Building a Protestant left

Building a Protestant left

By Mark Hulsether

Book Description

Through the lens of one influential magazine, this scholarly exploration reveals how progressive Christian thought evolved and shaped American society across five transformative decades. Mark Hulsether examines Christianity and Crisis, a publication that became an unexpected powerhouse of religious and political discourse despite its modest readership.

Founded by theologian Reinhold Niebuhr in 1941, this journal provided a platform where diverse voices converged to wrestle with faith's role in social justice. The magazine attracted an remarkable array of contributors, from theologians and philosophers to activists and public intellectuals, creating conversations that resonated far beyond religious circles.

Hulsether traces the journal's intellectual journey from Niebuhr's Christian realist framework through the turbulent social movements of the mid-twentieth century. He shows how the publication became a crucial forum for emerging liberation theologies that challenged traditional religious perspectives, including African American, feminist, and Latin American voices that demanded new understandings of faith and justice.

This historical case study illuminates broader questions about how religious communities engage with social change. By connecting theological debates to the cultural and political currents of postwar America, the author demonstrates how progressive Christians navigated complex relationships between spiritual conviction and political action.

For readers interested in understanding how faith communities can influence social transformation, this work offers valuable insights into the intersection of religious thought and progressive politics in modern America.

Who Is This For?

📖 Reading Level: Medium (200-400 pages) (~10 hours)

🕉️ Tradition: Christianity

📄 Length: 374 pages

What You'll Discover

  • ✓ Explore Christianity and Crisis (tijdschrift)
  • ✓ Explore History
  • ✓ Explore United States
  • ✓ Explore New Left
  • ✓ Explore Christianity and crisis
  • ✓ Explore 11.55 Protestantism
  • ✓ Explore Episcopal church, history
  • ✓ Explore Periodicals

Topics Covered

Christianity and Crisis (tijdschrift) History United States New Left Christianity and crisis 11.55 Protestantism Episcopal church, history Periodicals Religion and state Christianity and politics Protestant churches Liberalism (Religion)

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