Robert Bellah (1927–2013) was one of the most influential social scientists of the 20th century. He crossed disciplinary boundaries in pursuit of a greater comprehension of religion.
“A Joyfully Serious Man” is the definitive biography of this towering figure in modern intellectual life, and a revelatory portrait of a man who led an adventurous yet turbulent life.
Drawing on Bellah’s personal papers as well as in-depth interviews with those who knew him, Matteo Bortolini tells the story of an extraordinary scholarly career and a tempestuous life.
