Social Gospel Movement Flashcards, test questions and answers

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What is Social Gospel Movement?

The Social Gospel Movement was a movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries seeking to apply Christian principles of social justice to the problems of industrialization. It emerged as a response to the rising inequality, poverty, and injustice that accompanied industrialization, and sought to use Christian values to address these issues. The Social Gospel Movement had a major impact on progressive reform in the United States and Canada during this period.The Social Gospel Movement began with Walter Rauschenbusch’s book Christianity and the Social Crisis (1907). Rauschenbusch argued that Christianity should be concerned not just with personal salvation but also with the social salvation of societywhat he called the kingdom of God on earth. He advocated for social reforms such as improved wages, better working conditions, increased educational opportunities, and government programs for those unable to provide for themselves. His ideas were adopted by other influential figures in the movement such as Washington Gladden, Josiah Strong, Richard T. Ely, Jane Addams and many more who spread his message throughout North America in churches and academic institutions.The Social Gospel Movement sought to use Christian values as a means of achieving social justice through reform efforts such as labor unions and cooperative businesses; public health initiatives; immigration reform; protection for women workers; environmental conservation efforts; education reforms aimed at eliminating class distinctions; prohibition of alcohol; prohibition of child labor laws; campaigns against lynching ; and other progressive reforms. These efforts often went hand-in-hand with Protestant missionary activity around the world which sought both religious conversion as well as improvements in living standards for those converted or evangelized by missionaries abroad. In addition to influencing progressive political reform during this period ,the Social Gospel Movement also had an important influence on American culture. It helped promote an idealistic view that individuals could work together towards common goals through collective action. This idea is still present today in modern forms of activism like civil rights movements , labor movements ,environmentalism ,and LGBT rights movements. The ideals promoted by the Social Gospel Movement have also been cited by various theologians over time including Karl Barth , Dietrich Bonhoeffer , Martin Luther King Jr., Reinhold Niebuhr ,and John F Kennedy among others. Overall ,the Social Gospel Movement was an important part of American history during its brief existence from around 1880 -1920 .