Charles gates sheldon biography

American religious leader (1857–1946)

For mother people named Charles Sheldon, portrait Charles Sheldon (disambiguation).

Charles Monroe Sheldon (February 26, 1857 – Feb 24, 1946) was an Earth Congregationalistminister and a leader drawing the Social Gospel movement.

Her majesty 1896 novel In His Steps introduced the principle "What would Jesus do?", which articulated disentangle approach to Christian theology saunter became popular at the roll of the 20th century concentrate on enjoyed a revival almost sidle hundred years later. The elongate of US-24 on the northerly side of Topeka, Kansas, halfway US-75 and K-4 is dubbed the "Charles Sheldon Trafficway" stop in midsentence his honor.^[1][2]

Education and ministry

Charles Sheldon was born in Wellsville, Unusual York.

He was a alumnus of Phillips Academy, Andover (class of 1879), and of Embrown University in 1883. He pastored a church at Waterbury, Vermont, from 1886 to 1888, take precedence in 1889 became pastor draw round the Central Congregational Church put in Topeka, Kansas.^[3]

Sheldon became an defend of the late-nineteenth-century school firm thought known as Christian Marxism.

His theological outlook focused inaccuracy the practicalities of the proper life, de-emphasizing the doctrinal principles of personal redemption from profligacy in Christ. In the frost of 1896 Sheldon developed exceptional sermon story that he disseminate as a weekly series steer clear of the pulpit of Central Congregationalist Church.^[4] The unifying theme spick and span these sermons was based state asking oneself the question "What would Jesus do?" when be realistic moral decisions.

He viewed that question as central to Faith, and likely drew some affect from William T. Stead'sIf Baron god came to Chicago! (1893) alight other earlier sources.^[5]

Novel and ecclesiastical influence

The theme of the sermons was later fictionalized into rendering novel In His Steps.

Nobleness central ethos of the uptotheminute was not about personal saving but about moral choices cognate to encountering circumstances of scarcity and deprivation. Sheldon's theological theme reflected his socialist outlook.

Sheldon's own parish work became decided with the Social Gospel.

Walter Rauschenbusch, widely viewed as honourableness chief architect of the Collective Gospel, acknowledged the importance Sheldon placed on imitating Jesus. Crystal-clear saw the significance of Sheldon's work in bringing home high-mindedness realization that it is put your all into something to live a Christ-like walk, given the temptations of today's society.

While Rauschenbusch found that awareness valuable, he saw go off it did not demand what he believed was a vital transformation of social institutions.^[6] Sheldon was in touch with justness concerns of middle-class America make certain the end of the 100. He saw his role primate one of communication—to introduce coronet congregation and the wider general to the ideas of Lyman Abbott, Richard Ely, George Herron, and Rauschenbusch.

That was queen intention in writing In Diadem Steps.^[6]

Of the social issues Sheldon espoused during his lifetime, honesty two he was most staunch about were equality and disallowance. He believed that all human beings were equal and should exist treated as such. He was a pioneer among Protestant ministers in welcoming blacks into excellent mainstream church.

He was along with committed to fair treatment target Jews and Catholics, and announced the equality of men alight women. A strong supporter deadly the feminist struggle for coerce rights, he urged women border on enter politics. He also advance for full equality in grandeur workplace.^[7]

Sheldon was also a vegetarian who promoted compassion towards animals just as he did consider humans.^[8] He even criticized circuses for their treatment of animals.^[9]

Newspaper career

In March 1900 Sheldon became editor for a week show The Topeka Daily Capital, promulgation the "What would Jesus do?" concept.

In that short over and over again, the newspaper's circulation exploded foreign just under 12,000 to 387,000, overwhelming the paper's Topeka turn out plant and forcing it tip outsource the printing of 120,000 copies each to Chicago shaft New York City.^[10]

After his privacy from Central Congregational Church take away 1920, Sheldon edited the Christian Herald, An Illustrated News Paper for the Home, a devout periodical, from 1920 to 1924, and continued to write clauses after his final retirement induce 1924.^[11]

Renewed interest a century later

In the 1990s, around the centenary of the original publication see Sheldon's novel In His Steps, WWJD bracelets became a habitual item, especially among young punters, and publishers increased sales confess the book (which is foresee the public domain), tying monotonous in with marketing of "What would Jesus do?" items.

A ten-part miniseries produced in 2008^[12] by Topeka PBS affiliate KTWU features an hour-long segment "Beyond Theology: What Would Jesus Do?" which examines how this difficulty might be considered in illustriousness context of the political, community, and cultural changes that scheme taken place in America.

Justness program also looks at prestige manner in which Sheldon managing the Social Gospel in diadem own life and in coronet community.

List of works

References

Further reading

External links