Cultural Change and the Gospel

It's easy for evangelicals to decry the "social gospel" that arose in the 19th century and began to emphasize meeting practical needs over evangelism. A study of the conditions of the times, however, reveals an understanding that can bring common ground and much-needed balance to both emphases.

Go with me if you will into early 19th century England. Thousands of displaced cottage industry families find themselves working in factories and coal mines. Entire families would work together just as they had in their home industries, and women and children received no special considerations. Increased food production and income was easily offset by the needs of a rapidly growing population. Conditions were terrible, really. Today we would call that England poor, third world, backward.

The coal workers faced brutal conditions. Because they were smaller, women and children often hauled coal out, hunched over to travel underneath low ceilings while pulling a cart full of coal. The work was hot, and like the men, the women went shirtless. Their backs were breaking down, their lungs were filling with dust, but the complaint that finally stirred Parliament was that the women's shirtlessness was lowering moral standards. Factory conditions were hard too. Little or no concern for anything beyond the financial 'bottom line' meant long, hot hours for the men, women and children in the factories.

It was in this context that the Second Great Awakening flowed into England from the US. This awakening brought more than an understanding of personal salvation; it brought an awareness of how that salvation should prompt its adherents to make a difference in society. And while its followers pursued this goal imperfectly, their goal was thoroughly in line with the book of James. "Faith without works is dead", he wrote, and exhorted his readers to show practical acts of servant love to the weak members of society because of their faith.

This same understanding spread to other parts of the world. In Ghana, efforts of Christians led to transformation as well. William Carey made a difference toward ending the practice of suttee, or widow-burning, in his beloved India. Consistently, Christians were becoming awakened to the idea that they should speak up about social ills and the needs of society. And in the process, society changed. The decrease in poverty was dramatic, and just as believers spearheaded the end of slavery, they also successfully fought for the end of English sweatshops and extreme hunger as a norm.

By the late 19th century two streams were developing: Some Christians focused on evangelism, and others on social action. While those emphasizing evangelism were prone to ignoring or minimizing the social and cultural development of the people, those prioritizing social action - especially after the rise of Darwinism and radical "higher criticism" which questioned the authority of Scripture - sometimes compromised truth and minimized evangelism. Even when evangelicals embraced social action, often it was at the expense of the other group's cultural distinctives; in other words, the goal was to make them "civilized" defined commonly as "more like us" (the tragedy of the Native Americans illustrates this sad fact; we created a de-culturated and totally dependent sub-class and to this day face repercussions for those decisions).

As always, there were stellar examples of balance. Some Methodist and Baptist pastors travled west, living in rural villages and adopting the lifestyle of the people. Some missionaries went on the Trail of Tears with the Cherokee. Some Catholic missionaries and Spalding exemplify the effectiveness that these individuals had. They were successful because they identified - and they balanced evangelism and meeting needs.

The story of missions in the late 19th century illustrates the importance of the pillars of evangelism and practical acts of servant love. When we care about people's eternal destiny, we should be motivated to make a difference in their present situation. A friend of mine works for a ministry that offers "eternal hope and temporal help". And the temporal help, when given wisely, can change societies. We are living proof - as we look around and see the absence of slavery, Jim Crow laws, sweatshops, and child labor, we can grasp that Christianity can make a difference for both the future and the here and now.

John R. Mott captured the balance perfectly:

"There are not two gospels, one social and one individual. There is but one Christ who lived, died, and rose again, and relates himself to the lives of men. He is the Savior of the individual and the one sufficient Power to transform his environment and relationships."