America, Good and Bad: The Critical Patriotism of Orestes Brownson

In the mid-nineteenth century, Orestes Brownson traveled from Calvinism to Universalism to Catholicism, thinking out loud all the way. As he reflected on the relationship between faith and politics, Brownson produced insights and conclusions that continue to enlighten and provoke in the twenty-first century. In a time when Christian nationalism and Catholic integralism have resurfaced in public debate, Brownson’s ideas are as fresh and important as they were in the wake of the Civil War.