Over the past two decades, the renowned political theorist William E. Connolly has developed a powerful theory of pluralism as the basis of a territorial politics. In this concise volume, Connolly launches a new defense of pluralism, contending that it has a renewed relevance in light of pressing global and national concerns, including the war in Iraq, the movement for a Palestinian state, and the fight for gay and lesbian rights. Connolly contends that deep, multidimensional pluralism is the best way (...) to promote justice and inclusion without violence. He advocates a deep pluralism—in contrast to shallow, secular pluralism—that helps to create space for different groups to bring their religious faiths into the public realm. This form of deep pluralism extends far beyond faith, encompassing multiple dimensions of social and personal lives, including household organization and sexuality. Connolly looks at pluralism not only in light of faith but also in relation to evil, ethics, relativism, globalization, and sovereignty. In the process, he engages many writers and theorists—among them, Spinoza, William James, Henri Bergson, Marcel Proust, Gilles Deleuze, Giorgio Agamben, Talal Asad, Michael Hardt, and Antonio Negri. _Pluralism_ is the first book in which Connolly explains the relationship between pluralism and the experience of time, and he offers readings of several films that address how time is understood, including _Time Code_, _Far from Heaven_, _Waking Life_, and _The Maltese Falcon_. In this necessary book Connolly brings a compelling, accessible philosophical critique together with his personal commitment to an inclusive political agenda to suggest how we might—and why we must—cultivate pluralism within both society and ourselves. (shrink)

Religious Pluralism stems from a series of Gifford Research Fellowship lectures. A stipulation of these lectures is that they be "public & popular," addressed to the intelligent lay person, not just the specialist. Religious Pluralism is not written from the stance of any particular faith. It addresses issues that might concern anyone who thinks about religion, particularly the individual in search of, or interested in choosing, a faith. We live in a religiously plural world, one in which Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, (...) Islam, Judiasm, Sikhism, Taoism, etc., variously picture the nature & purpose of human existence. Which religious account, if any, should we accept & on what ground? Is it legitimate to construct a world-view using material from several faiths? Using the image of a hall of mirrors to symbolize our new multi-religious consciousness, Religious Pluralism: A Metaphorical Approach considers how the individual might answer such challenging questions. Chris Arthur received a PhD from the University of Edinburgh where he took a First Class Honours degree in Religious Studies. In 1984 he was awarded the Gifford Research Fellowship at the University of St. Andrews. At the University of Wales he teaches courses in Buddhism, Religion & the Media, & Methodology. (shrink)