The One and the Many: America's Struggle for the Common Good

by Martin E. Marty

E pluribus unum no longer holds. Out of the many have come as many claims and grievances, all at war with the idea of one nation undivided. The damage thus done to our national life, as too few Americans seek a common good, is Martin Marty's concern. His book is an urgent call for repair and a personal testament toward resolution. A world-renowned authority on religion and ethics in America, Marty gives a judicious account (itself a rarity and a relief in our day of uncivil discourse) of how the body politic has been torn between the imperative of one people, one voice, and the separate urgings of distinct identities--racial, ethnic, religious, gendered, ideological, economic. Foreseeing an utter deadlock in public life, with devastating consequences, if this continues, he envisions steps we might take to carry America past the new turbulence. While the grand story of oneness eludes us (and probably always will), Marty reminds us that we do have a rich, ever-growing, and ever more inclusive repertory of myths, symbols, histories, and, most of all, stories on which to draw. He pictures these stories, with their diverse interpretations, as part of a conversation that crosses the boundaries of groups. Where argument polarizes and deafens, conversation is open ended, guided by questions, allowing for inventiveness, fair play, and dignity for all. It serves as a medium in Marty's broader vision, which replaces the restrictive, difficult, and perhaps unattainable ideal of "community" with the looser, more workable idea of "association." An "association of associations" is what Marty contemplates, and for the spirit and will to promote it he looks to eighteenth-century motifs of sentiment and affection, convergences of intellect and emotion that develop from shared experience. And as this book so eloquently reminds us, America, however diverse, is an experience we all share.

Genres: Sociology

244 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Martin E. Marty was an American religious scholar and historian known for his extensive work on religion in the United States. A Lutheran pastor before transitioning into academia, he became a leading voice in religious studies, particularly in the areas of American Protestantism, fundamentalism, and public religion. He was a longtime professor at the University of Chicago Divinity School, where he mentored numerous doctoral students and held the prestigious Fairfax M. Cone Distinguished Service Professorship.
Marty wrote or edited a book for nearly every year of his academic career, producing influential works such as Righteous Empire: The Protestant Experience in America, which won the National Book Award, and the five-volume Fundamentalism Project, co-edited with R. Scott Appleby. He was a prolific columnist for The Christian Century and wrote extensively on religion's role in American public life.
A recipient of numerous honors, including the National Humanities Medal and over 80 honorary doctorates, Marty also served as president of several academic societies and participated in U.S. presidential commissions. The Martin Marty Center for the Advanced Study of Religion at the University of Chicago was named in his honor.

Reviews

[Nikki Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to keep checking the publish date as it's all still very applicable.today.

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is The One and the Many by Martin E. Marty. Every year when i was in high school, they would have the Horwitz Lecture on Ethics. A sort of "FP Lite" for the Knoxians out there. IMSA would arrange a prominent individual to come speak to the outgoing seniors. As preparation they would give us a book they wrote related to what the subject of the lecture would be. I was given this book in preparation for the lecture, and of course I never read it. Now I was wishing I had.

What an amazing book. He critically examines and analyzes the duality of the American cultural landscape. There's the traditional "American Melting Pot" ideal where everyone works toward one combined cultural norm. And there's the idea that everyone in America has the right to be an individual, that everyone's culture is equally important to everyone else's and that as Americans we have not just the privilege, but the Right to do and say what they want while living how they want.

It's an tricky and dense problem that he states right off to not be attempting to solve, merely to explore. He starts off looking at the Challenger incident, the last great national tragedy. (The book was written pre-9/11/01.) He uses the event to draw out and identify a wide range of cultures and communities within the American Landscape. It's a fascinating read and, as morbid as it may seem, I wish that he had written this post-9/1//01 because I think it would prove to be that much more of a useful example.

He spends a lot of time working from the parable of the porcupines - having to stay close enough together to gain the benefits of each other's company, but staying far enough apart to not get pricked by each other's spines.

He looks at the the way that the various cultural communities interact with each other, how people define themselves as members of a community and what happens when an individual faces the conflict of identifying with more than one community.

The last few chapters are spend on faith. As one of the largest community identifiers the States today, and certainly one of the most contentious, faith in America has the enormous power to push us apart or bring us together. He basically call for what I've been saying all along, but haven't had the eloquence to work out: the faith based groups share a common set of goals based largely on the Abrahamic religions, but not exclusive to those groups. The idea of the "golden rule" and general "be nice" philosophy, but that the key difference lies in who is the one designating the authority to say so.

I wouldn't say that he "trashes" the evangelicals, but I would say that he suggests a more self-directed approach. The coming together of the one and the many relies on the acknowledgment that a common goal of cohabitation can only be accomplished by the recognition of different philosophies as valid approaches. He's certainly much more eloquent than I am, and to be honest, I'd have to go back and read the whole thing again to devise a more elaborate and accurate summary of his analysis.

Ultimately, the book is quietly optimistic. We have the ability in ourselves to work together toward a common goal without losing our individuality, but we're ways from that. There's a lot of cultural "baggage" (all of the "isms" for example) that we have to move past before we can successfully acknowledge each other.

I found this book fascinating. i wish that I had read it in time for his lecture, but to be honest with you I know i didn't have the time. Even now, in my post-college laziness, I was unable to finish it in less than a month. Not mention that it's a work of very, very broad scope at times and my studies since high school have certainly given me tools to better understand the statements he makes.

In short - If you're an IMSA c/o 2002 grad who hasn't read your copy of The One and the Many yet, it's high time you dug it out of the basement and started reading.