Sunday Reflections: A Good Time to Teach Sociology—A Bad Time for Us

By: The Rev. Dr. George Hickok

This is a great time for teaching sociology, which means it is a bad time. 

The study of sociology was born of the Industrial Revolution when the gap between the rich and the poor became the greatest ever known. The two groups which I straddle; the religious community and the academic community, became interested and attempted to study social phenomenon with a scientific approach, replacing social myths with evidence and facts. 

Somehow we have managed to return statistically to that time. In our country, the wealthiest one percent of the population own 33 percent of the wealth and the wealthiest 10 percent own 70 percent of “our” wealth. It seems we have returned to the ruling class mode of the 19^th century in Russia and France—a time when America was awash with “robber barons.”  

No wonder folks are taking to the . The Occupy Wall Street movement has gone global and local. Responses have centered around cries of “class warfare." GOP presidential contender Herman Cain stood by his comments made last week when he blamed the unemployed for their plight, and Florida Congressman Allen West suggested the Occupy Wall Street movement was tied to both Communism and Nazism. Go figure.

Walter Rauschenbusch, a Christian theologian and Baptist minister, launched the Social Gospel movement using the teaching of Christ to champion a humane response to the flotsam of humanity left in the wake of the Industrial Revolution. Then, the response led to Christian sponsored schools, hospitals, orphanages and soup kitchens. Food banks and soup kitchens are being overwhelmed with demand. Around 40 million Americans have no health care plan.

Religious institutions can not redeem the system so stacked for the wealthy except through influencing politics. 

If this is class warfare, as a minister and educator I say bring it on. 

The Rev. Dr. George Hickok is minister of the Spring Hill Furnace Presbyterian Church in Lake Lynn, Pa. and adjunct professor of sociology at the Community College of Allegheny County south campus. He is married to the Rev. Beckie Hickock, minister of Waverly Presbyterian Church in Regent Square.