Transcendentalism and the Cultivation of the Soul

· Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Tom Parks
Audiobook
6 hr 38 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More
Want a 39 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

A study of the spiritual practices developed by the nineteenth-century American Transcendentalist movement and a case for their necessity today.



"The stern old faiths have all pulverized," Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote in 1860. "'Tis a whole population of gentlemen and ladies out in search of religions." Often seen as a mainspring of the nineteenth-century literary tradition and the preserve of New England intellectuals in retreat from society, American Transcendentalism is more accurately described as a religious movement. In Transcendentalism and the Cultivation of the Soul, Barry M. Andrews shows how Transcendentalists developed rich spiritual practices, nurtured their souls, and discovered the divine. The practices they adopted are common and simple—among them, keeping journals, contemplation, walking, reading, simple living, and conversation. As Emerson, Thoreau, Fuller, and others pursued meaningful and rewarding spiritual lives, they were inspired to fight for abolition, women's rights, and education reform. In approachable and accessible prose, Andrews uncovers a wealth of spiritual practices that are of particular value for today's spiritual seekers and religious liberals.

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.