John Buehrens was the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations from 1993 to 2001. His previous books include Understanding the Bible- An Introduction for Skeptics, Seekers, and Religious Liberals; with Forrest Church, A Chosen Faith- An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism; and with Rebecca Ann Parker, A House for Hope- The Promise of Progressive Religion for the Twenty-first Century.
“A clear, vibrant picture of the varieties of heroism that appear
in battles for human rights.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“An . . . engaging narrative. Buehrens’s take on Transcendental
activism will appeal to scholars interested in exploring antebellum
social justice concerns.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A well-written introduction to the Transcendentalists and a
complement to Philip Gura’s more idea-driven American
Transcendentalism.”
—Library Journal
“The book is a historic-biography which also serves as welcome
primer on ‘how to become more self-transcendent in these difficult
times.’”
—The Boston Globe
“A deftly organized, comprehensively detailed, soundly documented,
expertly written, thought-provoking and unique contribution to both
community and academic library American Social & Cultural History
collections.”
—Midwest Book Review
“Buehrens skillfully traces the relationships between the
Transcendentalists and other leading activists of the nineteenth
century, demonstrating how vital these relationships were in
shaping not only the individuals involved but entire reform
movements. Conflagration provides one of the most extensive
portraits of the Transcendentalists to date and helps explain why
they continue to fascinate and inspire us.”
—Nicole C. Kirk, Frank and Alice Schulman Professor of Unitarian
Universalist History at Meadville Lombard Theological School
“Conflagration is brightly written, deftly organized, and
strikingly well-informed narrative history. Where many, perhaps
most, accounts of the Transcendentalists center on Concord, and on
ideas and personal lives and on writing, Buehrens’s focus is
sharply on the larger world of Boston and on ‘fervent activists and
their work.’ His grasp of narrative is sure, his stories very
readable indeed, and he aims not just for the scholars and
specialists but for the general reader. Anyone dismayed by
America’s current problems can take heart from this passionate
examination of some of our better angels.”
—Robert D. Richardson, author of Emerson: The Mind on Fire
“Transcendentalism was more than Concord! While Thoreau meditated
at Walden and Emerson lectured at the lyceum, their spiritual
friends fought slavery, created communes, empowered women, and
imagined new forms of religious community. The spiritual
friendships forged in the early gatherings of the Transcendentalist
Club allowed the movement to ripple outward, transforming their own
time and our own. Now John Buehrens has told many forgotten
Transcendentalist stories in one of the most wide-ranging histories
of the movement ever written. Buehrens places Boston’s Church of
the Disciples and its pastor, James Freeman Clarke, at the center
of his multifaceted story. These ‘Disciples,’ among them women’s
rights champion Julia Ward Howe and the Republican politician John
Andrew, built bridges between Christian liturgy and post-Christian
mysticism, between armed resistance to slavery and the political
establishment, and between Boston and the nation. Their legacy
challenges us to transform both our understanding of
Transcendentalism and our own lives.”
—Dan McKanan, author of Prophetic Encounters: Religion and the
American Radical Tradition
“Conflagration is a fresh and stimulating history of
Transcendentalism, the radical religious and political movement
that has remained enigmatic over the decades despite volumes of
scholarly analysis. Rather than asking what Transcendentalism
means, John Buehrens asks instead what did the Transcendentalists
do? They led a dramatic shift of the course of American history, he
answers, toward an ethos of world-inclusive spirituality and
egalitarian social reform. His biographical perspective and his eye
for the shared sympathies circulating among Transcendentalist
adherents enlarge and enliven our understanding of the movement’s
legacy. Conflagration is the book that makes it clear that
Transcendentalism was indeed a movement. Its dedication to justice,
comprehensive knowledge, and universal compassion are values that
now seem of critical importance.”
—David M. Robinson, author of Natural Life: Thoreau’s Worldly
Transcendentalism
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