Public Vision, Private Lives: Rousseau, Religion, and 21st-Century Democracy

The book "Turning to Rousseau's Garden" by Mark S.

Cladis is a groundbreaking work that sheds new light on the relationship between religion, public and private life in modern society.

Through a detailed examination of Jean-Jacques Rousseau's thought, Cladis uncovers the origins of contemporary notions of the public and private and their connection to religion.

This comprehensive analysis is accompanied by a substantive introduction that discusses the role of religion in contemporary democratic societies, particularly in American public life.

Cladis proposes four models of thinking about religion in public and champions spiritual democracy - a dynamic, culturally specific, and progressive democracy that encompasses a society's legal codes, democratic culture, symbols, daily practices, and institutions.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complex relationship between religion, politics, and private life in modern society.