Overview

Through a case study of community organizing in the global city of London and an examination of the legacy of Saul Alinsky around the world, this book develops a constructive account of the relationship between religious diversity, democratic citizenship, and economic and political accountability. Based on an in-depth, ethnographic study, Part I identifies and depicts a consociational, populist and post-secular vision of democratic citizenship by reflecting on the different strands of thought and practice that feed into and help constitute community organizing. Particular attention is given to how organizing mediates the relationship between Christianity, Islam and Judaism and those without a religious commitment in order to forge a common life. Part II then unpacks the implications of this vision for how we respond to the spheres in which citizenship is enacted, namely, civil society, the sovereign nation-state, and the globalized economy. Overall, the book outlines a way of re-imagining democracy, developing innovative public policy, and addressing poverty in the contemporary context.

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9781107641969

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Reviews

'Dr Luke Bretherton has written a book of both great range and extraordinary depth. Whether detailing the inner workings of a citizens organization, leading readers through a history of social change, or reflecting on the philosophical and theological foundations that inform what Ella Baker termed 'the slow and respectful work' of democracy, his prose has the clarity and verve usually found in pieces written by accomplished essayists or masterful journalists. He has managed to be academically sound without cluttering his pages with academic jargon. Resurrecting Democracy is respectful, but never slow. It sets a new and very high standard for all those who wish to write about leaders and institutions struggling to create what the author calls the politics of a common life.' Michael Gecan, Co-Director, Industrial Areas Foundation 'Every organizer or person concerned with organizing should read this book. Whether he or she agrees or disagrees with any particular point is immaterial - it is a very important intellectual scrimmage to undergo.' Ernesto Cortes, Jr, Executive Director, Interfaith Education Fund 'Luke Bretherton's Resurrecting Democracy addresses a crucial if largely unremarked crisis of our age: the radical shrinking of the democratic imagination. Citizens feel powerless to act collectively to shape their future and 'democracy' has been narrowed to mean electoral politics and voting. Combining an extraordinary case study of London Citizens, a broad-based organization of different religious faiths and political perspectives that has helped to set the public agenda in contemporary Great Britain, with brilliant innovations in political theory and theology, Bretherton shows that an expanded view of democracy can live and inspire in the twenty-first century.' Harry Boyte, Augsburg College, Minnesota 'London Citizens has changed British politics in the last few years and Luke Bretherton's terrific book both tells the organization's story and explains why it matters so much. The scholarship in places is breathtaking and the author's passion for the cause more impressive still.' Marc Stears, University of Oxford 'Resurrecting Democracy aims to demonstrate the fertile legacy of Alinsky as more than a bogeyman of right-wing American politicians and a figure of historical curiosity to the Left. Bretherton begins with a thorough and lucid history of the movement's origins and growth, continues with an ethnographic case study of community organization in London between 2008 and 2011, and ends with an ambitious survey of the theory of civil society, national sovereignty, and political economy, informed by Christian theology.' Jonathan Benthall, The Times Literary Supplement 'This is a very rich book, a work of theology and political theory, but also ethnography, which together casts light on the failures and frustrations of liberal democracy.' Paul Bickley, Third Way

'Dr Luke Bretherton has written a book of both great range and extraordinary depth. Whether detailing the inner workings of a citizens organization, leading readers through a history of social change, or reflecting on the philosophical and theological foundations that inform what Ella Baker termed 'the slow and respectful work' of democracy, his prose has the clarity and verve usually found in pieces written by accomplished essayists or masterful journalists. He has managed to be academically sound without cluttering his pages with academic jargon. Resurrecting Democracy is respectful, but never slow. It sets a new and very high standard for all those who wish to write about leaders and institutions struggling to create what the author calls the politics of a common life.' Michael Gecan, Co-director of the Industrial Areas Foundation 'Every organizer or person concerned with organizing should read this book. Whether he or she agrees or disagrees with any particular point is immaterial - it is a very important intellectual scrimmage to undergo.' Ernesto Cortes, Jr, Executive Director of the Interfaith Education Fund 'Luke Bretherton's Resurrecting Democracy addresses a crucial if largely unremarked crisis of our age: the radical shrinking of the democratic imagination. Citizens feel powerless to act collectively to shape their future and 'democracy' has been narrowed to mean electoral politics and voting. Combining an extraordinary case study of London Citizens, a broad-based organization of different religious faiths and political perspectives that has helped to set the public agenda in contemporary Great Britain, with brilliant innovations in political theory and theology, Bretherton shows that an expanded view of democracy can live and inspire in the twenty-first century.' Harry Boyte, Augsburg College, Minnesota 'London Citizens has changed British politics in the last few years and Luke Bretherton's terrific book both tells the organization's story and explains why it matters so much. The scholarship in places is breathtaking and the author's passion for the cause more impressive still.' Marc Stears, University of Oxford

Author Information

Luke Bretherton is Professor of Theological Ethics and Senior Fellow of the Kenan Institute for Ethics at Duke University, North Carolina. Before Duke, he was Reader in Theology and Politics at King's College London (2004–12). His other books include Hospitality as Holiness: Christian Witness Amid Moral Diversity (2006) and Christianity and Contemporary Politics: The Conditions and Possibilities of Faithful Witness (2010), winner of the 2013 Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing. As well as academic journals and books he writes for the media on issues related to religion and politics. This book grows out of a three-year Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project for which he was principal investigator (2008–11).

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