The Church and Modern Life

"The Church and Modern Life" by Washington Gladden is a book that looks at what the Christian church should be doing in the modern world. Written in the early 1900s, it discusses how the church should react to new problems and negative opinions during a time when society was changing quickly. Gladden believes the church is very important for helping people understand religion better and stresses that Christians should care about their communities and be socially responsible. The book starts by talking about how important the church is now and how Christian groups need to check themselves and get better. Gladden thinks about the church's history, where religion comes from, and how people see faith today, saying that the church has to change to fit modern times. He introduces ideas like Christians needing to work together, getting involved in social issues, and the church's job to guide people in a confusing world, setting up the rest of the book to discuss things like fairness, community, and understanding other religions.