Liberalism, religion, and the common good

In this chapter I will examine Raymond Plant’s signal contribution to recent discussions of the place of religion in a liberal state. Plant observes that legislative changes such as the Human Rights Act (1998) and Equalities Act (2010) have changed the nature of liberalism’s solution to the supposed ‘problem of religion’ from one of ethos to one of rules. Moving beyond Plant’s analysis, I examine how the trend towards the privatization of religion has recently been challenged by the events of lockdown. As the APPG for Faith and Society report, Keeping the Faith (2020) has shown, partnerships between faith groups and local authorities during the pandemic have led to a reset in the relationship between public institutions and religions. This has led to the opening of a new policy space in which there are opportunities for faith groups to reclaim a place in public life.