Earl Shorris (Books)

Earl Shorris Books

Earl Shorris was an American writer and social critic, renowned for founding the Clemente Course in the Humanities. This educational initiative, named after the baseball great and humanitarian Roberto Clemente, was established to offer college-level humanities instruction to individuals facing economic hardship. Shorris was a vocal critic of Western culture, viewing it as a slide toward plutocracy and materialism. He extensively explored Mexican history and culture, co-editing a seminal anthology of Mesoamerican literature that introduced a vast readership to the rich literary traditions of indigenous Mexicans.

The Politics of Heaven

America In Fearful Times

An unsettling account of the events, ideas, and minds behind the nameless political movement that governs America today. The movement transcends political parties, has no formal structure, no acknowledged leaders, and no sworn loyalty except to God, whose will it interprets according to its fears and desires. Yet it is not an abstraction. It elects our presidents and legislatures and informs their decisions while in office.The movement started at the end of World War II when nuclear weapons, the Holocaust, and then the Cold War led to the fear of mass death that infected American views of justice, ethics, and global politics. It gradually replaced the New Deal.As conversations with religious and political leaders, churchgoers, and pollsters make clear, after 9/11 the nation became increasingly pessimistic. Americans more than ever embraced simplistic, self-serving solutions to questions of personal and national destiny.To regain the best in the American character, we must recognize the existence of a new national movement, define it, and learn how it grows. This book is a first step.