Orestes Augustus Brownson (1803-1876) was a philosopher, essayist, and minister whose broad-ranging ideas both reflected and influenced the social and religious mores of his day. He was raised by congregationalists, baptized Presbyterian, and became a Universalist preacher. This biography, based on Brownson's own writings, chronicles his shifting intellectual and religious life within the context of an important period in American religious and social history. This period was marked by religious pluralism, culture wars, military conflicts, and challenges to national peace and security. Thus, Carey's biography shows the readers how Brownson's values and ideas transcended his own time period and can resonate with our own.