Rhetoric Race and Religion
Amidst the national reflection, some Protestants have been led to critically reexamine the doctrine of the “spirituality of the church” which has had a foothold within segments the Presbyterian Church for nearly two centuries. Emphasizing the church’s responsibility for the salvation of the individual rather than social and political engagement, the “spirituality of the church” played a significant role during the civil rights era. Unfortunately, much of the theological conversation around “spirituality of the church” lacks concrete historical references to contexts in which the doctrine came to the fore. Accordingly, my aim here is to highlight a few of the prominent figures, movements, publications, and associations which necessarily engaged with the relationship between “spiritual” and “political” dimensions of the gospel within the context of the modern civil rights movement. For the sake of brevity, I will limit my survey to just a few of the notable figures and movements within the Presbyterian Church.
The Southern Presbyterian Journal
Divisions between theological liberals and conservatives during the first three decades of the 20th century were often along the lines of social responsibility and civic participation, the relationship of faith to the “secular.” However we might make sense of these divisions, the reality is that when organizations like the National Council of Churches emerged, acquired broad support, and made specific social and ecumenical declarations, conservatives formally withdrew, voicing dissent and disapproval.
Divisions between theological liberals and conservatives during the first three decades of the 20th century were often along the lines of social responsibility and civic participation, the relationship of faith to the “secular.” However we might make sense of these divisions, the reality is that when organizations like the National Council of Churches emerged, acquired broad support, and made specific social and ecumenical declarations, conservatives formally withdrew, voicing dissent and disapproval.
It was from within this context that the Southern Presbyterian Journal came out swinging in its first issue in 1942 with founder L. Nelson Bell writing, “The (National) Council has caused confusion and resentment by constant meddling, in economic, social and racial matters….” In 1945, Bell wrote of the inverse relationship between ecclesiastical focus on social issues and “evangelical power,” insisting that the Gospel of Jesus Christ concerned not ethics, morality, and social policies. And again in 1947: “We [at the Journal] distrust an organization which seeks to solve the difficult race problem by declaring segregation un-Christian and which advocates a non-segregated society.” Such pronouncements were common among the contributors and editors of the journal, who frequently voiced distrust of the “liberal” direction in which they believed the denomination was headed.[1]
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