The Contested Public Square - by Greg Forster (Paperback)

About the Book

Christian thinking about involvement in human government was not born (or born again!) with the latest elections or with the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979. Greg Forster introduces the history of Christian political thought traced out in Western culture--a culture with a fragmented view of the proper relationship of government and religion.

Book Synopsis

Christian thinking about involvement in human government was not born (or born again!) with the latest elections or with the founding of the Moral Majority in 1979. Greg Forster introduces the history of Christian political thought traced out in Western culture-a culture with a fragmented view of the proper relationship of government and religion.

Review Quotes

". . .a fair-minded summary of the development of Christian political thought."

"The Contested Public Square provides a comprehensive and accessible history of Christian political thought from the first centuries of Christianity through the twentieth century. The insights gleaned from this book will be helpful in forming a frame of reference for understanding ongoing tensions surrounding religious freedom and church and state."

"A very readable (but not simplistic or superficial) history of Western political thought that gives particular attention to the influence of Christianity."

"A welcomed and needed addition to the growing field of intellectually responsible Christian political thought. Christians from all perspectives will find these pages full of insight. An extraordinarily rewarding read."

"As an introduction to Christian political thought, this volume succeeds admirably."

"Greg Forster provides a helpful introduction to at least some of the major strains of thought which shaped the way Christians approach politics. Tracing the development of these ideas through history, he gives a helpful primer for those who are interested in learning more about these issues. This is an extremely accessible book. It is written in a way that will allow someone with virtually no background in political thought to understand the ideas being discussed."

"Greg Forster's incredibly readable and thoughtful introduction to political philosophy brings the history of Western political thought to an educated lay readership, especially lay Christians who have not been exposed to a political history that could have resulted in less hospitable forms of governance. Forster's book is valuable reading for all Christians and conservatives, regardless of religious persuasion. I hope that many religious educators use The Contested Public Square in classes and campus ministries to educat Christians about the role their faith has played in the development of the modern world. We should be very grateful to Greg Forster for providing us an exceptionally good primer to start this intellectual journey."

"Readers unfamiliar with Christian political thought will find Forster's treatment a valuable introduction. A very good addition to undergraduate and graduate libraries . . . Especially valuable in Christian schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, and for adult study groups. Recommended."

"The book actually benefits from hot having been written by a Catholic, for Forster does a wonderful job of showing the common provenance of ideas that tend to be felt-marked "Catholic" today. Far from being exclusively Roman, they have been the common coin of Calvinists, Lutherands, Lockeans--and of the Fathers of the American Constitution.

"The value in this work is that it dispels many of the myths that pervade the Western Church, and in particular, the Evangelical Church--myths such as the founders of America were Christian, or that the premises underlying Western culture are rooted in biblical principles. Forster provides us with a thorough exploration of the origins, development, and contemporary ideas of natural law, church and state, and religious tolerance, and also its decline in today's culture."

About the Author

Greg Forster (Ph.D., Yale University) is director of the Program in American History, Economics Religion in the Kern Family Foundation. He is the author of John Locke's Politics of Moral Consensus (Cambridge University Press) and has contributed to several scholarly journals. He is also a senior fellow at the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice.