Social democracy in the making Political and religious roots of European socialism

Social Democracy in the Making is by turns fascinating and frustrating. The author provides a many-sided account of first Christian, then Fabian, and finally Labour socialism in England, making a convincing case for continuity among the three movements. His analysis of the development of German Social Democracy is similarly an engrossing--if repetitive--one; but Dorrien adds nothing new to our understanding of the evolution of German Marxism. Further, the subtitle of the book, which promises an account of the rise of socialism across the Continent, is misleading. Dorrien concentrates almost entirely on the development of the movement in Germany and England, saying almost nothing regarding socialism in such places as France, Russia, and the Iberian peninsula, not to mention Scandinavia, a region where social democracy has experienced some noteworthy successes. This last omission is especially striking, given that Dorrien legitimately views social democracy as a predominantly Protestant movement--if not theologically, at least culturally. Finally, the book contains no conclusion, the author making no effort to sum up the argument he has made over the course of five-hundred pages. This has the effect of leaving the reader, who has invested a great deal of effort reading Dorrien's academic prose, adrift, asking him- or herself what the point of the book is. Summing Up: Not recommended. --RUSSEL WILLIAM LEMMONS, Jacksonville State University