Books by Catherine Booth
The "Mother of The Salvation Army" as Catherine Booth-Mumford is sometimes called, did not only preach. She also published books and pamphlets.
Sometimes these books were collections of the addresses she held.
Catherine Booth-Mumford
Some of her books are:
- Practical Religion (1879)
- Aggressive Christianity (1880)
- Godliness (1881)
- The Salvation Army in Relation to Church and State (1883)
- Life and Death (1883)
- Popular Christianity (1887)
Some of her books have been reprinted several times.
In the book "Practical Religion" Catherine Booth-Mumford deals with many practical topics as training of children, dealing with anxious souls, backsliding, worldly amusements and Christianity, "hot" saints, and prevailing prayer.
Practical Religion of Catherine Booth
Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel
The book "Practical Religion" does contain the famous pamphlet "Female Ministry - or Woman's Right to Preach the Gospel" which was already first published in 1859.
Catherine Booth-Mumford argues brilliantly that women have the same right to preach as men. In doing so, she also convinced her husband, who from then on granted women the same rights and ranks in The Salvation Army as men.
That was most remarkable, because at that time women had no place in the pulpit, not only in the Catholic Church, but also in the various Evangelical Reformed churches.
Another topic in "Practical Religion" is "Strong Drink versus Christianity". This theme was very important for Catherine Booth.
Catherine Booth-Mumford wrote: "...the use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage is the cause and strength of a very large proportion of the wickedness, crime vice and misery which exist around us..." and: "The time has come for Christians to denounce the use of intoxicating drinks as irreligious and immoral".
She did not believe drinking moderately was possible: "How can that which produces all this crime and misery be a good thing? And if it be an evil thing, how can it be moderately used? (...) Thanks be to God, many of this class have been reclaimed and transformed in connection with our mission work; but I am not acquainted with a single instance in which the drink has not been entirely abandoned."
Old cover from a Salvation Army "War Cry"
"The Salvation Army in Relation to the Church and State".
Catherine Booth prefaces this book's purpose as being "useful to all disinterested and intelligent persons desiring to form a correct judgment as to the constitution and aim of The Salvation Army. The views herein expressed, not only convey the earnest convictions of my own mind, but also those of my husband (William Booth) and those most closely associated with him in the direction of The Army; and therefore may be taken, as far as they go, as an exemplification of the principles underlying this great movement." (Preface dated April 19,1883).
As far as The Salvation Army and its relation to the churches, Catherine Booth says: "We are not antagonistic to the Churches. (...) We believe that God cares very little about our sectarian differences and divisions. The great main thing is the love of God and the service of humanity; and when we find people actuated by this motive, we love them in whatever name they are called."
As far as The Salvation Army and its relation to the State, she points out that The Salvation Army benefits the State by creating morality and respect for the law. The Salvation Army teaches the fear of God as the basis for the regard of man.
