"This book is a clear statement of our intellectual past, an illumination of our social present, and a powerful warrant for serious liberal arts edu- cation that invites students to think, to discern, to understand, and to ad- judicate. Betsworth, a compelling teacher, is a persuasive writer, pa- tient enough to enlist us in self-understanding."-Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, Georgia

"Professor Betsworth is at his best as a master teacher, weaving together an intriguing and readable perspective on decisive religious, intellectual, and social themes from which Americans have derived a moral fiber. ... He points us to issues that are threatening, and demand repair of, that fiber."-Max L. Stackhouse, Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, Massachusetts