"To write this remarkably well-theorized, well-documented, well-written, succinct, and gripping book, Dromi creatively assembles a range of sources, making rich and thought-provoking arguments explaining how this“human-tarianfield” developed, how a certain kind of professionalism developed, and how secular universalism arose and spread across the globe. Of course, other processes contributed to these now-stable elements of our social world,but the processes Dromi describes will, from now on, be seen as essential."

American Journal of Sociology

“Above the Fray is a major effort to analyze the development of a distinct humanitarian field animated by the religious worldview of the nineteenth Calvinist milieu of Geneva, which connects a network of philanthropists, pacific activists, and religious actors concerned with addressing human tragedies. In telling the story of the emergence of this institutional field, Dromi innovates by bringing meaning-making into Bourdieusian field analysis in a non-reductivist fashion. Thus, he makes a brilliant contribution to historical sociology, and offers a much-needed addition to the sociological theory of fields. His book will be a crucial point of reference for several fields of research in the years to come.”

Michèle Lamont, professor of sociology and African and African American studies, Harvard University

“Humanitarianism is not just an ethical orientation, but a whole sector of social institutions and practical actions. Dromi’s Above the Fray superbly illuminates both the history of this field since the founding of the Red Cross and its increasingly difficult challenges today.”

Craig Calhoun, university professor of social sciences, Arizona State University