State, religion, and the public good: An examination of Nurcholish Madjid in constructing civil religious pluralism as political philosophy

This thesis argues for the relevance of an Islamic voice to Western political philosophy on the issue of the role of religion in society. It addresses the chronic tension between religion and the state by constructing a dialogue between the writings of Nurcholish Madjid and classical political theorists. Framed around the development of the modern nation-state, civil religious pluralism is presented as an important contribution to political philosophy. If the administration of justice is the chief end of the democratic state, then the entire society, including religious communities, is implicitly responsible for contributing towards this goal. Achieving this goal becomes possible when the religious goods held by religious selves, expressed in religious moral orders, are placed in dialogue within civil society. Madjid’s understanding of the religious self, the religious moral order as a part of multiple modernities, and the religious pluralism made possible by civil society can support a strong and just state. In this way, public religious goods can inform the articulation of political goods, which in turn informs the state’s administration of justice.