Comrade Jesus.

The intense globalization of the American mind brought on by two world wars and the increasing "threat" of communism seems to have drastically affected the American religious psyche. This week's writings are dripping with evidence for this move from the individualistic, anxiety-laden faith of the late 19th century toward the more corporate-minded, Social Gospel movement of the early 20th century. Brown writes, "Religion is not a private affair between the individual and God, but a corporate affair between the individual, God, and the neighbor." As Brown continues, the "new" idea of religion's social responsibility echoes the sentiments of those who conceptualized the nation of the United States. He writes, "It is the duty of the individual, both as religious person and as citizen, to play a responsible role in the processes of democracy."

I wonder if this shift in priority is the result of the threat of communism, not to the national identity, but to the role of religion in society. Religion was not accomplishing the goal that the founding fathers intended within a democratic republic. As the working class grew restless and the church proved less revolutionary, the socialist ideals of Marx and communists like Kropotkin took hold of the world. As Marx wrote, "[Religion] is the opium of the people."

Dorothy Day, a communist to Catholic convert, perplexes me. The Catholic church did not seem to align with her stance on military involvement, not initially anyway. Even her stance on non-violence was not a Catholic position. Instead she seemed to bring her communist ideals to her Christian faith. Could this, perhaps, be the case for the evolution of the "liberal" christian agenda? Would it exist without the rise and popular intellectual embrace of communism?