The New Measures: A Theological History of Democratic Practice

by Ted A. Smith

The New A Theological History of Democratic Practice brings thick cultural history to contemporary debates about religion and democracy. Combining histories of performance, space, institutions, and ideas, the book tells the story of the 'new measures' that circulated in the religious revivals of the 1820s and '30s. The book's attention to detail moves it beyond abstraction and caricature to a more materialist political theology. And its eschatological hope resists narratives of progress and decline to understand American democracy as both tangled in contradiction and caught up in redemption.

358 pages, Hardcover

First published April 30, 2007

Reviews

[trickgnosis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Measures manifests its construction by design. A neat hybrid, it crosses academic genres and disciplines skillfully while avoiding all the usual excesses of academic writing. It's clear and cogent, and shit, it's even a fun read and full of great stories. Can't remember the last time I could say that about an academic book. It's got a theological argument to make but it keeps the actual theologizing to a minimum, making its case humbly and gracefully.

[Laura Fabrycky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm in awe of this book. It's profound, humbling, connective, homiletic, and just astounding in what it accomplishes.