Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 15.djvu/30

 CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM IN. AMERICA

JOHN SPARGO Yonkers N. Y.

The most remarkable recent development of socialism in America is the phase of the movement represented by the Chris- tian Socialist Fellowship. Almost every country in the world has its Christian-socialist movement, but only in the United States is there a perfectly harmonious and intimate relation between it and the regular socialist political party.

England is the classic home of so-called Christian socialism. Little more is implied by the term, in England, than a philan- thropic attitude toward the poor and the oppressed. Among the members of the various Christian-socialistic organizations there are many earnest and sincere men and women who accept the full political programme without reserve and loyally support it. But most of the members do not. They content themselves with preaching an ethical propaganda of human brotherhood, and, on the practical side, with reform movements, such as co-operative trading, anti-sweating crusades, relief colonies for the unem- ployed, and the promotion of the use of leadless-glaze pottery — all very commendable works, but not fundamentally related to socialism as that term is rightly understood.

To one familiar with the writings of Frederic Denison Maurice, the founder of English Christian socialism, it is evident enough that he was not in sympathy with the great fundamental changes contemplated by the socialist of today. His desire was to "christianize socialism," by which he could not have meant more than to supplant socialism by Christianity. The spirit of Maurice largely prevails in the Christian-socialist movement today, and to find prominent Christian socialists opposing the socialist candidates at election time, and supporting anti-socialists, is not unusual.

The Christian-socialistic movement of Germany — the move- ment started and led by the Protestants, Pastor Todt, and the late

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