- Washington Gladden
Washington Gladden (
February 11 ,1836 -July 2 ,1918 ) was a leading AmericanCongregational church pastor and early leader of theSocial Gospel movement. He was a leading member of theProgressive Movement , serving for two years as a member of the Columbus and campaigning againstBoss Tweed as acting editor of the "New York Independent ". Gladden was probably the first leading U.S. religious figure to support unionization of the workforce; he also opposedracial segregation . He was a prolific writer, with 40 books to his credit, as well as a number of hymns.Early years
Gladden was born in 1836 in
Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania to devout parents as Solomon Washington Gladden. Gladden's father died when he was six and he spent much of his childhood living with his uncle on afarm inOwego, New York . At the time, western New York State was known as theBurned-Over District because it had been the center of a number of religious revivals. He joined thetemperance movement as a boy.Gladden became a journalist at the age of 16 and changed his name around the same time. However, he was keen to become a
clergyman studying at theOwego Free Academy and graduated fromWilliams College inWilliamstown, Massachusetts . While at Williams, Gladden wrote its alma mater song, "The Mountains".Early Career 1860-1882
Gladden was ordained as a minister in 1860 and started his career working in
New York City . In his 1909autobiography "Recollections", Gladden wrote that he wanted to practice as a minister "a religion that laid hold upon life, and proposed first and foremost, to realise the Kingdom of God in this world." He married Jennie Cohoon in 1860 and the couple had three children. Although not being recognized by males, she was looked up to as a female leader since she offered support to fellow women about loyalty to one's husband, keeping faith through hardships, and working unto the Lord.In 1866, Gladden moved to
North Adams, Massachusetts , serving as pastor until 1871. His first significant book, "Plain Thoughts on Being a Christian", was published in 1868. He was the religious editor of the "New York Independent" between 1871 and 1875. As acting editor of the "Independent" in this period, he was involved in exposing the corrupt organization of Boss Tweed.In 1875, Gladden became the Congregationalist pastor in
Springfield, Massachusetts . He published "Working People and their Employers" in 1876, which advocated the unionization of employees; Gladden was the first notable U.S. clergyman to approve of unions. Gladden did not supportsocialism orlaissez faire economics , advocating instead the application of "Christian law" to issues. He was a charter member of theAmerican Economic Association .Columbus Years 1882-1918
Gladden became the pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus, Ohio in 1882, and would serve in that position for thirty-two years. During that time, Gladden would develop his reputation as a religious leader and as a community leader. In 1886, he traveled to Cleveland during a
streetcar strike and spoke at a public meeting on "Is it Peace or War", supporting the rights of the workers to form a union to protect their interests.He helped to promote modernist views in books such as "Burning Questions" (1890) and "Who Wrote the Bible" (1891). In "Who Wrote the Bible", Gladden stated: "it is idle to try to force the narrative of Genesis into an exact correspondence with geological science."
Gladden served a term on the
Columbus City Council between 1900 and 1902 and became an advocate of municipal ownership of public works. He also led a movement to change the dates of elections in Ohio from October to November.He was Vice President of the
American Missionary Association between 1894 and 1901 and served as the President of the organization between 1901 and 1904. In this capacity, he travelled toAtlanta, Georgia to visitAtlanta University and meetW.E.B. DuBois , where he was shocked at the condition of Southern blacks and started speaking out against segregation.He resigned as President of the American Missionary Association to take up a position as the Moderator of the
National Council of Congregational Churches in 1904. In 1905, he denounced a $100,000 gift to the Congregationalists fromJohn D. Rockefeller as "tainted".Gladden was the President of
Ohio State University until his battle with theAmerican Protective Association over its nativistic rhetoric cost him that position. TheUniversity of Notre Dame conferred him with an honorary doctorate in recognition of his stance againstanti-Catholicism .Gladden is credited with having written a number of hymns including "O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee". He resigned as pastor of the First Congregational Church in 1914 and died of a stroke in 1918.
Partial bibliography
Washington Gladden wrote 40 books during his life. These included:
*"Plain Thoughts on the Art of Living" 1868
*"From the Hub to the Hudson" 1869
*"Working People and their Employers" 1876
*"The Young Men & the Churches" 1885
*"Applied Christianity" 1887
*"Burning Questions" 1890
*"Who Wrote the Bible" 1891
*"The Church & The Kingdom" 1894
*"Ruling Ideas of the Present Age" 1895
*"The Christian Pastor" 1898
*"Social Salvation" 1901
*"Christianity & Socialism" 1905
*"Recollections" 1909References
*Ruth C. Engs "Progressive Era's Health Reform Movement: A Historic Dictionary" Praeger Connecticut 2003
*Encyclopædia Britannica Volume 10, 1970 Edition, University of Chicago, page 441Further reading
*Robert T. Handy, "The Social Gospel in America 1870-1920" 1966
*C. H. Hopkins "The Rise of the Social Gospel in American Protestantism 1865-1915" (1940
*Washington Gladden "Recollections" 1909Online references
*gutenberg author| id=Washington+Gladden | name=Washington Gladden
* [http://www.bartleby.com/227/0912.html The Cambridge History of English and American Literature in 18 Volumes (1907–21). VOLUME XVII. Later National Literature, Part II.]
* [http://www.bartleby.com/65/gl/Gladden.html Columbia University 2004 entry]
* [http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/g/l/gladden_w.htm Cyber article for William Gladden]
* [http://academic.brooklyn.cuny.edu/history/dfg/amrl/gladden.htm Cornell University article on Washington Gladden]
* [http://www.bookrags.com/biography-washington-gladden/ Book Rags biography]
* [http://www.commentarymagazine.com/Summaries/V106I4P62-1.htm Commentary Magazine reference to John D Rockefeller]
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