The Role Of Jesus In The Roaring Twenties

The decade after World War I, known as the Roaring Twenties, was when the rapid transformation had taken place as well as social conflicts and racial antagonism. Such transformation challenged people’s views on many aspects including social relations and politics. While the small number of upper/upper-middle class enjoyed the “phony prosperity” filled with easy money, cultural advancements and the innovative technologic products, many Americans were still struggling with poorness and feared for these dramatic changes during the 1920s(Foner, 759). It was the time of frivolous “consumer society” which brought by the standardized production in factories and advertising, yet accompanied by intense social turmoils. During this period, the book The …show more content…
Jesus in this book shares many similarities with the author’s ideal figure of businessmen, strong men who are capable of inspiring and forming organizations. Therefore, this book was popular among businessmen and became the most popular non-fiction book during that time. In fact, the new but controversial image of Jesus not only attracted businessmen but also showed American people different image of businessman. Back in the days of gilded age, businessmen, especially “captains of industry” like Rockefeller, were seen as monopoly who undermined the political and economic freedom. However, with this book Barton gave this old religion a new modern face. Jesus committed himself to business life and he knew how to satisfy his inner desire and represented a new culture which values commerce, in the early twentieth century. His book is a typical example of modernism, “a yearning to return to what many Americans saw as a purer, more innocent past ” (course