The Lost Soul of American Protestantism

by Hart, D. G.; Moore, R. Laurence

• ISBN13: 9780742507685
• ISBN10: 0742507688
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2002-09-04
• Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Summary

In The Lost Soul of American Protestantism, D. G. Hart examines the historical origins of the idea that faith must be socially useful in order to be valuable. Through specific episodes in Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Reformed history, Hart presents a neglected form of Protestantism--confessionalism--as an alternative to prevailing religious theory. He deftly argues that the history of confessional Protestantism is vitally important to current discussions on the role of religion in American life, as it is more concerned with the prosperity of the community of believers than with the spiritual health of the nation as a whole. Hart suggests that, contrary to the legacy of revivalism, faith may be most vital and influential when it is not practical.

Author Biography

D. G. Hart is professor of church history and academic dean at Westminster Seminary in California.

Table of Contents

Foreword	p. ix
Preface	p. xi
Introduction	p. xv
The American Way of Faith	p. 1
Confessional Protestantism	p. 29
Defining Conservatism Down	p. 57
The Intolerance of Presbyterian Creeds	p. 85
The Sectarianism of Reformed Polity	p. 113
The Irrelevance of Lutheran Liturgy	p. 141
Conclusion: Confessional Protestantism and the Making of Hyphenated Americans	p. 169
Index	p. 187
About the Author	p. 197
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