Religion That Works by Samuel M. Shoemaker - RDJ
Religion That Works: Sermons of Practical Christian Life
Samuel M. Shoemaker
1928 · Hardcover (publisher’s cloth) · With supplied facsimile/photocopy dust jacket
Overview
Offered here is an early 1928 printing of Religion That Works by Rev. Samuel M. Shoemaker, one of the most influential American spiritual voices connected to the Oxford Group era. This volume gathers Shoemaker’s sermons on practical Christian living—faith not as theory, but as something applied in daily life through honesty, surrender, restitution, and spiritual guidance.
For collectors of Oxford Group and early A.A.-adjacent material, this title is especially compelling because Shoemaker’s preaching represents the same “changed life” stream that deeply shaped the spiritual atmosphere of the 1930s—and later helped influence how early A.A. members talked about transformation, confession, and reliance on God.
Why Shoemaker Matters
Shoemaker served as rector of Calvary Church in New York City and became widely known for presenting Christianity as a lived, experiential reality—something that could change conduct, relationships, and the inner life. His work is frequently sought by recovery-history collectors because his sermons preserve, in real time, the kind of spiritual language and practice that was circulating in the New York spiritual landscape during the years just before A.A.’s emergence.
The book opens with an introduction by Albert Parker Fitch, framing Shoemaker as a preacher of “personal religion” with a clear emphasis on results—religion that works in the real world.
Edition / Publication Details
- Title: Religion That Works: Sermons of Practical Christian Life
- Author: Samuel M. Shoemaker
- Publication Year: 1928 (copyright date on copyright page)
- Edition/Printing: Not stated (early printing; no explicit printing line)
- Binding: Original publisher’s cloth
- Dust Jacket: Supplied facsimile/photocopy reproduction (no original jacket present)
- Introduction: Albert Parker Fitch
Condition
- Book: Very Good overall. Cloth shows some wear and staining consistent with age.
- Interior: Stamp on the first page; otherwise no writing or markings observed.
- Dust Jacket: Supplied photocopy facsimile (for presentation/protection only).
Please review all photos for the most accurate representation of condition.
Collector Notes
Early Shoemaker titles are increasingly difficult to find in attractive, honest condition—especially those that capture his “practical Christianity” message at its peak. This is a strong, readable, and collectible example of an important Shoemaker sermon volume from the late 1920s, ideal for shelves focused on Oxford Group history, spiritual renewal movements, and the wider pre–Twelve Step landscape.
