Gary Dorrien Knihy

Focusing on the peak of American theological liberalism, this volume examines its dynamic integration of various theological schools and the tension between evangelical and modernist perspectives. It highlights the movement's optimism rooted in social and cultural progress, which ultimately faced significant internal critique during the 1930s. Through this exploration, the author sheds light on the complex evolution of theological thought in the context of the emerging research university and institutional frameworks.

This magisterial follow-up to The New Abolition, a Grawemeyer Award winner, tells the crucial second chapter in the black social gospel's history.

Exploring the intersection of theology and modernity, Gary Dorrien examines how twentieth-century Christians have navigated their faith amidst Enlightenment skepticism and scientific thought. He highlights the responses of key theologians to the challenge of myth in contemporary Christianity. Dorrien ultimately presents his own "new neo-orthodoxy," advocating for a pluralistic theology that embraces the mythical aspects of the gospel while remaining grounded in the historical critique of idolatry found in the Gospels.

The book delves into the significant impact of neoconservatives on American foreign policy, particularly their role in advocating for war with Iraq. It provides an engaging exploration of key figures within the neoconservative movement and their imperial ambitions, highlighting their vision for a global Pax Americana. Through this lens, the author sheds light on the motivations and strategies that have shaped a critical period in U.S. history.

The book provides a critical examination of Barack Obama's presidency, highlighting the challenges he faced from both the right and disillusioned progressives. Gary Dorrien analyzes key issues such as the economic crisis, health care reform, foreign policy, and banking regulation, offering insights into how these factors shaped his administration. By revisiting Obama's journey to the White House, the author explores the complexities of his leadership and the mixed responses from his supporters.

An expansive and ambitious intellectual history of democratic socialism from one of the world's leading intellectual historians and social ethicists

Focusing on the evolution of liberal theology in the United States, this work distills Gary Dorrien's extensive trilogy into a more accessible format. It emphasizes the unique and enduring nature of American liberal theology, highlighting its diversity and adaptability. The book includes fresh insights on the Black social gospel and Universalism, while also addressing developments up to the early 2020s. Dorrien presents his post-Hegelian liberal-liberationist perspective, enriching the conversation around this vital theological tradition.

Winner of the 2017 Grawemeyer Award, this groundbreaking work examines the early history of the Black social gospel tradition and its close relationship to W. E. B. Du Bois "Magnificent . . . The New Abolition brings to life those reformers whose work commenced after American slavery officially ended and the enterprise of re-creating slavery in new form was beginning."--Jonathan Tran, Christian Century The Black social gospel emerged from the trauma of Reconstruction to ask what a "new abolition" would require in American society. It became an important tradition of religious thought and resistance, helping to create an alternative public sphere of excluded voices and providing the intellectual underpinnings of the civil rights movement. This tradition has been seriously overlooked, despite its immense legacy. In this groundbreaking work, Gary Dorrien describes the early history of the Black social gospel from its nineteenth-century founding to its close association in the twentieth century with W. E. B. Du Bois. He offers a new perspective on modern Christianity and the civil rights era by delineating the tradition of social justice theology and activism that led to Martin Luther King Jr.