The legend of Eugene debs: Prophetic<i>ethos</i>as radical argument

Darsey, James

doi:10.1080/00335638809383852

Cited by 16 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…The socialist leader's prophetic influence emanated from his ability to be an "ethical presence" for individuals fighting for a hopeless cause, rather than a radical icon for a subversive political movement. 46 Indeed, Debs was viewed by his contemporaries, especially those of faith, as a prophetic figure. The founder of the Peoples church of Cincinnati, Herbert S. Bigelow, equated Debs' imprisonment to that of Jesus' crucifixion, and even claimed that Debs had replaced Lincoln as America's most "Christlike character."…”

Section: Prophetic-liminality and The Appeal Of Eugene Debsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Messiah of the Masses and Prophet of the Proletariat’: Reexamining Eugene Debs in the Framework of Spiritual Socialism

Gabriel

2024

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The following paper is concerned with the role that Christianity played in the discourse, life, and campaign of the prominent American socialist, Eugene Debs. Considering that socialism in the United States is often deemed impossible due to a myriad of factors—a prominent one being the underlying Protestant ethos of the state—Debs’ campaigns earned unprecedented support for the presidency in 1904, 1908, 1912, and 1920. I contend that Debs’ presidential campaigns offer a unique case for exploring the reconciliation of a secular socialist program with the Protestant and individualistic ethos of American society. Though an avowed secularist, it is well documented that Debs’ admired the historical Jesus, and he notably challenged the alignment of the Protestant Churches with industrial capitalism at the turn of the twentieth century. Using first and secondhand documentation on Debs’ campaigns, this paper proposes that Debs’ presentation of socialism as a necessary and logical expression of Christianity was important for overcoming the ideational barrier that Protestant Christianity poses for socialist candidates in the US. Where scholars like Jacob Dorn contend that Debs was effective at overcoming the “either-or” thinking that often plagues orthodox socialism, I contend that Debs’ appeal to a Jesus-centered Christianity importantly presented a new “either-or” maxim, where Christians were faced with choosing between capitalist Churchianity, or true Christianity.

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Section: Prophetic-liminality and The Appeal Of Eugene Debsmentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Messiah of the Masses and Prophet of the Proletariat’: Reexamining Eugene Debs in the Framework of Spiritual Socialism

Gabriel

2024

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“…Perhaps. And yes, there are a few rhetorical studies that mention class or the labor movement (Aune, 1994;Burke, 1984;Carter, 1980;Cloud, 1994Cloud, , 1999Darsey, 1988;Jensen, 1977;Jensen & Jensen, 1977;Knapp & McCroskey, 1968;Tonn, 1996). To be sure, there is a growing literature in critical organizational studies that attends to the voices of workers (for reviews, see Cheney, 1995Cheney, , 1999Cheney et al, 1998;Conrad & Poole, 1997;Deetz & Mumby, 1990;Mumby, 1993).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A few cultural studies scholars have attended to issues of class and labor (see Aronowitz, 1989Aronowitz, , 1992Munt, 2000). And yes, there are a few rhetorical studies that mention class or the labor movement (Aune, 1994;Burke, 1984;Carter, 1980;Cloud, 1994Cloud, , 1999Darsey, 1988;Jensen, 1977;Jensen & Jensen, 1977;Knapp & McCroskey, 1968;Tonn, 1996). On the whole, however, emphasis in this literature remains on voice, identity, and cultural microstrategies in the workplace rather than on labor's agency in winning material improvements in the lives of workers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%