Abstract
Reading Luigi Giussani’s recently translated American Protest Theology: A Historical Sketch is an overdue treat for the historian and theologian alike. A decade after the Italian publication of Teologia Protestante Americana: Profilo Storica (2003) and almost 50 years from his first engaged research trip to America, Giussani’s translated work is reminiscent of other historical efforts by Europeans analyzing American Protestant theology from Bonhoeffer to Toqcueville. Like Toqcueville, Giussani is twice an outsider as a European, but also as a Roman Catholic. As he is perhaps best known as the founder of the lay Catholic movement “Communion and Liberation,” it is not as odd as it might seem for Giussani to write on American Protestant theology. The topic was a longstanding interest of Giussani’s and his doctoral work on Reinhold Niebuhr provided substantial grounding in the area.
Archibald Spencer provides an extensive and helpful “Introduction” to the English translation; though a Canadian Baptist, Spencer has clearly been influenced by Giussani’s work and life. Spencer offers the unfamiliar reader a brief biography of Giussani, an overview of his theological work, and a further apology for the current project. Beyond the body of the text there are also three “Appendices” included – two focused on Niebuhr and one on the philosophy of Edgar Sheffield Brightman.
The meat of the book is carried through five chapters, which begin with Puritan theology and conclude with a smattering of later twentieth century theological approaches. The final chapter of “Recent Trends,” however, is clearly more of a dénouement to the climax found in chapter four that focuses on the “Realism” of Niebuhr and Paul Tillich; though the most substantive section is afforded to Jonathan Edwards or “America’s Theologian” in chapter two. Giussani is remarkably well read in all areas of the book and is not afraid to depart from some more standard – or at least more traditional – interpretations of key American thinkers. The book is more theological than historical and although there is an awareness and acknowledgement of some contextual (social, political, material, etc.) issues, the heart of the book is an in-depth examination of a genetic theological lineage.
Undoubtedly there are many omissions that could be charged to Giussani’s sketch. For instance, it almost completely neglects the dominance of populist theology in America, despite carefully outlining the arminianization of the nineteenth century that is often associated with the populist impulse. It fails to mention any minority traditions, and chooses to follow the liberal theology narrative with scant mention of conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist alternatives that were myriad at the end of the nineteenth and in the early twentieth century. Nonetheless, one must remember that it is intended to be a “sketch” and Giussani is attempting to suss out one particular theological strain in contemporary American Protestant theology. With this in mind, it is impressive how succinctly Giussani can trace the various paths of American theology across more than three hundred years. With such a wide scope, generalization is inevitable; but there is also sophisticated nuance, an avoidance of caricaturing through either overly developed “conservative” or “liberal” factions. There is even an effort to connect the shared assumptions and rhetorical emphases of what many would consider opposing (or at least diverging) traditions. In fact, one of the most impressive features of the short work is the lesser known American thinkers he marshals to support his overall narrative, using some as additional evidence for his main characters and others as key players themselves (R.H. Lotze, W.A. Brown, Mercersburg, etc.). Finally, Giussani’s ability to isolate, trace, and develop some theological themes and perspectives that are uniquely American (even as they interact with European thought as in Tillich) is a valuable contribution, particularly to the historian whose discipline has been preoccupied with questions of American “exceptionalism” for the past half-century.
Although Spencer insists that Giussani’s phenomenology-of-religion moves beyond an historical exercise and clearly engages Giussani’s own constructive theological efforts, it seems beyond an analysis of this solitary work to vet such claims. No doubt, as Spencer also admits, if Giussani had an underlying motivation for the work, he does an admirable job being discreet about his purpose. Overall the book reads well, though it is theological and therefore technical at several points. It is, self-consciously, not intended as an introductory text to the subject, but aims to highlight and explicate a few prominent features of American theological thought. At points, the sentences carry over several lines and the wording does not always flow easily, but it is difficult to tell whether the original or the translation is to blame for this.