Publisher's Synopsis
"... I find this a splendid piece of work, which anyone wanting to understand the current scene or think about the future in theological education will need to study." -The Journal of Religion
Cherry's is a masterful account, weaving together themes of specialization, professionalization, and pluralism to create a fascinating narrative.... This is an important book, and one that ought to be read by anyone interested in theological education." -Anglican and Episcopal History
"Conrad Cherry has done it again-that is, written another book on a facet of American culture that is based on extensive research... along with unique interpretative skills and a graceful style....[a] seminal, original, and genuinely historical study whose fresh waters flow into many fields." -Church History
"Required reading for anyone concerned with American graduate education in religion, its liberal Protestant origins and its pluralistic future." -Religious Studies Review
"... those who do read Cherry can begin to understand divinity schools as seldom before. His pages will offer revelations to those who inhabit and run such schools today, few of whom know much of their own history." -Academe
"Cherry has opened an entirely new perspective on religion's role in American higher education and culture in the twentieth century... This work will be of great value not only to educational historians but also to American religious historians." -History of Education Quarterly
"But this book is much more than mere institutional history; it is really an essay in intellectual history-the story of American academic faith-and should be read by many people otherwise unconcerned with divinity school education." -Choice
"... excellent... " -Books & Culture
"Conrad Cherry has provided a much-needed piece of historical work... deserves thoughtful reading by anyone interested in educational or religious history." -Journal of American History
"No better study of theological education has been written.... It is an engaging story, filled with colorful characters, punctuated by conflict, and deepened by Cherry's wonderful sense for the complexity of human motives and institutions" -Brooks Holifield, Emory University
"[A] truly magisterial book... marvelously informative as well as a joy to read." -Winton U. Solberg, University of Illinois
"Anyone interested in the future of theological education-indeed anyone interested in the place of religion in American culture-cannot afford to ignore this pathbreaking study." -Theology Today
"The archival research is exhaustive and the prose always lucid and engaging. Written by one who has spent decades in the fields of divinity education and American religious history, this book is certain to stand as the standard for this most important subject." -Harry S. Stout, Yale University
"... his approach provides a helpful model for future studies in the relation of religion and higher education." -Religious Studies Review
This historical analysis of American Protestant university-related divinity schools tells their story in terms of powerful social and cultural forces that decisively influenced American education in general and Protestant theological education in particular.
