By Joe Perez
At least since the early writings of Karl Marx, many public intellectuals have acknowledged some variant on the phrase “the personal is politicalâ€. Not only that, but by implication it is held that “the spiritual is politicalâ€. This notion actually is a reversal of the truth and invites a closer look at the connection between politics and spirituality.
Traditional religion is often intertwined with government. And various conservative, liberal and liberation theologies in the twentieth century across a spectrum of religions spelled out new ways in which religious teachings seek to influence the public sphere in secularized societies. [Read more…]