The Political Emerson

The Political Emerson, is another important contribution to the ongoing reevaluation of the most important cultural figure in nineteenth-century America. This collection specifically answers those critics who maintained for years that Emerson was an aloof philosopher, far removed from the political turmoil and social drama of the ‘era of reform’ in which he lived. Instead, we now see clearly that Emerson was at the epicenter of change, constantly urging his fellow citizens to insure that equality, freedom, and justice were the natural birthright of all Americans. It is a message well worth hearing again today. –Len Gougeon, author of Virtue’s Hero: Emerson, Antislavery, and Reform

“Spirituality has political implications. It always has; it always will. As a minister, Emerson put spiritual integrity first-knowing that he could not thereby avoid the political concerns of his time. He saw all human beings as moral subjects and resisted treating them as mere objects. David Robinson, in this anthology, gives us Emerson as a relevant resource for the spiritually grounded political resistance still required today.”–John Buehrens, author of Understanding the Bible: An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals