I've read two of Walter Rauschenbusch's books, and he rightly recognized that the gospel applies to how we save our society as well as how we save our souls. (Both are covered in the pages of the bible, and they are closely linked. And, It's only Marxism when charity becomes State-owned and operated---there's no virtue in helping the poor with someone else's confiscated money.)
"We have taken the hopeful position that our entire social order, with all its terrible immoralities, is neverthess woven through with Christian elements, which form the basis of its further regeneration. The same thing is true of our economic order. With all their bitter cruelty and wrong our factories are the cells out of which a christianized industry must be evolved. Even now business men are public servants in embryo. They pride themselves on the community service they are rendering, and many a one of them would serve admirably as Bishop of the Church of Holy Industry, if he had half a chance to put his Christian good will into action." (From "Christianizing the Social Order" - Walter Rauschenbusch, p.237 -- , New York, The Macmillan Company, 1919 )
One of W. Rauschenbusch's most useful observations has to do with how Evangelicalism's perpetual "sky is falling" refrain works against it's own mission. He writes:
"The social gospel seeks to develop the vision of the Church toward the future and co-operate with the will of God which is shaping the destinies of humanity. It would be aided and reinforced by a modern and truly Christian conception about the future of mankind. At present no other theological influence so hampers and obstructs the social gospel as that of eschatology. All considerations taken from the life of the twentieth century cry out for something like the social gospel; but the ideas of the first century contained in eschatology are used to veto it. Those who have trained their religious thinking on the Hebrew prophets and the genuine teachings of Jesus are for the social gospel; those who have trained it on apocalyptic ideas are against it. This is all the more pathetic because the pre-millennial scheme is really an outline of the social salvation of the race. Those who hold it exhibit real interest in social and political events. But, they are best pleased when they see humanity defeated and collapsing, for then the salvation is nigh. Active work for the salvation of the social order...is not only vain but against the will of God. Thus [futurist] eschatology defeats the Christian imperative of righteousness and salvation." (From Theology for the Social Gospel - Walter Rauschenbusch, p. 210-211,-- New York, The Macmillan Company, 1918 )
He's absolutely correct, and he wrote that in 1918. Could have been written today.
Most evangelicals seem unaware that the primary application of eschatology pertained to the first century end of the Old Testamental age. Sites like preteristvision.org and preteristarchive.com do a nice job of showing how eschatology applied primarily to the apostles' generation, with a focus on the Roman Imperial Cult and the dissolution of the Old Covenant world, religion, and state at AD 70. Imminence pertained to them, not to us. The current age may have hundreds of thousands of years to go, if not more. That changes the perspective of what Christians are to be doing somewhat.
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Each generation is responsible to consider the possibility of the return of Christ in their day. If he does not return as they suspect they are still heroes of the faith for having watched and considered. Each generation is also called to work for the social welfare of their community. Even if they fail to bring peace to this war torn earth they are heroes of the faith for trying. These responsibilitis are not at odds with each other and there is enough time in life to do both. It may be those who are content to put Jesus' return to one hundred thousand years from now who are the ones who fulfill only half of the indicatives of the Gospel. And no....most eschatology does not refer to the first century A.D. I have read and studied too much to think otherwise.
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