The Social Gospel Gospel is a Redemptive Message A Series Gospel is a Redemptive Message The Distinction in Individual & Church History of the Social Gospel Movement What Builds Faith, Edifies & Causes Growth Dangers Among Us

Gospel Message Redemptive Message Is A Review #1 Gospel Addresses Man’s Need: Sin Gospel Gives A Remedy: Christ Gospel Has A Message: Salvation Gospel Does Not Address: Social Needs

III. Maintaining the Distinction Review #2 I. Individual & Church Are Not The Same II. Blurring the Lines III. Maintaining the Distinction

The Social Gospel Gospel is a Redemptive Message A Series Gospel is a Redemptive Message The Distinction in Individual & Church History of the Social Gospel Movement What Builds Faith, Edifies & Causes Growth Dangers Among Us

History of the Social Gospel Movement The Journey Starts…

There are Social Implications of the Gospel When people become Christians, there will be: Less crime More compassion Greater honesty Improved relationships Honorable treatment of others.

History of the Social Gospel Movement Know of history—better appreciate what is going on now How it started How it grew Its roots (thoughts behind it) The dangers it poses

The Social Gospel Started in America Years following the Civil War

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals 1. Darwin taught the theory of evolution

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals 1. Darwin taught the theory of evolution a. Darwin thought undermined and rejected Genesis account b. Some tried to hold the Bible and Evolution (Theistic Evolutionist) 2. Denies the Bible is inerrant a. Rejected idea of verbal inspiration (1 Corinthians 2:13) b. “The rise of the social gospel in this country was simultaneous with the rise of Biblical liberalism and modernistic religion” (Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, March 23, 1960)

Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, “It was quite natural that the leaders of the liberal religious movement should become active social gospelers. Indeed, the discovery of the church as a social institution filled a vacuum left by their rejection of the church as a significant spiritual institution. These liberals were also the most widely known clergymen of their day and when historians began to study the social gospel movement it was natural for them to emphasize the importance of the modernist proponents of social reform.” Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, March 23, 1960

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals 1. Darwin taught the theory of evolution 2. Denies the Bible is inerrant 3. Present a “real” or “liberal” Jesus: stripped of the miraculous a. Strip him of Deity (John 1:1-3) b. Result: a watered-down Jesus—a mere human mortal teacher c. Teaching favored modern progressive social programs

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s 1. “Social Darwinism” a. Survival of the fittest—opposed to the social gospel b. Argued that proof was seen in wealthiest exceeded in business c. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) Progress: Its Law and Causes (1857) argued evolution of mind, culture and society. d. William Graham Sumner(1840-1910)—Strongly influenced by Spencer, but later rejected “Social Darwinism” e. Idea: All forms of social reform were misguided

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s 1. “Social Darwinism” 2. Problems of society following Industrial Revolution a. Crime b. Poverty c. Inequality d. Drunkenness e. Etc.

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept 1. A primary message of the gospel is social justice a. Church (institutional manifestation of Christianity) is obligated to do something about the social maladjustments. b. Rejected idea: gospel has one primary intent: spiritual c. Thus: primary purpose of the social gospel is to improve social circumstances of man

By 1910 Presbyterians’ Goal: “The great ends of the church are the proclamation of the gospel for the salvation of humankind; the shelter, nurture, and spiritual fellowship of the children of God; the maintenance of divine worship; the preservation of truth; the promotion of social righteousness; and the exhibition of the Kingdom of Heaven to the world.” Jack B. Rogers, and Robert E. Blade, "The Great Ends of the Church: Two Perspectives," Journal of Presbyterian History (1998) 76:181-186

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept 1. A primary message of the gospel is social justice 2. How it works: a. Evangelism /conversion culminates in the promised “kingdom of God” (i.e. better – more perfect society) b. Business man converted 1. Primary concern is not his personal salvation 2. Change in better business practices 3. Even more: better business practices of others

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept 1. A primary message of the gospel is social justice 2. How it works: 3. Many leaders of movement were post-millennialist: Second Coming will not occur until humankind rids itself of social evils.

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept D. Leaders of the Movement 1. Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918)

How Thoughts Developed: Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) Who: Baptist minister How Thoughts Developed: Raised as orthodox Protestant - believing in biblical literalism and substitutionary atonement Later ideas about inerrancy of Bible was “untenable” Doubted idea of sub. atonement

Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) Who: Baptist minister How Thoughts Developed: View of Christianity: Spread of kingdom – not by fire and brimstone – but leading a Christ-like life Death of Christ was to substitute love as basis for human society Kingdom of God – not about going to heaven, but transforming life on earth into harmony of heaven Duty of ministers / Christians to improve social conditions

Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) “Whoever uncouples the religious and the social life has not understood Jesus. Whoever sets any bounds for the reconstructive power of the religious life over the social relations and institutions of men, to that extent denies the faith of the Master.” 1907

For John the Baptist, baptism was “not a ritual act of individual salvation but an act of dedication to a religious and social movement.” “Jesus did not in any real sense bear the sin of some ancient Briton who beat up his wife in B. C. 56, or of some mountaineer in Tennessee who got drunk in A. D. 1917. But he did in a very real sense bear the weight of the public sins of organized society, and they in turn are causally connected with all private sins.” 1917

“The young professor sought to reconcile these two chains of thought into a single concept. As he himself said, “When I had begun to apply my previous religious ideas to the conditions I found, I discovered that they didn’t fit…. I had to go back to the Bible to find out whether I or my [liberal] friends were right. I had to revise my whole study of the Bible…. All my scientific studying of the Bible was undertaken to find a basis for the Christian teaching of a social gospel.” Robert T. Handy goes on to explain, “He found that basis in the doctrine of the kingdom of God, which brought together his evangelical concern for individuals and his social vision of a redeemed society.” - John A. Battle A Brief History of the Social Gospel, WRS Journal (Quoting Robert Handy).

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept D. Leaders of the Movement 1. Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) 2. Washington Gladden (1836-1918) a. Worked as religious and community leader b. Worked for workers unions

A. Modernism: Rejection of Bible fundamentals B. Social Setting of late 1800’s and early 1900’s C. Social Gospel Concept D. Leaders of the Movement 1. Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918) 2. Washington Gladden (1836-1918) 3. Civil Rights Movement (1950s-1960s) a. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) b. Jessie Jackson, Jr. (1941--) c. Al Sharpton (1954--) 4. National Council of Churches

A Great Shift Spiritual Social

A. Denominations were influenced by modernism 1. Changed view of Bible, sin, salvation and heaven 2. Shift away from salvation to correcting social problems 3. Shailer Matthews said in 1927, “the old individualism of evangelism is being supplemented by the social evangelism” 4. In 1908 Denominational Federal Council of Churches adopted a “Social Creed of the Churches”

A. Denominations were influenced by modernism B. American churches underwent change following Civil War

John A. Battle A Brief History of the Social Gospel, WRS Journal “After the Civil War and Reconstruction in the South, American churches underwent great transformation. At the end of the Civil War, the mainline denominations were uniformly orthodox, but within forty years liberal theology and the social gospel had made significant inroads. By the 1930s the social gospel was the predominant theme in many sections of the church. These changes were brought about by several factors, including the demoralization caused by the war, increased immigration of people with different theology and practices, increased participation and influence by laymen (especially wealthy businessmen) in church affairs, the developing progressive or socialistic movement in America, and the importation of liberal biblical criticism and theology from Germany and England. An example of this change is seen in the observance of the Christian Sabbath. After the Civil War, Americans generally attended church and closed their businesses on Sunday; twenty years later Chicago could be described as “a Berlin in the morning and a Paris in the afternoon.” John A. Battle A Brief History of the Social Gospel, WRS Journal

A. Denominations were influenced by modernism B. American churches underwent change following Civil War C. Nearly all denominations developed social programs 1. Mission (emphasis) changed from spiritual to social 2. Examples: Day Care * Soup Kitchens Schools/Colleges * Clothes Closets Hospitals * Gyms Orphan Homes * Youth Ministers Nursing Homes

A. Denominations were influenced by modernism B. American churches underwent change following Civil War C. Nearly all denominations developed social programs D. YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) 1. Started in 1844 in response to the social conditions in the inner cities following the Industrial Revolution 2. 1997 adopted “Challenge 21” which said, “…we declare that the YMCA is a world-wide Christian, ecumenical, voluntary movement for women and men with special emphasis on and the genuine involvement of young people and that it seeks to share the Christian ideal of building a human community of justice with love, peace and reconciliation for the fullness of life for all creation.”

A. Denominations were influenced by modernism B. American churches underwent change following Civil War C. Nearly all denominations developed social programs D. YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) E. How did the “conservative” churches get involved?

“Conservative” Denominations Got Involved In Social Gospel (i.e. Holiness) “Doctrinally conservative, many of the revivalist leaders of the last century readily adjusted the principles of the social gospel into their conservative theology.” - Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, March 23, 1960 “Far from disdaining earthly affairs, the evangelists played a key role in the widespread attack upon slavery, poverty, and greed. They thus helped prepare the way both in theory and in practice for what would later become known as the social gospel.” - Timothy L. Smith, Revivalism and Social Reform in the Mid-Nineteenth Century America, 8

“Conservative” Denominations Got Involved In Social Gospel “By the 1880’s social gospelism had invaded the restoration movement. Leaders of the Disciples of Christ, still Biblically conservative at this junction, such as Isaac Errett, Richard M. Bishop of Cincinnati, and Frederick Power of Washington D.C. participated in the earliest organized efforts of the social gospel leaders in the United States.” - Dr. David Harrell, FCC Lectures, March 23, 1960

A Great Shift Spiritual Social

Not a Social Order Not a Social Gospel Romans 14:17 John 18:36 The Church Is Not A Social Order Romans 14:17 John 18:36 1 Peter 2:5 The Gospel Is Not A Social Gospel John 6:26-27 Romans 1:16-17 1 Cor. 1:18, 21; 2:2-5

A. Prior to the division of 1950’s and 60’s—shift in attitude toward authority 1. Less emphasis on the need for authority (2 John 9) 2. Thought silence of God permissive (Hebrews 7:14) 3. Developed two mindsets

A. Prior to the division of 1950’s and 60’s—shift in attitude toward authority B. Churches of Christ took on social gospel concept

The Mirror of a Movement Churches of Christ as seen through the Abilene Christian College Lectureship William S. Banowsky, Ph.d. “Although not directly involved with the social gospel tensions in the mainstream of national thought, some of the basic questions of the larger debate were essentially the ones at stake in the Abilene tributary: What is the extent of the church’s social responsibility? How can efforts at social betterment be related to the problems of individual salvation? Will the church forsake its spiritual purposes by becoming inordinately encumbered with social services? Among churches of Christ, these infectious questions gathered, festered, and erupted into one bitter, benevolent issue: In what way can the church scripturally provide for the needs of widows and orphans?” (pp. 330-331) 1965

The Mirror of a Movement Churches of Christ as seen through the Abilene Christian College Lectureship William S. Banowsky, Ph.d. “The benevolent battle among churches of Christ, then, was very definitely, if indirectly, related to the social gospel war being waged in contemporary protestant-ism.” (p. 328) “The overtones of the social gospel movement endowed the more sequestered conflict with a flavor of national relevancy. There is ample evidence that the Lectureship was the brotherhood’s most forceful and continuing voice urging a broader conception of the churches social responsibility.” (pp. 341-342) 1965

B. Churches of Christ took on social gospel concept A. Prior to the division of 1950’s and 60’s—shift in attitude toward authority B. Churches of Christ took on social gospel concept C. “Liberal” Churches of Christ now have: 1. Church colleges 2. Orphan’s Homes 3. Old Folks Homes 4. Youth Camps 5. Gyms 6. Fellowship Halls 7. Ball Teams 8. Etc.

Twickenham Church of Christ “Community Class Series” free to public October 20: Woodcarving & Window Treatments October 27: Wallpapering November 3: Basket Making For Men Only! Featuring Dr. James Flatt “Fun Facts About Your Prostate”

Southwest Central Church (Houston, Texas)

B. Churches of Christ took on social gospel concept A. Prior to the division of 1950’s and 60’s—shift in attitude toward authority B. Churches of Christ took on social gospel concept C. “Liberal” Churches of Christ now have: D. “Gimmicks” to attract crowds—outgrowth of the social gospel 1. The shift from spiritual to social – gave way to materialistic approach 2. Thus: bus ministry, fun days, food, etc.

A Great Shift Spiritual Social

Conclusion Modernism is at heart of social gospel Shift in emphasis

When emphasis is given to the social over the spiritual, We convert people to a party, or social circle, rather than to the Lord! “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.” Matthew 23:15