In His Steps

Last updated

In His Steps
In His Steps (Front Cover).jpg
Author Charles Monroe Sheldon
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Christian novel
PublisherChicago Advance [1]
Publication date
1897
Media typePrint (hardback & paperback)
ISBN 0-8007-8608-4
OCLC 25602172

In His Steps is a religious fiction novel written by Charles Monroe Sheldon. First published in 1896, the book has sold more than 50 million copies and ranks as one of the bestselling books of all time. The full title of the book is In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?

Contents

Although variations of the phrase "What would Jesus do?" have been used by Christians for centuries as a form of imitatio dei , the imitation of God, it gained much greater currency following the publication of the book.

Chicago Advance, the original publisher, failed to register the copyright in the proper form. Other publishers took advantage of this, publishing the book without paying the author royalties. This resulted in lowered prices, but multiple publishers led to larger sales.

History

In 1896, Charles Monroe Sheldon began writing the book for his Sunday night services. The story released one chapter a week and begged the question "What would Jesus do?" in the lives of various characters. His work gained notoriety soon after its release, and its finished form was published by the Advance one chapter per week, just as it had been before its fame. Its ten-cent paperback edition sold 100,000 copies. [2]

Plot

In His Steps takes place in the city of Raymond, located west of Topeka, Kansas. The main character is Rev. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First Church of Raymond. He challenges his congregation to not do anything for a whole year without first asking: "What Would Jesus Do?" Other characters include Ed Norman, senior editor of the Raymond Daily Newspaper, Rachel Winslow, a talented singer, and Virginia Page, an heiress.

The novel begins on a Friday morning when a man out of work (later identified as Jack Manning) appears at the front door of Henry Maxwell while the latter is preparing for that Sunday's upcoming sermon. Maxwell listens to the man's helpless plea briefly before brushing him away and closing the door. The same man appears in the church at the end of the Sunday sermon, walks to "the open space in front of the pulpit," and faces the people. No one stops him. He quietly but frankly confronts the congregation — "I'm not complaining; just stating facts" — about their compassion, or apathetic lack thereof, for the jobless like him in Raymond. Upon finishing his address to the congregation, he collapses and then dies a few days later.

That next Sunday, Henry Maxwell, deeply moved by the events of the past week, presents a challenge to his congregation: "Do not do anything without first asking, 'What would Jesus do?'" This challenge is the theme of the novel and is the driving force of the plot. From this point on, the rest of the novel consists of certain episodes that focus on individual characters as their lives are transformed by the challenge.

Norman decides not to print a prize fight, and to discontinue the Sunday edition, leaving a drop in subscriptions. Alexander Powers starts a small meeting for the railroad men but also discovers the railroad's fraud against the ICC. He resigns his post and goes to work as a telegraph clerk. Rollin Page proposes to Rachel Winslow, who rejects him because he has no direction. Later Rachel and Virginia help Mr. and Mrs. Gray with meetings in the Rectangle (an area surrounded by saloons), and Rollin experiences a conversion. Later, Virginia takes Loreen, a drunken lady who was earlier converted, to her house, to the dismay of her grandmother who leaves for high society. Jasper Chase, against the "What Would Jesus Do" vow, decides to print his novel anyway. Virginia later uses her inheritance to buy the Rectangle property and also to help Norman's newspaper. Rollin, having a purpose for his life helping people, declares love for Rachel.

Chapters 16–24 shift the action to Chicago, with Dr. Calvin Bruce, a resident of Chicago, visiting Raymond, and writing what he saw. He then decides to try the vow. Dr. Bruce does a similar pledge. His bishop, Bishop Edward Hampton, visits him also. Rachel's cousins Felicia and Rose are orphaned when their father commits suicide and their mother dies of shock. They go to live in Raymond for a little bit. Dr. Bruce and the Bishop start a work in the Settlement (similar to the Rectangle), with help from Felicia. The Bishop is held up, but the robber realizes the Bishop was the same person who helped him, and he reforms. Some of the characters from the earlier chapters, such as Henry Maxwell, Rachel Winslow, appear to see the work in the Settlement. In the last chapter, Henry Maxwell sees a vision, telling the future of many characters in the book.

Characters

People from Chicago

  • Felicia Sterling, Rachel's cousin, 19 years old with brown eyes. Orphaned in the story, later marries Clyde
  • Rose Sterling, Felicia's sister, and Rachel's other cousin, 21 years old at the time of the story. Later marries for wealth, and dark details are obscured.
  • Mrs. Delano, a chaperone for young girls
  • Mr. Stephen Clyde, a carpenter, marries Felicia Sterling
  • Rev. Calvin Bruce, D.D., seminary classmate of Henry Maxwell, pastor of Nazareth Avenue Church in Chicago. Challenged by what has happened in Raymond, does similarly in Chicago
  • Mrs. Bruce, Rev. Calvin's wife
  • Charles R. Sterling, father of Felicia and Rose. Commits suicide when he loses his fortune
  • Camilla Rolf Sterling, mother of Felicia and Rose, and Rachel's aunt. Chose to marry Charles instead of the Bishop. Dies of shock with the death of her husband
  • Bishop Edward Hampton, works with Dr. Calvin Bruce
  • Burns, a person whom Bishop Hampton helped 15 years before. Tries, with an unnamed friend to rob the Bishop, but stops when he realizes who the Bishop is
  • Clayton Price, owner of a saloon by the settlement
  • Clarence Penrose, owner of houses in Chicago
  • Diana Penrose, his daughter
  • Unnamed man, who knew Jack Manning when in Philadelphia, and said he was a good man
  • Carlson

Jesus Is Here

Sheldon wrote a sequel to In His Steps titled Jesus Is Here, where Christ visits the characters of In His Steps, supposedly a few years later. The book is written in much the same language and style as In His Steps, with many of the same characters (and some added ones). This book's recurring phrase, used in the description of Jesus, is, "Like an average man. Only different."

Plot

Jesus appears quietly at first to one person and then to an expanding group of people in the small town of Raymond. He gradually draws more and more attention, including crowds. Jesus goes from Raymond to New York City and then Washington, D.C., at points making a public splash, including media attention. The non-stereotypical character of Jesus seems fully capable of supernatural power (not showing up in pictures, for example) but chooses a nondescript mode of presenting himself. He does not appear to do dramatic public acts such as healing, but instead speaks words of comfort or lends practical help. He has views but relays them with understatement. He wears ordinary business clothes, at times blends into a crowd, and is not memorable in appearance. He is humble, practical and personable. His impact upon lives is not through obvious miracles but through old-fashioned kindness, care, and encouragement.

Literary technique

Sheldon creates a Jesus who is especially gentle on the modern church of his day, speaking generous words of grace and favor. Sheldon offers a nice counterpoint through the skepticism of Raymond's lead editor, a non-Christian and non-churchgoer, who sets the storyline of the book. Sheldon also extends the mystery and realism of his fictional idea by effective omission—the use of third-person accounts, and the technique of delaying and limiting first-hand quotations for more than half of the book to onlookers' descriptions of what they saw. There is also a demure and rapid love story between two characters, blessed by Jesus.

This sequel has a slightly more contemporary feel than In His Steps, in that this cast includes characters who openly declare opposing aims and a mean-spirited skepticism of Christ. By playing its own devil's advocate, through voicing skepticism, and keeping the plot more uncertain, the book and its conflicts become more interesting. A Christian might read the story simply to find out how long the fiction of a fleshly Christ, even of the late 1800s / early 1900s, can be sustained. Issues do gradually emerge through the book that date it, however; the book embodies strong Prohibitionist and Temperance views on tobacco, alcohol, college fraternities, and other questions of the period that do not reflect prevailing contemporary approaches to those issues.

Controversy

Sheldon's sequel, Jesus is Here, was quite controversial in its day. The author's own foreword to the book alludes to some of the controversy. Possible conflicts by fellow Christian believers might include:

Updated edition of original work

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian views on marriage</span>

From the earliest days of the Christian faith, Christians have viewed marriage as a divinely blessed, lifelong, monogamous union between a man and a woman. However, while many Christians might agree with the traditional definition, the terminology and theological views of marriage have varied through time in different countries, and among Christian denominations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irenaeus</span> 2nd-century Greek bishop and Doctor of the Church

Irenaeus was a Greek bishop noted for his role in guiding and expanding Christian communities in the southern regions of present-day France and, more widely, for the development of Christian theology by combating heterodox or Gnostic interpretations of Scripture as heresy and defining proto-orthodoxy. Originating from Smyrna, he had seen and heard the preaching of Polycarp, who in turn was said to have heard John the Evangelist, and thus was the last-known living connection with the Apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Polycarp</span> Christian bishop of Smyrna (69-155)

Polycarp was a Christian bishop of Smyrna. According to the Martyrdom of Polycarp, he died a martyr, bound and burned at the stake, then stabbed when the fire failed to consume his body. Polycarp is regarded as a saint and Church Father in the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox Church, Oriental Orthodox Churches, Lutheranism, and Anglicanism.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">What would Jesus do?</span> Phrase popular in the 1990s in the United States

The phrase "What would Jesus do?", often abbreviated to WWJD, became popular particularly in the United States in the early 1900s after the widely read book In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? by Charles Sheldon. The phrase had a resurgence in the 1990s as a personal motto for adherents of Christianity, who used it as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner demonstrating the love of Jesus through their actions. The resurgence of the motto during the 1990s stems from the W.W.J.D. abbreviation on wristbands that became popular among Christian youth groups.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Holy Church of America</span>

The United Holy Church of America, Inc. (UHCA) is the oldest African-American Holiness-Pentecostal body in the world. It was established in 1886. It is a predominantly black Pentecostal denomination, with the international headquarters is located at 5104 Dunstan Road in Greensboro, North Carolina. The UHCA consists of an estimated 516 churches, 17 districts, and 8 territories. The largest and the oldest district of the connectional body is the Southern District Convocation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillips Brooks</span> American clergyman and author

Phillips Brooks was an American Episcopal clergyman and author, long the Rector of Boston's Trinity Church and briefly Bishop of Massachusetts. He wrote the lyrics of the Christmas hymn, "O Little Town of Bethlehem".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Sheldon</span> American religious leader (1857–1946)

Charles Monroe Sheldon was an American Congregationalist minister and a leader of the Social Gospel movement. His 1896 novel In His Steps introduced the principle "What would Jesus do?", which articulated an approach to Christian theology that became popular at the turn of the 20th century and enjoyed a revival almost one hundred years later. The stretch of US-24 on the north side of Topeka, Kansas, between US-75 and K-4 is named the "Charles Sheldon Trafficway" in his honor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">H. B. Warner</span> English film and theatre actor (1876-1958)

Henry Byron Warner was an English film and theatre actor. He was popular during the silent era and played Jesus Christ in The King of Kings. In later years, he successfully moved into supporting roles and appeared in numerous films directed by Frank Capra. Warner's most recognizable role to modern audiences is Mr. Gower in It's a Wonderful Life, directed by Capra. He appeared in the original 1937 version of Lost Horizon as Chang, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Primacy of Peter</span> Position of preeminence attributed to Peter

The primacy of Peter, also known as Petrine primacy, is the position of preeminence that is attributed to Peter among the Twelve Apostles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lazarus of Bethany</span> Person resurrected by Jesus in the Gospel of John

Lazarus of Bethany is a figure within the Christian Bible, mentioned in the New Testament in the Gospel of John, who four days after his death is restored to life by Jesus. This is seen by Christians as one of the miracles of Jesus. In the Eastern Orthodox Church, Lazarus is venerated as Righteous Lazarus, the Four-Days Dead. The Eastern Orthodox and Catholic traditions offer varying accounts of the later events of his life.

<i>Colorado Territory</i> (film) 1949 film by Raoul Walsh, Anthony Veiller

Colorado Territory is a 1949 American Western film noir directed by Raoul Walsh and starring Joel McCrea, Virginia Mayo, and Dorothy Malone. Written by Edmund H. North and John Twist, and based on the novel High Sierra by W.R. Burnett, the film is about an outlaw who is sprung from jail to help pull one last railroad job.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elsie Dinsmore</span>

Elsie Dinsmore is a children's book series written by Martha Finley (1828–1909) between 1867 and 1905. Of Finley's two girls' fiction series, the "Mildred Keith" books were more realistic and autobiographical in nature, while the "Elsie Dinsmore" books, which were better sellers, were more idealistic in plot. A revised and adapted version of the Elsie books was published in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Remsburg</span> American teacher, religious skeptic and writer (1848-1919)

John Eleazer Remsburg was an ardent religious skeptic in America in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In his book 1909 book The Christ, Remsburg lists forty-two ancient writers who did not mention Jesus or whose mentions are suspect, and this list has appeared in many subsequent books that question the historicity of Jesus. Remsburg himself wrote that the man Jesus may have existed, but that the Christ of the gospels is mythical.

Francis Gladden Bishop was a minor leader in the Latter Day Saint movement after the 1844 succession crisis. Bishop claimed to be the rightful successor to Joseph Smith; from the 1850s until his death, Bishop led a succession of small groups of Latter Day Saints and converts. His followings have been identified informally by later writers as the Gladdenites and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Gladdenite), though the name of a late following is formally The Church of Jesus Christ of the New Jerusalem. In the 1850s, many of Bishop's followers abandoned him and joined the movement that would later become the Church of Christ.

Arthur Graham Crowder Maxwell, often abbreviated as A. Graham Maxwell, was a Seventh-day Adventist theologian, and the emeritus professor of New Testament studies at Loma Linda University. In a 1985 survey of 55 religion teachers at North American Adventist colleges, Maxwell tied for fourth place among most influential Adventist authors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorin Farr</span> American politician

Lorin Farr was a Mormon pioneer and the first mayor of Ogden, Utah.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry John Whitehouse</span> American Episcopol bishop

Henry John Whitehouse was the second Episcopal bishop of Illinois.

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, marriage between a man and a woman is considered to be "ordained of God". Marriage is thought to consist of a covenant between the man, the woman, and God. The church teaches that in addition to civil marriage, which ends at death, a man and woman can enter into a celestial marriage, performed in a temple by priesthood authority, whereby the marriage and parent–child relationships resulting from the marriage will last forever in the afterlife.

Henry Maxwell may refer to:

References

Footnotes

  1. jr-miller.com:Online Edition of In His Steps from the Project Gutenberg Archived November 7, 2012, at the Wayback Machine at the J.R. Miller Archive; Retrieved on the November 19, 2006.
  2. Forward to In His Steps, Chosen Books 1984, ISBN   0-8007-8608-4, pp. 5–6