Stones for Bread

Harry Antonides presents a critical evaluation of the social gospel move-ment that flourished in Canada after the turn of the century. He ex-amines its philosophical and theological roots and concludes that the social gospel was an effort to harmonize the Christian faith with the secular faith of modernity. The outcome, Antonides claims, was a misinterpretation of the gospel and an optimistic but shallow program for social and political reform. The author sees a clear connection be-tween the ideas that inspired the social gospel and those prompting the political activism of the mainline churches today. Consequently, he argues, the analysis and policy recommendations of these churches are largely indistinguishable from those of the political Left. Antonides presents a biblical view of the role of the church and issues a strong call for genuine Christian social action.

Stones for Bread is a carefully argued, yet hard-hitting book that deals with the urgent issues confronting Christians today.