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Clapp, Book Review  55 

Book Review 

 

Holy Humanitarians:  

American Evangelicals and Global Aid 
By Heather D. Curtiss 

 
Reviewed by Rebekah R.S. Clapp 

 
 

 
 

Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2018. 

$29.95 

 

 

Heather Curtiss’ Holy Humanitarians analyzes the 

impact of American Evangelicals on global aid during 

the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries 

through the lens of a Christian periodical and the efforts 

of its founders. Her work focuses on Louis Klopsch and 

Rev. Thomas De Witt Talmage who, together, founded 

the Christian Herald in an effort to establish Evangelical 

Christians as the preeminent source of American 

philanthropy, especially globally. Curtiss’ telling of the 

Christian Herald ’s history demonstrates the ways in 

which power and privilege are intertwined with 

development efforts, as these wealthy, white, American 

men decided how and to whom aid should be given, 

influencing the perspectives of the American 

Evangelical community through their newspaper.  

Curtiss expresses how the Christian Herald rallied 

theologically and socioeconomically diverse 

communities to support a common cause, championing 

a unified American Christian identity that uplifts the 

needy around the globe. She cites the ways in which the 

Christian Herald’s processes for distribution of aid were 

ahead of their time, as they worked closely with local 

leaders in the contexts they were seeking to help; this 

was in contrast to the methodology of the Red Cross at 

the time, who sent their own employees to distribute aid 

in foreign locations (141). Curtiss also notes the 

progressive nature of the arguments made by the 

periodical to encourage Americans to extend generosity 

to non-Christian, non-American, and potentially even 

the “unworthy” poor (45). At the same time, she 

recognizes that the Christian Herald 's convictions were 

subject to change with the shifting political climate.  

Curtiss highlights the ways in which self-interest 

and politicking influenced the work of the Christian 

Herald. Throughout her work there is an unfolding 

narrative of Klopsch’s contentious relationship with 

Clara Barton and the Red Cross. Rather than being 

effective in working together, Klopsch fought for 

control so that the Christian Herald and therefore the 

Evangelical movement would be central and foremost 

in American global aid. Also, in an effort to maintain 

unity among their constituents, Klopsch and Talmage 

did little to address the racial contentions in the United 

States, especially in regard to the practice of lynching 

occurring in communities across the Southern United 

States. So, while the Christian Herald did address 

racism on a global scale, encouraging Evangelicals to 

send financial support around the world by citing the 

parable of the Good Samaritan to indicate the 

borderless nature of Christian love, this charitable 

attitude was not extended internally to the African 

American community (149). Klopsch and Talmage’s 

arguments for diversity as a part of the American ideal, 

encouragement of accepting immigrants, and rejection 

of exclusively aiding the deserving and the Christian, 

were supported by Biblical arguments. However, the 

Herald’s arguments shifted with the country’s changing 

political or social perspectives.  

Curtiss’ stated purpose in writing Holy 
Humanitarians was to offer a corrective of the historical 

scholarship which indicates that the early twentieth 

century philanthropic efforts were marked by 

secularization (5). It is clear in Curtiss’ narrative of the 

Christian Herald that a faith-based organization was not 

only successful, but led the nation’s efforts in 

philanthropy during this time. Yet, Curtiss shares the 

Herald’s story alongside of other contemporary efforts 



Christian Relief, Development, and Advocacy 1(1),  Summer 2019 

Clapp, Book Review  56 

in global aid by wealthy donors and the government-

funded Red Cross. These secular forms of aid 

continued to increase in the early twentieth century, 

even as the Christian Herald moved from the center of 

American foreign aid efforts and transitioned to 

focusing on evangelistic efforts (267). Rather than a 

corrective against the narrative of secularization, Holy 
Humanitarians offers important insight into the 

influence of American Evangelicals in the history of 

global aid.  

Demonstrating the influence of Evangelicals in 

twentieth century global aid is one of Curtiss’ stated 

purposes (293). She is explicit in outlining the 

theological and religious commitments that contributed 

to the push for charitable giving by the Christian 
Herald. However, Curtiss’ definition of “evangelical” is 

less explicit. Curtiss is diligent in connecting The 

Christian Herald’s narrative within the broader 

religious movements in the United States at the time, 

such as Christian socialism, biblical criticism, 

Darwinian evolution, fundamentalism, and the 

charismatic revivals. While Curtiss makes note of the 

influence of these movements or ideas on Klopsch and 

Talmage, she is less clear on how Evangelical identity 

changed as a result of them. While she recognizes that 

the rifts in Evangelicalism that occurred during this time 

period led to the question of whether Christian charity 

was central to Evangelical faith and identity, she 

nevertheless concludes her book by demonstrating that 

grassroots Evangelical charity continues to have a 

significant influence around the world (262, 282). 

Curtiss is successful in demonstrating the 

important historical link between American global aid 

and Christian charity. Her choice of Klopsch and 

Talmage’s newspaper as the subject of her narrative is 

key in detailing the Christian influence and centrality in 

American philanthropic history. This historical account 

also provides historical and theological foundations for 

Christian development work today. Curtiss is careful to 

highlight the Herald’s forward-thinking in areas such as 

valuing global diversity, addressing structural issues, and 

uplifting indigenous leadership, while also drawing 

attention to their blind-spots such as the shifting of their 

commitments based on social perspectives, ignoring the 

plight of African Americans, and vying for position and 

power within American philanthropic efforts. Though 

providing an American-centric narrative, Curtiss is 

intentional in giving space to the work of Pandita 

Ramabai, whose efforts offer a contrasting 

philanthropic and developmental approach to that of 

Klopsch and Talmage. Overall, Curtiss offers a well-

balanced narrative, refusing to shy away from the 

competing motivators of compassion and self-interest, 

politics and generosity. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rebekah R.S. Clapp is a United Methodist minister and 

Coordinator of the Center for Hispanic/Latino 

Ministries at United Theological Seminary in 

Dayton, OH. She is also a PhD Student at Asbury 

Theological Seminary, Wilmore, KY. 

 

Author email:  rebekah.clapp@asburyseminary.edu  
 

 

 

mailto:rebekah.clapp@asburyseminary.edu

