A Republic of Mind and Spirit
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A Cultural History of American Metaphysical Religion
Catherine L. Albanese
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Format: PaperPrice: $30.00
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 L. 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.
"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
“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
"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
“A monumental synthesis.”—Leigh Eric Schmidt, Princeton University
“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
"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
"In this groundbreaking book . . . [Albanese] delivers a first-rate and much-needed religious history of American metaphysical tradition."—Publishers Weekly
“With her impeccable credentials, Albanese is in a unique position to produce this authoritative tome. Comprehensive and thorough . . . it catalogs the permutations of distinctly American metaphysical religions, covering everything from the earliest offshoots of Christianity to the modern New Age movements. A definite heavyweight contender in its field of study.”—Library Journal
Publication Date: April 29, 2008
