Original Sin and Everyday Protestants

“Traces a powerful mid-20th-century intellectual revival in which millions of Americans sought their bearings in the original-sin theology of three seemingly very different men.” — The Christian Century

“The best works of intellectual history make unexpected, yet insightful connections using a comparative framework. The best works in the lived religion tradition demonstrate the limits of employing conventional categories of theological analysis. Finstuen succeeds on both fronts in this creative and thought-provoking study.” — Religion in American History

“[An] engaging, well-researched book. . . . Finstuen’s analysis demonstrates fascinating, unexpected, and convincing thematic overlaps between Tillich, Graham, and Niebuhr. . . . Of interest to all students of American Christianity, not only for its interesting and engaging writing, but also for Finstuen’s ability to convincingly combine first rate theological analysis with social history.” — Reviews in Religion and Theology

“[Finstuen’s] examination of letters to the editor and readers’ personal letters to Niebuhr, Graham, and Tillich reveal many surprises.” — Books & Culture

“Highly readable. . . . Recreates a mid-century landscape shared and shaped by these leaders and the lay people who pondered them. . . . Compelling.” — Church History

“The historiographical importance of the work extends beyond the author’s subjects. . . . A useful book of intellectual history that corrects our impressions of the post-war era. Finstuen makes a persuasive case that Americans in that era were more theologically literate than the popularity of Peale and others might suggest.” — Journal of American History

“Original Sin deftly portrays not only how these three were men of their times but also how their neo-Orthodox, evangelical, and existential versions of this doctrine literally shaped the American theological self-understanding and imagination.” — Religious Studies Review

“Finstuen’s industrious research . . . allows him to draw what seem like outrageous conclusions. . . . . Documentation for these conclusions comes from the extraordinary record left by these three notables from unending rounds of speeches, writings, and correspondence.” — BooksandCulture.com

“Insightful and informative. . . . Finstuen perceptively describes the study’s religious and cultural context, persuasively demonstrates that original sin was the underlying doctrinal cohesion among the three figures, and presents their individual and collective influence as diagnosticians of the human condition.” — CHOICE

“This work will be important in understanding mid-century Christianity, how Christian teaching operates in popular culture, often transcending the format in which it is delivered, and the sophistication of those who articulate their faith without support of academic, theological training.” — Missiology: An International Review