"This important book will be welcomed by everyone who longs for a better conversation between religious and secular perspectives in contemporary America. Exploring the heritage and possibilities of pragmatism and the mediating capacity of literature, Tae Sung leads us through a profound set of discussions that are erudite, informed, sensitive, and timely." -- Mark Knight, Professor in Literature, Religion, and Victorian Studies, Lancaster University, UK "With remarkable interdisciplinary expertise and incisive interpretive skill, Tae Sung has made a major contribution to American literary study, public theology, and rhetorical pragmatism. By developing a theory of dynamic gifts focusing on Ralph Waldo Emerson and William James, Sung proposes a postsecular pragmatism that overcomes the impasse between secular and religious literary critics and mediates the more general conflict between secular thinking and religious traditionalism. In so doing, Sung helps create the shared vocabulary necessary for reviving democratic options for collective action working toward the common good." -- Steven Mailloux, President's Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric, Loyola Marymount University, and Chancellor's Professor Emeritus of Rhetoric, University of California, Irvine, USA.