Abstract

This book argues that Horace Bushnell (1802-1876) rejected the prevalent utilitarian moral philosophy of his day and developed an alternative moral theory based upon Christian theology and experience. Bushnell claimed that human nature is inherently social, moral experience is interrelated with estrangement and restoration, and Christian piety is a transforming power in the world. Contents: Preface; Introduction: Bushnell as a Moral Theologian; In Search of a Moral Philosophy: Bushnell and New England Moral Thought in Tradition; From Moral Philosophy to Christian Ethics: Bushnell's Moral Thought Before 1847; Moral Development and the Human Condition; The Moral Restoration of Human Character and Ethical Freedom; Ethics in Tension: Bushnell's Political and Social Thought; Christ Transforming Culture: Providential Progress and the Moral Power of Religion; Bibliography; Index.