BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence L.G.F. Lansang METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260113T134500 DTEND:20260113T151500 DTSTAMP:20260113T134500 UID:phd-defence-l-g-f-lansang@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260924T143400 LOCATION: SUMMARY:PhD defence L.G.F. Lansang X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Public and Faithful< /p>

In her thesis theologist Liza Lansang-Espinoza int roduces the concept of the Christian Imperative to determine how reli gious minorities can participate fully in political life without comp romising their beliefs to advocate for faithful laws.

“I examine the role of religious reasons in the public sphere and h ow citizens with different beliefs coexist in democratic societies. I t involves the questions whether Christians should:

Focu s primarily on ‘getting their voices heard’, or should they seek to be heard as well and influence the legislative process?
Aim for political positions that are fully in line with their own con victions or try to find a way to compromise, perhaps just to prevent some of the most ‘far off’ legislation, and hence to restrict, mo derate, contain ‘bad legislation’?
Use explicit religio us language or try to find ‘secular’ language and secular reasons for their position, to convince others?
Opt for a ‘major ity position’, aiming at shaping generally binding legislation or t ry to secure ‘minority rights’?

Lansang-Espinoza conc ludes: “The Christian Imperative is conscientious-engagement, rathe r than withdrawal or assimilation in the public sphere. There should be religious freedom in the public sphere, this way religious (or sec ular) arguments can strengthen liberal democratic debate through ‘a rgumentative democracy’. But in official decisions of the state, on ly public reasons are allowed for the state to remain impartial to di fferent faiths.”

More information on the thesis

< /body> DESCRIPTION: Public and Faithful In her thesis theologist Liza Lansang-Espinoza introduces the concept of the Christian Imperative to determine how religious minorities can participate fully in politi cal life without compromising their beliefs to advocate for faithful laws.“I examine the role of religious reasons in the publi c sphere and how citizens with different beliefs coexist in democrati c societies. It involves the questions whether Christians should:

Focus primarily on ‘getting their voices heard’, or should they seek to be heard as well and influence the legislative process?< /li>
Aim for political positions that are fully in line with the ir own convictions or try to find a way to compromise, perhaps just t o prevent some of the most ‘far off’ legislation, and hence to re strict, moderate, contain ‘bad legislation’?
Use explic it religious language or try to find ‘secular’ language and secul ar reasons for their position, to convince others?
Opt for a ‘majority position’, aiming at shaping generally binding legisl ation or try to secure ‘minority rights’?

Lansang-Espino za concludes: “The Christian Imperative is conscientious-engagement , rather than withdrawal or assimilation in the public sphere. There should be religious freedom in the public sphere, this way religious (or secular) arguments can strengthen liberal democratic debate throu gh ‘argumentative democracy’. But in official decisions of the st ate, only public reasons are allowed for the state to remain impartia l to different faiths.”More information on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR