Reforming Culture: J. W. Alexander's Christian Approach To Social Reform

By: Gary Steward and Matthew Barrett

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Synopsis: How should we address the social ills in our culture? How should we respond to the social and economic inequalities around us? James W. Alexander (1804-1859) thought deeply about these problems and wrote extensively about how these issues might be addressed from a Christian perspective. The son of Princeton Seminary's first faculty member, Alexander rose to prominence in the nineteenth century as a Christian leader in Virginia, New Jersey, and New York City. While he authored numerous books and articles, Alexander's contribution to evangelical thought has largely been overlooked. Alexander was deeply concerned about the economic, political, and social structures of antebellum American society, and he left behind a great deal of material that addressed these issues. In an age when social reformers traversed America with an abundance of novel ideas and utopian schemes, Alexander believed that the Christian gospel and the influence of Christian truth was the best means approach for bringing about lasting good in the world around us. Alexander's thoughts on government, economics, education, and race continue to be relevant for our own day. While the complexion of our social ills may have changed, the solution to needs of our culture have largely remained the same.