The religious and political winds are changing. Tens of millions of religious Americans are reclaiming faith from those who would abuse it for narrow; partisan; and ideological purposes. And more and more secular Americans are discovering common ground with believers on the great issues of social justice; peace; and the environment. In Souled Out; award-winning journalist and commentator E. J. Dionne explains why the era of the Religious Right--and the crude exploitation of faith for political advantage--is over. Based on years of research and writing; Souled Out shows that the end of the Religious Right doesn't signal the decline of evangelical Christianity but rather its disentanglement from a political machine that sold it out to a narrow electoral agenda of such causes as opposition to gay marriage and abortion. With insightful portraits of leading contemporary religious figures from Rick Warren and Richard Cizik to John Paul II and Benedict XVI; Dionne shows that our great religions have always preached a broad message of hope for more just human arrangements and refused to be mere props for the powers that be. Dionne also argues that the new atheist writers should be seen as a gift to believers; a demand that they live up to their proclaimed values and embrace scientific and philosophical inquiry in a spirit of "intellectual solidarity." Written in the tradition of Reinhold and H. Richard Niebuhr; Souled Out will help change how we think and talk about religion and politics in the post-Bush era.
#930575 in Books Princeton University Press 2006-02-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.46 x .41 x 6.40l; .39 #File Name: 0691126062136 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. WHAT MAKES RUSSIA TICK - A NEW AND CONTROVERSIAL APPROACHBy Critical MassPoe's controversial short book (more like a monograph) on the origins; character; and history of Russia and its people reminds me of A.J.P. Taylor's revisionist and highly controversial book on The Origins of World War II. If nothing else; it gives one much food for thought. In the end; one may draw the conclusion that Russia is neither European nor Asian. - but both. Its once Imperial flag with a double-headed eagle clearly indicated the two-directional view that the empire took of itself. But what does that mean? Poe uses the word Eurasian quite frequently. The question at hand and the focus that Poe raises in his book has to do with the essential political and social structure that Russia possessed (and arguably still does to a considerable extent) for the greater part of its history. The architecture of Russia is certainly both European and Asiatic depending upon its locale. Russia; even today; is enormous geographically speaking. It is as large if not larger than all of North America. Yet; its population is paltry for its size and in decline. Part of Poe's thesis regarding Russian society has to do with Russia's geographical location and its overall climate. One would think that Russia became Russia because no one else but the original Slavs and others who settled there were the only ones willing to do so. Certainly; climate and geography affect history and the people who live there. But Poe turns this situation on its head and presents Russia as a quasi-isolationist polity whose main preoccupation is to protect itself from European aggression and internal revolt. He fails to examine Asiatic aggression and its influence on Russia (aside from the Mongols and Tatars) in greater depth. The threat of Japan is almost treated as an after thought; not to mention the problem of Central Asiatic Islamic countries that stretch over most of its southern border.The fact that the first recorded act in Russian history was its assault on Constantinople is telling. That is hardly the position and attitude one would expect from an infant nation which prefers "to be alone and left alone" as a key basis of its existence. The desire to the present day to obtain warm water outlets and to be respected as a world power and not just a regional one says it all. However; if it were not for its nuclear arsenal; Russia would be a Third World country in every sense of the word. Its GDP is 1/16th that of the United States and is less than that of Italy or Brazil. And what of its manufacturing base? When was the last time any nation bought anything from Russia that wasn't related to either oil or military equipment? Where are the Russian autos; microwaves; TVs; cell phones; major appliances; etc.? It is outdone by little South Korea (a half country) and Japan; among others. Its vast size and resources do command attention; however. Yet; its very size has determined what type of government it has had and basically still has - autocratic. Even Putin has said that Russia is too big to be ruled by a Democracy. While Russia today is no longer considered to be "agrarian"; its industry is noteworthy only for its military and outer space equipment and assets. Russia's defeats (in its different incarnations) or near defeats in the Napoleonic wars; Japanese encounters; World War I; and World War II; and Afghanistan are revealing. Had the US Congress given Gorbachev the financial aid that he requested; there most likely never would have been a Yeltsin and certainly no Putin; and today Russia might truly be a flourishing democracy standing shoulder to shoulder with the US. Instead; it has reverted to the basic autocracy that it has been for centuries; still worried about Europe in the form of NATO and the US.For all that; I still found Marshall Poe's book to be provocative in its own way and a lively read - and isn't that reason enough to read a particular book?0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great introduction to Russian historyBy NikA very comprehensive overview of the Russian history from the time of its inception up to the modern days. It has a sound theory at its basis; but the book's limited length inevitably leads to some simplifications that could potentially mislead a less informed reader. But still; the book is great for introducing students into the subject of Russian history.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. If half a millennium of Russian history is to be distilledBy Kaushikinto a hundred pages of text; one has to have a strong thesis. Poe does: once the Muscovite state collected itself in the sixteenth century; he says; Russia embarked on an alternative path to modernity. Unlike Europe; Russia combined autocracy; "control of the public sphere;" state-controlled economy; and "state-sponsored militarism." This mix; moreover; made Russia the only "sustainable society capable of resisting the challenge of Europe." With the collapse of the Soviet Union; the 400-year "Russian moment" ended -- that is; the Russian path to modernity expired; and something else now awaits the country. Much of Poe's general description will not be contested; except by those who consider Russia to be historically a part of Europe. His analysis -- that Russia had no other choice; given its location; lack of resources; and weak society -- will be. If those who disagree can offer a counterargument as compact; vigorous; and accessible as Poe's; the rest of us will greatly benefit.
