The answer to this question at the heart of a classic work on political philosophyNEWS PROVIDED BY
Carmel Communications
Nov. 11, 2020

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ — The clash between religion and politics has been a way of life for centuries yet the history of such political thought has nearly been erased in modern times, leading to a lack of foundational knowledge of perennial issues affecting Americans today. In a republished version of a 1984 classic, THE POLITICS OF HEAVEN AND HELL: CHRISTIAN THEMES FROM CLASSICAL, MEDIEVAL, AND MODERN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY, questions of how religion and politics are intertwined and the reasons why this matters so deeply for humanity are explored and linked together not only in more modern eras but throughout the Old Testament and times of Aristotle and Plato.

THE POLITICS OF HEAVEN AND HELL is written by the late James V. Schall, S.J., a professor of political philosophy from 1977 to 2012 at Georgetown University, where he received his Ph.D. in Political Theory in 1960. Three times he was granted the Award for Faculty Excellence by the senior class at Georgetown’s College of Arts and Sciences. He wrote hundreds of essays and columns, and more than thirty books, including On Islam, The Order of Things, and Another Sort of Learning from Ignatius Press.

Robert Reilly, author of America on Trial, aptly notes in the foreword that man “politicizes everything” as he tries to reconcile the world to himself by his own efforts, which eventually leads to tyranny, perhaps a warning for modern day politics in the 21st century.

Schall wrote in THE POLITICS OF HEAVEN AND HELL that the best defense against tyranny is “the adequate description of the highest things, of what is beyond politics.” Both reason and revelation are needed for this work, and they are eloquently and ably set forth in the book.

“Schall’s book reminds us of the balanced riches of classical and medieval sources of Christian political thought,” said Jay W. Richards, Ph.D., research assistant professor, Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America. “Anyone interested in the survival of the West in the twenty-first century should read this book.”

For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Robert Reilly, who wrote the foreword to the book, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or [email protected]) of Carmel Communications.
 
SOURCE Carmel Communications

CONTACT: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, [email protected]

Al-Qabas, Kuwait, November 6

A recent BBC investigative report revealed that thousands of young boys across Sudan were chained, beaten and sexually abused by religious figures working for a network of schools that specializes in teaching underserved students to read, write and memorize the Qur’an. The investigation, which was conducted undercover for over a year and a half, included terrifying testimonies collected from 23 victims, including children as young as five years of age. According to one testimony, school officials tied six or seven students together in chains and forced them to run. When the boys fell, they were beaten with whips and clubs. The investigation was published on all major international and Arab media outlets, including in Sudan. But not a single person reacted to the heinous crimes described in it. Meanwhile, when French President Emmanuel Macron made a remark on Islam, the streets of Khartoum immediately filled up with thousands of angry protesters. What happened to these school children was so much harsher and uglier than the remarks of a foreign president. But for some reason, not a single person took to the streets to protest the abuse of innocent children in the hands of clerics who lack any conscience or morals. Consider another recent event: A few days ago, Tariq Ramadan – grandchild of Hassan al-Banna, the founding father of the Muslim Brotherhood – was charged in court with his fifth case of rape. Ramadan is widely considered one of the most prolific scholars of Islam in Europe and, in many ways, the heir to his grandfather. Yet this noble figure, who is regarded with religious awe and honor, turned out to be a person far different than we believed him to be. This reminds me of a third event: A Kuwaiti court recently indicted the head of a large Kuwaiti charitable institution for embezzling the association’s funds. The funds were meant to reach an Islamic country. The reason I’m bringing these three stories up isn’t to attack specific religious officials. Rather, it’s to show that all human beings make mistakes and that it’s dangerous to impose an aura of holiness on those working in religious fields. Granted, clerics should not be subjected to doubts or accusations just because they have long beards and represent sanctity. Yet we must remember that these figures are human beings first and foremost. The only way to rid our societies of corruption and crime is to make sure that everyone – including notable religious figures – is held accountable to the same laws. – Ahmed Al-Sarraf (translated by Asaf Zilberfarb)