Orestes A. Brownson: American Religious Weathervane

Orestes Augustus Brownson (1803-1876) was a philosopher, essayist, and minister whose broad-ranging ideas both reflected and influenced the social and religious mores of his day. This superb biography by Patrick Carey provides a thorough, incisive account of Brownson's shifting intellectual and religious life within the context of American cultural history. Based on a close reading of Brownson's diary notebooks, letters, essays, and books, this biography chronicles the course of Brownson's eventful life, particularly his restless search for a balance between freedom and communion in his relations with God, nature, and the human community. Yet Carey's work is more than an excellent account of one man's development; it also portrays the face of an important period in American religious history. What is more, 200 years after Brownson's birth, America is marked by the same pressing social and religious issues that he himself addressed: religious pluralism, changing religious identifications, culture wars, military conflicts, and challenges to national peace and security. Carey's book shows how Brownson's values and ideas transcend his own time period and resonate helpfully with our own.

Author: Patrick W. Carey
Publisher: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
Published: 11/01/2004
Pages: 428
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 1.32lbs
Size: 8.98h x 6.46w x 0.97d
ISBN: 9780802843005

Review Citation(s):
Choice 05/01/2005 pg. 1604
Books & Culture 05/01/2005 pg. 33

About the Author
Patrick W. Carey is professor of theology at Marquette University, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He is also coeditor of Biographical Dictionary of Christian Theologians."

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