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The Radical Social Gospellers and the Fight for a Just Society Ln Canada

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The Radical Social Gospellers and the Fight for a Just Society Ln Canada SEEK YE FLRST THE CO-OPERATIVE ECONOMIC KINGDOM: THE RADICAL SOCIAL GOSPELLERS AND THE FIGHT FOR A JUST SOCIETY LN CANADA Ajmu Donkor Khdfani A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Adult Education, Community Developrnent and Counsrllin Psychology Ontario lnstitute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto O Copyright by Ajamu Donkor Khalfani 20M) National Library Bibliothèque nationale ($1 ofCanada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographie Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395. rue Wellington Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Ottawa ON K1A ON4 Canada Canada The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une Iicence non exclusive Licence allowing the exclusive permettant a la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or sell reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. SEEK YE FIRST THE CO-OPERATIVEECONOMIC KINGDOM: THE Rri\DIC.AL SOCIAL GOSPELLERS AND THE FIGHT FOR .A JUST SOCIETY iN CANADA Ajamu Donkor Khalfani Master of Arts 2000 Depanment of Adult Education. Community Deveiopment. and Counselliny Psychology Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto Abstract This rcscarcli study thc radical social gospcl movcmcnt and its ancmpt to inspirc and work for the transformation of Camdian socicty. from onc bascd on social oppression ro onc ccntrcd on brothcrliood/sistcrhood. junicc and cquit!. in cconomic. social. and political rclritionships. It csplorcs thc argumcnt thnt thc radical social gospcl movcmcnt in English- spcaking. Protcstmt Canada \vould have donc more to advancc its goal of social cm;incipation. if it had intçgntcd a coniprc.hensivc CO-opentive~conornic dcveloprncnt approach nith its clcctord political stntcgy. Furthemore. it is arçued that an sdult education programme prtmiscd on fostcrins critical consciousncss-ris and hnctional ho\dcdgc and sliills in cconomic and socid self-manaçcmcnt would have had to br an indispensable pan of this process. Thc idea and pmcticc of CO-opentivçeconornics in Crinada. and thc social gospel ndicd's thoughts on rind espçriencc with adult tducation are highlighted to suppon the dicsis of this rcsmrch- Acknowledgernents 1 was Fortunate to have the invaluable support. encouragement, and guidance of Dr. Jack Quaner of the Department of Adult Education. Community Development and Counselling Psychology during thc proccss of compteting this researdî. as ive11 as for the whole period of my tenure at this institution. 1 also thank the other member of my thesis cornmittee. Dr. Edmund O'SulIivan. for his contribution. 1 am particularly grateful to Nkechinyelurn Chioneso for her advise. cornpanionship. and empathy during those moments of difficulty that seem to be inevitable and attendant wit h researching and writ ing. especially the latter. Your typing of a major part of the manuscript was greatly appreciated. M~flrespectiui s~sr~ui~! 1 am indebted to my sister. Charm, for her overall encouragement and assistance with typing the rernaining portion of the manuscript. Kwabena Yafeu. mi hiuc/rh. asante sana (thank you) For a willing pair of ears as I talked about the challenges and demands of balancins work. parenting and academia. 1 bear hl1 responsibility for the conclusions made in this study. Furtherrnore. I hope that i have done justice to the social commitment and legacy of struggle bequeathed to us by the radical social gospeliets. TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements Chapter I Introduction Chapter 3 The Historical Settings of the Social Gospel Movement Philosophical Foundation of the Social Gospel Immanence of God in History The Kingdom of God on Earth The Ethical and Social Basis ofIesus and Christianity A Solidaristic View of Society Social and Political Activism of the Social Gospellen The Parting of Ways with the Institutional Church Chapter 3 The Struggle for the Good and Just Society 52 The Kingdom of God and the Co-operative Commonwealth Ideal 60 Contextualising the Co-operative Movement in 19'~and 201h Century Canada 65 The Social Gospel and the Co-operative Option 69 Chapter 4 Chant down Babylon: The Social Gospel and Adult Education 58 Educational Thmst of the Prophetic Ministry 90 Critique of Education by the Social Gospel Radicals 93 The Labor Church, Adult Education and Psychological Liberation 95 Co-operative and Adult Education Example of the Antisonish Movement 106 Chapter 5 Conclusion: Where Do We Go From Here? The Social Gospel's Lessons to Contemporary Clerbv References 127 Chapter One Introduction The social philosophy of CO-operationis based on collective solutions to human problems. It encompasses the philosophies that emphasize co-operative action in the solution of economic and social problems. The non-exploitation of hurnans by humans is fundamental. This is a philosophical position of most of the major religions of the world. Cutisçyueiiiiy. wlien the social piiilusophy of ço-uperation kvas bçiiig articulated by social philosophers one and two centuries aga it was closely related to the core philosophical positions in religion and could be viewed as the secutarization of these morak into business and economic life. ' This research is a historical study of the Canadian social gospel movement and its attempt to inspire and work for the transformation of society. from one based on social oppression to one centred on co-operation. brotherhood/sisterhood. justice and equity in econornic. social. and political relationships. Engendering the process that would affect the realisation of the Kingdom of God on earth was the essence of the social evangrlism of the conscientised. radical clerics. who identifted thernselves as social gospellers. bl y research explores the aryment t hat the social rospel movement in English-speaking, Protestant Canada would have done more to advance its goal of a just economic. social and political ordrr. if it had integrated a comprehensive and integrated CO-operativeeconomic development approach with its electoral political strateg. The cms of my argument is that the social ~ospellersshould have $en most of their attention to building the self-management capacity of oppressed and sympathetic social groups. which would have been actualised through a comprehensive CO-operativeeconomic programme. An adult education programme centred on the goal of fostering critical consciousness-raiçing and t'unctional knowledge and sskills in econornic and social self-management would have had tu be an indispensable part ofthis process. In every society and particularly modern. industrial capitalist ones. the ownership and/or control of economic resources. assets and capital give the controllin5 agents of these objects a paramount Say in the rnanner in which life is orsanised. It does not rnatter. substantively. if progressive political forces are in controf of the govemmental rnachinery. By exercising strategic domination of property and wealth. the capitalist classes can effectively nullify the core elernent of a reformist mandate of a governing radical pany. The social democratic administration ( 1990- 1995) of the New Democrat Party of Ontario was a good example of the hostility and obstruction that big businesses and other entrenched interests may place in the path of a political pany with a progessive predisposition. This concern was rnost evident in that government's attempt at putting in place povernment-controlled automobile insurance. and effecting fair employment (ernployment equity) legislation. Politically and philosophically. my orientation as an anarchist predisposed me to look within and io civil society for any manifestations of its capacity to self-organise. What is suggested by the preceding statement is. whether there e'rist within civil society the social movements. knowledge. skills and attitude for its politically progressive elements to serve as a catalyst for the creation of democratic. non- hierarchical and inclusive orsanisai ions, through which the people may seek to construct transfomative economic and social relations. With respect to the Canadian social g~spelmovement and its social mandate. there was a parallel movement whose origin in Europe and latter emergence in Canada was a reaction against the victorious capitalist economic order. Co-operatives wit h its social p hilosophy of CO-operation are entities that progessive civil society actors can use to Foster a cultural revolution grounded in socially-transformative values and practice. Co-operatives as organisational structures are no doubt pan of capitalist societies. At times it is difficult to qualitatively differentiate CO-operatives From outnght capitalist businesses. because their mode of operation and profit maximising behaviour are essentially the same. This state of atyairs has led some observers to question CO- operatives pedigree as socially transformaiive instruments. However. it should be noted that CO-operativeswere found in
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