Conflagration: How the Transcendentalists Sparked the American Struggle for Racial, Gender, andSocial Justice

by John Buehrens, Jeff Zinn (Narrator)

A dramatic retelling of the story of the Transcendentalists, revealing them not as isolated authors but as a community of social activists who shaped progressive American values.Conflagration illuminates the connections between key members of the Transcendentalist circle—including James Freeman Clarke, Elizabeth Peabody, Caroline Healey Dall, Elizabeth Stanton, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Theodore Parker, and Margaret Fuller—who created a community dedicated to radical social activism. These authors and activists laid the groundwork for democratic and progressive religion in America.In the tumultuous decades before and immediately after the Civil War, the Transcendentalists changed nineteenth-century America, leading what Theodore Parker called “a Second American Revolution.” They instigated lasting change in American society, not only through their literary achievements but also through their transcendentalists fought for the abolition of slavery, democratically governed churches, equal rights for women, and against the dehumanizing effects of brutal economic competition and growing social inequality. The Transcendentalists’ passion for social equality stemmed from their belief in spiritual friendship—transcending differences in social situation, gender, class, theology, and race. Together, their fight for justice changed the American sociopolitical landscape. They understood that none of us can ever fulfill our own moral and spiritual potential unless we care about the full spiritual and moral flourishing of others.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Philosophy, Activism

350 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 14, 2020

Reviews

[Nancy Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished two years of researching the American suffragists, and I can say in all that time, I read absolutely nothing about the Transcendentalists. Many of the early suffragists were Quaker, a fact that cropped up continually in my reading. If the Transcendentalists were a true force for social reform, wouldn't I have encountered that fact?

While the blurb for the book says that the author will show that Transcendentalists were not isolated individuals, but acted as a community to effect social reform, I don't find that to be proven by the text. For one thing, the book is divided up by profiles of individuals, which necessarily isolates each story. Secondly, Transcendentalism doesn't seem to have been a cohesive movement. The adherents might have agreed on underlying principles such as spiritual friendship, but they seem to have had more differences than commonalities. I recognize this state of affairs, because I grew up in a separatist faith community that split every time some guy decided he had the only true revelation from God and everybody else's doctrine was too liberal (the worst thing!).

For me, reading about the Transcendentalists was a great contrast to the suffragists, who came from all backgrounds of faith and belief or non-belief. Their passion for the vote, and their willingness to commit their lives to it, pulled them together into one powerful force to effect societal change (despite some rifts due to racial issues and modes of protest). To me, the Transcendentalists, as depicted in this book, pretty much spent their time writing books and preaching sermons of social action, interspersed with occasional acts that demonstrated their underlying progressive thought. A religion of intellect over action.

Still, I found myself interested in the stories of these 19th century people. Actually, I was distracted from the Transcendental theme by the sheer drama of their lives, marriages, and families. It's a credit to the author that he could make people from 150 years ago as vivid as anyone living today. But you need some perseverance -- the author tends to write about ideas and events as if the reader already knows something about them. For example, in the introduction and first chapter, the author writes about a ship that goes up in flames in 1840. He mentions this event three times without explaining what really happened. Without that knowledge, it's hard to understand the point he's trying to make about it.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and thorough research on the Transcendentalists of New England. I came into this book with an open mind, knowing little to nothing about the Transcendentalists other than their label and some of the more famous names associated with the movement. In the context of the current day and age, I think this book is illuminating in its review of the theological basis for social reform, and how those movements came together, faltered, argued, progressed, evolved. Activism and community come with a struggle, and we see this in the work and workings of the Transcendentalists.

This book also gave me more insight into the Civil War itself, theology and church reform, regional cultural differences, and a lot of other things I wasn't expecting! I feel this would make an excellent accompanying read for a college seminar on social movements, or discussion of the social and philosophical climate of New England prior to the Civil War.

One critique or comment is that I eventually found it hard to keep track of all of the individuals in the movement. I feel a condensed biographical summary at the end would be wildly helpful, to refer to when you're starting to become unmoored. There were a few times I couldn't remember who did what when, or who fought with so-and-so, what post they held, were they more radical or conservative, were they early on in the movement or bearing the torch forward, etc.

[Robert Kendall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Transcendentalist Society held formal meetings for only five years, 1836-1840. Buehrens demonstrates that their progressive ideas are still a great influence today on such issues as civil rights, gender equality, and the environment, among others. Each chapter focuses on a different Transcendentalist thinker. The main emphasis is on the 1836-1865 period, although Buehrens covers the remainder of the 19th century. The Transcendentalists were very concerned with spirituality, and the relation of organized religion to the above-mentioned issues. The book is thought-provoking, as well as excellent history.

[Ray L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hearing the author speak elevates this to 4 stars for me. In Buehrens' telling of the story of the Transcendentalists in the 19th century we get to see the range of individuals (as Emerson is quoted, "there is no history, only biography")— central to key debates around slavery; societal expectations and equality for women; economic inequality and the impact of growing industrialization; and the importance of education—as authors and activists pursuing a "Second Revolution" seeking societal change and social justice in the name of being more complete moral beings. Count me among those who believe the issues (and solutions) animating the Transcendentalists then remain relevant today.

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting and mostly accurate from what I know, but ONLY told about social activism from the point of view or transcendentalists--everyone else left out which could lead one to think that they were solely responsible for social change (which of course, they weren't).

[Chet Taranowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

To some this might sound like a pretty dry topic. However the author focused on the people behind Transcendentalism and made it an engaging read. These folks drove a lot of slavery abolition work and women's rights issues of the day. Many Unitarians were involved.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fresh, insightful perspective on Transcendentalism and many lesser known but interesting members of the movement. The narrative can be occasionally dense with historical and biographical detail but Beuhrens is clearly a master of his subject and an engaging writer.

[Chandler Dandridge · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good read that expanded my sense of the Transcendentalists. Thoreau (and much of the Concord crowd) is thoroughly ignored! In favor of the more active communities in Boston.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A detailed look at the Transcendentalist movement of the 19th century--how it grew--and how it was involved in abolition and gender equality. Still relevant today.