The Pure Causeway

1899 Roberts, Evelyn Harvey. The Pure Causeway. Chicago, IL: Charles H. Kerr. 264 pp. DLC, MoU-St, PSt

The first part of the book “The Travail of the Ages” (7-184) is on the travails of Christians in the contemporary world and discussion about the problems of being a true Christian in the modern world. Part II, “The Servant of JHVH” (185-263) is a eutopia describing the establishment of a city at Jerusalem that provides the basis for living a truly Christian life, which should involve an entire community. Limited hours of work. “You see, when all the people work, not for money-profit but simply for the needed things, and when we all co-operate in the making of them, there is enough made in much less time than you would think” (191-92). Arduous or particularly unpleasant work having even shorter hours, and such work is shared by everyone in the community. Each house is sufficiently isolated to ensure privacy. As much done in the open air as possible, including eating. People can “eat at home, in the ordinary lifeless way,” if they choose (196). No restricting clothes. People generally eat their two meals a day together with breakfast at home. Everyone must serve a year as a novice before being allowed to join. Stress on education from birth with everyone educated in productive work. The book is dedicated to Prof. George D. Herron (1862-1925), who was Professor of Applied Christianity at Iowa (now Grinnell) College and a leader of the Kingdom Movement, a particularly radical part of the Social Gospel Movement; see 1904 Herron.