Charles Monroe Sheldon was an American Congregationalist minister and a prominent leader of the Social Gospel movement during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Born in 1857, Sheldon dedicated his life to ministry and theological writing, focusing on practical Christian ethics. His work sought to bridge the gap between faith and daily social action, making him a key figure in American religious history.
Sheldon achieved widespread recognition with the publication of his 1896 novel, In His Steps. The book introduced the famous guiding principle, "What would Jesus do?", which urged individuals to consider Christ's example in their everyday decisions. This concept articulated an approach to Christian theology that gained immense popularity at the turn of the twentieth century and experienced a significant revival nearly one hundred years later. Today, his legacy is commemorated in Topeka, Kansas, where a stretch of US-24 is named the "Charles Sheldon Trafficway" in his honor.
