Reverdy C. Ransom

This book explores the life and ministry of a leading figure in black Christian thought during the Progressive Era. Reverdy C. Ransom's ministry and his social and political involvements are presented against the backdrop of the deteriorating position of black people in the society of that day. The work investigates the milieu and circumstances into which Ransom was born and reared as well as the major influences of his formative years. His experiences and involvements at Oberlin College and Wilberforce University are examined for clues to his emerging commitment to racial and social protest. His thought and action are shown to have been directly and indirectly influenced by prominent Social Gospel theorists and practitioners during the Progressive Era. Contents: From Log Cabin to University Classroom; To Respect Black; Intellectual Pilgrimage and Outlook; Social Gospel Influences; The Church: Locus of Social Christianity; and Power, Politics and Social Realities.