Freedom With Religions

Valentina Gentile is Associate Professor of Political Philosophy at LUISS University of Rome. She is Editor-in-Chief of Philosophy and Public Issues (FQP/PPI). She specialises in normative political philosophy, liberal theory, and especially the work of John Rawls. Her research explores core Rawlsian themes such as moral stability, pluralism, reciprocity, toleration, and civility, and extends this framework to transitional justice, intergenerational justice, and the role of religion in democratic societies. She is also interested in the intersections between ethics and business. Her work has appeared in several peer-reviewed journals, including International Theory, Journal of Social Philosophy, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, Global Policy Journal, and Philosophia. She is the author of From Identity Conflicts to Civil Society (Luiss University Press, 2013) and co-editor of Rawls and Religion (Columbia University Press, 2015), Spaces of Tolerance (Routledge, 2020), and The Ethics of ESG (Cambridge University Press, 2026).

"Freedom With Religions investigates the appropriate place of religions in liberal democracies. It is a timely and insightful intervention that identifies important concerns with leading views and that offers an interpretation of political liberalism that is more inclusive of religions than other views on offer. It is a must read." Christie Hartley, Professor, Georgia State University“In this book, Gentile deftly weaves together elements from the liberal debate about the role of religion in public life to propose a distinctive theory of ‘political inclusivism’. Erudite, elegantly written and with a keen sense of cultural context, this study deserves a wide readership.”Albert Weale, Emeritus Professor of Political Theory and Public Policy, University College London“In this richly informed book, Valentina Gentile takes up a wide range of questions raised by the presence of citizens of faith in liberal democracy. Gentile ably defends political liberalism against its critics, while extending it by drawing out its implications for political deliberation in civil society. An important contribution.”Paul Weithman, Glynn Family Honors Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame

• Preface. Introduction: Freedom With Religions. Political Inclusivism in Liberal Democracies PART I: Religious Freedom in Contemporary Liberal Theory 1. Separation and Liberal Equality 2. Inclusive Pluralism and Convergence in Public Reason Liberalism PART II: Freedom With Religions: The Turn to Political Inclusivism 3. Democratic Equality and the Scope of Religious Freedom 4. An Inclusive Interpretation of Public Reason. The Case of "Religious Militants for Peace" 5. Reconciling the Social and Moral Dimensions of Political Civility. Conclusion: Political Liberalism and the Challenge of Religions. A Response from Political Inclusivism