Book Description
If, as some physicians of the national malaise claim, the American dream is dead and our history as a nation has reached its end, it seems fitting to reopen the question of what America is - or should be, or what was once thought she ought to be. Although we can hardly expect this to be persuaded any longer by the historic dreams of the new Adam, a review of that century-old challenge to debate, founded in the possibility of an achieved human perfection, can provide u with humane instruction in understanding the present and the future. The author here gives us that review through the eyes of a major nineteenth-century commentator. Orestes Brownson's work is a significant part of American history, especially of its intellectual history. Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., wrote of Brownson: "…one feels the pathos of modernity in this stormy pilgrim…His life still touches contemporary nerves - from the antagonisms of capital and labor to the place of the Catholics in American society, from the nature of American culture to the death of God…"To expect solutions from - to expect agreement with - Brownson is to ask for more than this book intends. Much of his mastery was in the isolation and sharply etched presentation of the question. Clarity and depth of thought are everywhere reflected in his work. Whither that thought leads is clearly the work of ultimate judgment by the reader. By allowing Brownson to speak for himself, and confining critical comments chiefly to footnotes, the author presents him as still vigorously alive and, it is hoped, as a formative influence in America's future.' ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent Introduction
An excellent book for anyone wanting an introduction to the thought of Orestes Brownson, be it his political philosophy or his theological insights. Not as comprehensive as other books, it ties in autobiographicalelements well, and Butler is not afraid to bring in the thoughts of otherpolitical thinker (like Eric Voegelin) into the mix. Over all, a fine work. ... Read more

Book Description
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. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Orestes Brownson: Sign of Contradiction
This little book has the same problem as much of the materialcoming out of academia these days. All complexity and jargon, and noability to tell a story or relate the insights to the broader, contemporary flow of ideas at the time our subject lived. Where a simple word would suffice, Herrera uses arcane words that often leave you grabbing for a dictionary. More importantly, however, we get mostly opinions from the author, and after having slogged through 200 pages, know very little about Orestes Brownson, and his times. I learned more about Brownson's thinking from two short extracts of his writings from a primary source book on religion in America, then I did in this entire work. Instead of decent quotes from his writings, and other primary sources, we unfortunately are fed repetitive blather, and sketchy analysis about Orestes' often changed views, his contradictions (to wit the title), and the usual overly critical analysis from today's modern scholars. My copy of this rather expensive little book... is now being contributed to my local library. Otherwise, it would have ended up in the wastepaper basket. A much wiser investment would be to obtain a synopsis of Brownson's actual writings even if the cost was more than this overpraised book as contained in the other reviews.

A Charming Look at a True American Eccentric
Orestes Brownson was a writer, philosopher,and cultural critic. He was also an Catholic during a period in this country when it was not publically orthodox to be a Catholic. Never more than an intellectual gadfly to begin with, Brownson's intellectual star faded soon after his death and heentered a sort of intellectual purgatory, becoming the subject for obscurePh.D theses and academic biographers in search of a subject no one else hadtackled. Now Brownson is brought back to life in a rather charming portraitby, all of people, a fellow teaching alumni. Orestes Brownson had taught atSeton Hall University, in New Jersey, for a brief period of his life, asdid his current biographer, Robert Herrera. Perhaps it's the Seton Hallconnection that's responsible, but Herrera does a nice job of breathinglife back into the old boy and letting us see him warts and all. Instead ofconforming Brownson to his image, Herrera instread conforms to Brownson'simage and what emerges is a full, rich portrait of both the man and histimes, of the critic and the subject of his criticism. Another sellingpoint for this book, besides its brevity (Why do academics feel they haveto give us every nugget of their subject's life?), is its refusal to bendto the politically correct winds that currently constitue the PublicOrthodoxy of our squalid intellectual times. If you love Americanintellectual history (and, no, that is not an oxymoron), you will love thischarming little tome.

An Insightful Look at an Unjustly Neglected Philosopher
Orestes Brownson was one of the most original, and eccentric, American philosophers of the 19th century. It has been his unfortunate fate to slide into obscurity in the 20th century. Now he has been brought to vibrant lifein sn excellent new study of his life and works by R.A. Herrera. Thestrength of this book lies in its interweaving of Brownson's life andthought, taking care not to tip the scales in favor of either. Theimportance of this method cannot be stressed enough because of theobscurity into which Brownson has fallen. Herrera is not out torehabilitate Brownson; far from it. But he does provide an insightful newlook at this iconoclastic thinker who was always swimming against theintellectual tides of his times. Highly recommended. ... Read more