cover image Rediscovering Christianity: A History of Modern Democracy and the Christian Ethic

Rediscovering Christianity: A History of Modern Democracy and the Christian Ethic

Page Smith. St. Martin's Press, $17.95 (212pp) ISBN 978-0-312-10531-0

In this challenging essay, Smith, a professor emeritus at UC-Santa Cruz, argues that Christianity over the centuries has been a tireless critic of capitalism, rather than its handmaiden. He believes that St. Augustine's inspiring vision of a ``city of God'' has kept alive the hope of equality, democracy and world unity. He contends that Protestantism, far from undergirding modern capitalism (as German sociologist Max Weber maintained) actually resisted the rising tide of capitalist exploitation and competitiveness. In 19th-century America, socialists, utopians, women's rights advocates, populists and abolitionists--many driven by Christian convictions--fought the injustices of capitalism. Smith characterizes Roosevelt's New Deal as an odd alliance between Christian reformers and Marxists, noting that prominent New Dealers (e.g., FDR's cabinet members Henry Wallace and Frances Perkins) were fervent Christians. To those who rejoice over the current ``triumph of capitalism'' and the collapse of state socialism, Smith's inquiry serves as a strong antidote to complacency. (Jan.)