The Social Question - A Transatlantic Comparison between Walter Rauschenbusch and Martin Rade

This socio-historical monograph compares the two theologians Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) and Martin Rade (1857–1940) in a transatlantic juxtaposition, with a particular focus on the political and social dimensions of their thought and work. Both theologians belonged to the liberal spectrum of their respective churches and countries, and both emphasized the political-social dimension of the Christian gospel and the responsibility of their churches for society arising from it.
Contents
Walter Rauschenbusch and Martin Rade lived during the time of industrialization, whose social upheavals demanded solutions. There was controversy over how the state and the church should respond. Rauschenbusch became the spokesperson of the so-called Social Gospel movement, while Rade, the long-time editor of Die Christliche Welt, was especially active in the Evangelical Social Congress. This study provides historical contextualizations and explores the biographies and intellectual legacies of both theologians. It examines in depth the social hardships of industrial workers as well as women’s and minority rights; the issue of war is also addressed. Finally, the current situation is analyzed, and modern capitalism is critically examined. The book outlines ways to address social inequalities today.
Target Audience
Students and those interested in theology, especially in the fields of systematic theology, social ethics, and church history.
The Author
Kurt Bangert is a theologian, scholar of comparative religion, and expert in development cooperation and poverty. He served as Director and Research Advisor at the World Vision Institute for Research and Innovation in Friedrichsdorf, Germany. He is the author of numerous articles and books in the fields of poverty alleviation, Islamic studies, and systematic theology, and is also the editor of the theological journal Freies Christentum.
The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence. A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content.

This book is a translation of an original German edition. The translation was done with the help of artificial intelligence (machine translation by the service DeepL.com). A subsequent human revision was done primarily in terms of content, so that the book will read stylistically differently from a conventional translation.

List of contents

INTRODUCTION.- HISTORICAL CONTEXTUALIZATIONS.- WALTER RAUSCHENBUSCH AND MARTIN RADE.- SPECIFIC ASPECTS.- CONTEMPORARY DEBATE: SOCIAL INEQUALITY TODAY.- CONCLUSION.

About the author

Kurt Bangert is a theologian, scholar of comparative religion, and expert in development cooperation and poverty. He served as Director and Research Advisor at the World Vision Institute for Research and Innovation in Friedrichsdorf, Germany. He is the author of numerous articles and books in the fields of poverty alleviation, Islamic studies, and systematic theology, and is also the editor of the theological journal Freies Christentum.

Summary

This socio-historical monograph compares the two theologians Walter Rauschenbusch (1861–1918) and Martin Rade (1857–1940) in a transatlantic juxtaposition, with a particular focus on the political and social dimensions of their thought and work. Both theologians belonged to the liberal spectrum of their respective churches and countries, and both emphasized the political-social dimension of the Christian gospel and the responsibility of their churches for society that arises from the kerygma. Walter Rauschenbusch, from a German Lutheran family, is considered the father of the Social Gospel, which gained significant resonance in American churches during the industrialization period before World War I. For Rauschenbusch, the gospel of the Kingdom of God had to have practical social and political consequences. Martin Rade was a theology professor in Marburg and, at times, a member of the German Democratic Party in the Prussian State Assembly. For him, political and social engagement was a necessary task of theology and the church. As editor of the liberal Protestant biweekly journal Die Christliche Welt, he regularly addressed church-political, Christian-social, and cultural-political issues over four decades. Following an introduction outlining the methodology and research questions, the study first provides historical contextualizations: economic history, social policy, theological history, and social ethics. In this context, American and German social Protestantism are compared. The core comparison between the two figures includes their biographies, major publications, central concerns, and a chapter examining their theology, their understanding of the Kingdom of God, and their social-political commitments. A separate chapter offers a more detailed comparison of several specific aspects: (1) The question of war and peace, (2) The plight and rights of workers, (3)Women's and minority rights. Finally, the concerns of Rauschenbusch and Rade are related to current social inequalities in the USA and Germany, and the present-day social-political conditions in both countries are examined in light of their thought.

Product details

• Authors: Kurt Bangert
• Publisher: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH
• Languages: English, German
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Release: 21.09.2025
• EAN: 9783658491581
• ISBN: 978-3-658-49158-1
• Illustrations: Approx. 485 p.
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > General, dictionaries; Amerikanische Geschichte, Mitteleuropa, Europäische Geschichte, Ideengeschichte, Geistesgeschichte, History of Ideas, Social History, Social Policy, Theology, History of Germany and Central Europe, US History, Social Question, Social Reforms, Ethics, Theological