The Philanthropic Revolution: An Alternative History of American Charity

Jeremy Beer

Published by University of Pennsylvania Press 2015

The Philanthropic Revolution

An Alternative History of American Charity

Jeremy Beer

In the series Radical Conservatisms

https://doi.org/10.9783/9780812292473

Overview
Contents

About this book

The historical displacement of charity by philanthropy represents a radical transformation in how we think about voluntary giving. The consequences of this shift have been socially revolutionary.

Author / Editor information

Jeremy Beer is a founding partner at American Philanthropic, LLC. He is the president of the American Ideas Institute (publisher of The American Conservative) and a contributing editor at Front Porch Republic.

Reviews

"Jeremy Beer has written a synthetic masterpiece that triples as a history, interrogation, and indictment of modern professional philanthropy."—Walter A. McDougall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and historian

"In this marvelous history of American charitable giving, Jeremy Beer helps us see what we have lost in the triumph of outcomes-focused and "scientific" philanthropy. He argues for the recovery of an older face-to-face charity that humanizes both giver and recipient."—R. R. Reno, Editor, First Things

"It is a testament to philanthropy's epistemic dominance within contemporary discourse on doing good that one rarely encounters any real challenge to its authority. But with his recent book, Jeremy Beer does precisely that. Elegantly, concisely, and passionately argued, The Philanthropic Revolution chronicles an alternative tradition, a counter-ethic, grounded in the practice of charity, a sense of place, and a commitment to the promotion of authentic human communion. Beer's important intervention should be read by all who care about making a difference in this world—even, and perhaps most urgently by, philanthropy's fiercest partisans."—Benjamin Soskis, Center for Nonprofit Management, Philanthropy, and Policy, George Mason University

"In The Philanthropic Revolution, Jeremy Beer succeeds in his two-pronged effort to delineate charity from philanthropy, both in their actual practice and in their distinct origins, and to expose the long-ignored skeletons of philanthropy's deep, historical closets. All of this, achieved in no more than 110 pages, is a testament to Beer's intellectual acuity. Delicately balancing descriptive, historical narration and normative analysis, Beer portrays philanthropy's protracted effort to effectively crowd out traditional charity while emphasizing the importance of those "personalist" goods that were lost in the caustic conflict."—The University Bookman

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	i
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	v
Preface Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	vii
Introduction: What’s Missing from the Story of American Philanthropy Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
1. Unlocking the Universe’s Secret: The Theological Roots of American Charity Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	17
2. Enemies of This Ordinance of God: American Charity from the Colonial Period to the Civil War Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	35
3. Infinitely More than Almsgiving: American Charity from the Civil War to the Great Depression Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	59
4. To Love and Be Loved: The Growth of Professional Philanthropy and the Case for Philanthrolocalism Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	85
Notes Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	113

Language: English
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press
Audience: General/trade;
Pages
- Main content: 134
Keywords: Political Science; Philosophy; Public Policy

eBook

Published: May 22, 2015
ISBN: 9780812292473