The Enlightenment and Original Sin - (Life of Ideas) by Matthew Kadane (Hardcover)

About the Book

"What was the Enlightenment? This question has been endlessly debated. In this book, historian Matthew Kadane advances the bold claim that Enlightenment is best defined through what it set out to accomplish, which was nothing short of rethinking the meaning of human nature. Kadane argues that this project centered around the doctrine of original sin and, ultimately, its rejection, signaling the radical notion that an inherently flawed nature can be overcome by human means. Kadane explores these ambitious, wide-ranging themes through the story of the largely unknown Pentecost Barker, an eighteenth-century "purser" and wine merchant. Examining Barker's diary and correspondence with a Unitarian minister, Kadane tracks the transformation of Barker's consciousness from a Puritan to an Enlightenment outlook. In one man's conversion, Kadane tracks large-scale shifts in self-understanding whose philosophical reverberations would (and have continued to) shape debates on human nature for centuries to come"--

Book Synopsis

An eloquent microhistory that argues for the centrality of the doctrine of original sin to the Enlightenment.

What was the Enlightenment? This question has been endlessly debated. In The Enlightenment and Original Sin, historian Matthew Kadane advances the bold claim that the Enlightenment is best defined through what it set out to accomplish, which was nothing short of rethinking the meaning of human nature.

Kadane argues that this project centered around the doctrine of original sin and, ultimately, its rejection, signaling the radical notion that an inherently flawed nature can be overcome by human means. Kadane explores this and other wide-ranging themes through the story of a previously unknown figure, Pentecost Barker, an eighteenth-century purser and wine merchant. By examining Barker's personal diary and extensive correspondence with a Unitarian minister, Kadane tracks the transformation of Barker's consciousness from a Puritan to an Enlightenment outlook, revealing through one man's journey the large-scale shifts in self-understanding whose philosophical reverberations have shaped debates on human nature for centuries.

Review Quotes

"This book. . . enlarges our understanding of the Enlightenment by attending to the humbler figures who have generally been ignored in intellectual histories of the period."-- "Times Literary Supplement"

"An eminently readable work of intellectual history that, through its meticulous attention to the ordinary, provides a truly extraordinary window into the ways in which ideas such as 'Enlightenment' and 'original sin' are embedded in the lives of 'regular' people. Theologians contributing to the newly burgeoning literature on original sin will certainly need to grapple with its claims."-- "The Journal of Theological Studies"

"This superb book is a pleasure to read. . . . Kadane demonstrates that between the poles of perfect optimism and pessimism lay a variety of faiths about human nature. . . . It will be read equally as profitably by academics, university students of eighteenth-century cultural and intellectual history, and the public."-- "History of European Ideas"

"A scintillating story of how the Enlightenment came into being but was also resisted, a narrative revisited through the eyes of a 'nobody' in mid-eighteenth-century England as well as through the usual authorities. Written with verve, this book is a masterpiece of layered intellectual history."-- "David D. Hall, Harvard University"

"Remarkably erudite and powerfully written, Enlightenment and Original Sin gives us a new origin story of the Enlightenment and our own materialist mores. Kadane offers a brilliant and previously untold deep dive into how the British Dissenting view of original sin would reshape Protestantism in Britain and America at a key moment to create essentially a modern form of Christianity."-- "Jacob Soll, author of Free Market: The History of a Dream"

"With remarkable clarity and original archival work, Kadane forcefully demonstrates how individuals made the conversion away from traditional religiosity to enlightened principles. Thanks to this groundbreaking work, the Enlightenment becomes lived experience, not simply a set of abstract ideals."-- "Margaret C. Jacob, University of California, Los Angeles"

About the Author

Matthew Kadane is professor of history at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY. He is the author of The Watchful Clothier: The Life of an Eighteenth-Century Protestant Capitalist.