April 12, 2011

Book Review: Christianity, Democracy, and the American Ideal by Jacques Maritain

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I love me some Jacques Maritain. When I found this fiery Frenchman, I couldn't put him down. At the time, I was near a college library due to my enrollment in a graduate philosophy program. Naturally, I decided to set out to read all his books. I've read half. Things will slow down now since my life is a lot different than it was then. When I read this book it was a first or second edition hard back. Here's the review:

"Like Paul Revere's midnight ride, Maritain runs to rescue Americans from self-loathing in this hopeful tour de force. In an era where français et l'américain sentiments often conflict, the book reads as a literary Battle of the Chesapeake where again we are locked arm-in-arm fighting imperialism. No more nasty caricatures, Maritain shows that what is best about America is our romantic optimism which speaks volumes for a man who loathed idealism. How can we explain this change of heart? He admits that his respite during World War II in America and the resulting academic tour in Chicago, South Bend, and Princeton charmed him, and much in the same way this book may help you to rise above the contemporary anti-American rhetoric and again see the great gift of the sweet land of liberty."