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Going Low

How Profane Politics Challenges American Democracy
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Going Low explores the rise of offensive and provocative political rhetoric in the contemporary era, especially under Trump and the broader right-wing movement. Finbarr Curtis analyses how breaking norms of civility and political correctness functions as a display of dominance against liberal democratic principles. Drawing on religious studies, the book argues that this deliberate offensiveness and taboo-breaking reflect a refusal to respect the sensitivities of a diverse society, encapsulating conflicts over free speech and the privatization of public goods. It offers essays on key controversies, such as evangelical grievances, LGBTQ+ wedding cake refusals, and athlete activism, revealing the underlying dynamics of illiberal, profane politics today.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book suits readers interested in political science, contemporary U.S. politics, religious studies, and the cultural dynamics of political discourse in the Trump era. It will appeal to scholars, students, and informed general readers seeking to understand the role of offence and taboo in modern illiberal politics.

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Going Low examines how the offensive style of contemporary politics challenges liberal democratic institutions. Considering the rise of illiberal politics and debates about the limits of free speech, Finbarr Curtis draws on the insights of religious studies to rethink provocation and transgression.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Liberalism puts its trust in civil discourse and rational argument. Today, its opponents enthusiastically flout these norms, making a show of defying so-called political correctness. In the Trump era and beyond, right-wing figures delight in sheer offensiveness. What is at stake in breaking the rules of civility to "own the libs"?

Going Low examines how the offensive style of contemporary politics challenges liberal democratic institutions. Considering the rise of illiberal politics and debates about the limits of free speech, Finbarr Curtis draws on the insights of religious studies to rethink provocation and transgression. He argues that the spectacle of brazenly violating taboos is a show of dominance over a supposedly censorious liberalism. Profaning liberal pieties is the ultimate form of "winning." Curtis contends that deliberate offensiveness dovetails with the privatisation of public goods: both represent the refusal to accommodate the sensibilities of others in a diverse society.

Going Low offers a series of essays that recast recent controversies, including Trump's reality-TV presidency, white evangelical complaints of liberal bigotry, bakers who refuse to bake cakes for LGBTQ weddings, and hostility toward the activism of athletes and college students. Together, these essays shed new light on contemporary political discourse and reveal why illiberalism has turned to profane politics for a profane age.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Library Journal calls it a "timely explanation of current political realities in the U.S." American Religion praises its "compellingly written and skillfully argued insights" into offence and illiberal secularism. Kathryn Lofton, author of Consuming Religion, finds it a "marvelous and surprising book" that explains offence as central to secular politics. Vincent W. Lloyd highlights its distinctive conceptual use of religious studies to illuminate today's political culture. The book is regarded as bold and analytic in its approach.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780231205733

Publisher: Columbia University Press

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 05 July 2022

Country: United States

Imprint: Columbia University Press

Audience: Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Width: 140.0mm

Height: 216.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 312

About the Author

Finbarr Curtis is an associate professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University. He is the author of The Production of American Religious Freedom (2016).

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