Although the media seeks to equate religion and conservatism, there is a large and powerful group of mainline and evangelical people that embrace the liberal cause. Nash seeks to explain where this movement came from, who the leaders are, and how much influence they have. Full of interesting anecdotes and well-researched details, this book details the concerted attempt to overthrow the classical Christian attitude toward Marxism, wealth redistribution, and morality. Seldom does a book deal with the history and philosophy of political theory in a cogent and honest way. Schall describes the history of political philosophy as the history of brilliant errors.
Political reality encompasses sin, death, and suffering.
He then uses the deaths of Socrates and Jesus as examples that hint at remedies for the reality of human misery. When such illustrations have been understood, there is a sure foundation on which to build a political structure that eschews both utopianism and Machiavel-lianism. This book is sobering in its analysis of political reality, but the approach sheds new light on our political institutions and the relevance of the Western experiment in good government. Religion and Liberty Acton Institute 161 Ottawa NW, Ste.