All the Kingdoms of the World

This splendid book has something for everyone. For religious conservatives who question the separation of church and state, Vallier offers compelling arguments against their integration, drawing from Catholic theology, Church history, and considerations of social stability. For liberals, Vallier offers a bracing view of a powerful current stream of anti-liberal thought that should shatter any complacency about taking liberal political assumptions for granted. For people of all religious and political orientations, Vallier offers a rigorous method for assessing political proposals that does not presuppose liberal principles, but can serve as a basis for all to engage each other in serious discussion. In our politically polarized age, that is a major achievement." Elizabeth Anderson, Max Shaye Professor of Public Philosophy, University of Michigan
Kevin Vallier thoughtfully makes the case against post-liberal political doctrines, focusing on Catholic integralism. But he also pursues reconciliation with conservatives through his striking proposal for non-liberal charter cities within the framework of a liberal state. This book is a daring and original effort to adapt liberal political theory to a post-liberal era." Yoram Hazony, author of Conservatism: A Rediscovery
Integralism holds that state coercion is to be used to forward a religion's vision of the supernatural good. It is deeply statist and deeply illiberal; and, yet, it arguably follows from the teachings of Roman Catholicism. In All the Kingdoms of the World, Kevin Vallier does the great service of taking this position seriously-of presenting it with care, so that its attractions are plain. He also does the great service of showing why it nevertheless profoundly fails in its own terms as an account of a just, stable political order and how its failure provides lessons for the prospects of other emerging anti-liberal statisms. The book is intellectually invigorating, theoretically rigorous, and politically timely. I am grateful that it was written, and that it was Vallier who wrote it!" Mark C. Murphy, McDevitt Professor of Religious Philosophy, Georgetown University
This is an excellent and important book, starting with its defense of classical liberalism over Catholic integralism and indeed illiberalism more generally...likely to be one of this year's books that turns out to really matter. * Tyler Cowen, Marginal Revolution *
All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism is a seminal and ground-breaking work of meticulous scholarship. Impressively exceptional in organization and presentation, All the Kingdoms of the World: On Radical Religious Alternatives to Liberalism will have a special relevance and value for readers with an interest in the history of religion and politics, as well as being especially recommended for Church/State curriculum studies lists. Highly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library collections. * John Taylor, MBR Bookwatch *
A fantastic book - an intellectual feast. * Kaushik Basu, Carl Marks Professor of International Studies, Cornell University, and former Chief Economist of the World Bank *
The book is a response to the unexpected return of integralism as a political option, but it is also a reflection on what kind of society enables goodness...Vallier's book succeeds in revealing the dangerous flaws of integralism, but he offers few reasons to believe that liberalism has the resources to address the major social challenges we face today. * Terence Sweeney, The Commonweal *
Vallier provides an important commentary on the difficulty of achieving Christ's Kingdom on Earth, whether via liberalism or post-liberal integralism. * Paul Tuns, The Interim *
All the Kingdoms of the World is a welcome contribution to mapping the complex varieties of contemporary Christian anti-liberalism * Alexander Faludy *