That next Sunday, Henry Maxwell, deeply moved by the events of the past week, presents a challenge to his congregation: 'Do not do anything without first asking, 'What would Jesus do?'' This challenge is the theme of the novel and is the driving force of the plot. Upon finishing his address to the congregation, he collapses and then dies a few days later.

He quietly but frankly confronts the congregation-'I'm not complaining just stating facts.'-about their compassion, or apathetic lack thereof, for the jobless like him in Raymond. The same man appears in the church at the end of the Sunday sermon, walks to 'the open space in front of the pulpit,' and faces the people. Maxwell listens to the man's helpless plea briefly before brushing him away and closing the door. The novel begins on a Friday morning when a man out of work (later identified as Jack Manning) appears at the front door of Henry Maxwell while the latter is preparing for that Sunday's upcoming sermon. Henry Maxwell, pastor of the First Church of Raymond, who challenges his congregation to not do anything for a whole year without first asking: 'What Would Jesus Do?' Other characters include Ed Norman, senior editor of the Raymond Daily Newspaper, Rachel Winslow, a talented singer, and Virginia Page, an heiress.

In His Steps takes place in the railroad town of Raymond, located in Topeka, Kansas. Its ten-cent paperback edition sold 100,000 copies. His work gained notoriety soon after its release, and its finished form was published in the Advance one chapter per week just as it had been before its fame. The story released one chapter a week and begged the question 'What would Jesus do?' in the lives of various characters. In 1896, Charles Monroe Sheldon began writing the book for his Sunday night services. Thus lower prices and multiple publishers led to larger sales. Other publishers took advantage of this, publishing the book without paying the author royalties. The full title of the book is In His Steps: What Would Jesus Do?Īlthough variations of the subtitle ' What would Jesus do' have been used by Christians for centuries as a form of imitatio dei, the imitation of God, it gained much greater currency following publication of the book.Ĭhicago Advance, the original publisher, failed to register the copyright in the proper form.

First published in 1896, the book has sold more than 50 million copies, and ranks as one of the best-selling books of all time. In His Steps is a best-selling religious fiction novel written by Charles Monroe Sheldon.

In his steps by charles m sheldon