David Mislin provides a much-needed, and long overdue, study of the life and thought of Washington Gladden. A critical figure in the emergence of theological liberalism and a pioneer in the development of the social gospel movement, Gladden's story has too often been overlooked by scholars. In an engaging book, Mislin fleshes out the evolution of Gladden's thought, while discussing the numerous contours of his extensive career as a minister, journalist, theologian, and reformer. Mislin not only demonstrates Gladden's impact upon his era, but suggests how Gladden laid a foundation for today's Religious Left. Anyone interested in U.S. religious history, history of American Protestantism, or religion and social reform will enjoy reading this important book.

Christopher Evans, Professor of the History of Christianity and Methodist Studies, Boston University

Never heard of Washington Gladden? Read this book. You will be gripped by the deftly-told story of one of industrial America's towering reformers, a pioneering social gospel minister who was, in so many ways, also a flawed human being. We have a lot to learn from both Gladden's achievements and failures, and in these pages Mislin distills his legacies with unusual wisdom and grace.

Heath W. Carter, associate professor of American Christianity, Princeton Theological Seminary

Readers from many backgrounds, from professional historians to the historically curious, will thoroughly enjoy David Mislin’s timely, accessible biography of an important and complicated man. Mislin shows us Washington Gladden from all sides, a generous, thoughtful soul with a flawed but compelling vision of Christian unity and social redemption.

Margaret Bendroth, Executive Director, Congregational Library & Archives

I have long been familiar with Washington Gladden as an important liberal theologian and advocate for the social gospel at the turn of the twentieth century. But beyond those labels, I knew virtually nothing about him. Thankfully David Mislin has produced an intellectual biography that makes a persuasive case both for Gladden's historical importance, and for his contemporary relevance…. A particular treat for me was Mislin's emphasis on Gladden's youth and early adulthood, given that much of it occurred near my own home in western Massachusetts. More importantly, Mislin can trace Gladden's theological and political development from the beginning and identify important elements of continuity throughout his life, especially in "his linked commitments to religious liberalism and progressive politics" (xi)…. The result is a well-written and argued account of an important, and arguably neglected, figure in modem American Protestantism.

Anglican and Episcopal History