In His Steps

"In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon is a novel written during the late 19th century. It tells the story of a group of Christian individuals who grapple with the concept of living their lives by asking the question, "What would Jesus do?" The main character, Rev. Henry Maxwell, finds his faith challenged and invigorated by a homeless man’s poignant question during a church service, sparking a transformative journey for him and his congregation. At the start of the novel, Rev. Henry Maxwell struggles to prepare his sermon when he is interrupted by a young man, who appears destitute and seeks help finding a job. After the man leaves, the sermon swells into a deeper reflection about following Jesus' example, particularly regarding personal sacrifice and genuine Christian action. Following the man's unexpected entrance and subsequent death, the congregation is inspired to commit to a year of living according to the principle of "What would Jesus do?" Throughout the initial chapters, themes of social justice, personal duty, and the complexities of living a Christian life are introduced as characters begin to confront their own behaviors and beliefs in light of the challenges posed by their commitment. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Charles Monroe Sheldon was an American Congregationalist minister and a leader of the Social Gospel movement. His 1896 novel In His Steps introduced the principle "What would Jesus do?", which articulated an approach to Christian theology that became popular at the turn of the 20th century and enjoyed a revival almost one hundred years later. The stretch of US-24 on the north side of Topeka, Kansas, between US-75 and K-4 is named the "Charles Sheldon Trafficway" in his honor.