City on the Hill from Below

Stephen H. Marshall is Assistant Professor in the Department of American Studies and the Department of African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas-Austin.

"Marshall presents a challenging interrogation of a central trope of American political theory in this excellent new work. In examining the meaning and implication of 'the city on the hill' as political imaginary, the author skillfully guides readers through the history of prophetic political critique from African American intellectuals and offers insights into both the strengths and weakness of the arguments put forth by David Walker, Frederick Douglass, W. E. B. Du Bois, and James Baldwin.... This is a well-written, incisive intellectual work that offers critical insights into political theory and African American politics. Summing Up: Highly recommended." -Choice

• 1. Introduction: The City on the Hill from Below2. Black Liberty in the City of Enmity: The Political Theory of David Walker 3. "Glorious Revolution" in the City of Mastery: Frederick Douglass on the Corruption of the American Republic 4. Aristocratic Strivings in the Gilded City: The Political Theory of The Souls of Black Folk 5. (Making )Love in the Dishonorable City: The Civic Poetry of James Baldwin 6. Conclusion: Prophetic Critique in the Age of the Joshua Generation