Religion in Public and Private Life

Addressing the distinction between public and private life and its intersection with religion and politics, the author argues that public and private life, therefore religion and politics, are inseparable, and essential properties of each draw them together in a dangerous, yet vital tension. Religion has a distinctive role in challenging political life and politics has an important role in taming religious passion. This book bridges the fields of political theory and religious studies, arguing that the key to unravelling the tangle of religion and politics is to understand the dynamic intersection of public and private life in language, virtue and character.