Volume 13, Issue 1, February 2000

Tolerance has received less critical scrutiny than most liberal values. This article traces the history of tolerance from the time of Locke, through Mill, to the present day. It critically reviews the approaches of Dworkin, Walzer and Rorty, all of which it finds wanting. It notes that Walzer’s “enthusiasm” for diversity represents a shift from liberalism towards pluralism. Theologians such as Biggar and Markham share Walzer’s “enthusiasm” but fail to link it to the distinctive commitment of Christian communities. Hauerwas contends that such commitment offers the prospect of genuine peace. The paper concludes that a true ap-preciation of the Christian virtue of patience supports this contention.