definitions

social gospel

noun Protestantism.

a movement in America, chiefly in the early part of the 20th century, stressing the social teachings of Jesus and their applicability to public life.

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Nearby words

social evil, social evolution, social exclusion, social fund, social gaming, social gospel, social heritage, social housing, social inclusion, social inquiry report, social insurance

Origin of social gospel

First recorded in 1915–20
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Culture definitions for social gospel

Social Gospel

A religious movement that arose in the United States in the late nineteenth century with the goal of making the Christian churches more responsive to social problems, such as poverty and prostitution. Leaders of the movement argued that Jesus' message was as much about social reform as about individual approaches to salvation (see also salvation).

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.