spacer The Nature of True Virtue: Theology, Psychology, and Politics in the Writings of Henry James, Sr., Henry James, Jr., and William James
James Duban
spacer

About FDU Press

New Releases

Recent Publications by Topic

Recent Book Reviews

Book Reviews by Topic

Submission Guidelines

spacer


Book Review



Especially useful for ethical critics is James Dubans The Nature of True Virtue: Theology, Psychology, and Politics in the Writings of Henry James, Sr., Henry James, Jr., and William James. This intellectual history traces the influence of Jonathan Edwards, whose treatise of 1765 is invoked by the title. The first six chapters discuss Henry Sr.s belief in disinterested benevolence, a Calvinist concept amplified and liberalized by Swedenborg in a manner compatible with socialism; and they also examine the rejoinders of William, whose attention to interest corrects such idealizations. The remaining four chapters treat Henry Jr.s narratives as anatomies of selfishness that reflect, yet revise, his fathers ideas. What Maisie Knew and The Wings of the Dove celebrate spontaneous virtue yet also reveal the greed caused by a lack of familial affection, while The Bostonians and The Princess Casamassima confirm the practical irreconcilability of aesthetic and socialistic temperaments. More questionable is Dubans ironic reading of The Ambassadors, according to which Strether remains duped by his supposed disinterestedness. Then, too, skeptics may wonder about the depth of the novelists engagement with the theologians. But this book responds effectively to critics who exaggerate the sons affiliations with the father: dont bet your inheritance or hard-earned royalties on societys providing the redeemed form of man.

Sara B. Daugherty, American Literary Scholarship, 2001


To see a full description of this book, search our online database

spacer

TO ORDER BOOKS:
2010 Eastpark Boulevard
Cranbury, New Jersey 08512
Phone (609) 655-4770
Fax (609) 655-8366

TO REQUEST A CATALOGUE:
M-GH2-01
285 Madison Avenue
Madison, New Jersey 07940
Phone (973) 443-8564
Fax (973) 443-8364
fdupress@fdu.edu

TO RECEIVE UPDATES ON NEWLY RELEASED TITLES BY EMAIL:
fdupress@fdu.edu


spacer

spacer

Photograph courtesy of Louise Dell-Bene Stahl 2001



Copyright © 2006, Fairleigh Dickinson University. All rights reserved. Information on FDU web pages is provided as a convenience for the University community and others seeking information. It is the responsibility of the visitor to verify the information. This page originally created with FDU Pagetoaster 2. [Latest update 060202] Click to see how'd they do that? Click if you are the owner and you wish to edit this page.
Related searches:
william virtue theology nature recent
gipoco.com is neither affiliated with the authors of this page nor responsible for its contents. This is a safe-cache copy of the original web site.