
Civilizing the World
The Social Activism of Practical Christians from Chicago to the Middle East
- 330 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
Civilizing the World
The Social Activism of Practical Christians from Chicago to the Middle East
About this book
Civilizing the World explores the vibrancy and impact of forgotten social reformers who defied categorization within the Social Gospel or secular progressive movements. These social reformers, or "Practical Christians, " functioned as a network of activists whose dedication to spiritual conversions and cultural transformation arose from a shared commitment to nonsectarian Christian cooperation and practicing Christian citizenship. Bringing together a diverse coalition of liberal Protestants, revivalists, evangelicals, and "secular" reformers, Practical Christians rejected theological divisions in favor of broad alliances committed to improving society at home and abroad. A complete understanding of the intimate relationship between local and global activism provides new insight into Practical Christians' social networks, political goals, religious identities, and international outlook. This broad reform alliance considered their domestic and global reforms as seamless tasks in modernizing the world. Just as Chicago Practical Christians labored to "civilize" their immigrant neighbors and encourage their adoption of their own Christian and American habits, like-minded Americans worked to "Christianize" and "modernize" Armenians and the Middle East. The Practical Christian coalition faltered post-World War I as evangelicals and revivalists continued to prioritize spiritual conversions while liberal Protestant and secularizing activists placed more emphasis on the process of Americanizing immigrants and the world.
Frequently asked questions
- Essential is ideal for learners and professionals who enjoy exploring a wide range of subjects. Access the Essential Library with 800,000+ trusted titles and best-sellers across business, personal growth, and the humanities. Includes unlimited reading time and Standard Read Aloud voice.
- Complete: Perfect for advanced learners and researchers needing full, unrestricted access. Unlock 1.4M+ books across hundreds of subjects, including academic and specialized titles. The Complete Plan also includes advanced features like Premium Read Aloud and Research Assistant.
Please note we cannot support devices running on iOS 13 and Android 7 or earlier. Learn more about using the app.
Information
Table of contents
- Title Page
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: “Darkest Chicago” and the Need for Action
- Part One: Civilizing Missions
- Part Two: Reforming Chicago’s Citizens
- Part Three: Bearing the Global Burden
- Epilogue: The Dissolution of the Practical Christian Reform Coalition
- Appendix A: Midnight Mission Board Members, 1909 Letterhead
- Appendix B: Illinois Vigilance Association, 1908 Letterhead
- Appendix C: Illinois Vigilance Association, 1919 Letterhead
- Appendix D: Chicagoans and Humanitarian Work on Behalf of Armenians
- Bibliography