The Faith of the Fathers: On the Christianity of Early American Sociology

The early development of American sociology is often discussed in the context of late nineteenth-century Protestantism, with the implication that in these years sociology was a part of this organizational-institutional nexus. This essay argues that it is more accurate to interpret this aspect of sociology's history as related to general trends in American religion as a socio-cultural system, but distinct from any specific program within the Protestant tradition. While sociology may be discussed as a gnostic reform movement within American society and hence as having a religious character, it is a mistake to elaborate this into documentation of a positive relationship between sociology and normative Protestantism. Early American sociology offered an empirically-based (i.e., scientific) effort to save the world by reforming its ills through the discovery and application of “objective” truth. This approach rejected both Marx and Jesus as they were then generally understood as sources for solving social problems (as well as for understanding the social problem), and instead embraced a modified Comtean scheme for positive action.