Restless Souls: The Making of American Spirituality

by Leigh Eric Schmidt

Book Overview

An intellectual and cultural history of a distinctly American brand of spirituality - from Emerson to Oprah - by today's leading scholar of American religious history. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060545666
• ISBN13: 9780060545666
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: HarperOne
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.36 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.3" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

growing in spiritual maturity

in a quick reading of 'restless souls' i find persons of courage and determination who look beyond echoes to provide voices that help move us beyond traditionally divisive conceptions of faith and value toward building inclusive community characterized by respect, justice, and mercy. i look forward to spending more time here. gr

Idea of Religious Liberalism Made Clear

This is what this book has done for me. I have attended Unitarian churches but never understood how "liberal" ... a political term, it seemed to me ... related to religion. Now I get it. If I were still teaching graduate psychology courses to health and rehabilitation practitioners, I'd include this book as required reading for a course designed to help them deal with the DEEP problems of people with illnesses and disabilities without getting into religious proselyting.

a gem

This book is a gem. It tells the history of what Schmidt calls the "liberal" religious tradition in America. It shows us the golden kernel at the heart of what today is often diluted. Kickboxing yoga enthusiasts no more invalidate Emerson and Whitman, than the Inquisition invalidates Jesus of Nazareth. The book is largely about some wonderful people little known today but influential in their time. These fine folks carried the torch from Emerson and Whitman to the mid-20th century. Schmidt tells their stories beautifully, and reading about them is a joy. I can't think of a better use of our time than reading about great souls like Thomas Kelly, Max Ehrmann, and Sarah Farmer.