by Bill Pitts | Feb 19, 2021 | Opinion
Observation of human suffering aroused Walter Rauschenbusch’s (1861–1918) deep concern for justice in American society. Justice became central to his understanding of Christianity. Nurtured in a middle-class professor’s home in the prosperous community of Rochester,...
by Bill Pitts | Sep 1, 2020 | Opinion
Three major groups comprise the current American labor profile: the secure, the working poor and the unemployed. All three levels have been with us for a century and a half. The Gini Index reports income inequality is at its highest in 50 years. Capitalism has created...
by Bill Pitts | Oct 24, 2019 | Opinion
The ongoing task of ethical education is to provide each generation guidance for moral decisions. For much of the history of the church, the tradition in ethical education has focused on individuals and the consequences of their personal decisions and actions. But for...
by Bill Pitts | Aug 30, 2019 | Opinion
Editor’s note: This article first appeared on Aug. 29, 2013. At the time of publication, Pitts was professor of church history at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Walter Rauschenbusch (1861-1918), the noted theologian and Baptist pastor, affirmed a deep relationship...
by Bill Pitts | Feb 19, 2019 | Opinion
Walter Rauschenbusch was consumed with a passion for social justice. Trained in Rochester seminary as a Baptist minister, he accepted a call in 1886 by the Second German Baptist Church in New York City, where he served for 11 years. He was fluent in German as well as...