Autonomy and the Liberal Imagination in Jane Calderwood Norton's Freedom of Religious Organizations

Abstract

Norton argues that the autonomy of religious groups is, when justifiable, necessary for personal autonomy, which she describes as the fundamental value of a political society ordered by liberalism. In this response, I draw out three components of what we can call the liberal imagination found in this book. Each of these components leads to critical questions. First, the privileging of personal autonomy. This raises a question: why accord a special status to religious liberty? Second, negotiating conflicts between autonomy interests through boundary defining – in this case, demarcating internal and external roles and activities. I query how sustainable this is, given Norton’s characterisation of the group as serving individual interests. Third, a focus on the authority of the state. I argue this contrasts with what may be variously called institutionalist, jurisdictional, or social pluralist perspectives.