A Republic of Mind and Spirit: A Cultural History of American Metaphysical Religion - Hardcover

Albanese, Catherine L

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0300110898 ISBN 13: 9780300110890

Publisher: Yale University Press, 2007

Synopsis

This path-breaking book tells the story of American metaphysical religion more fully than it has ever been told before, along the way significantly revising the panorama of American religious history. Catherine Albanese follows metaphysical traditions from Renaissance Europe to England and then America, where they have flourished from colonial days to the twenty-first century, blending often with African, Native American, and other cultural elements. The book follows evolving versions of metaphysical religion, including Freemasonry, early Mormonism, Universalism, and Transcendentalism - and such further incarnations as Spiritualism, Theosophy, New Thought, Christian Science, and reinvented versions of Asian ideas and practices. Continuing into the twentieth century and after, the book shows how the metaphysical mix has broadened to encompass UFO activity, channeling, and chakras in the New Age movement, and a much broader new spirituality in the present. In its own way, Albanese argues, American metaphysical religion has been as vigorous, persuasive, and influential as the evangelical tradition that is more often the focus of religious scholars' attention. She makes the case that because of its combinative nature, its ability to incorporate differing beliefs and practices, metaphysical religion offers key insights into the history of all American religions.

About this title

Product Description:

Title: Republic of Mind and Spirit <>Binding: Hardcover <>Author: Catherine L Albanese <>Publisher: YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS ACADEMIC

Review:

"Catherine Albanese dramatically opens deeply metaphysical and spiritual traditions in American religion to a breadth of vision captured by no previous historian. Her sweep from the sixteenth to the twenty-first centuries, integration of European, Asian, and Native American traditions, and clear, vivid writing make this a landmark book of infinite fascination and spectacular range-a testament simultaneously to the true delights of scholarship and America's amazing and seemingly unending spiritual inventiveness."-Jon Butler, Yale University "Catherine Albanese's superb book challenges the notion that histories of denominations and of evangelical movements tell the only central story of religion in the United States. Metaphysical religion, in Albanese's fascinating analysis, is neither alternative nor countercultural. It is a crucial component of American spirituality, with roots as ancient as any other religious tradition."-R. Laurence Moore, Cornell University -- R. Laurence Moore "Walt Whitman may have had a more poetic prospect from which to admire our New World metaphysics, ' but no one has ever offered a view as sweeping or commanding as the one Catherine Albanese presents here. A monumental synthesis, Albanese's work scans the whole history of America's transcendental religious paths and convincingly presents her narrative as an important alternative to evangelical and denominational story lines."-Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University "In this brilliantly crafted narrative, Albanese polishes to a shine an exquisite array of neglected artifacts bearing on religion in America. This is a tour de force history of the ways in which Americans romantically and pragmatically imagined religion as healing and salvation, mind and consciousness, flux and stasis, all vibrantly interwoven beneath the sheltering canopy of metaphysics."-John Corrigan, author of "Business of the Heart: Religion and Emotion in the Nineteenth Century" "Turning the familiar story of America's religious past upside down (or right side up, at last), Albanese brings the metaphysical traditions in from the margins to which other historians have relegated them right to the center of American religious history. "A Republic of Mind and Spirit "is a masterpiece of deep erudition and historical imagination. Who dares to write religious histories like Albanese's anymore, across such huge expanses of space and time and yet still with such exquisite attention to the work of the human imagination? The history of modern religion in the United States and around the globe will never look the same again."-Robert Orsi, Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University. -- Robert Orsi "A monumental synthesis."-Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University "Magisterial."-Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" -- Jeffrey J. Kripal "A tour de force history of the ways in which Americans romantically and pragmatically imagined religion as healing and salvation, mind and consciousness, flux and stasis, all vibrantly interwoven beneath the sheltering canopy of metaphysics."-John Corrigan, author of "Business of the Heart: Religion and Emotion in the Nineteenth Century" "Magisterial."-Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" " A masterpiece of deep erudition and historical imagination. The history of modern religion in the United States and around the globe will never look the same again. " -- Robert Orsi, Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University " Albanese dramatically opens deeply metaphysical and spiritual traditions in American religion to a breadth of vision captured by no previous historian. This is a landmark book of infinite fascination and spectacular range -- a testament simultaneously to the true delights of scholarship and America''s amazing and seemingly unending spiritual inventiveness. " -- Jon Butler, Yale University " The plot thickens! Catherine Albanese''s prodigious research and provocative interpretations will convince even the most skeptical that metaphysical religion has always been and will continue to be a major, dynamic player in American religious history. " -- Mary Farrell Bednarowski, author of New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America "Magisterial."-Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion -- Jeffrey J. Kripal Magisterial.Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion -- Jeffrey J. Kripal The plot thickens! Catherine Albanese''s prodigious research and provocative interpretations will convince even the most skeptical that metaphysical religion has always been and will continue to be a major, dynamic player in American religious history.Mary Farrell Bednarowski, author of New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America -- Mary Farrell Bednarowski The magnum opus of one of our most distinguished interpreters of U.S. religion, this book traces the rich history of the ''metaphysical'' tradition and points toward new historical narratives, stories that emphasize religious exchange and acknowledge this important but neglected strand in American piety. Indispensable for all those interested in Americas religious past.Thomas A. Tweed, Author of Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion -- Thomas A. Tweed A monumental synthesis.Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University -- Leigh Eric Schmidt "The magnum opus of one of our most distinguished interpreters of U.S. religion, this book traces the rich history of the 'metaphysical' tradition and points toward new historical narratives, stories that emphasize religious exchange and acknowledge this important but neglected strand in American piety. Indispensable for all those interested in America's religious past."-Thomas A. Tweed, Author of Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion -- Thomas A. Tweed "A masterpiece of deep erudition and historical imagination. The history of modern religion in the United States and around the globe will never look the same again."--Robert Orsi, Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University--Robert Orsi "The plot thickens! Catherine Albanese''s prodigious research and provocative interpretations will convince even the most skeptical that metaphysical religion has always been and will continue to be a major, dynamic player in American religious history."--Mary Farrell Bednarowski, author of "New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America"--Mary Farrell Bednarowski "The plot thickens! Catherine Albanese's prodigious research and provocative interpretations will convince even the most skeptical that metaphysical religion has always been and will continue to be a major, dynamic player in American religious history."--Mary Farrell Bednarowski, author of "New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America"--Mary Farrell Bednarowski "Albanese dramatically opens deeply metaphysical and spiritual traditions in American religion to a breadth of vision captured by no previous historian. This is a landmark book of infinite fascination and spectacular range--a testament simultaneously to the true delights of scholarship and America's amazing and seemingly unending spiritual inventiveness."--Jon Butler, Yale University--Jon Butler A masterpiece of deep erudition and historical imagination. The history of modern religion in the United States and around the globe will never look the same again. Robert Orsi, Warren Professor of American Religious History, Harvard University--Robert Orsi" "Anyone with an interest in American belief systems and contemporary trends will be well rewarded by reading Albanese's book." David Nartonis, "Christian Science Monitor"--David Nartonis"Christian Science Monitor" (02/06/2007)" Albanese dramatically opens deeply metaphysical and spiritual traditions in American religion to a breadth of vision captured by no previous historian. This is a landmark book of infinite fascination and spectacular range a testament simultaneously to the true delights of scholarship and America's amazing and seemingly unending spiritual inventiveness. Jon Butler, Yale University--Jon Butler" The plot thickens! Catherine Albanese's prodigious research and provocative interpretations will convince even the most skeptical that metaphysical religion has always been and will continue to be a major, dynamic player in American religious history. Mary Farrell Bednarowski, author of "New Religions and the Theological Imagination in America"--Mary Farrell Bednarowski" "Fascinating. . . . Magisterial. . . . A leisurely, informative, and frequently entertaining tour of spiritual flights, frauds, cults, enthusiasms, and experiments, ranging from the flaky to the admirable, along with mixtures of both, that have variously hovered around, fed off, and infused, in ways both subtle and garish, religion in America." Richard John Neuhaus, "First Things"--Richard John Neuhaus"First Things" (03/01/2007)" "Alchemist that she is, Albanese creates or uncovers combinations that will surprise everyone who reads this book. . . . This book remains important as an act of recovery and a remarkable demonstration of how a very talented historian of religion employs her own metaphysical-like imagination." David D./i>--David D. Hall"American Historical Review" (10/01/2008)" "Magisterial. An astonishing gift from one of our most accomplished historians of American religion. . . . For those who study or participate in that broad sweep of alternative religious movements that have gone under the rubrics of human potential, New Age, or just 'spirituality, ' this is a must-read." Jeffrey J. Kripal, "Shift: At The Frontiers of Consciousness"--Jeffrey J. Kripal"Shift: At the Frontiers of Consciousness" (06/01/2007)" Magisterial. Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" --Jeffrey J. Kripal" A tour de force history of the ways in which Americans romantically and pragmatically imagined religion as healing and salvation, mind and consciousness, flux and stasis, all vibrantly interwoven beneath the sheltering canopy of metaphysics. John Corrigan, author of "Business of the Heart: Religion and Emotion in the Nineteenth Century" --John Corrigan" A monumental synthesis. Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University --Leigh Eric Schmidt" "Albanese recovers the fascinating story of American metaphysical religion, documenting its manifold expressions in American history. She unlocks its complexities, signals its significance, and thereby expands the canon of American religious history." Stephen J. Stein, author of "The Shaker Experience in America" --Stephen J. Stein" "A superb book challenging the notion that histories of denominations and of evangelical movements tell the only central story of religion in the United States R. Laurence Moore, Cornell University --R. Laurence Moore" The "magnum opus" of one of our most distinguished interpreters of U.S. religion, this book traces the rich history of the 'metaphysical' tradition and points toward new historical narratives, stories that emphasize religious exchange and acknowledge this important but neglected strand in American piety. Indispensable for all those interested in America s religious past. Thomas A. Tweed, Author of "Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion" --Thomas A. Tweed" "The "magnum opus" of one of our most distinguished interpreters of U.S. religion, this book traces the rich history of the 'metaphysical' tradition and points toward new historical narratives, stories that emphasize religious exchange and acknowledge this important but neglected strand in American piety. Indispensable for all those interested in America's religious past."--Thomas A. Tweed, Author of "Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion" --Thomas A. Tweed "A monumental synthesis."--Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University --Leigh Eric Schmidt "A tour de force history of the ways in which Americans romantically and pragmatically imagined religion as healing and salvation, mind and consciousness, flux and stasis, all vibrantly interwoven beneath the sheltering canopy of metaphysics."--John Corrigan, author of "Business of the Heart: Religion and Emotion in the Nineteenth Century" --John Corrigan "Magisterial."--Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of "Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion" --Jeffrey J. Kripal " The magnum opus of one of our most distinguished interpreters of U.S. religion, this book traces the rich history of the ''metaphysical'' tradition and points toward new historical narratives, stories that emphasize religious exchange and acknowledge this important but neglected strand in American piety. Indispensable for all those interested in America ' s religious past. " -- Thomas A. Tweed, Author of Crossing and Dwelling: A Theory of Religion & nbsp; & nbsp; & nbsp; " Magisterial. " -- Jeffrey J. Kripal, author of Esalen: America and the Religion of No Religion & nbsp; " A tour de force history of the ways in which Americans romantically and pragmatically imagined religion as healing and salvation, mind and consciousness, flux and stasis, all vibrantly interwoven beneath the sheltering canopy of metaphysics. " -- John Corrigan, author of Business of the Heart: Religion and Emotion in the Nineteenth Century " A monumental synthesis. " -- Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University "Albanese tells an untold narrative of American religious history, one which promises to reshape the way we think about the field."-Ann Taves, University of California, Santa Barbara

About this edition

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0300110898
• ISBN 13: 9780300110890
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 640