Beyond Liberalism and Cultural Wars: A More Inclusive Pluralism

A conversation with Dr. George M. MARSDEN, Professor of History Emeritus at The University of Notre Dame, and author of The Twilight of the American Enlightenment: The 1950s and the Crisis of Liberal Belief

Presented by Crossroads Cultural Center and American Bible Society

The 1950s are often remembered today as a time when American culture enjoyed a remarkable consensus around well-established "traditional" values such as the nuclear family, patriotism and religion. A closer look, however, reveals that it was also the time when the culture embraced certain philosophical assumptions that in the next decade would cause this national consensus to break down completely. In his beautiful new book, The Twilight of the American Enlightenment, Professor George Marsden provides a fascinating reconstruction of the intellectual life of this period. He shows how, on the secular side, many intellectuals came to identify rationality with technocratic scientism, and freedom with individual autonomy. On the religious side, many Christians accepted uncritically a process of privatization of religion, which explains why American culture could appear overwhelmingly religious while at the same time embracing radically anti-traditional practices. This paradox, according to Prof. Marsden, is crucial in order to understand the turmoil of the 1960s and the culture wars that started afterwards and are still with us today. It is also a reminder that a tradition cannot survive if it is taken for granted and not explored critically by putting it to the test in all aspects of experience. The event is open to the public and free of charge.

About this Event

Date: Thursday, October 2, 2014
Time: 7:00pm
Location: American Bible Society
1865 Broadway at 61st Street, NYC map

About the Speaker

Dr. George M. Marsden
Professor of History Emeritus at The University of Notre Dame

Invitation

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Transcript

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Video

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