James A. Morone, professor of political science at Brown University, is also the author of The Democratic Wish: Popular Participation and the Limits of American Government, published by Yale University Press.
"This is American history the way I like it, prodigiously researched and vivaciously told. Mr. Morone has a knack for peeling off veneers, for locating the surprising fact, for adopting the unexpected and illuminating slant. He is a rarity, a scholar who is never boring." Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Soul of a New Machine; "Hellfire Nation places much of our public life in its proper soul-searching context - and its careful anatomy of the hand-in-glove relations between the American state and the American faithful is both welcome and illuminating." Chris Lehmann, Washington Post Book World; "In a beautifully written book, Morone has integrated the history of American political thought with a perceptive study of religion's role in our public life. May Hellfire Nation encourage Americans to discover (or rediscover) the 'moral dreams that built a nation.' " E.J.Dionne, syndicated columnist and author of Why Americans Hate Politics and They Only Look Dead; "Morone is an exciting writer. Rich in documentation and eloquent in purpose, Hellfire Nation couldn't be more timely." Tom D'Evelyn, Providence Journal; "Hellfire Nation offers convincing evidence that no political advance has ever taken place in the United States without a moral awakening flushed with notions about what the Lord would have us do. It's enough to make a secular leftist gag - and then grudgingly acknowledge the power of prayer." Michael Kazin, Nation"
Morone (political science, Brown; The Democratic Wish) frames four centuries of U.S. history as a struggle between moralizers and social reformers. Since the first Puritan settlements, Americans have defined themselves in moral terms that require an immoral "other" as foil. Morone portrays an American soul torn in two by the clash between the individualist cult of state-imposed morality and the sect of social reformers seeking heaven through government programs. Political and social influence have shifted back and forth between "Victorians"-who preach about social decay, individual responsibility, and government strictures-and "social gospel" believers who look to the government to alleviate society's ill. Puritans used political power to punish dissenters; abolitionists beseeched the federal government to end the sin of slavery; temperance crusaders forced the entire country to take the pledge under Prohibition; and today, self-styled American patriots pay lip service to democracy while jailing Muslims without trial. This history of 400 years of social contention and moral suasion is recommended for academic and public libraries.-Duncan Stewart, Univ. of Iowa Libs., Iowa City Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.
 |
Ask a Question About this Product More... |
|
