St. Augustine’s Press

Politics of Truth and Other Untimely Essays, The

The Crisis of Civic Consciousness

Sandoz, Ellis

A fascinating collection of studies, The Politics of Truth and Other Untimely Essays explores the historical and theoretical underpinnings of personal liberty and free government and provides a trenchant analysis of the crisis of civic consciousness endangering both of them today. The book addresses a range of issues in contemporary political philosophy and constitutional theory. These are seen to be all the more urgent in importance because of the surging aspirations for liberty in the wake of the collapses we see throughout the Middle East, Africa, and other areas, and the withdrawal from leadership in America and Europe.

While each essay can stand alone, there is an underlying thematic unity to the collection. Several essays focus on American political thought, with emphasis on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Two elements in particular, are treated: the jurisprudential and common law background to the American political tradition and the centrality of religion within the unfolding of the American political experiment. Sandoz explores the uncommon alliance of philosophers, statesmen, and evangelists during the nation’s founding This alliance, nurturing communities of persons bound together by their faith and a mutual regarded for one another, played a vital role in the establishment of the system of freedom under law.

Sandoz sees the tension between religion and natural law as a constant in the human struggle for freedom. That the preservation of liberty under law is no easy task is acknowledged and addressed, anyone interested in the “politics” of “truth” will appreciate this book.