American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions (Religion in America Life) [Hardcover]

Arthur Versluis (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195076583 | ISBN-13: 978-0195076585 | Publication Date: September 16, 1993

The first major study since the 1930s of the relationship between American Transcendentalism and Asian religions, and the first comprehensive work to include post-Civil War Transcendentalists like Samuel Johnson, this book is encyclopedic in scope. Beginning with the inception of Transcendentalist Orientalism in Europe, Versluis covers the entire history of American Transcendentalism into the twentieth century, and the profound influence of Orientalism on the movement--including its analogues and influences in world religious dialogue. He examines what he calls "positive Orientalism," which recognizes the value and perennial truths in Asian religions and cultures, not only in the writings of major figures like Thoreau and Emerson, but also in contemporary popular magazines. Versluis's exploration of the impact of Transcendentalism on the twentieth-century study of comparative religions has ramifications for the study of religious history, comparative religion, literature, politics, history, and art history.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A major scholarly study of the importance of oriental thought on the group of Americans known as the Transcendentalists. It is a study that shows wide and deep reading in comparative religion and philosophy, and it greatly enlightens us with regard to how Hindu and Buddhist ideas came to shape the work of many intellectual thinkers."--Philip F. Gura, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

"This exhaustive and enlightening work sheds important new light on the history of religion in America, comparative religion, and nineteenth-century American literature and popular culture."--American Renaissance Literary Report

"A major scholarly study well worth the attention of all students of American religion and culture....An important contribution to our understanding of nineteenth-century American culture and the history of American literature and religion."--Crisis

"Versluis provides rich readings and fresh insights....The book not only contributes to conversations about American religious history, but it also indirectly raises issues of common concern to all who interpret religion."--The Journal of Religion

"The book covers far more than Thoreau....There is much material that is entirely new to me, at least, and I find it extremely interesting."--The Thoreau Society

About the Author

Arthur Versluis is at Washburn University.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 16, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195076583
• ISBN-13: 978-0195076585
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,641,916 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars very broad subject, November 18, 2001

By 

supastar (brooklyn) - See all my reviews

This review is from: American Transcendentalism and Asian Religions (Religion in America Life) (Hardcover)

Its ALL Asian Religions and ALL transcendentalists; I was really only interested in the emerson stuff, he challenges the old carpenter assertion that Emerson wasn't influenced by Hinduism until late in life, and he also brings up some new thoughts like Intellectual Colonialism (ed said), but I don't think that idea applies to emerson. Yes, emerson divorced the culture of India from the ideas, but he did that with everything, and he did it properly.