Submission deadline: April 2nd, 2019

Postliberal Thought is constructing its first issue, which will aim to give a comprehensive definition to “liberalism.” This definition will situate “liberalism” within the larger narrative of Christianity, rather than taking Liberalism as the true, hegemonic narrative in which Christianity plays a auxiliary role as a “religion”. This definition will adequately account for and ground the superficial differences in Classical and contemporary liberalism, Continental and Anglo-American liberalism, and theological and philosophical liberalism, so that people can speak of, oppose, or support “liberalism” simply and without qualifications. This definition will serve as prologomena to all future discussions of postliberalism and the meaning of a postliberal society.

We are calling for papers that can articulate and defend any “part” of this definition. These topics might include, but are not limited to, liberal anthropology; Adam and Eve in the liberal tradition; the person as an individual rational actor in pursuit of utility; the primacy of the will; contractual relations vs. personal relations; language of rights vs. language of love; legal positivism; scientific positivism/scientism; the compartmentalization of life into public and private spheres; the doctrine of progress; the concept of hierarchy in the liberal tradition; the fall and original sin in the liberal tradition; John Rawls’ theory of justice; absolute sovereignty; the separation of Church and State; the Market vs. markets; hegemonic vs. particular jurisprudence; peace and violence in the liberal tradition, etc.

Good papers will ground particular features of liberal societies (i.e. technocracy, consumerism, free market capitalism) in theological or philosophical assumptions/formulations of the fathers of liberalism (i.e. Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau), with clear explanations of how these assumptions/formulations depart from, subvert, or otherwise alter the philosophical and theological presumptions of Christianity.

Bad papers will (a) narrow in too specifically on the thought of one particular thinker (i.e. What Did Adorno Really Think About Rights?) while leaving the overall tradition of liberalism un-penetrated or (b) they will assume the definitions of the liberal categories they purport to deconstruct/explain within the meta-narrative of Christianity.

Papers will fall into two categories: peer-reviewed articles and essays.

Peer-reviewed articles will be reviewed for academic rigor and methodology, and should be 2,000+ words.

Essays, like the articles, should aim for academic rigor and methodology, but need not be unnecessarily fearful and nitpicking. That is, they should not be boring to read, and should remain under 2,000 words.

To submit a piece, click here.

