At a time of widespread perplexity about the social role of humanisticscholarship few disciplines are as anxious about their nature and purposes asacademic theo... » 

At a time of widespread perplexity about the social role of humanisticscholarship few disciplines are as anxious about their nature and purposes asacademic theology. In this important work W. Clark Gilpin dean of theUniversity of Chicago Divinity School proposes that American theologicalscholarship become responsible to a threefold public the churches theacademic community and civil society.Gilpin approaches this goal indirectly by investigating the historic socialroles of Protestant theologians and the educational institutions in which theyhave pursued their scholarship and teaching. Ranging from analyses of the NewEngland Puritan Cotton Mather to contemporary theologians as publicintellectuals Gilpin proposes that we find out what theology is by askingwhat theologians do.By showing how particular cultural problems have always shaped the work oftheologians Gilpins work profoundly illuminates the foundations of Americanacademic theology providing insights that will help guide its future. «