The social sources of denominationalism

1929. The following discussion of the social character of the Christian churches is intended to be a practical contribution to the ethical problem of Denominationalism. The effort to distinguish churches primarily by reference to their doctrine and to approach the problem of church unity from a purely theological point of view appeared to be a procedure so artificial and fruitless that the author turned from theology to history, sociology, and ethics for a more satisfactory account of denominational differences and a more significant approach to the question of union. Contents: The Ethical Failure of the Divided Church; The Churches of the Disinherited; The Churches of the Middle Class; Nationalism and the Churches; Sectionalism and Denominationalism in America; The Churches of the Immigrants; Denominationalism and the Color Line; and Ways to Unity.