Save Souls or Feed the Poor?

In honor of the publication 100 years ago of Christianity and the Social Crisis, the classic book by social gospel founder Walter Rauschenbusch, his great-grandson Paul Raushenbush published Christianity and the Social Crisis in the 21st century, the text of the original book with a contemporary response to each chapter. This week on Beliefnet, Raushenbush debates the issues his great-grandfather raised with Bill Hybels, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church.

Yet this isn't a debate. It's a lovely dialogue between two people who show the significant new convergence occurring between traditions that have been at war for too long--the evangelical and the social gospel. I know both Bill Hybels and Paul Raushenbush and they are breaking out of the old dualisms. God is personal, but never private. The gospel is both personal and social. Without the personal, a life of faith and commitment to social justice is very difficult to sustain, as some streams of the social gospel eventually demonstrated. And without the social, a personal gospel becomes completely private and loses its integrity, as modern evangelicalism has too often shown. But many Christians, like Bill and Paul, are refusing to make those false choices anymore. Bill Hybels talks constantly about social justice, the urgency of racial reconciliation, and the message of peace. Lynne Hybels spoke at the Sojourners Pentecost conference this past spring, and she impressed us all with her passion for justice.

Bill Hybels wrote in the dialogue:

Usually within months of a person's salvation experience, there is both a sincere desire to pass on the message of Christ to any and all, and an equally intense desire to do whatever is necessary in the name of Christ to eradicate injustice, relieve oppression, and alleviate suffering of any kind. Selfless service of this sort isn't normal according to human nature; purely and simply, the desires are born out of the work of the Holy Spirit.

Paul Raushenbush speaks of the need for a vibrant personal faith to undergird the social gospel his great-grandfather espoused so eloquently. And both are critical of those in their respective traditions who are still stuck in the old separations. As he puts it:

Rauschenbusch in his time, and I today, feel that actions taken to carry out Jesus' commandments in this life are equally important as faith statements accepting Jesus. That is, we should try to realize the promise of the kingdom of God in this world as much as we proclaim Jesus as our personal savior for the forgiveness of our individual sins. It is through concrete action in this life that we most clearly experience the salvation that Jesus offers both right now and eternally.

I find their coming together in this dialogue very encouraging indeed. My essay in the book says it this way:

I still like his clarity in linking personal and social religion. "In personal religion," he says, "the first requirement is to repent and believe the gospel." But then, "Social religion, too, demands repentance and faith: repentance for our social sins." Faith requires, he said, "a revaluation of social values." He says there are "two great entities in human life--the human soul and the human race--and religion is to save both."

Jim Wallis is the Editor-in-Chief of Sojourners and blogs at www.godspolitics.com.

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Comments

[jeff.mowatt]

Orphans. Now there's a good illustration, as I roll back to about 18 months ago with a discovery:

What came after this was a howl of indignation based on disbelief even claims of fraud. And yet, there are those, often from faith based organisations, who admit to me, that they've encountered similar conditions. I ask them to attest to this in public, but they won't. It would put their own projects at risk.

We have a world of orphans, tens of millions in Africa and Asia, yet even here in this European country where overseas adoption can be measured in the thousands, while the production of new 'economic' orphans replaces the supply to maintain an ongoing population of 10 times this number and increasing.

We may act according to faith and conscience yet should recognise that we deliver mere palliatives while clinging only to faith based intervention. We should realise that our objectives are the same as compassionate beings, devoutly religious or otherwise.

[Qbear]

Social Justice and racial reconciliation, are desperately needed. Jena 6 is getting uglier by the moment, Neo Nazi groups have published addresses and phone numbers of the six families.I won't be holding my breath for similar reconciliation between gays and straights.

[skwan91607]

Religion today is a form of organized groups working hard on fund-raising and building big churches or temples that show its meaningless "Greatness". We all know the word of "Heaven". Heaven is never in "God" place while you are surrounding by poor and/or sick neighbors or the unprivileged. The worst thing today is the concept of religion has been pulled to an extreme degree that make it like "Either you are with me or you are my enemy" or "You go to hell if don't accept my religion". The rich of cultures make this world so beautiful and meaningful. That is the past of all of us today. It makes no sense to deny it or scorn it. We may not understand we are in a global village today. Let re-phase this as "We are all in this small boat of global village".
Feed the poor is the first step to bring the poor less poor. If China can rise from the ash as we all witnessing. Where is American strength, the wisdom of our elected public servants, and so-called faith base capacity. Sadly American politicians are a bunch of selfish opportunists. Only a few of them standing out from the rest. The stupid ideal is to control this world by force like what the Republican led congress planning to do in those past years. No one, including Americans, will be survived after a nuclear warfare. We can't even take care of our own people how in the world Bush's regime can give democracy to the world as what he is whining for. The only explanation for all actions Bush is taking is aimed at controlling those oil fields in the Middle East by using American military forces for the benefit of his buddies in oil industry, Then, Bush's conies will feed the poor after they make most of Americans poorer.

[mommadona]

"Selfless service of this sort isn't normal according to human nature; purely and simply, the desires are born out of the work of the Holy Spirit."

And THIS is the reason this woman can never have
an "ongoing dialog" with Christians with this mindset.

Who in the world do you think you are stating this as a fact?

THIS is the typical "WE know, and WE will tell you what WE know as the TRUTH".

The sooner the Christians onna "mission from God" get their feet back down on the earth, the BETTER it will be for EVERYONE stuck here on this small jewel of a planet with these delusional sheep.

But, you see, that won't happen.
They WANT to leave this earth...so we are damned to have to listen to the dribble as they while away precious time contemplating their ego-need to "share that message"

How utterly selfish of them.

[Kansas Evans]

There's a saying in the church in my area:

Don't get so heavenly holy till you're no earthly good.

Sincerely asking, is that your point? I agree that the arrogant attitude you describe is counterproductive for Christians. It's one thing to have confidence is your beliefs; it quite another to dismiss what others believe out of hand. People who aren't heard hardly care to listen.

[libgma]

Leo XIII call for social justice was in 1891. I seems to me he is entitled to some acknowledgement for his words even just as a precursor to the Protestants.

[sonofloud]

Organized religion does nothing but spread violence and prejudice.

[jeskiley]

I don't agree with universal health care. But I believe I found the answer to my question:

(1)A statute or practice must have a secular legislative purpose
(2)Its principal or primary effect must be one that neither advances nor inhibits religion
(3)It must not foster an excessive entanglement with religion

I suppose the question remains, is secularism a religion.

[crowepps]

It's my understanding that a 'religion' is an organized series of beliefs about the supernatural, those things outside of nature and science, 'truths' which must be held on faith alone because they cannot be demonstrated.

If the secular is concerned with those things inside of nature, including human nature, and deals with efforts to create an equitable society balancing the maximum personal liberty and the minimum necessary social control based on principles that can be demonstrated to be better or worse for individuals or for society as a whole, than it's hard to see how it could be classified as a religion. It is not concerned with supernatural matters. That lack of concern does not necessarily mean it is 'opposed' to beliefs in the supernatural.

Mathematics also does not consider traditional religious beliefs or give deference to religious views, but the fact that it does not do so doesn't mean math or algebra or string theory is in opposition to religion - simply that in this area religion is irrelevant.

[Kansas Evans]

Very well stated.

[Kansas Evans]

Fair enough.

Is secularism a religion? It depends on how far one's willing to go with it.

[Kansas Evans]

Save souls or feed the poor?

Of course, we can and should do both. But, if we have to choose, feed the poor. Grumbling stomachs can't hear the gospel.

And as for religion's place in government (jeskiley), it IS sort of a hard nut to crack for those of us of faith. But, we have to remember that Christ never sought govermental power. He led a revolution of hearts, not of politics, as it were. Also, if we really believe that the truth sets people free, lets just tell the truth. Ie, universal health care benefits all Americans. Better education benefits all Americans. A rising tide lifts a ship. Or something like that, I'm not great with quotes.

[The Collinbrandt]

Religion, for good or bad, has been greatly devalued by politicians and businessmen posing as self-annointed prophets who are most interested in profits.

[jeskiley]

Yes, isn't that foolish? They dismiss it at face value. I'd be curious to know what Jim Wallis sees as religion's place in government. It's another one I can't decide on.

[jeskiley]

I've been wondering about exactly this issue. Raised secular, I can live my faith inside and out, but who wants to be the one saying "it's because of Jesus"? Understanding the sacrifice on an intellectual level helps in putting credit where it's due. Understanding the sacraments on a biological level (via Caroline Myss, Anatomy of the Spirit) satisfies the ego's need to save oneself first, so that we may then give to others.

[Qbear]

$90,000 full page ad to wag a disapproving finger at a D-list celeb , as opposed to adopting 300 children for a year through Christian Charities....Miracle theater and their REAL money backers

color me unimpressed.