Liberalism

1
The Social Gospel

• Liberalisms Good News

2
Historical Background

• The Social Gospel movement is a Protestant
  Christian intellectual movement that was most
  prominent in the late 19th century and early 20th
  century. The movement applied Christian ethics to
  social problems, especially poverty, inequality,
  liquor, crime, racial tensions, slums, bad
  hygiene, child labor, weak labor unions, poor
  schools, and the danger of war. Above all they
  opposed rampant individualism and called for a
  socially aware religion. Theologically, the
  Social Gospel leaders were overwhelmingly
  post-millennialist. That is because they believed
  the Second Coming could not happen until
  humankind rid itself of social evils by human
  effort.1 Social Gospel leaders were
  predominantly associated with the liberal wing of
  the Progressive Movement and most were
  theologically liberal. Important leaders include
  Richard T. Ely, Washington Gladden, and Walter
  Rauschenbusch. - www.wikipedia.org

3
Historical Background

• The Social Gospel was a driving force in much of
  Protestant America. The Presbyterians said it
  best in 19102 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. In the late 19th century, many
  Americans were disgusted by the poverty level and
  the low quality of living in the slums. The
  social gospel movement provided a religious
  rationale for action to address those concerns.
  Activists in the Social Gospel movement hoped
  that by public health measures as well as
  enforced schooling so the poor could develop
  talents and skills, the quality of their moral
  lives would begin to improve. Important concerns
  of the Social Gospel movement were labor reforms,
  such as abolishing child labor and regulating the
  hours of work by mothers. By 1920 they were
  crusading against the 12-hour day for men at U.S.
  Steel. Many reformers inspired by the movement
  opened settlement houses, most notably Hull House
  in Chicago operated by Jane Addams. They helped
  the poor and immigrants improve their lives.
  Settlement houses offered services such as
  daycare, education, and health care to needy
  people in slum neighborhoods. The YMCA was
  created originally to help rural youth adjust to
  the city without losing their religion, but by
  the 1890s became a powerful instrument of the
  Social Gospel.3 NearLy all the denominations
  (including Catholics) engaged in foreign
  missions, which often had a social gospel
  component in terms especially of medical uplift.
  The Black denominations, especially the African
  Methodist Episcopal church (AME) and the African
  Methodist Episcopal Zion church (AMEZ) had active
  programs in support of theSocial Gospel.4 Both
  evangelical ("pietistic") and liturgical ("high
  church") elements supported the Social Gospel,
  although only the pietists were active in
  promoting Prohibition.5 In the United States
  prior to World War I, the Social Gospel was the
  religious wing of the progressive movement which
  had the aim of combating injustice, suffering and
  poverty in society. During the New Deal of the
  1930s Social Gospel themes could be seen in the
  work of Harry Hopkins, Will Alexander and Mary
  McLeod Bethune, who added a new concern with
  African Americans. After 1940, the movement
  withered, but was invigorated in the 1950s by
  black leaders like Baptist minister Martin Luther
  King and the civil rights movement. After 1980 it
  weakened again as a major force inside mainstream
  churches indeed those churches were losing
  strength. Examples of its continued existence can
  still be found, notably the organization known as
  the Call to Renewal and more local organizations
  like the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public
  Policy. www.wikipedia.org

4
Historical Background

• In the United States, the Social Gospel is still
  influential in mainline Protestant denominations
  such as the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
  America, the Presbyterian Church USA, the United
  Church of Christ, and the United Methodist
  Church it seems to be growing in the Episcopal
  Church as well, especially with that church's
  effort to support the ONE Campaign. In Canada, it
  is widely present in the United Church and in the
  Anglican Church. Social Gospel elements can also
  be found in many service and relief agencies
  associated with Protestant denominations and the
  Catholic Church in the United States. It also
  remains influential among Christian socialist
  circles in Britain in the Church of England,
  Methodist and Calvinist movements. In
  Catholicism, liberation theology has similarities
  to the Social Gospel. In the Anglican Church, the
  social gospel has found expression in pacifism.
  www.wikipedia.org

5
Historical Background

• First, European modernism caused religions to
  abandon basic Bible truths such as creation,
  inspiration, miracles, resurrection, heaven
  hell
• Second, sin was redefined to mean social
  disorder, and salvation to mean social order
• Third, the focus of the gospel was changed from
  spiritual to physical
• Fourth, religions changed directions in order to
  stay alive

6
Historical Background

• Fifth, religions responded with the social
  gospel
• - The content of sermons was changed to
  self-help
• - The work of religions was changed to social
  activities
• Sixth, justification for the so-called social
  gospel was sought in the whole man concept of
  Luke 252
• - Indeed, Jesus grew in all areas of his life
• - But, this is the goal of the individual and
  family, not the work of the local church

7
The Social Gospel

• Many would ask, Why is this wrong? Is social
  reform and ending poverty so bad?
• Nothing is mentioned about removing sin
  (Mt. 121 Rom. 116 323 623 etc.)
• What was the message of the first gospel sermon,
  social reform or sin (Acts 2)?
• Man has been tempted to change the true gospel
  from the very beginning (2 Cor. 114 Gal. 16-9)

8
Social Gospel vs. NT Gospel

• Social Gospel

• NT Gospel

• Feed the body
• Education
• Recreation
• Fraternity
• Birth-control
• Inner-city
• Make a living
• Civil rights, laws
• Revolution
• Civil disobedience

• Feed the soul
• Salvation
• Sanctification
• Eternity
• Self-control
• Heavenly city
• Make a life
• Spiritual fights, laws
• Revelation
• Spiritual obedience

9
Will Social Issues Be Ignored?

• No, social issues will be addressed
• As a by-product of obeying the gospel
• Poor (Gal. 220 Eph. 428)
• Family (Eph. 5-6 Col. 3)
• Employment (1 Thess. 411-12 2 Thess. 310)
• Individually (Mt. 2535 1 Cor. 1122,34 Gal.
  610 Jas. 127)

10
Six Errors of the Social Gospel

• 1. It is born of liberal infidelity and a shaken
  faith
• 2. It perverts the mission of Christ (Mt. 121
  Lk. 210)
• 3. It perverts the nature of the gospel (1 Cor.
  121)
• 4. It perverts the nature of the kingdom (Jn.
  1836-37)
• 5. It perverts the mission of the church (1 Tim.
  315)
• 6. It perverts the one hope of the gospel (Eph.
  44)

11
The Social Gospel and Churches of Christ

• Some Churches of Christ began to use the social
  gospel approach beginning in the 1950s 1960s
• Today, these churches have the following
• Elaborate dinning halls Gymnasiums
• Youth camps, retreats Colleges, Universities
• Hospitals, Day-care Hobby classes, Weight loss
• Talent shows Scout troops
• Athletic teams Trips to amusement parks
• Social programs Family programs
• Medical clinics Skating parties
• Coffee, donuts Shelters, food banks
• Youth ministers Job training
• Etc. etc. etc

12
Why the Social Gospel?

• Many brethren today
• Are discontent with the current work
• Lack faith in the current work
• Want to be like the denominations
• Get side-tracked from the true mission
• Are worldly-minded

13
What Are the Results?

• What happens when we change the work of the local
  church?
• We do that which is unauthorized and sinful
• We burden the church and waste the Lords money
• We lose our focus we cause the lost to remain
  lost in sin
• We fail (Mt. 1513)

14
Gospel Reminders

• The NT Gospel Is Gods
• Calling power (2 Thess. 214)
• Drawing power (Jn. 644-45,63,68)
• Convicting power (Acts 237)
• Saving power (Rom. 116-17)
• Sustaining power (Rom. 1625)

15
Gospel Reminders

• Preach the whole gospel (Acts 2020-27 2 Tim.
  42)
• Dont change the gospel (Gal. 16-9)
• Dont change the mission of the Lords church
  (Eph. 310 411ff 1 Thess. 18 1 Tim. 315 1
  Pet. 25)
• Dont forget the real problem in the world is sin
  (Mt. 121 2018 Lk. 1910 Jn. 1246)
• Dont forget our focus (Lk. 1042 Jn. 434
  626-27)