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The Social Gospel movement in the United States was parallel to the [[Christian socialism]] movement in Britain at about the same time.<ref> See Latta, (1936); Hutchison (1975)</ref> The two movements came together in Canada, where they were especially influential. Many ministers became active in the socialist movement in the form of the [[Cooperative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) and later the [[New Democratic Party]]. [[Tommy Douglas]], a Baptist minister, was leader of the CCF from 1942 and the premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961, where he led the first socialist government in North America and introduced universal public medicare to Canada. From 1961 to 1971 he led the [[New Democratic Party]] at the federal level.<ref> See Fraser (1990)</ref>
The Social Gospel movement in the United States was parallel to the [[Christian socialism]] movement in Britain at about the same time.<ref> See Latta, (1936); Hutchison (1975)</ref> The two movements came together in Canada, where they were especially influential. Many ministers became active in the socialist movement in the form of the [[Cooperative Commonwealth Federation]] (CCF) and later the [[New Democratic Party]]. [[Tommy Douglas]], a Baptist minister, was leader of the CCF from 1942 and the premier of Saskatchewan from 1944 to 1961, where he led the first socialist government in North America and introduced universal public medicare to Canada. From 1961 to 1971 he led the [[New Democratic Party]] at the federal level.<ref> See Fraser (1990)</ref>
==Theology==
==Theology==
The Social Gospel preached the doing of good works especially to help social problems such as crime and poverty, so that societal problems would cease. Only then would Jesus return. The notions of the social gospel appeared primarily in the United States especially among theologically liberal Protestants. The social gospel was criticized by more traditional Protestants as abandoning faith for works and not focusing on the essential matter of personal salvation.
The Social Gospel preached the doing of good works especially to help social problems such as crime and poverty, so that societal problems would cease. Only then would Jesus return. The notions of the social gospel appeared primarily in the United States especially among theologically liberal Protestants. The social gospel was criticized by more traditional Protestants as abandoning faith for works and not focusing on the essential matter of personal salvation.
One of the sharpest critics was [[Neo-Orthodox]] theological [[Reinhold Niebuhr]], who in 1936 defined the theology of the Social Gospel in terms of six propositions:<ref>Niebuhr, "The Blindness of Liberalism," ''Radical Religion,'' (Autumn, 1936), quoted in ''Reinhold Niebuhr: His Religious, Social, and Political Thought. Volume: 2. Contributors: Charles W. Kegley and Robert W. Bretall, eds (1956). pp 130-131. </ref>
# That injustice is caused by ignorance and will yield to education and greater intelligence.
# That civilization is becoming gradually more moral and that it is a sin to challenge either the inevitability or the efficacy of gradualness.
# That the character of individuals rather than social systems and arrangements is the guarantee of justice in society.
# That appeals to love, justice, good-will and brotherhood are bound to be efficacious in the end. If they have not been so to date we must have more appeals to love, justice, good-will and brotherhood.
# That goodness makes for happiness and that the increasing knowledge of this fact will overcome human selfishness and greed.
# That wars are stupid and can therefore only be caused by people who are more stupid than those who recognize the stupidity of war.
== In literature ==
== In literature ==