William G. T. Shedd has been hailed as one of America's most important dogmatic theologians. Yet until now there has been no systematic study of his work. In this volume, two central themes in his theology are explored with particular emphasis upon the philosophical issues Shedd's work raises and his significance as a dialogue partner for contemporary theologians.

William G. T. Shedd has been hailed as one of America's most important dogmatic theologians. Yet until now there has been no systematic study of his work. In this volume, two central themes in his theology are explored with particular emphasis upon the philosophical issues Shedd's work raises and his significance as a dialogue partner for contemporary theologians.

The Rise of the Imperial Self establishes a geneaology of aristocracy and places America firmly within an aristocratic tradition originally articulated by St. Augustine, but adapted to American society by Alexis de Tocqueville. Ronald W. Dworkin then traces the evolution of American culture from Tocqueville's America, when American aristocracy was defined by a love of something beyond the self to today's preoccupation with individuality, self-expression, autonomy, and self-esteem--the "imperial self."

A portrait of one of the founding fathers of Western religious philosophy, challenging misconceptions concerning his early hedonistic life and his influential interpretations of Christian doctrine

This study of Augustine's Confessions presents his testimony of conversion as an antidote to modern culture's tendency toward disbelief.