In defending his conception of the Christian political witness, Stanley Hauerwas has claimed theological affinity with Martin Luther King Jr. However, despite their shared commitment to non-violence, Hauerwas's claim is unwarranted. Indeed, King 's witness reveals that Hauerwas's conceptualization of American liberalism and of the friction between Christian convictions and the American political system is in both cases overdrawn. I conclude that Hauerwas must either abandon his effort to claim Martin Luther King as a theological ally, or he must reformulate (...) his conception of American liberalism. (shrink)

This volume brings together eminent theologians, philosophers and political theorists to discuss such questions as how religious understandings have shaped the moral landscape of contemporary culture; the possible contributions of theology and theologically informed moral argument to contemporary public life; the problem of religious and moral discourse in a pluralistic society; and the proper relationship between religion and culture.