Breaking White Supremacy: The Black Social Gospel as New Abolitionism (AJTP Lecture, AAR, November 22, 2015)

Laying Claim to Martin Luther King Jr. and the Civil Rights Legacy

“…Although these scholars concede the failure of white social gospelers to adequately address race and the fraught nature of more inclusive definitions of “social gospel,” these acknowledgments never seem to moderate the strength or extent to which they claim King as Rauschenbusch’s legacy. While rhetorical strategies that imply a direct line of influence from Rauschenbusch to King may be reflective of the early social gospelers’ notion of “linear universal human progress” (Yeager , 5), they neglect the formative role of the black social gospel for King and his ability to synthesize both black and white social gospel traditions (Carson , 159‐177; Dorrien , 208). They frame the story in a way that obscures the importance of race and how King’s attention to race shapes his innovative interpretation of social gospel categories.…”

“…While both Rauschenbusch and King insisted on Christianity's relevance to social problems, direct links between these figures oversimplify social gospel history and overlook key theological differences between Rauschenbusch and King on race and economic justice. Despite Gary Dorrien's recent work on the black social gospel and work by Susan Lindley and others on "neglected voices" of the tradition (Dorrien 2018;Dorrien 2015;Lindley 1990), histories of the social gospel continue to convey the significance of the white male social gospel by immediately citing Rauschenbusch's influence on King (Evans 2017, 1). Even some of the most recent histories that include black, female, and Catholic figures neglected by white male Protestant social gospel leaders persist in using this strategy to frame their narratives (Evans 2017, 1, 191-92).…”

The Faith of Black Politics: The Relationship Between Black Religious and Political Beliefs

“…The activities and rhetoric surrounding the civil rights movement exemplify the Black church embracing the social gospel, as Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference argued that it was a religious duty to ensure equality (Morone, 2003; Morris, 1984). Preceding King, individuals such as Richard Allen, Reverdy C. Ransom, and Howard Thurman advanced its principles (Dorrien, 2016; Goddard, 1999; Thurman, 1976). They developed a Christianity that emphasized Black dignity, and insisted that “authentic Christian faith [was] incompatible with racial prejudice” (Dorrien, 2016, p. 199).…”

“…Preceding King, individuals such as Richard Allen, Reverdy C. Ransom, and Howard Thurman advanced its principles (Dorrien, 2016; Goddard, 1999; Thurman, 1976). They developed a Christianity that emphasized Black dignity, and insisted that “authentic Christian faith [was] incompatible with racial prejudice” (Dorrien, 2016, p. 199). Its modern-day manifestation can be seen in the writings and works of Rev.…”