000			01594cam a22001934a 4500
999			_c39571 _d39571
020			_a052180857X
020			_a9780521027601
082	0	0	_a291.177 _bWEI-R
100	1		_aWeithman, Paul J.,
245	1	0	_aReligion and the obligations of citizenship / _cPaul J. Weithman.
260			_aNew York : _bCambridge University Press, _c2002.
300			_axi, 227 p. ;
504			_aIncludes bibliographical references (p. 218-223) and index.
520			_aIn Religion and the Obligations of Citizenship Paul J. Weithman asks whether citizens in a liberal democracy may base their votes and their public political arguments on their religious beliefs. Drawing on empirical studies of how religion actually functions in politics, he challenges the standard view that citizens who rely on religious reasons must be prepared to make good their arguments by appealing to reasons that are 'accessible' to others. He contends that churches contribute to democracy by enriching political debate and by facilitating political participation, especially among the poor and minorities, and as a consequence, citizens acquire religiously based political views and diverse views of their own citizenship. He concludes that the philosophical view which most defensibly accommodates this diversity is one that allows ordinary citizens to draw on the views their churches have formed when voting and offering public arguments for their political positions.
650		0	_aReligion and politics.
650		0	_aCitizenship _xMoral and ethical aspects.
650		0	_aCitizenship _xReligious aspects.
942			_2ddc _cBK