Priests of Culture

The Author: Douglas W. Sterner currently serves as Chair of the Department of History at St. Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey, where he holds the Chester R. Finn Chair in the Humanities. He studied under American historian John William Ward at Amherst College and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa upon his graduation from Amherst in 1969. After having worked under the supervision of the late Warren I. Susman (American) and Harold Poor (European), Dr. Sterner recived his Ph.D. in intellectual history from Rutgers University in 1989. He has previously published reviews and essays in journals and periodicals.

"Not the least merit of Douglas Sterner's study is his having heard to begin with the subtle echoes of Matthew Arnold's ideas in Henry James's nonfiction and of James's in Arnold's prose. Their ideas for Sterner are not irrefrangible units to be sorted and stacked up, but literary expressions whose nuances must be listened to, implications considered, and premises explored. Sterner carries out this delicate and difficult task with exemplary skill and clarity. His fresh reading of James's 'The American Scene' is itself a sufficient justification for having written the book." (David R. Weimer, Professor Emeritus of English, Rutgers University)
"Sterner presents a masterful analysis of the cultural pessimism of Matthew Arnold and Henry James while giving fresh insights into the cultural change implied by each author's style of presentation. He makes clear the process of the transition from Arnold's modest hope for a redemptive culture to James's cultural despair...This is beautifully written, and the arguments are cogent and well-researched, as well as carefully thought out...the analysis of Arnold's religious opinions and their contradictions is often brilliant." (Harold Poor, formerly Professor of History, Rutgers University)
"Sterner is beautifully prepared in literature and in history, especially able in cultural and intellectual matters. He brings knowledge and sound preparation, and at the same time continues to know when to ask the right questions. Deeply interested in moral issues, he remains the student and the learner as well as the teacher and the scholar." (Warren I. Susman, formerly Professor of History, Rutgers University)