CHRISTIAN MISSIONARY ASSOCIATION: A
loose confederation of churches in Kentucky, in which each church was independent and claimed to be unsectarian. The churches were bound together by no creed or ecclesiastical tie, but the general system of doctrine was Evangelical, and baptism by immersion was preferred. The confederation, now extinct, reported in 1895 thirteen organizations and 754 communicants.
Bibliography; H. K. Carroll, Religious Forces of the United States, p. 95, New York, 1896.
CHRISTIAN REFORMED CHURCH. See Reformed Church, Christian.
CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. See Science, Christian.
Christian Socialism
THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
CHRISTIAN SOCIALISM.
I. Definition and Principles. The Term (§ 1).
Relations to Science and Religion (§ 2). Attitude to Various Forces and Theories (} 3). II. History.
1. England.
Initiation of the Movement (§ 1). Results (§ 2).
2. C!ontinental Europe. Basal Principles (§ 1). Results (§ 2).
3. The United States.
1. Definition and Principles : The term " Christian Sociahsm " was first used in 1848 by J. F. D. Maurice (q.v.). He wished to express the idea that socialism is a development and outcome of
1. The Christianity; and that, if it is to be Term. effective, it must have a definite
Christian basis. To this view later Christian Socialists have always adhered, although the term has been used to express a number of other ideas, especially in Europe. It is frequently employed there loosely to indicate any application of Christian principles to social life. Both Protestants and Roman Catholics have so applied the phrase, perhaps in order to show that the Church was not antagonistic to socialism when subjoined to the leadership of the Church. The term should, however, be restricted in use to the idea which Maurice desired to express; although this restriction does not imply adherence to the economic views held by early Christian Socialists. Grcumstances have changed and social thought has developed. Christian SociaUsts may, and do, hold various views on economics; but they must beheve in socialism as a development and outcome of Christianity if they would be counted among the followers of Maurice and Charles Kingsley.
The definition of Christian Socialism as given by Maurice can be understood only on the basis of his ethical and reUgious principles. The most important of these is that there are two forces which
came into prominence in the nine-
2. Bela- teenth century, although they had had tions to a prior existence — science, and man as Science an end in himself. The Church was and Re- compelled to adopt some attitude in
ligion. regard to both, since both seemed hostile— science as threatening the entire structure of theology, and the new theory of man as giving rise to the labor movement with socialism as an attendant, emphasizing the material advantages of civilization. Christian Socialists maintained an attitude of hospitality toward both of these forces. They claimed an essential agreement between the ascertained results of science and the fundamental teachings of the Bible, and argued that, since God was ruler both in the spiritual and the secular spheres of life, there could be no discrepancy between revealed religion and science when both were rightly and fully understood. Both were inspired by God, although in different degrees and for different purposes. With respect to the endeavor of the masses to obtain recognition as individuals, Christian Socialists maintained that the essence of Christianity was brotherhood, and that its aim was the acquirement
of dignity by every man as a child of God. They contended that the system of privileged classes was foreign to the spirit of Christianity, and a parasitic growth upon the body pohtic. The fundamental principle of their philosophy may be summarized in the statement that the world is created by God; the Christian religion is revealed by him. The principle has, however, other corollaries; (1) Since God has created the world, he has also redeemed it — the whole of it, each himian being in it, and all human relations — because the incarnation was a universal redemption. (2) Since all men are, at least potentially, the children of God, they are brothers in all relations. (3) Since God has created men individuals, each with a special endowment, every man must do some useful work and develop his God-given faculties; he should, moreover, have the opportunity so to do.
From the vantage-point of this principle Christian Socialists began to wage war upon their contemporaries. They fought the Calvinistic doctrine of a partial redemption through election; Roman Catholicism, because as an organization that Church depreciates family life more or less by its teaching of asceticism and by ma- 8. Attitude reward in heaven dependent upon to "Various " good works," in this way putting a Forces and premium on wealth and requiring the Theories, continuation of a system whereby the few are able to reap rewards from the labor of the many. Against commmiists, socialists, and anarchists it was urged that they denied the raison d'etre of nationality, and thus violated a fimdamental law of human nature, since the development of the individual could take place only on the basis of nationalism, and not on that of cosmopolitanism. They inveighed against the laissezfaire doctrine as a perversion of Christian doctrine and of sound economic principles. They berated the rich who paid wages merely sufficient to keep their workmen alive and thus used human beings as a means to selfish ends. They questioned the ability of socialism to remedy present evils merely by changing the system of economic production and distribution, and pointed out that only by the infusion of the spirit of Christian brotherhood and by the conversion of every individual could the individual be induced to work for all, and all for one, since the best work in the world had not been done from economic motives, but from an unselfish desire to help others.
II. History. — 1. Eng-land: The year 1848 was a dark one for English workingmen. Conditions combined to bring their wrongs and sufferings to a head. Chartism had, moreover, stirred up considerable discussion and caused much political unrest. On April 10 there was 1. Inltla- an immense mass-meeting at Kention of nington Common, London; 100,000 the Move- men proposed to march to Parliament ment. and force it to accept the so-called six points; viz., universal suffrage, aboUtion of property qualifications for members of Parliament, annual parliaments, equal representation, payment of representatives, and vote by ballot. This programme seemed revolutionary; the Gov-