The Lost Soul of American Protestantism (American Intellectual Culture) [Paperback]

D. G. Hart (Author), R. Laurence Moore (Foreword)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0742507696 | ISBN-13: 978-0742507692 | Publication Date: August 27, 2004

In The Lost Soul of American Protestantism, D. G. Hart examines the historical origins of the idea that faith must be socially useful in order to be valuable. Through specific episodes in Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Reformed history, Hart presents a neglected form of Protestantism--confessionalism--as an alternative to prevailing religious theory. He explains that, unlike evangelical and mainline Protestants who emphasize faith's role in solving social and personal problems, confessional Protestants locate Christianity's significance in the creeds, ministry, and rituals of the church.
Although critics have accused confessionalism of encouraging social apathy, Hart deftly argues that this form of Protestantism has much to contribute to current discussions on the role of religion in American public life, since confessionalism refuses to confuse the well-being of the nation with that of the church. The history of confessional Protestantism suggests that contrary to the legacy of revivalism, faith may be most vital and influential when less directly relevant to everyday problems, whether personal or social.
Clear and engaging, D. G Hart's groundbreaking study is essential reading for everyone exploring the intersection of religion and daily life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Scholarly and important work . . . his [Hart's] warnings about the dangers of seeking to gain the world while losing one's soul should be welcomed by all who sense that something is fundamentally wrong in the way religion appears today on the American scene. (The Weekly Standard )

This book has a provocative thesis that engages the question of the corpus Christianum in a new and engaging manner. Recommended. (Choice Magazine )

D. G. Hart’s argument is original, important, and provocative. The book forces us to re-examine our assumptions concerning the fissures that define the history of American Protestantism. It points us toward a fundamental reassessment of Protestantism’s role in the formation of modern American culture. (David Watt )

D. G. Hart's The Lost Soul of American Protestantism is the first book to flesh out the theology of 'Confessional Protestantism,' a concept formerly discussed primarily, if not exclusively, within the ethnic and political confines of 'ethno-cultural' political history. In this remarkable volume readers will encounter a third way in Protestantism that is neither 'evangelical' nor 'liberal,' but a tradition grounded in liturgy and historic creeds and confessions. This is a thoroughly useful, entirely readable, and historically notable volume of interest to scholars and informed lay readers alike. It is a splendid example of innovative argument and has a few surprising conclusions. (Harry S. Stout )

Good historical writing calls our attention to something that allows us to ponder it. It may or may not offer a guide for change or summon us to action, but by merely allowing us to look afresh at something we think we know that which was familiar can become intriguing. Such is the service The Lost Soul of American Protestantism provides. In this volume D. G. Hart offers an illuminating new way of looking at the schismatic arena of American Protestantism. (Journal Of Church And State )

Scholarly and important work . . . his [Hart's] warnings about the dangers of seeking to gain the world while losing one's soul should be welcomed by all who sense that something is fundamentally wrong in the way religion appears today on the American scene.... (The Weekly Standard )

D. G. Hart wants participants in, and observers of, American religion to realize that dividing things up between 'liberals' and 'conservatives' is simply too simple. Hart asserts that there is a category of religious believers--he calls them 'confessionalists'--who differ fundamentally from both liberals and conservatives. Who these confessionalists are, and why they are important for all who want to resist the trivialization of religion, is the well-told story of this important book. (Noll, Mark A. )

For those interested in the history of American Protestantism, this is D. G. Hart at his best--intelligent, cranky, and iconoclastic. He writes from the perspective of Old School Calvinism and as an opponent of many Christian historians in the academy. (Bruce Kuklick )

We can thank Hart for opening up a stimulating discussion. (American Historical Review )

Deeply informed. . . . (Theology Today )

Students of church history and American religion can find much food for thought in this volume. (Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly )

Hart offers numerous historical illustrations....Hart's examples provide an interesting and original mix of materials. (Lutheran Quarterly 2008 )

About the Author

D. G. Hart is professor of church history and academic dean at Westminster Seminary in California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (August 27, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0742507696
• ISBN-13: 978-0742507692
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #764,837 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

44 of 45 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and Interesting!, November 22, 2002

By 

C. R Biggs "Biggsman" (Round Hill, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Lost Soul of American Protestantism (Hardcover)

When we think of Protestantism in the 20th century, we usually think of the dichotomy between liberals and evangelicals. In this book, Dr. D. G. Hart has carefully focused our attention on an overlooked group of Protestants: confessional Protestants such as those in Presbyterian, Reformed, Anglical, and Lutheran congregations. The value and richness of this book is in the fact that Dr. Hart reminds us that confessional Protestants are the true heritage of the Reformation of the Church in the 16th century. Both liberals and evangelicals come from the Pietism and Revivalism of the 18th century that was opposed to confessional Protestants. This will be a welcome edition to your library. It stimulates thought as a history, but additionally it will encourage those American Protestants who long to see the church return to the preaching of the Word, administration of the sacraments, and an appreciation for the visible church of Christ. I will quote from pg. xxx1. Dr. Hart writes: ...Confessionalism cannot produce immediate results the way pietism promises, through either the imminent inauguration of God's kingdom on earth (the liberal Protestant preference)or the speedy end of human history in divine judgment (the evangelical hope). But confessionalim's longer perspective on the flow of human history, thanks to its understanding of the institutional church, often yields as much wisdom as pietism produces results." Well said!

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Third Party Christianity, October 4, 2005

By 

M. Parks (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Lost Soul of American Protestantism (American Intellectual Culture) (Paperback)

DG Hart explains how there is more in common between evangelicals and mainline Protestants than confessionalists. He does an awesome job in tracing why confessionalists are less popular but more faithful to historic Christianity than evangelicals and liberals. He's a sharp historian who is slightly out of the mainstream, but demands as much respect as a Noll or Marsden. A must read for thoughtful Christians and those who study religion in America.