Includes bibliographical references (pages 219-226) and index.

Freedom of expression: why Christians should care -- A theology of freedom and free expression -- Free expression and feuds among the faithful -- Free expression's antithesis: defining censorship -- Censorship: a dangerous, corrosive force -- Limits on free expression: why we still want them -- Christians, government, and the politics of free expression -- Responding Christianly, part 1: setting the stage -- Responding Christianly, part 2: nurturing free expression -- Conclusion: a more excellent way.

Christians of all theological and political backgrounds ought to be ardent advocates of advancing, not curbing, freedom of speech within their own ranks and in the increasingly secular societies in which they live. Christians, Free Expression, and the Common Good presents the concept of free expression--and its opposite, censorship--as tools for the Western church (and the U.S. Church in particular) to respond more wisely and effectively to controversy. In their most severe form, these controversies lead to both formal and informal limitations on free expression, as Christians seek to silence those with whom they most stridently disagree. From the back cover.