Dissent on Core Beliefs
Religious and Secular Perspectives

This volume explores how nine different religious and secular traditions deal with pluralism, dissent, and the challenges these issues pose.

Simone Chambers (Edited by), Peter Nosco (Edited by)

9781107101524, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 23 April 2015

254 pages, 1 table
23.4 x 15.7 x 1.9 cm, 0.49 kg

Difference, diversity and disagreement are inevitable features of our ethical, social and political landscape. This collection of new essays investigates the ways that various ethical and religious traditions have dealt with intramural dissent; the volume covers nine separate traditions: Confucianism, Buddhism, Christianity, Judaism, Islam, liberalism, Marxism, South Asian religions and natural law. Each chapter lays out the distinctive features, history and challenges of intramural dissent within each tradition, enabling readers to identify similarities and differences between traditions. The book concludes with an Afterword by Michael Walzer, offering a synoptic overview of the challenge of intramural dissent and the responses to that challenge. Committed to dialogue across cultures and traditions, the collection begins that dialogue with the common challenges facing all traditions: how to maintain cohesion and core values in the face of pluralism, and how to do this in a way that is consistent with the internal ethical principles of the traditions.

1. Introduction Simone Chambers and Peter Nosco
2. Liberalism and internal dissent William A. Galston
3. Intramural dissent: Marxism Andrew Levine
4. Dissent on core beliefs in natural law Tom Angier
5. The management of intramural dissent in Judaism Alan Mittleman
6. Christianity and the management of intramural dissent Peter Steinfels
7. Intramural dissent on core beliefs in Islam Meena Sharify-Funk
8. Dissent and diversity in South Asian religions Anne Murphy
9. Confucianism and dissent on core beliefs Richard Madsen
10. Intramural dissent in Buddhism Peter Nosco
11. Afterword Michael Walzer
Select bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Political science & theory [JPA], Black & Asian studies [JFSL3], History of ideas [JFCX], Theology [HRLB], Philosophy of religion [HRAB], Religion: general [HRA], Social & political philosophy [HPS], Ethics & moral philosophy [HPQ], Philosophy [HP], History [HB]