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1896 book by Charles Sheldon

In His Steps is a bestselling religious fiction novel written by Charles Monroe Sheldon. First published in 1896, the book has sold more than 50 million copies and ranks as one of the bestselling books of all time. The full title of the book is In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do? Although variations of the phrase "What would Jesus do?" have been used by Christians for centuries as a form of imitatio dei, the imitation of God, it gained much greater currency following the publication of the book. Chicago Advance, the original publisher, failed to register the copyright in the proper form. Other publishers took advantage of this, publishing the book without paying the author royalties. This resulted in lowered prices, but multiple publishers led to larger sales.

In 1896, Charles Monroe Sheldon began writing the book for his Sunday night services. The story released one chapter a week and begged the question "What would Jesus do?" in the lives of various characters. His work gained notoriety soon after its release, and its finished form was published by the Advance one chapter per week, just as it had been before its fame. Its ten cent paperback edition sold 100,000 copies.

In His Steps takes place in the city of Raymond, located west of Topeka, Kansas. The main character is Rev. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First Church of Raymond. He challenges his congregation to not do anything for a whole year without first asking: "What Would Jesus Do?" Other characters include Ed Norman, senior editor of the Raymond Daily Newspaper, Rachel Winslow, a talented singer, and Virginia Page, an heiress. The novel begins on a Friday morning when a man out of work (later identified as Jack Manning) appears at the front door of Henry Maxwell while the latter is preparing for that Sunday's upcoming sermon. Maxwell listens to the man's helpless plea briefly before brushing him away and closing the door. The same man appears in the church at the end of the Sunday sermon, walks to "the open space in front of the pulpit," and faces the people. No one stops him. He quietly but frankly confronts the congregation — "I'm not complaining; just stating facts" — about their compassion, or apathetic lack thereof, for the jobless like him in Raymond. Upon finishing his address to the congregation, he collapses and then dies a few days later. That next Sunday, Henry Maxwell, deeply moved by the events of the past week, presents a challenge to his congregation: "Do not do anything without first asking, 'What would Jesus do?'" This challenge is the theme of the novel and is the driving force of the plot. From this point on, the rest of the novel consists of certain episodes that focus on individual characters as their lives are transformed by the challenge. Norman decides not to print a prize fight, and to discontinue the Sunday edition, leaving a drop in subscriptions. Alexander Powers starts a small meeting for the railroad men but also discovers the railroad's fraud against the ICC. He resigns his post and goes to work as a telegraph clerk. Rollin Page proposes to Rachel Winslow, who rejects him because he has no direction. Later Rachel and Virginia help Mr. and Mrs. Gray with meetings in the Rectangle (an area surrounded by saloons), and Rollin experiences a conversion. Later, Virginia takes Loreen, a drunken lady who was earlier converted, to her house, to the dismay of her grandmother who leaves for high society. Jasper Chase, against the "What Would Jesus Do" vow, decides to print his novel anyway. Virginia later uses her inheritance to buy the Rectangle property and also to help Norman's newspaper. Rollin, having a purpose for his life helping people, declares love for Rachel. Chapters 16–24 shift the action to Chicago, with Dr. Calvin Bruce, a resident of Chicago, visiting Raymond, and writing what he saw. He then decides to try the vow. Dr. Bruce does a similar pledge. His bishop, Bishop Edward Hampton, visits him also. Rachel's cousins Felicia and Rose are orphaned when their father commits suicide and their mother dies of shock. They go to live in Raymond for a little bit. Dr. Bruce and the Bishop start a work in the Settlement (similar to the Rectangle), with help from Felicia. The Bishop is held up, but the robber realizes the Bishop was the same person who helped him, and he reforms. Some of the characters from the earlier chapters, such as Henry Maxwell, Rachel Winslow, appear to see the work in the Settlement. In the last chapter, Henry Maxwell sees a vision, telling the future of many characters in the book.

Sheldon wrote a sequel to In His Steps titled Jesus Is Here, where Christ visits the characters of In His Steps, supposedly a few years later. The book is written in much the same language and style as In His Steps, with many of the same characters (and some added ones). This book's recurring phrase, used in the description of Jesus, is, "Like an average man. Only different."

Jesus appears quietly at first to one person and then to an expanding group of people in the small town of Raymond. He gradually draws more and more attention, including crowds. Jesus goes from Raymond to New York City and then Washington, D. C., at points making a public splash, including media attention. The non stereotypical character of Jesus seems fully capable of supernatural power (not showing up in pictures, for example) but chooses a nondescript mode of presenting himself. He does not appear to do dramatic public acts such as healing, but instead speaks words of comfort or lends practical help. He has views but relays them with understatement. He wears ordinary business clothes, at times blends into a crowd, and is not memorable in appearance. He is humble, practical and personable. His impact upon lives is not through obvious miracles but through old fashioned kindness, care, and encouragement.

Sheldon creates a Jesus who is especially gentle on the modern church of his day, speaking generous words of grace and favor. Sheldon offers a nice counterpoint through the skepticism of Raymond's lead editor, a non Christian and non churchgoer, who sets the storyline of the book. Sheldon also extends the mystery and realism of his fictional idea by effective omission—the use of third person accounts, and the technique of delaying and limiting first hand quotations for more than half of the book to onlookers' descriptions of what they saw. There is also a demure and rapid love story between two characters, blessed by Jesus. This sequel has a slightly more contemporary feel than In His Steps, in that this cast includes characters who openly declare opposing aims and a mean spirited skepticism of Christ. By playing its own devil's advocate, through voicing skepticism, and keeping the plot more uncertain, the book and its conflicts become more interesting. A Christian might read the story simply to find out how long the fiction of a fleshly Christ, even of the late 1800s / early 1900s, can be sustained. Issues do gradually emerge through the book that date it, however; the book embodies strong Prohibitionist and Temperance views on tobacco, alcohol, college fraternities, and other questions of the period that do not reflect prevailing contemporary approaches to those issues.

Sheldon's sequel, Jesus is Here, was quite controversial in its day. The author's own foreword to the book alludes to some of the controversy. Possible conflicts by fellow Christian believers might include:

The book references the Holy Spirit 18 times as essential to walking in Christ's steps to make social reform, a requirement anti and non Christian reformists may object to. The book makes no mention of the Antichrist, who the Bible mentions in the New Testament books of Revelation, 1 John, and 2 John. Other Christian books, notably Frank Peretti's The Visitation (1999), ponder through fiction what an anti Christ type of visitation might look like on a smaller scale. In Jesus Is Here, a question emerges for the reader: "Who is this man?" and "Why wouldn't he be a fraud?"

Charles M. Sheldon, Bell, James S., Jr. (ed.) In His Steps. Cook Publishing Company. "A timeless classic updated in today's language."