Today is the day! My new book CAN RELIGION SAVE DEMOCRACY? is officially out — co-authored with the Evangelical theologian @matthewkaemingk and more importantly my friend. There’s no feeling quite like holding your book after years of toil, excitement, and occasionally doubt. If you're intrigued and perhaps even a bit skeptical, please consider ordering a copy below. We argue that secularization has not made our politics more rational or reasonable. The opposite has happened. In losing our religion, politics has come to resemble a holy war. And we argue that lessons from Islam and Christianity can provide us a better path forward and help us be better democratic citizens. We’re not asking anyone to convert, but we are asking readers to be open to the possibility that religion at its best can play a constructive role in our public life. Christianity and Islam allow us to "delay judgment" of our fellow citizens because final judgment is only God's alone. If God is all-knowing, we are anything but. If we recognize that we are mere mortals who are tempted and broken by sin, then that should allow us to hold a posture of humility about whether we're right and whether others are wrong. We see through a glass darkly. There's also a strong utilitarian argument for religion. The religiously affiliated are more likely to give to charity and volunteer. They're even less likely to cut in line. They drink and smoke less. They are more likely to be married and have kids, which in turn leads them to be happier on average compared to their secular counterparts. We have mixed feelings about the utilitarian argument. First and foremost, Matthew and I believe in Christianity and Islam because we believe they are true. In that sense, we disagree on the most profound theological questions regarding the very nature of God. But despite that — or perhaps because of it — we felt it was important to write this book together. amazon.com/Can-Religion-Save…

If there’s someone on this planet less self-aware than Brett McGurk, I haven’t met them.

At a time when both Islam and Christianity are seen as a problem for American politics, we argue something quite different. Both of our faith traditions offer important resources for living with deep difference. We need more religion, not less. amazon.com/Can-Religion-Save…

🚨🚨 FELLOWSHIP OPPORTUNITY. For young Christian and Muslim scholars & leaders who work on faith and politics. As co-director of @Georgetown's Templeton Pluralism Fellowship, happy to share that applications are open: faithandfutureofdemocracy.or…

A pluralistic ethic is baked into the Islamic tradition. The story of Ali and the Quran that could not speak is one of my favorite anecdotes from early Islamic history. amazon.com/Can-Religion-Save…

I'm sorry. If you believe in monarchy, you're going against every aspect of the American founding and American ideals. That shouldn't be treated as normal or "moderate." It's extreme. The fact that so many on the right treat @curtis_yarvin as an oracle speaks to the anti-democratic tendencies of MAGA.

Abdul supports LGBTQ rights and seems fine with the participation of trans athletes in female sports. If he supports the Muslim Brotherhood's ideology, he sure has a weird way of showing it.

🚨🚨 DCers: Next Wednesday, Oct 28 at 5pm. @matthewkaemingk and I will be in conversation with the great @AkyolinEnglish to talk about Islam and Christianity's relationship to democracy. Is religion a problem to be solved or can it help save us? berkleycenter.georgetown.edu…