Almost fifteen years ago, the Center for the History of Medicine at the University of Michigan began to work on\u00a0The American Influenza Epidemic of 1918-1919: A Digital Encyclopedia<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em>Updated in 2016, it surveyed how fifty American cities experienced and responded to the \u201cSpanish flu.\u201d The authors wrote a narrative essay and timeline for each city<\/a>, but even more valuably, they digitized thousands of documents and images. I first used the influenza encyclopedia to research an essay<\/a> for one of my own digital projects, a 2015 history of Bethel University\u2019s experience of warfare since 1914.<\/p>\n This time I wondered what the encyclopedia\u2019s digital archive would reveal about religious responses to the influenza pandemic in this country. What caught my eye was a set of newspaper articles and other documents dating from late September 1918 through early November of that year \u2014 the first peak in the spread of the disease, when cities around the United States banned worship services, among other public gatherings.\u00a0(Here in St. Paul, Minnesota, authorities waited until early November 1918 to close schools like Bethel. Then a second outbreak caused an \u201cinfluenza vacation\u201d in the winter of 1920.)<\/p>\n Rather than write a typical blog post, I\u2019m going to share a variety of news stories from those weeks in late 1918. You\u2019ll find a variety of religious responses to the deadliest epidemic in American history, which coincided with the last days of the Great War and the last debates over the ratification of Prohibition. While most Christians made the best of church closures, many grumbled\u2026 and a few went to jail rather than stop worshipping.<\/p>\n Sunday, September 29, 1918<\/b> Sunday, October 6, 1918<\/b> Friday, October 11, 1918<\/b> Saturday, October 12, 1918<\/strong> Sunday, October 13, 1918<\/b> SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH<\/a>: \u201cFor the first time in many years,\u201d the <\/span>Deseret News <\/span><\/i>reported the next day, the city\u2019s Mormon tabernacle and about fifty other Latter-day Saint chapels \u2014\u00a0plus other churches and synagogues \u2014\u00a0were closed this Sunday. Even funerals were suspended because of health regulations for the epidemic. But \u201cin a few instances pastors assembled groups of young people in front of their churches, and either held service there, or marched to some park or recreation grounds, and enjoyed the autumn sun-shine as well as imparting religious instructions to the assemblage.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Monday, October 14, 1918 Tuesday, October 15, 1918<\/b> Friday, October 18, 1918 Sunday, October 20, 1918<\/strong> SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA<\/a>: At an open air service in front of First Baptist Church, the interim pastor suggested that the churches themselves \u201care to blame\u201d for the influenza epidemic. Rev. John Quincy Adams Henry preached that Christian churches \u201chave been lamentably weak in moral and spiritual leadership and have not yet risen to the august occasion confronting them. Our churches have become conventional, cowardly and worldly. Not only the people, but the churches must repent their sins, and when they do the plagues will cease.\u201d<\/p>\n INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA<\/a>: Ten black \u201cApostolic\u201d Christians were arrested for attempting to worship in defiance of the board of health. \u201cWhen the [seven] women and [three] men were taken to police headquarters,\u201d reported the\u00a0News<\/em>,\u00a0\u201cthey began talking in the \u2018unknown tongue\u2019 and it was some time before the turnkey and matron were able to learn their names.\u201d<\/p>\n Tuesday, October 22, 1918<\/strong><\/span> Saturday, October 26, 1918<\/strong><\/span> Sunday, October 27, 1918<\/strong><\/span> Thursday, October 31, 1918<\/b> Friday, November 1, 1918<\/strong><\/span> Saturday, November 2, 1918 In the fall of 1918, the influenza pandemic caused cities around the United States to ban public gatherings, including worship services. Chris surveys a variety of Christian responses to the worst public health crisis in American history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2794,"featured_media":57389,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[500,2974,694],"tags":[2818,281,6464,6270,4809,1695,2280,17,269,3343,1581],"class_list":["post-57381","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-american-religious-history","category-chris-gehrz","category-health-care","tag-baptists","tag-catholics","tag-epidemic","tag-episcopalians","tag-influenza","tag-jews","tag-methodists","tag-mormons","tag-pentecostals","tag-prohibition","tag-world-war-i"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-07-at-10.51.41-AM.png\")
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\n<\/b>BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS<\/a>: Monday\u2019s front page of the\u00a0Globe<\/em> called it the \u201cquietest Sunday Boston ever saw.\u201d With cars largely off the city\u2019s streets and worship services and other public gatherings called off, Boston\u2019s largest newspaper\u00a0<\/em>observed that \u201cthere was less for the citizens to do probably than on any Sunday since the old Puritan days.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/boston007.jpg\")
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\n<\/b>CINCINNATI, OHIO<\/a>: Defying the health board order prohibiting all public gatherings, Father William Scholl held morning mass as scheduled at St. Joseph German Catholic Church. When a police lieutenant arrived on the scene, the priest \u201cdeclared he was not interested in the order,\u201d but police kept any further services from proceeding. The<\/span> Enquirer <\/span><\/i>reported \u201cwidespread indignation\u201d against Scholl, with \u201cdignitaries of the Catholic Church joining the protest against the disregard of an order that was issued to safeguard the health of the community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA<\/a>: The city council issued an ordinance closing all churches, prompting the city\u2019s Christian Scientists to protest<\/a> that they provide \u201cservices for the dissemination of a universal understanding of omnipotent Divine power, reliance upon which effectually aids in destroying the dread of contagion\u2026.\u201d Four weeks later,\u00a0 a local appeals court refused<\/a> to release Harry P. Hitchcock, a Christian Scientist \u201carrested for attending a public church gathering in violation of the city anti-flu ordinances.\u201d One of five Scientists arrested, Hitchcock had argued that the order was an \u201cunconstitutional\u2026 unwarranted exercise of the police power.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/span>BUFFALO, NEW YORK:<\/a> While local churches remained closed in accordance with the mayor\u2019s proclamation, \u201cseveral congregations, however, have arranged to conduct outdoor services\u201d tomorrow. The <\/span>Courier <\/span><\/i>listed several open-air masses, and St. Paul\u2019s, the Episcopal Cathedral, planned to worship in Shelton Square with the assistance of its full choir: \u201cThe service will consist largely of singing of patriotic hymns, and Gen. Pershing\u2019s message to the churches of America will be read\u2026.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>ALEXANDRIA, LOUISIANA<\/a>: Dr. W.S. Black, rector of the Episcopal church, was dismayed to walk through town and \u201cfind the poolroom in full blast, with an ample supply of patrons, none of whom were overly careful as to the degree of distance from their fellow players.\u201d Black didn\u2019t understand how he could keep his church closed while such establishments remained open. \u201cI believe in obeying the law of the constituted authorities,\u201d he told the New Orleans States<\/i>, \u201cbut I am under pledge to the boys \u2018over there\u2019 that at the customary times of service\u2026 certain prayers shall be said in which they are specially remembered\u2026.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/1897_Temple_Square.jpg\")
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\n<\/b>BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA<\/a>: \u201cWe have had the strange experience of a churchless Sabbath,\u201d wrote the Methodist revivalist George R. Stuart in the <\/span>Age-Herald<\/span><\/i>, \u201cwhat has it taught us?\u201d Most importantly, the pandemic should convince \u201cIntelligent Christians\u201d to trust science rather than seeking to \u201ctempt God to perform a miracle in the preservation of our health\u2026 Christians do not discount their faith in the omnipotence of their God by keeping their bodies and homes and streets clean and nongerm producing; by using care in traffic and travel, accepting vaccination, sprays and disinfectants and keeping God\u2019s own laws of health and life. Any other course is the fruit of ignorance and false teaching.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n
\n<\/b>BALTIMORE, MARYLAND<\/a>: The city\u2019s leading Catholic clergyman continued to question why local churches were closed \u201cwhile the stores, saloons, markets and the like remain open.\u201d While recognizing public health concerns, James Cardinal Gibbons argued that \u201cit would be a much-needed relief to our church-going population if they could be allowed to attend brief morning services\u2026 I am told that a number of calls upon our physicians are simply the result of nervousness, or the consequence of alarm. This might be considerably allayed by the reassurance of religion, and discreet words from our priests given the people in church.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS<\/a>: The Daily Telegram <\/i>shared examples of how Christians were responding to influenza, even as public worship ceased. Women from three local churches were taking care of \u201cepidemic orphans,\u201d giving them not only food and clothing, but \u201c[supplying] them with plenty of healthful recreation and a little systematized instruction, too.\u201d And a Catholic women\u2019s club brought clothing and food to influenza patients, including 28 jars of applesauce, 28 quarts of lamb stew, and 35 squares of johnny cake.<\/p>\n
\n<\/span>MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN<\/a>: The <\/span>Journal <\/span><\/i>found that church closures didn\u2019t leave the city\u2019s \u201cpastors with any surplus of leisure on their hands.\u201d With the faithful encouraged to engage in \u201c<\/span>home worship<\/span><\/a>\u201d and read sermons <\/span>published in newspapers<\/span><\/a>, Protestant and Catholic clergy were instead devoting more of their energy to pastoral care and sick calls.<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Rev.](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/Screen-Shot-2020-03-07-at-10.56.14-AM-254x300.png\")
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\n<\/strong>NEWARK, NEW JERSEY<\/a>: \u201cTo avoid the dreaded influenza,\u201d advised the Star-Eagle<\/i>, \u201cchildren should play in small groups and outdoors or in well-ventilated rooms.\u201d The paper began to share games suggested by the Young Men\u2019s Christian Association, including \u201cJapanese Tag\u2026 In this version of the game\u2026 when a player is touched or tagged, he must place his left hand on the spot touched\u2026 [and] in that position must chase the other players.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/newark005.jpg\")
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\n<\/strong>GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN<\/a>: The Herald <\/i>doubted that anyone has suffered more from the state ban on public worship than the members of the city\u2019s seventeen Christian Reformed churches, who \u201chave been trained from childhood to regard regular church attendance as natural in their lives as eating breakfast.\u201d Families are trying to fill the gap with private worship, but Reformed leaders are upset that churches are closed while schools remain open: \u201c\u2026it would seem that if there were danger of contagion anywhere it would be among the physically undeveloped youngsters congregating in the school rooms day by day.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA<\/a>: On the same page that the States <\/i>printed a sermon by a Methodist pastor for those \u201cwho are detained from their houses of worship because of the epidemic of influenza,\u201d it reported on the financial consequences for closed churches unable to collect tithes and offerings: \u201cThis loss\u2026 ranges from $20,000 to $25,000\u2026 the most serious set back the churches have received is the delaying if not absolutely destroying the chance of securing the benevolent money for church work during the Winter.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/detroit003.jpg\")
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\n<\/b>DETROIT, MICHIGAN<\/a>: The Roman Catholic bishop of Detroit, Michael J. Gallagher, joined businessmen and movie theatre owners in pleading for the statewide ban on public gatherings to be lifted. The News <\/i>reported that those notables \u201cwere willing to have their edifices fumigated between meetings, to cut the services to 45 minutes, to employ special ushers, who would eject persons who coughed or sneezed and to require all worshipers entering a church to wear influenza masks.\u201d But state officials weren\u2019t persuaded, since \u201cMassachusetts and Pennsylvania had found that the exemption of churches tended to nullify the effects of the closing order.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>DALLAS, TEXAS<\/a>: With special permission from the mayor, Catholic and Episcopal churches planned worship for All Saints\u2019 and All Souls\u2019, with St. Matthew\u2019s Cathedral holding \u201cspecial services for the boys who have died in France and will have a special requiem celebration of the Holy Communion.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n![\"Rabbi](\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/168\/2020\/03\/Samuel-Thurman-237x300.jpg\")
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\n<\/b>ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI<\/a>: Samuel Thurman, rabbi of the first synagogue<\/a> established west of the Mississippi, affirmed the closure decision by the chief of the health board: \u201cDue to his determined action, St. Louis has been spared the terrible fate of other cities of its size and larger\u2026 The price we are paying now is commensurately small compared with the gain and good we shall obtain in the end. Let us be patient. Let us hope and pray for a speedy banishment of the dread monster, disease, from our midst, and a happy return to the healthy and normal life of the community.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"