Religion and Twentieth-Century American Intellectual Life (Woodrow Wilson Center Press) [Hardcover]

Michael James Lacey (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Woodrow Wilson Center Press | Publication Date: September 29, 1989

Concerned primarily with relations between Protestant Christianity and the main currents in secular intellectual life over the course of the past century, the essays in this volume disclose the persistence, complexity, and fragility of religious thought in the new university dominated intellectual environment of the modern period. Arguing that three important patterns of response emerged from the challenges to religious belief posed by nineteenth-century science and scholarship--the traditionalist, the naturalist, and the modernist responses--the volume is organized to bring out the continuing interplay of reciprocal influences among them. The contributors show that a dialectic between naturalistic and religious points of view has contributed significantly to the character and style of modern American thought.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The conference at which these essays were first presented brought together social scientists and professors of religion and theology to assess the role of Protestantism in current American intellectual life. The essays themselves challenge secularist and naturalist outlooks, revealing instead subtle interactions between religion and other aspects of culture and highlighting the profound affect of Reinhold Niebuhr, Richard Niebuhr, and John Dewey and of the social gospel movement on American culture. As evidenced by these essays, both professionalization, which pushed theology out of the liberal arts and into the seminaries, and specialization in the humanities has diminished the impact of religion. Further, the interaction of science and religion has contributed to the tension of religion and culture. Highly recommended for academic and seminary collections.
- Carolyn M. Craft, Longwood Coll., Farmville, Va.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 226 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (September 29, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521375606
• ISBN-13: 978-0521375603
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,825,775 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)