Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Preface ix
4. Introduction 1
5. I. The State of Public Discourse: Three Incomplete Explanations
6. 1. Alasdair MacIntyre: Fractured Moral Traditions 15
7. 2. John Rawls: Contests of Public Reason 46
8. 3. Carter and Cuddihy: Constraints of Civility 85
9. II. The Jeremiad and Its Evolution: A Historical Exploration
10. 4. The American Jeremiad: Covenant, Complaint, and Controversy 125
11. 5. From Consensus to Division: The Jeremiad’s Shifting Role in American Political Life 182
12. III. The State of Public Discourse: A Rhetorical Analysis
13. 6. Prophetic Indictment and Practical Deliberation: Identifying the Differences 239
14. 7. Prophetic Indictment and Practical Deliberation: Describing the Relationship 286
15. IV. Toward an Ethic of Prophetic Rhetoric: Compassionate and Humble Truth Telling
16. 8. Best Practices: Styles of Prophetic Indictment 319
17. 9. Prophecy, Irony, and Humility: Lessons from Lincoln and Jonah 373
18. Conclusion 419
19. Acknowledgments 425
20. Index 429