Religion and Public Debate in a Liberal Society: Always Oil and Water Or Sometimes More Like Rum and Coca-Cola

This Article analyzes the role of religion during the Enlightenment, particularly focusing on the negative views toward Christianity. The author explores the reasons why Christianity was not embraced by Enlightenment thinkers, and attempts to relate this to the modern view of religion. Where religious thinking posed a considerable threat to institutions in the era of Enlightenment, religious thinking arguably does not pose such a threat in modern times. The author concludes with an argument that the presence of religion in modern society strengthens pluralism, and thus strengthens liberal society itself.