Evangelicals and Social Action

Exhilarated. Sobered. Hopeful. Those were my emotions as I read this extraordinarily timely book. Indeed, as we seek to respond to a world that serially reels from disasters like Covid-19 and their economic, environmental, emotional, mental, physical, spiritual impacts, Ian Shaws compelling survey of evangelical gospel action over two centuries comes to us as an imagination-expanding well of wisdom. ... While this book illuminates times past, I would be very surprised if it does not lead to contemporary action. * Mark Greene, Mission Champion, LICC * Dr Ian Shaw has put the challenge to love your neighbour as yourself firmly back on the evangelical map. The welfare state and controversies over the social gospel have held evangelicals back from their God-given task to be good news as well as preach it. In this book you will find tremendous challenge and inspiration from the lives of everyone from John Wesley to John Stott almost a whos who of evangelical heroes whose compassion for the poor and downtrodden blazes a trail for us to follow. * Jeremy McQuoid, Chair, Keswick Convention * Ian Shaws beautifully written book explores the extensive social impact evangelicals in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries created in their communities and around the globe as both men and women tackled prison reform, education, housing, employment, medical care and other social concerns. He emphasizes the historical evangelical approach to minister to the whole person, defying social norms that denigrated others. Evangelicals and Social Action is an inspiring call to renew the historical evangelical emphases of conversion and social activism. * Lynn H. Cohick Provost/Dean of Academic Affairs, Northern Seminary, Illinois, USA * This book is an excellent resource for anyone wondering whether evangelical Protestantism can contribute meaningfully to the common good. Using well-crafted case studies, Ian Shaw provides a compelling account of the wide-ranging social impact of holistic ministry by evangelicals around the world. * Jeffrey P. Greenman, President, Regent College, Vancouver, Canada * From slavery to human trafficking, from orphan care to prison reform, Ian Shaw ably shows how evangelicals have been at the heart of the action for more than two hundred years. This thorough examination of Christian social responsibility as it combined with gospel proclamation, demonstrates how such holistic or integral mission is not only supported by Scripture, but has been blessed by God to the advancement of his kingdom. * Ian Burness, former General Director, Echoes International * This book brought me to tears, to a place of awesome wonder, and to gratitude to God for the inspiration he has given to men and women of faith to work in front of, and behind the scenes, of society. It is not simply a sweeping historical account of the kindness and grace of evangelicals, it is a substantial work, carefully researched. Ian Shaw illustrates the breadth of social action and political involvement over this period, which changed society. He brings issues to life with character studies and has unearthed new material, even about well-known figures such as Hudson Taylor... Many of the challenges of earlier centuries are still with us. Every Christian should read this book and be proud of their Christian heritage; and then should pray to God that he will raise up men and women of faith and courage such as Lord Shaftesbury and Josephine Butler, for our generation. * Sheila Stephen, Former Chair of the Christian Charity PROSPECTS, UK * This superbly well-researched and engagingly written book brings so many unknown names of evangelical believers into the limelight The sheer abundance of facts and statistics proves beyond question how evangelical commitment over two centuries saw no dichotomy, but natural and biblical integration, between evangelistic zeal to save sinners and conscientious activism battling against the social and e

Ian J. Shaw is Chief Executive Officer of the OPAL Trust, a ministry dedicated to serving Christian leaders and churches in the majority world with Bibles and evangelical literature. He has been involved in leadership positions in theological education for over twenty-five years, in Glasgow, South Wales, and internationally with Langham Partnership. His previous books include Christianity: The Biography, Churches, Revolutions And Empires: 1789-1914, High Calvinists in Action: Calvinism and the City, William Gadsby and The Greatest is Charity.

Part 1 THE BROADER PICTURE 1a Christian gospel proclamation and social action: from the early church to the Reformation 9 1b Christian gospel proclamation and social action: from the eighteenth century to the twentieth 17 Part 2 EVANGELISM AND SOCIAL ACTION: RESPONSES TO KEY ISSUES AND CHARACTER STUDIES EVANGELICALS AND ISSUES OF ECONOMIC DEPRIVATION 2 Care for the poor 29 Character study: John Wesley (170391) England 3 Disaster relief 43 Character study: David Hill (184096) China 4 Care for the unemployed and employees 56 Character study: Lord Shaftesbury (180185) England 5 Action to improve housing conditions 70 Character study: Titus Salt (180376) England EVANGELICALS AND EDUCATION ISSUES 6 Day schooling 85 Character study: Hannah More (17451833) England 7 Sunday schools 100 Character study: Henrietta Mears (18901963) USA 8 Care for street children 115 Character study: Thomas Guthrie (180373) Scotland EVANGELICALS AND PEOPLE AT RISK 9 Care for orphans 131 Character study: George Mller (180598) England 10 Care for children at risk 145 Character study: Amy Carmichael (18671951) India 11 Care for people with mental illness and children with learning disabilities 159 Character study: Andrew Reed (17871862) England EVANGELICALS AND ISSUES OF RACE 12 Campaigning against slave trading and slave ownership 173 Character study: William Wilberforce (17591833) England 13 Racial equality and the protection of minority ethnic groups 188 Character study: Jeremiah Evarts (17811831) USA EVANGELICALS AND ISSUES OF HEALTH AND WELL-BEING 14 Medical mission 203 Character study: Clara Swain (18341910) India 15 Care for people with alcohol addiction 217 Character study: William Booth (18291912) and Catherine Booth (182990) England 16 Care for people with drug addiction 232 Character study: Hsi Liao-chih (183696) China 17 Care for the elderly and those with incurable illness 246 Character study: Charles Haddon Spurgeon (183492) England EVANGELICAL RESPONSES TO ISSUES OF SOCIAL AND FORENSIC PATHOLOGY 18 Rescue of prostitutes 261 Character study: Josephine Butler (18281906) England 19 Prison reform and care for prisoners 276 Character study: Elizabeth Fry (17801845) England Conclusion 291 Index 299