| The Gospel of Wealth | Previous | Next |
| Digital History ID 3170 | ||
Drawing on the doctrine of St. Paul, that the rich had to bestewards of wealth, defenders of the Gospel of Wealth, like theEpiscopal Bishop of Massachusetts, argued that it was God's willthat some men attained great wealth, and "in the long run,it is only to the man of morality that wealth comes." Heconcluded: "Material prosperity is helping to make the nationalcharacter sweeter, more joyous, more unselfish, more Christ like."
In an 1889 essay, steel magnate Carnegie told his fellow businessleaders, "The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced."Carnegie believed that the wealthy should repay their debt tosociety. True to his beliefs, by his death in 1919 he had divestedhimself of more than 95 percent of his fortune. He built a librarybuilding for any town that would provide a site, stock the buildingwith books, and guarantee maintenance expenses. He provided pensionsfor professors at universities that agreed to meet strict academicstandards. In addition to funding music halls, outdoor swimmingpools, and church organs, he also set up endowments to promoteteaching and world peace.
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