Nietzsche, Christianity and Cultural Authority In the United States, 1890-1969 Open Access
Connelly, Patrick Lawrence (2011)
Abstract
Abstract
Nietzsche, Christianity and Cultural Authority
In the United States, 1890-1969
By Patrick L. Connelly
This dissertation examines the reception of Friedrich Nietzsche in
the United
States between 1890 and 1969 with a particular focus on the
intersection between his
critique of Christianity and the decline of Protestant cultural
authority. My study suggests
that this intersection proved important in understanding
Nietzsche's rise in stature in
American intellectual and cultural life despite apparent obstacles.
I explore these
dynamics by providing a panoramic overview of Nietzsche's American
reception before
highlighting three key flashpoints where Nietzsche's ideas were
engaged in intellectual
and cultural venues in which Protestant cultural authority was
being contested.
I consider three important strands of interpretation in the early
reception period:
professional philosophers, cultural critics and social/political
activists outside the halls of
academia, and Protestant ministers, theologians and intellectuals.
Academic journal
articles, monographs, book reviews, collected papers and university
publications are
consulted to determine how Nietzsche's critique of Christianity
resonated in the changing
world of professional philosophy. I analyze the books, journalism,
cultural
criticism, and political and social writings of independent
intellectuals to assess their
beliefs regarding Nietzsche's critique of Christianity and how it
may be utilized in their
efforts. I also examine the writings, speeches and sermons of
Protestant intellectuals who
were responding to Nietzsche amidst an array of challenges to their
cultural authority.
Nietzsche's thought was assessed, resisted and enthused over by all
of these groups who
were increasingly aware of the ongoing seismic shifts of cultural
authority.
The dissertation concludes with an epilogue that explores how the
three strands of
interpretation explored in the subsequent three chapters, which
focused on the first three
decades of the twentieth century, persisted into the 1960s. I argue
that earlier dynamics of
engagement laid the groundwork for Nietzsche to be accepted as a
serious philosopher in
subsequent decades when Protestant cultural authority was greatly
diminished. This
dissertation seeks to contribute to intellectual, cultural and
religious history by
highlighting the dynamics between ideas and social structures in
the history of Nietzsche
interpretation and by exploring more in depth the notion of
cultural authority.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About this Dissertation
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