Social Gospel Movement
SOCIAL GOSPEL MOVEMENT
The Social Gospel Movement was a religious movement that came about in the second half of the nineteenth century. Christian preachers and ministers led liberal Protestant progressives in retaliation to the abrupt change in society with urbanization, industrialization, and increased immigration. Many of these Christians lived in the cities and witnessed for themselves the social conflicts of society. This brought out of those a liberalist attitude and an ambition to honor God by putting aside their own earthly desires and help others, especially those in need of it. These people believed that the sole purpose of money was not to keep it all to yourselves but to share it with the other less fortunate people. These beliefs and thoughts of the abolition of industrial capitalism, a sense of serving God on earth with good services, and would all serve to play a heavy influence on the Progressive Movement. The Social Gospel Movement separated itself from other earlier Christian reform movements solely because they placed social salvation before individual salvation. Activists and ministers of this movement based their beliefs on liberal theology, which was founded by Washington Gladden, and emphasized the value of good, hard work. Industrial capitalism was enemy number one. They were viewed as wicked and unjust, and their rules and ways of business set up people for failure. It was realized at the time that a man's hard work was no longer able to give him a satisfying life in the world of the twentieth century. Industrial capitalism thrust all the power unto the wealthy and privileged to have control over the labor and production of the people. Constrain in the work place was no longer existent. This is what pushed Social Gospelists and Progressivists to favor bigger governments, the rights of labor and socialist ideas. Protestant liberals seized hold of this as the perfect opportunity to be more relevant to twentieth century society.
The Social Gospel Movement was a religious movement that came about in the second half of the nineteenth century. Christian preachers and ministers led liberal Protestant progressives in retaliation to the abrupt change in society with urbanization, industrialization, and increased immigration. Many of these Christians lived in the cities and witnessed for themselves the social conflicts of society. This brought out of those a liberalist attitude and an ambition to honor God by putting aside their own earthly desires and help others, especially those in need of it. These people believed that the sole purpose of money was not to keep it all to yourselves but to share it with the other less fortunate people. These beliefs and thoughts of the abolition of industrial capitalism, a sense of serving God on earth with good services, and would all serve to play a heavy influence on the Progressive Movement. The Social Gospel Movement separated itself from other earlier Christian reform movements solely because they placed social salvation before individual salvation. Activists and ministers of this movement based their beliefs on liberal theology, which was founded by Washington Gladden, and emphasized the value of good, hard work. Industrial capitalism was enemy number one. They were viewed as wicked and unjust, and their rules and ways of business set up people for failure. It was realized at the time that a man's hard work was no longer able to give him a satisfying life in the world of the twentieth century. Industrial capitalism thrust all the power unto the wealthy and privileged to have control over the labor and production of the people. Constrain in the work place was no longer existent. This is what pushed Social Gospelists and Progressivists to favor bigger governments, the rights of labor and socialist ideas. Protestant liberals seized hold of this as the perfect opportunity to be more relevant to twentieth century society.