Abstract

One of America's great intellectuals, Ralph Waldo Emerson created Transcendentalism, the underpinning of the Romantic movement and America's 19th century Renaissance. Not so well known is his anguished departure from the Christianity of his youth. This book corrects this oversight by showing connections between the faith of his youth and the central themes of Transcendentalism. This is a book not only about Emerson's intellectual and spiritual journey but about the essence of New England Transcendentalism