Editorial.

This issue of Baptist History and Heritage explores the theme of Baptists and the Social Gospel, a rich tradition with much Baptist influence. The term refers to a Protestant movement that began in the late 1800s and extended through the 1920s, with the goal of reforming society in the name of Christ. Social Gospel thinkers were diverse in their particular theologies, but all agreed that Jesus came to redeem society and personal lives. Many argued that an overemphasis on personal redemption prevented Christians from fully proclaiming the gospel's social implications. The movement was broad and interdenominational in its appeal, and thinkers in the movement included economists, pastors, and theologians. While he was not the founder, the chief proponent of the Social Gospel was a Baptist professor of church history, Walter Rauschenbusch. His book, Christianity and the Social Crisis (1909), propelled the movement to national prominence.

Numerous denominations adopted social service statements in the early 1900s with Social Gospel themes, and there is yet much work to be done exploring the historical significance of the movement.

Chris Evans of Colgate Rochester Divinity School is one of those scholars interested in charting new territory in the exploration of the Social Gospel. Evans organized two conferences on the Social Gospel, one in 1998 and one in 1999, which were held on the campus of Colgate Rochester. Each year, about forty scholars gathered to explore the nature and meaning of the Social Gospel tradition. Many of the 1998 papers were published by Edwin Mellen Press in Perspectives on the Social Gospel, edited by Evans. Several of the papers from the 1999 conference explored gender issues, and independent historian Wendy Edwards is working on an edited volume of these selected papers.

Those two conferences generated several papers that should be of interest to the readers of Baptist History and Heritage. Keith Harper of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary writes about benevolence activities by Southern Baptists for orphans and other deprived youth. Harper contends that the theological motives for Southern Baptist benevolent activities stemmed from a Social Gospel belief that was broader than mere charity. His proposal challenges early conventional arguments that the Social Gospel left the South largely untouched.

Arthur Meyers, director of Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut, explores a little-known movement, the Open Forum. The Open Forum Lecture Movement was a discussion and lecture series to promote social activism.

Ken Estey, a recent Ph.D. graduate of Union Theological Seminary, writes both a historical summary of Walter Rauschenbusch's economic views and a constructive application of those views to modern society.

In addition to these three conference papers, Carol Holcomb of the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor discusses the strong influence of Social Gospel theology in the work of the Woman's Missionary Union, especially in the ministry of Fannie Heck, as well as in the literature produced by the WMU during the early years of the twentieth century. The thematic issues for the journal usually have one or two articles not connected to the theme. Such is the case with James Leo Garrett of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. Garrett takes a look at the treatment of missions in the work of Baptist theologians. What he finds is that the concept is largely ignored in the early works of people like A. H. Strong or John Leadley Dagg. Finally, Larry Frazier, a doctoral candidate at Baylor University, discusses the work of Sutton Griggs, an African-American Baptist leader. I think you will find all these articles interesting and stimulating.

As always, I am thankful for the strong work of Jim Taulman in putting this journal together. I also owe a word of thanks to Charles Deweese in his support of Baptist History and Heritage. Finally, I extend a welcome to Carson-Newman's new president, James S. Netherton. Dr. Netherton comes to CNC with a long career in Baptist higher education at Baylor University and Samford University. I appreciate the support that he has already given to the Center for Baptist Studies at CNC.

Grace,

Mel Hawkins