The social gospel
The social gospelwas a movement that encouraged Christians to do social service,including campaigning for reform in education,healthcare and housing. The answer is All of the above. s

What was the purpose of the great service?

This service was not limited to members of the Christian congregation but was directed toward the larger community, particularly in times of pestilence and plague.

Who took care of the sick in the early church?

In the early church, the care of the sick was carried out by the deacons and widows under the leadership of the bishop. This service was not limited to members of the Christian congregation but was directed toward the larger community, particularly in times of pestilence and plague.

How does the Christian church respond to human illness?

The Christian church has responded to the matter of human illness both by caring for and healing the sick and by expressing concern for them. The practice of healing has retreated into the background in modern times, but healing played a decisive role in the success of the early church and was important in missionary apologetics.

How did the Counter-Reformation change the Catholic Church’s approach to care for the sick?

The Counter-Reformation brought a new impulse for caring for the sick in the Roman Catholic Church, insofar as special orders for nursing service were founded—e.g., the Daughters of Charity, a non-enclosed congregation of women devoted to the care of the sick and the poor, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, a notable charismatic healer.

What population groups were most attracted to this new vision and new community of discipleship?

Particular population groups seem to have been most attracted to this new vision and new community of discipleship. The poor and the sick were given hope; widows and orphans found companionship; artisans and traders who were marginalized by aristocratic elites and priestly restrictions discovered new networks for creative interaction; intellectuals who found the old religions, cults, and speculations unsatisfying or sterile discerned a greater wisdom and vitality; and, later, on rulers of the Roman Empire and (still later) the princes of North Europe, who needed a moral and spiritual architecture to give shape to new civilizational developments, sought guidance in this faith’s doctrines and legitimation from this church’s leadership. This faith itself was a social movement from the start.

What did Christianity claim?

Christianity claimed that it was the true heir of these prophetic directions. In Jesus Christ the one universal and righteous God entered into the concreteness of human personhood and made transcendent reality into an accessible, immanent, and transforming presence.

Why are orphanages being reduced?

The number of orphanages and homes for the handicapped has been reduced due to better medical care for mothers and for children with birth defects — and due to the increased options for safe abortion, sharply opposed by Catholics and many evangelicals, yet accepted in some circumstances by most Protestants.

What did the defeat of the warriors or rulers bring about?

The defeat or victory of their warriors or rulers brought about the decline or ascendancy of their religion. The ancient Hebrews shared many of these views. But specific aspects of that tradition pressed in a different direction.

Why were mission movements organized?

Some movements were organized in order to form institutions of charity, staffed by committed "sisters" or "brothers" who dedicated their lives to service. Christian hospitals, schools, orphanages, and homes for the mentally or physically handicapped were founded in nearly every sizable community in the Western world — as well as increasingly in developing countries, where mission movements have been active. Hospitals often still bear the names of their founding religious groups, even if their twenty-first-century support comes less from church-related sources and more directly from government, insurance companies, or foundations. The number of orphanages and homes for the handicapped has been reduced due to better medical care for mothers and for children with birth defects — and due to the increased options for safe abortion, sharply opposed by Catholics and many evangelicals, yet accepted in some circumstances by most Protestants. Adoption agencies, advocacy groups for and by handicapped persons, and pregnancy counseling services have increased, many under religious sponsorship or with their support Indeed, current advocates of governmental funding for "faith-based" groups as full partners in fighting certain social problems are seeking to extend this history into new channels of care and action.

How are Christian social movements distinguished from their earlier prototypes?

Modern Christian social movements are distinguished from their earlier prototypes by their increasing ability to organize freely, by their more overt goals of addressing specific social problems or groups, and by the growth of a kind of historical consciousness that expects human agency, in the service of God’s promises of redemption, to help the needy, empower the weak, establish justice, and resist injustice by concerted action. Movements sharing these characteristics have evolved in a variety of directions.

What is the richness of the Christian vision of God’s transcendence and presence?

The richness of the Christian vision of God’s transcendence and presence, the range of constituencies to which it appeals, and the variety of contexts into which it has moved have produced an enormous variety of social movements. Yet some main developments can be traced.

What was the first form of healing?

The early basis for healing was generally a demonological interpretation of sickness: healing was often carried out as an exorcism —that is, a ceremonial liturgical adjuration of the demon that was supposed to cause the illness and its expulsion from the sick person. The development of exorcism is characteristic in that the office of the exorcist eventually became one of the lower levels of ordination, which led to the priesthood. During the Enlightenment in the 18th century, the practice of exorcisms within the Roman Catholic Church was suppressed.

What was the role of nursing in the Reformation?

In Protestant lands during the Reformation, medieval nursing institutions were adapted to new conditions. The church constitutions in the different territories of the Reformation stressed the duty of caring for the sick and gave suggestions for its adequate realization. The office of the deacon was supplemented by that of the deaconess. The Counter-Reformation brought a new impulse for caring for the sick in the Roman Catholic Church, insofar as special orders for nursing service were founded—e.g., the Daughters of Charity, a non-enclosed congregation of women devoted to the care of the sick and the poor, founded by St. Vincent de Paul, a notable charismatic healer. A great number of new orders came into existence and spread the spirit and institutions of ecclesiastical nursing care throughout the world as part of Roman Catholic world missions.

What is the role of healing in the early church?

The practice of healing has retreated into the background in modern times, but healing played a decisive role in the success of the early church and was important in missionary apologetics. In the Gospels, Jesus appears as a healer of body and soul. The title “Christ the Physician” was the most popular name for the Lord in missionary preaching …

What did Ignatius call the Eucharist?

Ignatius of Antioch called the Eucharist the “medication that produces immortality.”. Healing within the church began to retreat only in connection with the transformation of the church into a state church under Constantine I and with the replacement of free charismatics by ecclesiastical officials.

What was the hospital in the Middle Ages?

Beginning in the 4th century, the monasteries created a new institution, the hospital, and continued to care for the sick throughout the Middle Ages. The growing number of pilgrims to the Holy Land and the necessity of care of their numerous sick, who had fallen victim to the unfamiliar conditions of climate and life, led to knightly hospital orders, the most important of which was the Hospitallers of St. John of Jerusalem (later called the Knights of Malta ), founded in the 11th century. The service for the sick, which was carried out by the knights alongside their military service for the protection of the pilgrims, was not elaborate.

What does Jesus say to the Apostles?

In The Gospel According to Matthew, Jesus says to his Apostles, when the Son of Man comes in majesty to render final judgment on all of humankind, he will say to the chosen ones at his right hand, “I was sick and you took care of me,” and to the condemned at his left hand, “I was…sick and in prison and you did not visit me.” When the condemned ask the Lord when they saw him sick and did not visit him, they will receive the answer, “Just as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.”

What was the development of exorcism?

The development of exorcism is characteristic in that the office of the exorcist eventually became one of the lower levels of ordination, which led to the priesthood. During the Enlightenment in the 18th century, the practice of exorcisms within the Roman Catholic Church was suppressed.

What is Marrou 9?

9 Marrou remains one of the best treatments of Jewish education in antiquity. H.I. Marrou. A History of Education in Antiquity, translated by George Lamb (Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, [1982] c. 1956).

What is the parentalia festival?

23 For the Parentalia see H.H. Scullard, Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1981), 74-76. This festival particularly honored dead parents and included a visit to their tombs and simple offerings made by the family.

Why do Christians use slavery as a metaphor?

Indeed far from challenging the institution of slavery, early Christians could employ ‘slavery’ as a positive metaphor to describe their new relationship with and obligations towards God. 3 It is important to note that ancient slavery does not accord with our modern expectations of slavery.

Why did Roman authorities form such groups?

Roman authorities proved particularly concerned about the potential political dimensions of some of these groups and the possibility of treasonous cabals. We see these political concerns with such groups in many places including the Pliny/Trajan correspondence.

When was the plague struck in Carthage?

29 In 252 CE , for instance, when Carthage was struck by a plague Cyprian called upon Christians to care for the sick and bury the dead.

Who is Zoilos in Aphrodisias?

Near and dear to my heart, and my current dissertation work is Zoilos, an Augustan freedman who returns to his native city of Aphrodisias with significant wealth. Zoilos is commemorated in several inscriptions throughout the city for his significant funding of building activity. He is also granted a sizeable tomb with beautiful relief panels, many of which are preserved.

Who wrote the first urban Christians?

1 Wayne Meeks’ The First Urban Christians (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1983) remains a highly instructive introduction to Christianity and its early placement in the life of Greco-Roman cities.

The Christian Response to Ungodliness in Culture

As people who live in a democracy, Christians are for the most part free to voice their opinions however they see fit. But, when Christians choose to actively support and participate in various political and social movements, it is crucially important that they realize that there is nothing distinctly Christian about their activism.

The Taxation Debate

For example, on at least one occasion Jesus was asked about the divisive issue of whether or not the Jews should pay taxes to the oppressive Romans. Notice Jesus’s response:

The Uniqueness of Christianity

This episode and others (e.g. Lk 12:13-16) make it clear that Jesus did not come to answer our political questions or offer a new and improved way of running the kingdoms of this world ( Mt. 4:8-11 ). Rather, Jesus came to establish a radically different kind of kingdom, one that is “not of this world” ( John 18:36 ).

Is it either/or?

Those who cling to either of the two views can, at times, be very much up in arms, discrediting the other for presenting the message inaccurately. The first view takes issue with the other as being soft on sin, and largely downplaying the supernatural elements of scripture. And they’re not wrong. The second view sees the other as being blind and deaf to the very real problems in the world around us. This too, is merited. But the problem is this: we’re not even framing the debate correctly.

Why should Christians care about “social justice”?

But we live in a truly bizarre era where even chicken sandwiches have become political! This splitting of hairs is certainly not what Jesus would have wanted. By contrast, His earthly ministry sought to undermine the political systems of his day, not to align with them. I would suggest that we have collectively relied too strongly on the systems of this world to accomplish what we should be doing ourselves. True and lasting change is not the job of the government, but of the believers as individuals, working on a relational level. Relationships built on love and humility, where we value the eternal consequence. That is the biblical model. If social justice seeks power , or to make a name for itself, we can be confident it is not of God.

Is your heart broken at injustice?

To care about justice means to be broken hearted. Even though we know God is in control, the sobering reality is, the world still seems to be a messed up place. Lives cut short by murder or disease, homelessness, racism, child abuse, human trafficking, starvation, the list goes on. The depths of injustice can feel overwhelming. A lot of the time when we see pain and suffering, our instinct is to ask God, “Why?” While a legitimate concern, it misses the point. The point is not WHY injustice happens, but what our RESPONSE to it should be. If we are angered by injustice, that’s actually a great start! Hopefully it will spur us to action. To be angered by injustice and not do anything, is a tragic missed opportunity. At the end of the day, we are simply…angry.

What is the gospel message?

It is presented either as: 1) The message of sin and redemption, made possible by Jesus’ death on the cross. 2) The kingdom of God in action, focused on expressing God’s love, justice and compassion for the poor and disadvantaged.

What does it mean to give biblical justice?

It requires compassion. It requires sacrifice. To give biblical justice, our hope is that in doing so, lives can be pointed to Christ. To be shown love and compassion, hearts can begin to be opened up on the path to supernatural transformation.

Why do we care about justice?

Short answer, because it reflects the heart of God. We are to care about justice because HE cares about justice. Abundant evidence can be found throughout the Bible. It is commonly mentioned in relation to righteousness, or being in right standing with God.