Bibliographic Details
Author: Matthew Bowman
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Year: 2019
Thesis Statement
Matthew Bowman argues that American progressive politics from the late nineteenth century through the mid-twentieth century was not a secular project but was profoundly shaped by religious ideas, institutions, and actors. The Social Gospel movement, liberal Protestant theology, Catholic social teaching, and Jewish social justice traditions provided the moral vocabulary and organizational infrastructure for progressive reform, from the settlement house movement through the New Deal and beyond.
Summary
In American Prophets: The Religious Roots of Progressive Politics in Modern America, Matthew Bowman, a historian of American religion at Claremont Graduate University, challenges the conventional narrative that treats American progressivism as a primarily secular phenomenon. Instead, he demonstrates that religious thought and institutions were central to the development of progressive politics from the 1890s through the 1940s and beyond.
Bowman traces the intellectual and institutional networks that connected Protestant modernists, Catholic social justice advocates, and Jewish reformers to the major progressive causes of the era: labor rights, urban reform, civil rights, and the construction of the welfare state. He shows how figures like Walter Rauschenbusch, Jane Addams, John A. Ryan, and Stephen Wise drew on their respective religious traditions to articulate a vision of social justice that animated political action.
The book argues that the Social Gospel movement was not merely a precursor to progressivism but was constitutive of it. Religious leaders and organizations provided the moral authority, the grassroots networks, and the rhetorical frameworks that made progressive reform possible. Bowman also examines how this religious progressivism shaped the New Deal, with figures like Frances Perkins and Harry Hopkins drawing on their own religious convictions to justify and design social welfare programs.
Bowman does not shy away from the tensions within religious progressivism. He examines the conflicts between different religious traditions, the challenges posed by secularization, and the ways in which religious progressives sometimes failed to address issues of race and gender. The book also considers the decline of religious progressivism in the post-World War II era, as both religion and politics realigned along new axes.
Ultimately, American Prophets offers a compelling reinterpretation of American political history, insisting that the religious roots of progressive politics must be understood if we are to grasp the full complexity of reform movements in the twentieth century. The book is a significant contribution to both American religious history and political history, bridging two fields that are often treated separately.
Chapter-by-Chapter Breakdown
- Introduction: The Religious Origins of Progressivism: Bowman lays out his central argument that progressive politics in America was deeply rooted in religious thought and institutions, challenging secularization narratives.
- Chapter 1: The Social Gospel and the Roots of Reform: Examines the emergence of the Social Gospel movement in the late nineteenth century, focusing on figures like Washington Gladden and Walter Rauschenbusch, and its influence on progressive reform.
- Chapter 2: The Catholic Social Tradition and the Progressive Impulse: Explores how Catholic social teaching, particularly the work of John A. Ryan and the encyclical Rerum Novarum, shaped Catholic participation in progressive causes.
- Chapter 3: Jewish Social Justice and the Politics of Reform: Analyzes the role of Jewish religious leaders and organizations, such as Stephen Wise and the American Jewish Congress, in progressive politics.
- Chapter 4: The Interfaith Networks of Reform: Investigates the formal and informal networks that connected Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish reformers, including organizations like the Federal Council of Churches.
- Chapter 5: Religion and the New Deal: Focuses on how religious ideas and actors influenced the design and justification of New Deal programs, with attention to figures like Frances Perkins and Harry Hopkins.
- Chapter 6: The Limits and Contradictions of Religious Progressivism: Addresses the failures and blind spots of religious progressives, particularly regarding race, gender, and the rise of fundamentalism.
- Conclusion: The Legacy of Religious Progressivism: Considers the decline of religious progressivism after World War II and its lasting influence on American political culture.
Scholarly Reception and Representative Quotes
American Prophets received positive reviews from historians of American religion and politics. Reviewers praised Bowman’s meticulous research and his ability to synthesize diverse strands of religious and political history. The book was recognized as a significant contribution to the growing field of religion and politics in American history.
- “Bowman has written a masterful account of how religious ideas and institutions shaped American progressive politics. This book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the intersection of religion and reform in the twentieth century.” — Journal of American History
- “American Prophets is a beautifully written and deeply researched book that restores religion to the center of the progressive political tradition. Bowman’s work is a model of interdisciplinary scholarship.” — Church History