The Augustinian Alternative: Religious Skepticism and the Search for a Liberal Politics

This book's central claim is that a close reading of Augustine's epistemology can help political theologians develop affirmative accounts of political liberalism. This claim is set in a scholarly context that is profoundly hostile to constructive theological readings of liberal culture. As a corrective to such antagonism, this book suggests that far from being natural opponents, Christain communities can work fruitfully with political liberals based on common principles. By placing Augustine's reading of the skeptics in dialogue with contemporary culture, this book constructs a viable form of liberal Christian politics that is attentive both to Augustine's account of public life and his eschatological vision of the church.