Beyond Tolerance: Schleiermacher on Friendship, Sociability, and Lived Religion

Description

The rise of populism and nationalism in the West have raised concerns about the fragility of liberal political values, chief among them tolerance. But what alternative social resources exist for cultivating the interpersonal relationships and mutual goodwill necessary for sustainable peace? And how might the lived practices of religious communities carry potential to reinterpret or re-circuit these interpersonal tensions and transform the relationship with the cultural "other" (Fremde) from "foe" (Feind) to "friend" (Freund)? This volume contributes a unique analysis of this shifting discourse by viewing the contemporary socio-political upheaval through the lens of Friedrich Schleiermacher's theology, with a focus on the themes of friendship, interpersonal subjectivity, and sociability as a path beyond mere tolerance. Each of the essays of the volume is written by an internationally recognized scholar in the field, and the volume examines Schleiermacher's novel reflections across multiple social contexts, including North America, Great Britain, western Europe, and South Africa. As these essays demonstrate, the implications of this conversation continue to resound in contemporary religious communities and political discourse. Table of Contents Abbreviations of Schleiermacher’s Collected Works Editors’ Introduction Part I: Friendship and Interpersonal Subjectivity Schleiermacher and the Theology of Friendship The Development of Individuality: Some Considerations on the Importance of Friendship in Schleiermacher’s Social Theory Symphilosophieren and We-Intentionality Despite All Misunderstandings Polyphonic Love: A Common Theme in Schleiermacher and Bonhoeffer Can Friendship be Taught and Learned? Part II: Sociability, Culture, and Lived Religion The Spirit of Friendship: Thoughts on Subjectivity and Friendship from Friedrich Schleiermacher Individuality and Sociability in Schleiermacher’s Concept of the Christian Church Lived Religion and Populist Reason in an Age of Populist Politics Contaminated by Grace? Salvation, Sociability, and the Church as Collective Life Thinking with Schleiermacher about Religious Polarization Contributors Index