Includes bibliographical references (pages 357-361).
Summary
Examines how the spiritual beliefs and vision of America's founders shaped the country's history and culture and assesses the influence of the spiritual traditions of African slaves, Native Americans, and early mystical communities on colonial America.
"An eclectic mixture of autobiography, U.S. intellectual history, philosophical inquiry, and spiritual wonderment, this extended meditative essay examines "America as an Idea" by uncovering the latent wisdom of many of its shining lights: Benjamin Franklin, William Penn, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and Walt Whitman. Needleman, a philosophy professor and author of Money and the Meaning of Life, reinterprets the lives of each of these leaders in the context of their strong spiritual beliefs and their contributions to unifying a deeply divided body politic. The author liberally quotes classical philosophers, historians, biographers, and the subjects themselves, and he often interjects his own life experiences and spiritual beliefs into his loosely structured narrative. Needleman also tackles what he considers to be America's two most grievous historical blemishes: the murder of Native American culture and slavery and suggests how America should confront these wrongs." [from the "Library Journal"]
v. 1. 1708-1742 -- I. Ephrata of the present day -- II. Beyond the Cocalico -- III. Advent of the Palatines -- IV. German pilgrims -- V. The Weaver's apprentice -- VI. The Labadists on the Bohemia Manor -- VII. The hut in the forest -- VIII. The German Baptist Brethren -- IX. The New Dunkers on the Conestoga -- X. The Cradle of German literature -- XI. Alexander Mack -- XII. Koch-Halekung, the serpent's den -- XIII. A retrospect -- XIV. A eventful year -- XV. The awakening of the Tulpehoken -- XVI. Kedar -- XVII. Jacob's Kampff und Ritter-platz -- XVIII. The monastery on the Wissahickon -- XIX. Unitas Fratrum -- XX. The habits of the orders -- XXI. Roster of the celibates -- XXII. The Weyrauchs Hugel -- XXIII. The Zionitic Brotherhood -- XXIV. The Amwell Dunkers -- XXV. The house of prayer -- XXVI. Peniel -- XXVII. A celestial visit -- XXVIII. The Skippack Brethren -- XXIX. The Pennsylvania Synods -- XXX. The order of the mustard seed -- XXXI. Hebron -- XXXII. Saron -- XXXIII. Bethania.
v.2. 1742-1800 -- I. Christopher Sauer and his German Bible -- II. Magister Johannes Hildebrand -- III. The great comet of 1743 -- IV. The pilgrimage to New England -- V. Industrial feature of the community -- VI. The music of the Cloister -- VII. The mystic of the Cocalico -- VIII. The rule of the Sisterhood -- IX. The Eckerlins -- X. The Ephrata Press -- XI. The Nantmel revival -- XII. The Gimsheim revival -- XIII. Conrad Weiser -- XIV. Educational departments -- XV. The visit of Israel Acrelius -- XVI. The Valleys of Virginia -- XVII. Snow Hill -- XVIII. Exoricism of fire -- XIX. Friedsam Gottrecht -- XX. Prior Jaebez -- XXI. Issues of the Kloster Press -- The Ephrata register (burial record)
The religious denominations in the United States: their history, doctrine, government and statistics. With a preliminary sketch of Judaism, paganism and Mohammedanism
This volume includes discussions of the 1857 understanding of Judaism , Paganism , "Mohammedanism ;" and a multitude of sects within the major Protestant sect
"The Religious world is divided into denominations, each of which is distinguished by sentiments peculiar to itself. To delineate the nature, point out the foundation, and appreciate the tendency of every individual opinion, would be an endless task. Our design in this volume has been to describe the leading tenets of the several religions of our own country. From such a task we think two great advantages may be secured. The one is to show the truth of Bishop Watson's opinion, that a "Great lesson which every sect, and every indi vidual of every sect, ought to learn from the history of the church is Moderation." "The other advantage to be derived from a volume like this is, that when we oppose any sect from which we differ, we may at least be acquainted with the history and principles against which we argue."