Post-liberalism hasn't been tried and found wanting. It's been found confusing and left untouched in Canada.
Post-liberalism has been around since the 1980s in theology and at least since the 1990s in politics. It only became popular in the 2010s.
Conservatives need to go deep into post-liberal thought. We need to know what bits align with intellectual conservatism and what elements of post-liberalism may never fit. We need to understand the elements of policy that might flow from different branches of post-liberalism. We can't simply dismiss it as nothing but collectivism.
Dr. James Wood is a professor of religion and theology at Redeemer University (Ontario Canada) with a deep interest and understanding of post-liberalism.
The article we discuss isn't posted online yet. I will endeavour to add a link when it's available.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks again
Shawn
Chapters and AI summary:
Host Shawn Whatley interviews Professor James Wood about his review of Stefan Borg’s book The Return of the Common Good and the wider post-liberal conversation. Wood recounts how his Christian conversion, dissatisfaction with market logic in finance, and early moral concerns (including abortion) led him to critiques of liberal atomistic individualism and liberal “neutrality.” He traces post-liberal roots to 1980s–90s communitarianism (e.g., Sandel, MacIntyre, Taylor), post-liberal theology influenced by Barth (Frei, Lindbeck), and figures like Milbank and Hauerwas, and distinguishes British from contemporary American post-liberal currents (national populists, common-good conservatives, integralists). The discussion argues liberalism tends toward autonomy maximization, depends on pre-liberal virtues it can’t sustain (the Böckenförde dilemma), and treats liberalism as a political theology and “prodigal child” of Christendom, with Wood emphasizing an ecclesiocentric, church-centered post-liberalism.
00:00 Liberalism And Autonomy
01:01 Episode Setup And Stakes
01:52 Guest Introduction
03:12 Wood’s Postliberal Journey
07:10 Communitarians And Radical Orthodoxy
11:58 Postliberal Theology Roots
16:16 Milbank And Hauerwas Bridge
20:50 Barth And Political Theology
25:15 British Vs American Postliberalism
30:36 Common Good Debates
34:26 Liberalism and Common Good
35:33 State Power and Virtue
36:42 Shared Logos and Dilemma
39:55 Desire and Modernity
44:24 Liberal Separations Critique
48:24 Neutral State Myth
55:12 Heresy and Freedom
01:00:38 Post Liberal Revolutions
01:02:52 Church and Politics Finale
