Governing the faithful

A discussion of religious freedom and liberal democracies with particular focus on the United Kingdom

Abstract

This article examines the tension between liberal democratic government and citizens of faith with a particular focus on Christians in Great Britain. The article examines the reality of increasing cases of marginalization of Christians in liberal democracies and the contest of rights which is at the heart of these cases. The article questions the rise of a hierarchy of rights, representing a totalistic pluralism which threatens the foundational nature of a liberal democracy: freedom of conscience and belief. It closes with a discussion of the implications of this clash for believers living in Western states.