Princeton and the Republic, 1768-1822: The Search for a Christian Enlightenment in the Era of Samuel Stanhope Smith [Paperback]

Mark A. Noll (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2004

Widely viewed during the Revolutionary period as a champion of both republicanism and evangelical Calvinism, the College of New Jersey nonetheless experienced great inner turmoil as its leaders tried to support the stability of the new nation by integrating sound principles of science and faith. Focusing on three presidencies--those of John Witherspoon, Samuel Stanhope Smith, and Ashbel Green--Mark Noll relates the dramatic institutional history of what is now Princeton University, a history closely related to the intellectual development of the early republic. Noll examines in detail the student rebellions and the trustees' disillusionment with the college, which, despite Witherspoon's and Stanhope Smith's efforts to harmonize traditional Reformed faith with a moderate Scottish enlightenment, led to the establishment of a separate Presbyterian seminary in 1812. As a cultural and intellectual history of the early United States, this book deepens our understanding of how science, religion, and politics interacted during the period. Close attention is given to the Scottish philosophy of common sense, which Stanhope Smith developed into an educational vision that he hoped would encourage a stable social order. Mark A. Noll (PhD, Vanderbilt University) teaches Christian thought and church history at Wheaton College. He is author of more than ten books, including Religion and American Politics, Christian

Product Details

• Paperback: 360 pages
• Publisher: Regent College Publishing (July 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573833150
• ISBN-13: 978-1573833158
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,182,711 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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5.0 out of 5 stars A Christian Enlightenment, the Church's Paradox, October 5, 2005

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

This review is from: Princeton and the Republic, 1768-1822: The Search for a Christian Enlightenment in the Era of Samuel Stanhope Smith (Paperback)

Noll explains how the search for a relationship between faith and science, as well as contemporary politics, ultimately was the relationship that spawned over a hundred and fifty years of antagonism between Christianity and the academy, or learning. In a sense, Christianity was forced to look at itself and ask if its core tenets were not subject to challenge. A great book! It is worth the read. It'll award you tremendously.