Dan McKanan Knihy

A broad, definitive history of the profound relationship between religion and movements for social change in America The United States has always had an active, vibrant, and influential religious Left. In every period of our history, people of faith have envisioned a society of peace and justice, and their tireless efforts have powered the social movements that have defined America’s progress: the abolition of slavery, feminism, the New Deal, civil rights, and others. In this groundbreaking, definitive work, McKanan treats the histories of religion and of the Left as a single history, showing that American radicalism is a continuous tradition rather than a collection of disparate movements. Emphasizing the power of encounter—between whites and former slaves, between the middle classes and the immigrant masses, and among activists themselves—McKanan shows that the coming together of people of different perspectives and beliefs has been transformative for centuries, uniting those whose faith is a source of activist commitment with those whose activism is a source of faith. Offering a history of the diverse religious dimensions of radical movements from the American Revolution to the present day, Prophetic Encounters invites contemporary activists to stand proudly in a tradition of prophetic power.

A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at  .The Camphill movement, one of the world’s largest and most enduring networks of intentional communities, deserves both recognition and study. Founded in Scotland at the beginning of the Second World War, Camphill communities still thrive today, encompassing thousands of people living in more than one hundred twenty schools, villages, and urban neighborhoods on four continents. Camphillers of all abilities share daily work, family life, and festive celebrations with one another and their neighbors. Unlike movements that reject mainstream society, Camphill expressly seeks to be “a seed of social renewal” by evolving along with society to promote the full inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities, who comprise nearly half of their residents. In this multifaceted exploration of Camphill, Dan McKanan traces the complexities of the movement’s history, envisions its possible future, and invites ongoing dialogue between the fields of disability studies and communal studies. 

For nearly a century, the worldwide anthroposophical movement has been a catalyst for environmental activism, helping to bring to life many modern ecological practices such as organic farming, community-supported agriculture, and green banking. Yet the spiritual practice of anthroposophy remains unknown to most environmentalists. A historical and ethnographic study of the environmental movement, Eco-Alchemy uncovers for the first time the profound influences of anthroposophy and its founder, Rudolf Steiner, whose holistic worldview, rooted in esoteric spirituality, inspired the movement. Dan McKanan shows that environmentalism is itself a complex ecosystem and that it would not be as diverse or transformative without the contributions of anthroposophy.

Die Frage nach den unterschiedlichen Entwicklungen unitarischer Bewegungen in Deutschland und den USA wurde ausgelöst durch die Erkenntnis, dass Thomas Mann sich im kalifornischen Exil in der Unitarian Church zu engagieren begann. Eine Tagung, die in enger Zusammenarbeit der Harvard Divinity School, der Göttinger Universität und unitarischer Gruppen durchgeführt wurde, versuchte erstmals einen kritischen Überblick über die Geschichte des Unitarismus von den Anfängen in der Reformationszeit über Emersons Adaptation des Goethe’schen Humanismus bis zu theologischen und politischen Formen des Unitarismus im 20. Jahrhundert zu geben. Dabei werden die Allianzen zwischen Unitariern und der amerikanischen Linken ebenso erörtert wie die zeitweisen Verbindungen deutscher unitarischer Gruppen zu völkischen und neurechten Bewegungen und die Beiträge von Unitariern zu einer liberalen und toleranten Gesellschaft heute. Einbezogen sind theologische und religionsgeschichtliche, historische, politische und spirituelle Aspekte. Die Herausgeber: Heinrich Detering ist Professor für Neuere deutsche und Vergleichende Literaturwissenschaft an der Universität Göttingen. Dan McKanan ist Ralph Waldo Emerson Unitarian Universalist Association Senior Lecturer an der Divinity School der Universität Harvard.