„Essential reading for philosophers and sociologists of religionand generally for anyone concerned with religion andpolitics.“
LSE Review of Books
"This groundbreaking book contains a number of penetrating andinsightful essays on Habermas's recent work, and on the meaning ofthe secular and of postsecularism. It will undoubtedly take thedebate on all these issues to a much more rigorous and fruitfullevel. A stellar collection, with papers of a very highquality.„
Charles Taylor, Professor Emeritus, McGill University
“In 2001, shortly after 9/11, Jürgen Habermas's address 'Faithand Religion' attracted a great deal of attention. Until that timethe topic of religion had not been a major concern inHabermas's extensive oeuvre but he now began to speak of apostsecular age in which religion becomes a major topic inrethinking modernity and in meeting the challenge of religion inpublic life. This collection includes many of his mostsophisticated interpreters and critics and Habermas, in hischaracteristic dialogical spirit, replies to each of his critics. Anyone seriously interested in the current state of the discussionabout religion and public life will find this collection essentialreading.„
Richard J. Bernstein, New School for Social Research
“Jürgen Habermas has sometimes been called the pope ofEuropean secularism, but in recent years he has written frequentlyand appreciatively about religion without giving up his ownposition. This volume collects a number of very lively responses tothese writings, many of them challenging Habermas in fairly sharpways, and coming from those close to him, like Thomas McCarthy, andfar from him, like John Milbank. The book ends withHabermas's generous but firm response to his critics: altogether a most readable and thought-provoking book."
Robert Bellah, Professor Emeritus, University of California, Berkeley
Habermas argues that the once widely accepted hypothesis ofprogressive secularization fails to account for the multipletrajectories of modernization in the contemporary world. He callsattention to the contemporary significance of „postmetaphysical“thought and „postsecular“ consciousness - even in Western societiesthat have embraced a rationalistic understanding of publicreason.
Habermas and Religion presents a series of original andsustained engagements with Habermas's writing on religion in thepublic sphere, featuring new work and critical reflections fromleading philosophers, social and political theorists, andanthropologists. Contributors to the volume respond both toHabermas's ambitious and well-developed philosophical project andto his most recent work on religion. The book closes with anextended response from Habermas - itself a major statement from oneof today's most important thinkers.
