Jacques Maritain in the 21st Century

Book excerpt: From his rebellious youth through his yearning for sainthood as one of the 20th century’s leading Christian philosophers, the quest for liberation defines Jacques Maritain (1882-1973). Throughout the 20th century, Maritain rejected the egocentric isolation rampant throughout liberal society, as well as totalitarian collectivism. Maritain promoted the human person, open by way of nature and grace to integral liberation and redemption through authentic community. This book argues that Maritain contributes to our understanding in the 21st century of the myriad, yet coalescing, movements seeking to address global economic sustainability, the fostering of human rights and participatory democracy. Through a series of papers published over the course of more than 20 years, from the tail-end of the 20th century through the first decades of the 21st century, Maritain’s social and political thought engages contemporary thinkers and movements with penetrating insight.