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Richard John Neuhaus: A Life in the Public Square
A brilliant biography of one of the intellectual mavericks of 20th Century Catholicism.
Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009) was one of the most influential figures in American public life from the Civil Rights era to the War on Terror. His writing, activism, and connections to people of power in religion, politics, and culture secured a place for himself and his ideas at the center of recent American history. William F. Buckley, Jr. and John Kenneth Galbraith are comparable -- willing controversialists and prodigious writers adept at cultivating or castigating the powerful, while advancing lively arguments for the virtues and vices of the ongoing American experiment. But unlike Buckley and Galbraith, who have always been identified with singular political positions on the right and left, respectively, Neuhaus' life and ideas placed him at the vanguard of events and debates across the political and cultural spectrum. For instance, alongside Abraham Heschel and Daniel Berrigan, Neuhaus co-founded Clergy Concerned About Vietnam, in 1965. Forty years later, Neuhaus was the subject of a New York Review of Books article by Garry Wills, which cast him as a Rasputin of the far right, exerting dangerous influence in both the Vatican and the Bush White House. This book looks to examine Neuhaus's multi-faceted life and reveal to the public what made him tick and why.
Richard John Neuhaus (1936-2009) was one of the most influential figures in American public life from the Civil Rights era to the War on Terror. His writing, activism, and connections to people of power in religion, politics, and culture secured a place for himself and his ideas at the center of recent American history. William F. Buckley, Jr. and John Kenneth Galbraith are comparable -- willing controversialists and prodigious writers adept at cultivating or castigating the powerful, while advancing lively arguments for the virtues and vices of the ongoing American experiment. But unlike Buckley and Galbraith, who have always been identified with singular political positions on the right and left, respectively, Neuhaus' life and ideas placed him at the vanguard of events and debates across the political and cultural spectrum. For instance, alongside Abraham Heschel and Daniel Berrigan, Neuhaus co-founded Clergy Concerned About Vietnam, in 1965. Forty years later, Neuhaus was the subject of a New York Review of Books article by Garry Wills, which cast him as a Rasputin of the far right, exerting dangerous influence in both the Vatican and the Bush White House. This book looks to examine Neuhaus's multi-faceted life and reveal to the public what made him tick and why.
480 pages, Hardcover
First published February 10, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
December 8, 2015
I read a bit of this but just could not get into it. It is extremely focused and specific and just not for me though his writing interests me greatly.
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June 15, 2015"It was Neuhaus’s posthumous good fortune to have attracted Randy Boyagoda as his biographer. Boyagoda, a Sri Lankan-Canadian novelist and English professor, was an occasional contributor to First Things during Neuhaus’s editorship but met him only once. His account is sympathetic but objective, and he brings both scholarly acuity and a novelist’s gift for evocative scene-setting to every page. The book pivots adroitly from deep theological analysis to anecdotes about Neuhaus’s fondness for bourbon, cigars, dogs, Bach, and good talk. By the end, most readers are likely to share the author’s evident affection for his subject."
Geoffrey Kabaservice reviews: http://www.theamericanconservative.co...
Geoffrey Kabaservice reviews: http://www.theamericanconservative.co...
April 11, 2018
Richard John Neuhaus is/was my favorite modern intellectual. First Things has been hugely influential in my life, and this is a biography equal to the man. Very well done.
My only complaint is that Neuhaus's dramatic conversion from leading left wing zealot to leading right wing neoconservative is not adequately attributed to his views on abortion. In fact the book makes no mention of abortion until much later. But all of those guys, Neuhaus, Robert p George, George Weigel, archbishop chaput, Robert Jenson etc etc all went from being democrats to (in various degrees) conservatives when their fellow liberals decided that abortion was a right at all stages for any reason. I assume it's because the author, while possibly sympathizing with his pro life views, didn't fully appreciate how central all of those figures places the pro life movement in their greater worldview. I could be wrong, but I'd have dived deeper into that aspect of his writings and life.
My only complaint is that Neuhaus's dramatic conversion from leading left wing zealot to leading right wing neoconservative is not adequately attributed to his views on abortion. In fact the book makes no mention of abortion until much later. But all of those guys, Neuhaus, Robert p George, George Weigel, archbishop chaput, Robert Jenson etc etc all went from being democrats to (in various degrees) conservatives when their fellow liberals decided that abortion was a right at all stages for any reason. I assume it's because the author, while possibly sympathizing with his pro life views, didn't fully appreciate how central all of those figures places the pro life movement in their greater worldview. I could be wrong, but I'd have dived deeper into that aspect of his writings and life.
November 16, 2015
I didn't know much about Fr. Richard John Neuhaus other than that he founded First Things magazine, a periodical I greatly enjoy, that he was a former liberal-leftist turned Neo-con, and a former Lutheran turned Catholic. Randy Boyagoda's biography gives a great deal of insight and nuance in how these three events (perhaps the most significant of his public life) came about, and how he showed a great deal of consistency in temperament and principle throughout the process.That was the one great thing I learned about Fr. Neuhaus through reading this book: he really did not change very much. He always believed in the compatibility of Christianity and the American way of life, he always believed America could only thrive with a public square open to and informed by religion, particularly Christianity, and he always believed in the truth of Jesus Christ and his establishment of the Church on Earth. This all creates a more nuanced picture than I would've expected before reading, and makes me wonder how this staunch supporter of the Civil Rights Movement and pastor to urban African-Americans would react to the current conflicts over race, identity, and order. Randy Boyagoda should deserve tremendous credit for keeping a steady hand on the book, giving a positive view of the man whose magazine he is frequently contributes, but allows enough of Neuhaus's flaws come through (primarily from quotes made by Neuhaus himself) that the book never depends into hagiography. And yet, the book always seems so narrowly focused on the three themes I mentioned above that other things seem to get a short shift and a bit more depth would've been nice. In particular, a more detailed explanation of how Neuhaus went from being a Vietnam War protestor to a Iraq War cheerleader would've been helpful. All the same, the biography is worth reading for those interested in 20th Century Christian America or the Religious Right.
August 25, 2016
I learned much about Fr. Neuhaus that I did not know.
September 24, 2018
One thing's for certain - Neuhaus had a full life. However it is a pity his first Catholic friends were limited to stalwart liberals, foremost among them George Weigel. One wonders what First Things could have become had he gotten to know the fiercely illiberal Catholic Brent Bozell instead of the squishy "conservative" William F. Buckley. To an extent it's understandable how committed to ecumenism Neuhaus was. He came from a different sect and wanted to show those outside Catholicism what was good about the Faith. But what he set in motion was a journal that would be committed to never going all the way in the pursuit of Truth. So when the editors threw one of their writers under the bus for a book review supportive of Pope Pius IX in the Mortara case, they demonstrated Catholics only have a place at the magazine if they're not completely serious about what their faith demands.
FWIW the book isn't badly written, I just wasn't really interested in the man himself beyond tracking his ideological development. Part why the book was so unsatisfying was I'm not really sure how Neuhaus switched from his 70's anti-war views to neo-con military adventurism later on. I'm assuming he never made a connection between the origin of capitalism on the backs of minorities so he could talk about marching with MLK one moment and talk about the virtues of the American economy the next.
This was a necessary read for me due to the hours of commentary I'd seen of Fr. Neuhaus on EWTN as a youth. He projected to my naive self an air of respectability for liberalism that I ought to have never accepted as a practicing Catholic.
FWIW the book isn't badly written, I just wasn't really interested in the man himself beyond tracking his ideological development. Part why the book was so unsatisfying was I'm not really sure how Neuhaus switched from his 70's anti-war views to neo-con military adventurism later on. I'm assuming he never made a connection between the origin of capitalism on the backs of minorities so he could talk about marching with MLK one moment and talk about the virtues of the American economy the next.
This was a necessary read for me due to the hours of commentary I'd seen of Fr. Neuhaus on EWTN as a youth. He projected to my naive self an air of respectability for liberalism that I ought to have never accepted as a practicing Catholic.
October 9, 2020
**Winner of the 2016 Concordia Historical Institute Award of Commendation**
April 7, 2015
A good biography can be just as exciting as an action packed thriller or as dull as a the instructions on the back of a shampoo bottle. The key difference has everything to do with how the author makes the subject come to life. I have read biographies which consist of a litany of facts in chronological order which simply describe the subject. The result is a static character who never really comes to life.
Randy Boyagoda did just the opposite in his biography on Richard John Neuhaus. From the opening words, I knew that this would be a biography which would not only probe the psychological depths of Neuhaus, but would also give me a great deal of insight into the inner workings of this mysterious man. Boyagoda spent a good amount of time describing key and influential events in the early life of Neuhaus, which set the stage for his ministry years, his struggles with the ongoing battles between the ELCA and LCMS, and his eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism. Each phase of Neuhaus’ life as portrayed by Boyagoda appropriately built upon subsequent stages.
As one who is deeply committed to the Reformed faith, I have often wondered what causes a person who has been immersed in the delightful doctrines of the Reformation, to revert back to a faith which, in many ways, puts him back into the bondage of the law. From early on in the book, I could clearly see the trajectory of his life which would ultimately lead Neuhaus to that place which he was destined to arrive. Boyagoda has done a good job identifying the key events which led Neuhaus to his inevitable choice.
If I have any complaints about the book, they are insignificant. For my part, I would have preferred fewer details on the accomplishments that Neuhaus achieved and more on how his decision to leave Protestantism affected him existentially. However, that is my own personal taste and perhaps a reflection of why I read biographies. Others who are more interested in his accomplishments will find much to appreciate about this book. Overall, it is a very well written biography which satisfied my quest to understand the mind of the Protestant turned Catholic.
Click here to read the first chapter.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Randy Boyagoda did just the opposite in his biography on Richard John Neuhaus. From the opening words, I knew that this would be a biography which would not only probe the psychological depths of Neuhaus, but would also give me a great deal of insight into the inner workings of this mysterious man. Boyagoda spent a good amount of time describing key and influential events in the early life of Neuhaus, which set the stage for his ministry years, his struggles with the ongoing battles between the ELCA and LCMS, and his eventual conversion to Roman Catholicism. Each phase of Neuhaus’ life as portrayed by Boyagoda appropriately built upon subsequent stages.
As one who is deeply committed to the Reformed faith, I have often wondered what causes a person who has been immersed in the delightful doctrines of the Reformation, to revert back to a faith which, in many ways, puts him back into the bondage of the law. From early on in the book, I could clearly see the trajectory of his life which would ultimately lead Neuhaus to that place which he was destined to arrive. Boyagoda has done a good job identifying the key events which led Neuhaus to his inevitable choice.
If I have any complaints about the book, they are insignificant. For my part, I would have preferred fewer details on the accomplishments that Neuhaus achieved and more on how his decision to leave Protestantism affected him existentially. However, that is my own personal taste and perhaps a reflection of why I read biographies. Others who are more interested in his accomplishments will find much to appreciate about this book. Overall, it is a very well written biography which satisfied my quest to understand the mind of the Protestant turned Catholic.
Click here to read the first chapter.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the Blogging for Books® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
November 10, 2015
Randy Boyagoda claims that he set out neither to write a hatchet job nor a hagiography of Fr. Neuhaus but rather "a sympathetic, critical-minded effort to explore the life and work of someone who spent decades praying, preaching, speaking, organizing and writing about American democracy and Western Christianity and, in the process, lived out his vocation as a thoroughgoing man of God in the public square."
I imagine that this book was quite the challenge, both given Neuhaus' prolific writing ability and the reams upon reams of public work that he would have had to wade through, coupled with Jody Bottum's having burned "several thousand pages" of Neuhaus' diary (upon the father's request) which would have undoubtedly lent a little more subjective color to the biography itself.
That being said, given what he had to work with and with the cooperation of Neuhaus family and colleagues, Boyagoda has produced a very colorful, at times comical, at times provocative and entertaining life of Fr. Neuhaus. Those (self included) who were mostly acquainted with Fr. Neuhaus following his conversion to the Catholic faith and chiefly in his later capacity as founder of First Things and author of the engaging column "The Public Square" will likely derive their greatest enjoyment reading about his childhood and early years as a rebellious seminary student and fiery young radical, with stories and exploits aplenty that will bring a chuckle. All in all a good read and a worthy book to place in the hands of somebody wanting to know more about the life of Fr. Neuhaus: a great American, a devout Catholic and faithful servant of Christ.
I imagine that this book was quite the challenge, both given Neuhaus' prolific writing ability and the reams upon reams of public work that he would have had to wade through, coupled with Jody Bottum's having burned "several thousand pages" of Neuhaus' diary (upon the father's request) which would have undoubtedly lent a little more subjective color to the biography itself.
That being said, given what he had to work with and with the cooperation of Neuhaus family and colleagues, Boyagoda has produced a very colorful, at times comical, at times provocative and entertaining life of Fr. Neuhaus. Those (self included) who were mostly acquainted with Fr. Neuhaus following his conversion to the Catholic faith and chiefly in his later capacity as founder of First Things and author of the engaging column "The Public Square" will likely derive their greatest enjoyment reading about his childhood and early years as a rebellious seminary student and fiery young radical, with stories and exploits aplenty that will bring a chuckle. All in all a good read and a worthy book to place in the hands of somebody wanting to know more about the life of Fr. Neuhaus: a great American, a devout Catholic and faithful servant of Christ.
January 12, 2016
Boyagoda brings together a world of research on neoconservative icon, Neuhaus. From Neuhaus' early beginning as a more than left fellow-traveler to his end as one of the late William F. Buckley Jr.'s frequent "Firing Line" guests. Neuhaus is most famous for, of course, his brilliant "The Naked Public Square" in which he details the how the secular center has whitewashed religion out of public life. The book is, however, marred from time to time by the biographer's own obvious impatience with his now late subject. Neuhaus was far from perfect, and not biography should strive to hagiography. But biographers should have some feeling for their subject matter and Boyagoda does, from time to time, fall into petulance with his.
February 24, 2015
I loved Fr. Neuhaus' writing (Death on a Friday Afternoon is one of my desert island books), but I found this biography a bit lacking. It focuses a lot on the interdenominational squabbled of the Missouri Synod Lutherans, and if you're *not* a Missouri Synod Lutheran, it's not well explained precisely what's being fought about, or written in an engaging style. At times the writing is a bit dry with an overtly scholarly tone, instead of one that is aimed at drawing the reader into Neuhaus' life and world.
July 5, 2016
This is a biography of Richard John Neuhaus, Lutheran pastor turned Catholic priest and editor of "First Things" until his recent death. As a subscriber to his magazine, I thought the biography would provide fresh insights about his life and thought. However, it seemed to be more of a "Who's Who", talking about the people that he worked with and who influenced him, and less about his overall thought.
November 28, 2016
Religion and Public Policy
A worthwhile biography of a remarkable theologian who greatly and to my mind favorably influenced our understanding of the key role religion and the values it promotes underpin and should favorably inform our culture and through culture our public policies
A worthwhile biography of a remarkable theologian who greatly and to my mind favorably influenced our understanding of the key role religion and the values it promotes underpin and should favorably inform our culture and through culture our public policies
April 26, 2015
Interesting biography of a great man. It has been six years since Fr. Neuhaus passed away from cancer and he is still missed.
December 8, 2015
A great biography about a great and holy man.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews