A Historical Look at Social Movements and the Role of Church

Poverty is a moral outrage in our affluent society but some religious congregations have resigned themselves to tolerating it or, at best, managing it. Why? Some churches are simply not aware of the realities of poverty; others may be stunned into silence by their apparent powerlessness to affect change; still others may be exhausted from addressing the endless and immediate needs of poor people in their communities. Many congregations and community groups provide emergency-based charitable programs, but poverty is pervasive and volunteers in these programs often recognize that while meeting emergency needs they are not developing systemic solutions.  Reflect with poor people who are sharing God’s good news about how faith shapes the way we see and act in the world; explore historical social movements including abolition and the civil rights movements; and examine the role that churches are playing and have played in social movements throughout history.