Jane Addams and Christian Humanitarianism

In our reading on the Hull House, Jane Addams doesn't discuss religion very much at all until the end of Chapter 4. There, she describes "Christian humanitarianism" as one of three main causes of a revival in social activism like her Hull House. (The other two are "the desire to interpret democracy in social terms" and "the impulse, beating at the very source of our lives, urging us to aid the race progress" [125].) According to Addams, humanitarianism is a natural part of Christianity and was there from the very beginning (122). What she doesn't explain is how or when that humanitarianism ever left so as to be able to have a revival. I agree with her that on of the core aspects of Christianity is love of neighbor and service to the poor; after all, Jesus was famous for his loving treatment of social outcasts and preached that the second-greatest commandment is to "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mt. 22:39), even saying that all the Law and Prophets hang on this along with the greatest commandment--to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind" (Mt. 22:40, 37). Addams discusses the early Church with their extraordinary love and generosity as the embodiment of this Christian humanitarian ideal, but she doesn't mention the modern Church at all. I would agree with her that many modern churches are much less socially active in the way that the early Church was. The early Christians, according to Addams, were so driven by the feeling of "continuous revelation" that they were constantly sacrificing their own comfort to help the less fortunate. They believed that continuous revelation not only spreads to others through their social work, but also that doing the service work would increase their own revelation (122-123). Of course, with a belief like that, it's no surprise that they were so active in their communities, advocating the poor and downtrodden. It brought many rewards to them spiritually.

Therefore, the reason Christians became more passive and apathetic toward social justice is probably that they stopped believing in it as an essential part of their faith. This would have to happen through a shift in doctrine, or at least in emphasis in doctrine. Addams claims (and I guess I agree) that what Jesus taught was not dogma or doctrine, but a whole religious life (122). In the early centuries of Christian history, a system of theology developed which was clarified in creeds and the official Bible canon. Maybe in the process of stating explicitly the smaller, less significant aspects of faith, the Church inadvertently distracted people from what used to be its core. The religion changed, not exactly through new interpretations of old text, but through new emphases and focuses within the same body of teachings. However, when this revival of the humanitarianism occurs, it is a reinterpretation of Biblical texts. People want to go back to the simple, bigger-picture Christianity as embodied in life and action, rejecting the view that it is merely "a set of ideas" (123-124).

I respect this interpretation, but I think it also has its downside--if Christianity is reduced to a moral commandment like "serve the poor," the unitarianism that Alex talks about in his post will arise. Everything that separates different religions from one another will be ignored and all that's left will be a set of morals. I definitely support tolerance between religions and believe that even disagreeing religions shouldn't attack each other, but I don't think that's a reason for Christians to abandon the Jesus-is-God part of their religion. Christianity (and any other religion) is much more than a set of morals: it also gives people a sense of belonging, purpose, and hope as well as fellowship with other people who share the same convictions. All this would be lost if all people cared about was morals. Plus, as Alex says himself, "If the teachings of peace, helping those in need, and turning the other cheek were followed in day-to-day living in the world, there would be less need for violence and more would be accomplished toward the greater good." There's no need to stop believing in God to follow those teachings; in fact, God makes it easier (for me, at least).

So I guess what I'm trying to say here is that the rise of social activism is just like the rise of any other religious tendency (or even religion): it comes out of new interpretations of old religious traditions or texts. And on a side note, the theology, or set of beliefs, of a religion is what makes it the religion it is, so taking the theology away isn't a religious change--it's a religious deletion.