Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion

The clash of religion and politics has been a persistent source of polarization in North America. In order to think wisely and constructively about the spiritual dimension of our political life, there is need for an approach that can both maintain the diversity of belief and foster values founded on the principles of religion.

In Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion, James R. Price and Kenneth R. Melchin provide a possible framework, approaching issues in politics via a profile of Sargent Shriver (19152011), an American diplomat, politician, and a driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps. Focusing on the speeches Shriver delivered in the course of his work to advance civil rights and build world peace, Price and Melchin highlight the spiritual component of his efforts to improve institutional structures and solve social problems. They contextualize Shriver's approach by contrasting it with contemporary, landmark decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court on the role of religion in politics. In doing so, Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion explains that navigating the relationship of religion and politics requires attending to both the religious diversity that politics must guard and the religious involvements that politics needs to do its work.

"James R. Price and Kenneth R. Melchin have written a much-needed and remarkable book that brings to life the possibility of religion and politics coming together for the good of all. Politics and religion are both contentious and complex. The approach Price and Melchin offer, drawing on the example of Sargent Shriver, could help many find their way out of the oppositional mess of the present. Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion will be a valuable book for those seeking reason and nuance in the midst of challenging trends."

--Andrea Bartoli, President, Sant'Egidio Foundation for Peace and Dialogue

" Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion is an important text, which serves as a much-needed balm for the reader, like gentle rain on parched desert sand. The values and aims articulated, especially in Shriver's speeches, are uplifting and heart-warming. The language of compassion, peace, and personal transformation is disappearing from everyday discourse and this book serves as a necessary reminder of the common good we can all pursue."

--Richard M. Liddy, Professor of Catholic Thought and Culture and Director of the Center for Catholic Studies, Seton Hall University

James R. Price is the executive director of the Sargent Shriver Peace Institute.

Kenneth R. Melchin is a professor emeritus in Theology and director of the Lonergan Centre at Saint Paul University.

The clash of religion and politics has been a persistent source of polarization in North America. In order to think wisely and constructively about the spiritual dimension of our political life, there is need for an approach that can both maintain the diversity of belief and foster values founded on the principles of religion. In Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion , James R. Price and Kenneth R. Melchin provide a possible framework, approaching issues in politics via a profile of Sargent Shriver (1915-2011), an American diplomat, politician, and a driving force behind the creation of the Peace Corps. Focusing on the speeches Shriver delivered in the course of his work to advance civil rights and build world peace, Price and Melchin highlight the spiritual component of his efforts to improve institutional structures and solve social problems. They contextualize Shriver's approach by contrasting it with contemporary, landmark decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court on the role of religion in politics. In doing so, Spiritualizing Politics without Politicizing Religion explains that navigating the relationship of religion and politics requires attending to both the religious diversity that politics must guard and the religious involvements that politics needs to do its work.

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