The social gospel, a concept that arose in the 19th century, aimed to share wealth and act with charity towards the less fortunate, countering social Darwinism. It influenced aspects of the New Deal and civil rights movements, and continues to be reflected in progressive politics. While originally associated with Christianity, it is now often more secular.
The social gospel is an idea that arose particularly in Protestant denomination churches in the United States and parts of Europe during the 19th century. It was the concept that an effort should be made to share wealth, and above all that people should emulate Christ’s examples by acting with charity towards the less fortunate. Much of the modern progressive position is tied to social gospel concepts, although these may have been divorced from the religious aspects originally associated with the movement.
People who initially came up with ideas that have become part of the social gospel, like Richard Ely, were deliberately countering one of the most popular theories of human development at the time: social Darwinism. This unapproved extrapolation of Darwin’s theories that the fittest members of society would survive and thrive gave many people license to argue that they could commit all sorts of abuses towards others who were habitually the weakest. Increasing industrialization led to the development of cities and those interested in the social gospel were so disgusted by the poverty and horrific living conditions of human beings in urbanized environments that they felt it was their responsibility as Christians to step in and help improve life for others, through methods such as charity, education and sometimes conversion.
While the social gospel is often compared to socialism, it really wasn’t about giving up all your property and sharing it with others. People like Ely advocated private property, but they also strongly insisted that a specific duty of humans was to treat the less fortunate with care, perhaps foregoing some, though not all, personal comforts. The idea of “What would Jesus do?” arises from this point of view.
In the 20th century, the social gospel fervor died down mostly at the end of World War I, but it had some well-known flashes of excitement as the century influenced some aspects of the New Deal and then the ideas of Martin Luther King, Jr. Those who marched in support of civil rights mostly walked with the same intent and fervor toward equality for all as those people who espoused the original ideas of the gospel nearly 100 years earlier. Part of the Democratic Party continues to reflect social gospel ideas, especially in advocating for things like public education, welfare, food stamps, and other social works.
While there are many individual Christian churches that may still be guided by the social gospel, the idea is now often more secular than sacred, and is sometimes completely separate from Christianity, though politicians in particular may argue that they support progressivism because of deep-seated religious beliefs.
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