Columnist Christopher Evans has recently written an article, entitled "Grassroots Faith: Lessons From the Social Gospel," on how the Social Gospel movement of the early 20th century in the U.S. could be seen as providing an instructive example for how progressive Christianity (or religious people, in general) today might address some of the social-spiritual concerns through grounding our message in the ethical-relational practices of Jesus Christ.
Here's a sample:
Current debates among religious progressives concerning the future of their cause need to take a serious look at the successes and failures of the original social gospel. On one hand, the social gospel helped foster a larger movement of public theology, critical to those today who consider themselves a part of any form of religious progressivism. Yet the original social gospel, like today’s progressives, also faced the challenge of defining its mission to the larger culture, specifically, how best to engage important political and economic interests of the time. ("Grassroots Faith")
Perhaps we might be able to learn from past progressive-practical movements on how to create a more open-minded and socially engaged movement toward transformation and prosperity. As we in Unity are rather progressive and practical in our approach to spiritual social action, finding past exemplars of such movements could possibly help support and guide our own individual and communal participation in forward-thinking and moving change.
Check out Evans' full article on Religion Dispatches.
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