Inclusive Populism - (Contending Modernities) by Angus Ritchie (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

In this first volume in the Contending Modernities series, Inclusive Populism: Creating Citizens in the Global Age, Angus Ritchie claims that our current political upheavals, exemplified by the far-right populism of billionaire Donald Trump, reveal fundamental flaws in secular liberalism. Ritchie maintains that both liberalism and this "fake populism" resign citizens to an essentially passive role in public life.

Ritchie argues instead for an "inclusive populism," in which religious and nonreligious identities and institutions are fully represented in the public square, engaging the diverse communities brought together by global migration to build and lead a common life. Drawing on twenty years of experience in action and reflection in East London, Ritchie posits that the practice of community organizing exemplifies a truly inclusive populism, and that it is also reflected in the teaching of Pope Francis.

Speaking to our political crisis and mapping out a way forward, Inclusive Populism will appeal to thoughtful readers and active citizens interested in politics, community organizing, and religion.

Review Quotes

"[W]e live in an increasingly polarized political climate. The rise in the strength of 'populism' is often talked about in relation to this, and there's no shortage of academic analysis about what that might mean for us. . . . but there aren't many books like this one: Angus Ritchie's Inclusive Populism: Creating Citizens in the Global Age both discusses the issues and presents an alternative possibility." --Process North

"Angus Ritchie's book stands at the cutting edge of political theology and at the crossroads of public life in both the United States and Europe. His compelling critiques of secularizing liberalism and 'fake populism' is supplemented by a powerful argument for an 'inclusive populism' that builds democratic consensus from the ground up. Drawing upon his own long experience in community organizing in inner-city London, Ritchie vividly demonstrates that religious diversity can invigorate and stabilize liberal democracies." --Cathleen Kaveny, Darald and Juliet Libby Professor of Law and Theology, Boston College

"Ritchie presents us with an admirably detailed, honest, and self-critical study of a grounded, concrete, and realistic movement whose successes and failures have much to teach us." --Church Times

"What Angus Ritchie calls 'inclusive populism' is precisely what Pope Francis is urging in Let us Dream. Ritchie's book shows, in concrete terms, how this might be realised in the British and American contexts." --Austen Ivereigh, author of The Great Reformer and collaborator with Pope Francis on Let us Dream: The Path to a Better Future

"In his recent book [Inclusive Populism], Rev. Angus Ritchie calls this politics that you do 'inclusive populism'; I like to use the term 'popularism' to express the same idea. But what matters is not the name but the vision, which is the same: it is about finding the means to guarantee a life for all people that is worthy of being called human, a life capable of cultivating virtue and forging new bonds." --Pope Francis

"A very accessible work that not only discusses building relationships but demonstrates some of the listening that is required for such work to be accomplished." --Reading Religion

"The book is well written and a good read. Angus Ritchie asks good questions and keeps the attention of the reader with the many examples he uses and the clear statements he makes. Inclusive Populism demonstrates Ritchie's high intellectual and analytical skills, experience with community organizing, and a very good sense of the East London context."--Clemens Sedmak, professor of social ethics, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre Dame

About the Author

Angus Ritchie heads the Centre for Theology and Community in London. He is a Church of England priest and the author of From Morality to Metaphysics: The Theistic Implications of Our Ethical Commitments.