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The American Soul: Rediscovering the Wisdom of the Founders
Looking at the lives of America's founders-including Washington, Jefferson, and Franklin-scholar and bestselling author Jacob Needleman explores their core of inner beliefs; their religious and spiritual sensibilities; and their individual conception of the purpose of life. The founders, Needleman argues, conceived of an "inner democracy": a continual pursuit of wisdom and self-improvement that would undergird the outer democracy in which we live today. Any understanding of America as a nation of spiritual values will in the years ahead require Needleman's work as a point of reference.
401 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2002
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About the author
Jacob Needleman
88 books114 followersJacob Needleman is Professor of Philosophy at San Francisco State University, former Visiting Professor at Duxx Graduate School of Business Leadership in Monterrey, Mexico, and former Director of the Center for the study of New Religions at The Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. He was educated in philosophy at Harvard, Yale and the University of Freiburg, Germany. He has also served as Research Associate at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research, as a Research Fellow at Union Theological Seminary, as Adjunct Professor of Medical Ethics at the University of California Medical School and as guest Professor of Religious Studies at the Sorbonne, Paris (1992).
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
June 1, 2025
Spiritual Democracy
This timely, provocative book combines and shows the relationship between two large themes: a)the nature and importance of spiritual and religious values and b) the nature and spiritual character of American democracy, with all its flaws. I was struck to find this book and the manner in which Needleman developed his themes. In broad outline, Needleman's preoccupations are my own. Without agreeing with everything he said, I came away from his book with my own ideas clarified and strengthened -- and a bit envious of Needleman's eloquence and ability to put his ideas into print.
Needleman draws a double picture of American freedom and its use. One picture is that freedom means everyone does simply as he or she pleases. This is, for Needleman, an America which has been criticized by many for its materialism, its emphasis on growth, its sole focus on the profit motive, its greed, racism, and, sometimes, bellicosity.
The other America is a spiritual American whose ideals of freedom and democracy were founded upon religious and metaphysical ideas of the nature of man, human commonality, the uniqueness of each person, and the search inward of each person for what is valuable and important. The ideal of democracy on this view is not simple pursuit of material wealth but rather a turning inward so that each person may pursue life and truth in his or her own way.
And what is the relationship between these two concepts of America? How do we help transform the one into the other?
Needleman's answer is in part a study of the wisdom literature common to all religions and great philosophy of life. (Needleman evidences a great deal of impatience with standard church or synagogue-going. He argues that he himself has found such conventional forms of religion sterile and routine.) He finds such wisdom, in various of its phases, in the writings of the American founders.
Thus the larger part of the book is a discussion and creative discussion of the American founders and a reading of certain of American texts. Thus Needleman gives us a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of Washington's Farewell Address, The Tenth Federalist Paper, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, an Oration of Frederick Douglass, an Iroquois Indian creation myth, and Walt Whitman's late essay, "Democratic Vistas". He tries to show how these texts show an America of spiritual values rather than money-making. His aim is, avowedly, to remythologize America and its past.
In a broad sense his project is carried through well. Some of his readings of the texts, particularly of Washington's Farewell Address and of the Iroquois myth, seem to me forced. Needleman would have done better to let Washington speak for himself rather than create a Washington with, perhaps, Needleman's own spiritual preoccupations. The readings of Whitman, Douglass, and Lincoln work much better, even on Needleman's own terms.
In trying to get people to think about America -- and to reassess its values in spiritual terms --Needleman has critical things to say about America's treatment of the Indians and about the long legacy of slavery. These themes are valuable and important and Needleman is right to dwell upon them. I have some question about whether the treatment of the Indians is in itself free from a degree of modern stereotyping. Be that as it may, Needleman's point is that we may see America with its flaws and crimes and love it and try to recognize and bring about the ideal in the sometimes shabby nature of the real.
The book shows a great deal of erudition, both on spiritual texts and on American history. In addition to his treatment of certain standard figures in American history, Needleman has a fascinating discussion of the Ephrata community in Pennsylvania and its founder Conrad Bissel. This Protestant spiritual community flourished briefly during the period just before the Revolutionary War.
Walt Whitman has the last word in this book, as he properly should, with his vision of America and of the American person.
There is a great deal of interest, as best as I can tell, in American history, as evidenced by the many new books on the Founders and the unending interest in Lincoln and the Civil War, and in spirituality, which I myself have found in a study of Buddhism. This book combines these two broad themes in an attempt to help the reader rethink and America and understand it anew. It is a worthy goal and the book carries it out well.
Robin Friedman
This timely, provocative book combines and shows the relationship between two large themes: a)the nature and importance of spiritual and religious values and b) the nature and spiritual character of American democracy, with all its flaws. I was struck to find this book and the manner in which Needleman developed his themes. In broad outline, Needleman's preoccupations are my own. Without agreeing with everything he said, I came away from his book with my own ideas clarified and strengthened -- and a bit envious of Needleman's eloquence and ability to put his ideas into print.
Needleman draws a double picture of American freedom and its use. One picture is that freedom means everyone does simply as he or she pleases. This is, for Needleman, an America which has been criticized by many for its materialism, its emphasis on growth, its sole focus on the profit motive, its greed, racism, and, sometimes, bellicosity.
The other America is a spiritual American whose ideals of freedom and democracy were founded upon religious and metaphysical ideas of the nature of man, human commonality, the uniqueness of each person, and the search inward of each person for what is valuable and important. The ideal of democracy on this view is not simple pursuit of material wealth but rather a turning inward so that each person may pursue life and truth in his or her own way.
And what is the relationship between these two concepts of America? How do we help transform the one into the other?
Needleman's answer is in part a study of the wisdom literature common to all religions and great philosophy of life. (Needleman evidences a great deal of impatience with standard church or synagogue-going. He argues that he himself has found such conventional forms of religion sterile and routine.) He finds such wisdom, in various of its phases, in the writings of the American founders.
Thus the larger part of the book is a discussion and creative discussion of the American founders and a reading of certain of American texts. Thus Needleman gives us a paragraph-by-paragraph discussion of Washington's Farewell Address, The Tenth Federalist Paper, Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, an Oration of Frederick Douglass, an Iroquois Indian creation myth, and Walt Whitman's late essay, "Democratic Vistas". He tries to show how these texts show an America of spiritual values rather than money-making. His aim is, avowedly, to remythologize America and its past.
In a broad sense his project is carried through well. Some of his readings of the texts, particularly of Washington's Farewell Address and of the Iroquois myth, seem to me forced. Needleman would have done better to let Washington speak for himself rather than create a Washington with, perhaps, Needleman's own spiritual preoccupations. The readings of Whitman, Douglass, and Lincoln work much better, even on Needleman's own terms.
In trying to get people to think about America -- and to reassess its values in spiritual terms --Needleman has critical things to say about America's treatment of the Indians and about the long legacy of slavery. These themes are valuable and important and Needleman is right to dwell upon them. I have some question about whether the treatment of the Indians is in itself free from a degree of modern stereotyping. Be that as it may, Needleman's point is that we may see America with its flaws and crimes and love it and try to recognize and bring about the ideal in the sometimes shabby nature of the real.
The book shows a great deal of erudition, both on spiritual texts and on American history. In addition to his treatment of certain standard figures in American history, Needleman has a fascinating discussion of the Ephrata community in Pennsylvania and its founder Conrad Bissel. This Protestant spiritual community flourished briefly during the period just before the Revolutionary War.
Walt Whitman has the last word in this book, as he properly should, with his vision of America and of the American person.
There is a great deal of interest, as best as I can tell, in American history, as evidenced by the many new books on the Founders and the unending interest in Lincoln and the Civil War, and in spirituality, which I myself have found in a study of Buddhism. This book combines these two broad themes in an attempt to help the reader rethink and America and understand it anew. It is a worthy goal and the book carries it out well.
Robin Friedman
April 8, 2021
The concept of a soul is a nebulous thing—that of a nation particularly so. This book strives to capture this nebulous thing by presenting to the reader numerous nuggets of exegesis of various writings by America’s founding fathers surrounded with the author’s personal reflections on subjects of spirituality, and patriotism.
The goal of this book is to “re-mythologize” the idea of America by reviewing the characters and ideals of selected American historical figures and actions. The new mythology toward which this book strives is deeper and wider than the narrow perspectives of the past.
The book acknowledges those times when the nation fell short of its ideals as was the case with slavery, racism, and the genocide of the American Indian. Thus the author presents an American soul not free from sin but nevertheless capable of continuing to strive toward its ideals.
We are reminded in the following excerpt that even as we now judge the shortcomings of our forefathers who failed to see the inconsistencies of their actions, we too will be judged some day for our own failings:
The goal of this book is to “re-mythologize” the idea of America by reviewing the characters and ideals of selected American historical figures and actions. The new mythology toward which this book strives is deeper and wider than the narrow perspectives of the past.
The book acknowledges those times when the nation fell short of its ideals as was the case with slavery, racism, and the genocide of the American Indian. Thus the author presents an American soul not free from sin but nevertheless capable of continuing to strive toward its ideals.
We are reminded in the following excerpt that even as we now judge the shortcomings of our forefathers who failed to see the inconsistencies of their actions, we too will be judged some day for our own failings:
The lesson we can take is not that we ourselves are morally superior to them [our forefathers]; the lesson is surely that evil conceals itself in the heart of good and that we ourselves, in this very moment, are at least as asleep as we are awake, just as they on their far more influential level were both awake and sleep. Always and everywhere, the forces of the cosmos play themselves out. Always and everywhere good is resisted by evil. Our question is: how to understand that law and how to live so that a harmonizing, reconciling force can act to bring together the good and evil into a new and great creation, both within ourselves and in the world we live in. (p.106)
June 13, 2022
Rereading this in June-July 2016. This book could not possibly be more relevant to Americans trying to learn to listen to one another and find common ground again, despite the incredibly polarized climate of US politics, seemingly never greater in this 2016 election year. It's a profoundly rewarding exploration of the founding fathers' strengths, weaknesses, and the meaning of their vision of the purpose of the democratic experiment of America. Many passages sent chills up my spine or brought me to tears. When you get to the part about Abraham Lincoln, watch Spielberg's "Lincoln" film along with the reading. THIS BOOK WILL RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN THE DEEP UNDERLYING POSITIVE MOMENTUM OF THE AMERICAN EXPERIMENT.
September 18, 2009
I found Needleman's flowery prose at times off-putting and at times deeply moving. But I appreciate this kind of very personal, at times even auto-biographical, theoretical work. I strongly agree with most of his theses: that the most important value of American democracy is that it facilitates the spiritual work of "inner democracy," that outer political transformation is bound to make things worse if not accompanied by wisdom-oriented personal transformation, that egotistical, superficial patriotism is antithetical to both kinds of work, that the great national crimes of the United States - especially slavery and Native American genocide - should be occasions for personal and national moral self-reckoning and deep humility, that communal inquiry and dialogue which show us how to get beyond narrow personal beliefs and values to wider and wiser understandings of where the good lies, is a form of spiritual practice, that conventional religion often gets in the way of this.
September 27, 2013
An amazingly different perspective on our country and its history.....I really have to read it again, maybe twice more to absorb all the authors insights and thoughts on our American "soul" ...however I found his chapters on Washington, Lincoln and Douglas particularly penetrating, intense and thought provoking. His perspective on Washington, and the meaning of America has particular resonance in todays' dysfunctional political and social climate....his philosophical meanderings sometimes got in the way of really connecting with me, especially his chapter on Jefferson, (admittedly not my favorite founder) ....but all in all, I am glad I bought the book, which I first learned about on a public radio program, "Speaking of Faith; with Krista Tippett...the book is a welcome addition to my readings on our American experiment and ultimately a wonderful endorsement of our exceptional existence and meaning for ourselves and the world....
October 9, 2012
Anyone who knows my reading habits knows that non-fiction is a difficult read for me. That was true of The American Soul, BUT I read it anyway. Although history, philosophy and sociology are sure cures for insomnia, Needleman made me THINK - especially right before the 2012 elections. Needleman's style can be offensive - every thing is from his perspective and he often interprets and (in his words) remythologizes people and events. Nonethelss he has the ability to force one to evaluate what it meant to be an American and whether we've lost that original intent. Not light reading for sure!
November 7, 2019
Gave it a 3 because we have slipped so far that it may take this kind of "priming" before some can get back to realizing that if there is no "soul', or as we say in DBT, "wise mind", then life has no meaning beyond materialism, sensuality, distraction, etc.
It is of the any kind of "spirituality" works, and spends a lot of time on the American Indians as something to consider/model. My juvenile brain goes back to the old "if Einstein is so smart, how come he is dead"? ... if we seek our "spirituality" in the same way as the Indians, might one expect that "America" will continue to be dead.
The author thinks America is still alive ... I maintain it got really really sick with "progressivism", (the idea there is no "soul" or unchanging values), and certified "proof of death" with Roe, Obergefell, Kelo, and Obama forcing the action of purchasing a product.
I certainly agree that if anything like America is to be seen again, we will have to as a mass of people (a supermajority, 2/3 or more) return to a set of values like "WE hold these truths to be self evident" and adherence to a written Constitution, IN ADDITION TO a return to the basic Christian idea of a fallen world and the need for God's forgiveness.
The biggest weakness in the book is that Needleman makes the claim that "the goodness" is in all of us without any need for acceptance of the Holy Spirit -- a claim which history, and Washington himself says in a quote on page 131, is simply wishful thinking.
Chapter 9, the story of Ephrata, Washington, Miller, and Widman is worth a read. )0r the short version here.
It is of the any kind of "spirituality" works, and spends a lot of time on the American Indians as something to consider/model. My juvenile brain goes back to the old "if Einstein is so smart, how come he is dead"? ... if we seek our "spirituality" in the same way as the Indians, might one expect that "America" will continue to be dead.
The author thinks America is still alive ... I maintain it got really really sick with "progressivism", (the idea there is no "soul" or unchanging values), and certified "proof of death" with Roe, Obergefell, Kelo, and Obama forcing the action of purchasing a product.
I certainly agree that if anything like America is to be seen again, we will have to as a mass of people (a supermajority, 2/3 or more) return to a set of values like "WE hold these truths to be self evident" and adherence to a written Constitution, IN ADDITION TO a return to the basic Christian idea of a fallen world and the need for God's forgiveness.
The biggest weakness in the book is that Needleman makes the claim that "the goodness" is in all of us without any need for acceptance of the Holy Spirit -- a claim which history, and Washington himself says in a quote on page 131, is simply wishful thinking.
Chapter 9, the story of Ephrata, Washington, Miller, and Widman is worth a read. )0r the short version here.
January 4, 2018
While the ideas in the book are interesting, I found the writing almost impossible to get through. It's kind of like diving deep in the ocean: you can suit up with helmet and air tether and not get the real experience (read this book), or you can don scuba gear (read the usual histories), or you can develop gills (read the original letters, memoirs, and diaries). Each has advantages and disadvantages. Also, the focus of the book is on religion as the defining mode of understanding America (and mythologizing it, as the author puts it). I prefer more secular understanding based on modern stoic philosophies.
August 29, 2017
Not sure why I'm not loving this book more. I chose it after hearing Needleman speak on NPR. His voice is so soft and mesmerizing. I think I was also feeling the need to hit the reset button on my vision of America and Americans. The biographical details are wonderful, but it sort of seems like he's guessing at the underlying character of each of these people. Or maybe I'm missing something~that is entirely possible. Going to give it another chance.
February 9, 2017
Needleman’s goal here is to, in his words, ‘re-mythologize’ the idea of America, by looking at the ideals and characters of some American historical figures, and how the actions of America through history have reflected, or rejected, those ideals. The character studies on Washington, Jefferson and Lincoln are explicitly focused on the ideals of the men, as such they do not aim so much to examine their lives as to explore how their ideals are relevant to America today. The most fascinating part of the book looks at American experiences in direct opposition to the stated ideals of the nation, like the dehumanizing of the American Indian, and slavery and racism. He also has a small section on Vietnam, although to be clear it is on ‘the Vietnam experience’ within America, with little relation to Vietnam itself. After recounting the story of Conrad Beissel and the Ephrata Cloister, he moves on to Walt Whitman. All in all I very much enjoyed this book, it is more spiritual philosophy than history, and is a bit more rooted than philosophy often is.
June 21, 2009
The idea of the book is that there is in fact an idea to America. He uses the perspectives of very influential Americans (Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, Douglas, Whitman) to show how some American ideals were truly revolutionary. He gives a great case for believing that what we think of democracy, liberty, individualism are shabby left-overs of the original concepts.
Some parts of the book we're absolutely wonderful. There was a story used to illustrate the concept of internal democracy, but a beautiful, deep story about forgiveness, about a man, Peter Miller, from the Ephrata Cloister here in Pennsylvania meeting up with Gen. George Washington to plead for a man's life that was worth reading the entire book to find.
At times the author speaks from a very personal perspective, and those times distract from the main goal of the book.
He also likes to present his philosophy as very middle-of-the-road by drawing caricatures of the "extremes", a useful technique for politicians.
Sections on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were good. The readings from Fredrick Douglas were very powerful, probably the second highlight of the book.
Some parts of the book we're absolutely wonderful. There was a story used to illustrate the concept of internal democracy, but a beautiful, deep story about forgiveness, about a man, Peter Miller, from the Ephrata Cloister here in Pennsylvania meeting up with Gen. George Washington to plead for a man's life that was worth reading the entire book to find.
At times the author speaks from a very personal perspective, and those times distract from the main goal of the book.
He also likes to present his philosophy as very middle-of-the-road by drawing caricatures of the "extremes", a useful technique for politicians.
Sections on George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were good. The readings from Fredrick Douglas were very powerful, probably the second highlight of the book.
December 5, 2011
Needleman articulates for all of us what we grew up believing The United States is all about. This book very simply and eloquently tells who "Americans" are in their deepest hearts. Using his own story of revelation to the American soul as well as the stories of our greatest thinkers/politicians/leaders and the Deepest story of Native American source of those leaders' understanding: Needleman shows us again who we are, who we are called to be and what we mean to the world.
What is most important, Needleman helps us to understand the importance of conscience both individual and communal that makes the American experiment and American Soul important to the world. I think this book is a must read, not least because of my inability to adequately describe what a soul-stirrer it is.
What is most important, Needleman helps us to understand the importance of conscience both individual and communal that makes the American experiment and American Soul important to the world. I think this book is a must read, not least because of my inability to adequately describe what a soul-stirrer it is.
May 30, 2020
There were little nuggets of this book that I liked but overall, I found it very boring and repetitive. The author used singular examples to try and validate large arguments, like lessons from slavery and consumerism, without going into much detail. Maybe I'm just not a philosophy fan. Needleman also writes in a frustrating way where he often uses "we" when he means "I" or himself. Many of his writing is questions, which just sound like he is just thought processing out loud, instead of actually getting to philosophical conclusions.
I liked the actual historical bits, and did not care for the philosophical ones, which was the majority of the book.
I liked the actual historical bits, and did not care for the philosophical ones, which was the majority of the book.
July 7, 2014
This is going on my "partially read" shelf. I have at times been able to get several pages read, but it feels like work the whole time. Sometimes I get interested in what is being said, but most of the time I'm just getting bored with the writing. Something about the language feels overly complex and flowery for what ought to be basic ideas. I don't mean this to be a criticism of the content or the author, but for me I'm going to set this down and maybe come back to it someday when I have more patience.
September 12, 2012
Jacob Needleman brings the complexity of US history to light and points out how much more we need to recognize and respect the different experiences people have had within our United States. He further clarified for me, as one who grew up in England, the depth of the difficulties experienced by Native Americans and African American slaves, and how this complicates life today. This book has helped me to more clearly understand the background of American consciousness.
February 25, 2013
I heard about this book through a podcast and decided it was worth a read. Jacob Needleman has an intricate way of writing and is not for the light reader- at times I found myself forcing to press forward. Despite the above Mr. Needleman makes very valid and thoughtful points. I found this book applicable to our nations current affairs and agreed that we need to search in ourselves for the real meaning of the American Soul.
June 20, 2007
I took a philosopy course from Jacob Needleman when I was in college. Since then, I have read many of the books he has written. The American Soul is an interesting attempt to view and understand American history through the eyes of philosophy and spiritual inquiry. It has given me a new way to think about the forefathers of our country.
September 20, 2011
I found this book very inspiring. It gave me a new respect for the founders and their vision of America, as well as for Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. At the same time, Needleman plumbed the depths of the horrors of slavery and the treatment of the natives. The book was a nice mix of philosophy and history.
July 31, 2012
I first heard about this enlightening book, while driving on the PA Turnpike. You better go get a copy too. There is so much more to the US than Holiday discounts at shopping malls, megaplexes, and fast food chains. Little reminder what our Founding Fathers had dreamed off when they brought forth this great nation.
November 9, 2012
This book was an intense read! I had to put it down every chapter or so to ingest what was just read. The author has a way of putting some of the most important events in American History in a new context, and I have come away with a different point of view on many of these events. A good read for any American.
October 23, 2013
Needleman takes a different approach to retrieving the vision of the Founders of the U.S. by focusing on the objective, material America and the subject, spiritual America, or the outer and the inner America. One can read his work to suggest that we have lost the inner meaning of the original vision in our press to acquire and consume.
December 29, 2016
I liked the author's thesis -- that there are two Americas: what America IS and what America MEANS, and the first will never live up to the second because America is made up of human beings, but that does't mean America shouldn't strive to live up to its ideals. However, I didn't always agree with the way Needleman supported his thesis, which I found frustrating.
October 23, 2013
Reading this book at a snail's pace. It's very dense. I read a few pages and feel stuffed emotionally and intellectually. His chapters on Frederick Douglass and The American Indian are noteworthy in their depth and breadth.
September 30, 2016
Finally gave up on this book. I read a good portion but while sometimes well thought, some sections were almost unreadable. Definitely a worthy topic of spirituality to the founding of America. Sadly just not this book.
January 4, 2008
This book changed the way I view America!
June 3, 2008
So far, so good! This SFSU professor combines history and philosophy/spirituality/metaphysics and brings the spirit of the Founding Fathers alive. and you can tell, he loves his subject.
Want to read
June 5, 2008Next book chosen for our Socrates group.
November 6, 2008
This is a must read for anyone who believes in the promise of this nation and the reconciliation between right and left.
Want to read
December 7, 2008I started this but got pulled away and want to get back to it soon. Very pithy and conceptual, and in this time of transition, something I think we could all stand to recall.
April 28, 2009
The thought was good, that there is a soul for America and that we could be in danger of losing it. But I found it to be verbose, a chore to read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews