Walter Rauschenbusch

Baptist minister and theologian Walter Rauschenbusch was inspired to become a social activist after witnessing the challenges faced by his congregation in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen. He associated with the Social Gospel, which was a Protestant movement that advocated for reforms addressing social and economic problems facing everyday Americans. His 1907 book, Christianity and the Social Crisis, was a radical work that criticized the wealthy special interests in America for holding back political and social progress. The book supported the ideals of the Progressive Era like economic equality, and was influential on figures like Martin Luther King, Jr.