Description

Book Synopsis

This book provides a new rationale for religious criticism in American society. First, Dean shows why today''s academic intellectuals are relatively indifferent to questions of meaning in America, pointing to the loss of American exceptionalism, the professionalization of the academy, and the rise of post-structural criticism. He then shows how intellectuals may reclaim a prophetic role by offering a new theory of the nature of religious thought. Tracing this theory to a twentieth-century emphasis on conventions, Dean provides a way to understand how imaginative social constructions can become active historical conventions, with real historical force. He suggests that the sacred itself begins as an imaginative construct and becomes a convention, thus working as an active, living force in history. Finally, Dean argues that religious critics must now reclaim a responsibility for shaping their society''s sacred conventions.

The Religious Critic in American Culture Emotions

    Product form

    £22.96

    Includes FREE delivery

    RRP £25.51 – you save £2.55 (9%)

    Order before 4pm today for delivery by Thu 25 Jun 2026.

    A Paperback by William Dean

    Out of stock

      Trusted by thousands of customers. See 2,385+ Customer Reviews

      View other formats and editions of The Religious Critic in American Culture Emotions by William Dean

      Publisher: State University Press of New York (SUNY)
      Publication Date: 8/16/1994 12:00:00 AM
      ISBN13: 9780791421147, 978-0791421147
      ISBN10: 0791421147

      Description

      Book Synopsis

      This book provides a new rationale for religious criticism in American society. First, Dean shows why today''s academic intellectuals are relatively indifferent to questions of meaning in America, pointing to the loss of American exceptionalism, the professionalization of the academy, and the rise of post-structural criticism. He then shows how intellectuals may reclaim a prophetic role by offering a new theory of the nature of religious thought. Tracing this theory to a twentieth-century emphasis on conventions, Dean provides a way to understand how imaginative social constructions can become active historical conventions, with real historical force. He suggests that the sacred itself begins as an imaginative construct and becomes a convention, thus working as an active, living force in history. Finally, Dean argues that religious critics must now reclaim a responsibility for shaping their society''s sacred conventions.

      Recently viewed products

      © 2026 Book Curl

        • American Express
        • Apple Pay
        • Diners Club
        • Discover
        • Google Pay
        • Maestro
        • Mastercard
        • PayPal
        • Shop Pay
        • Union Pay
        • Visa

        Login

        Forgot your password?

        Don't have an account yet?
        Create account