti-liberal thinkers with the respect that liberals seldom afford them and offers more moderate skeptics of liberalism a clear account of the alternatives. Many liberals, by contrast, will find these doctrines frightening and strange but of enduring interest. Vallier invites all his readers on a unique intellectual adventure, encouraging them to explore unfamiliar ideals through the lenses of theology, philosophy, politics, economics, and history.

Weight: 580g
Dimension: 166 x 244 x 31 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780197611371