{"product_id":"going-low-finbarr-curtis-9780231205733","title":"Going Low: How Profane Politics Challenges American Democracy","description":"\u003cp\u003eLiberalism puts its trust in civil discourse and rational argument. Today, its opponents enthusiastically flout these norms, making a show of defying so-called political correctness. In the Trump era and beyond, right-wing figures delight in sheer offensiveness. What is at stake in breaking the rules of civility to \"own the libs\"? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eGoing Low\u003c\/i\u003e examines how the offensive style of contemporary politics challenges liberal democratic institutions. Considering the rise of illiberal politics and debates about the limits of free speech, Finbarr Curtis draws on the insights of religious studies to rethink provocation and transgression. He argues that the spectacle of brazenly violating taboos is a show of dominance over a supposedly censorious liberalism. Profaning liberal pieties is the ultimate form of \"winning.\" Curtis contends that deliberate offensiveness dovetails with the privatization of public goods: both represent the refusal to accommodate the sensibilities of others in a diverse society. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ci\u003eGoing Low\u003c\/i\u003e offers a series of essays that recast recent controversies, including Trump's reality-TV presidency, white evangelical complaints of liberal bigotry, bakers who refuse to bake cakes for LGBTQ weddings, and hostility toward the activism of athletes and college students. Together, these essays shed new light on contemporary political discourse and reveal why illiberalism has turned to profane politics for a profane age.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Finbarr Curtis\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 0231205732\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780231205733\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Columbia University Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/05\/2022\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 312\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.85lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.43h x 5.43w x 0.94d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/i\u003e 07\/01\/2022 pg. 77","brand":"Finbarr Curtis","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":44056698355967,"sku":"9780231205733","price":28.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0662\/2982\/9887\/files\/img_42f20331-7b78-416f-8637-ea1a6c8a2d22.jpg?v=1685042763","url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/going-low-finbarr-curtis-9780231205733","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}