James William Fifield Jr. (June 5, 1899 – February 25, 1977) was an American

Congregational Congregational churches (also Congregationalist churches or Congregationalism) are Protestant churches in the Calvinist tradition practising congregationalist church governance, in which each congregation independently and autonomously runs its ...

minister who led the First Congregational Church in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, largest city in the U.S. state, state of California and the List of United States cities by population, sec ...

and was co-founder and president of the conservative free-market organization Spiritual Mobilization. Nicknamed “The Apostle to Millionaires”, Fifield was instrumental in ushering in the "unholy alliance" of corporate-funded Christianity and Christian identity politics in the United States. Politically conservative but doctrinally liberal, he crafted an interpretation of the Bible that catered to his congregation. Notably, Fifield dismissed the many passages in the New Testament about wealth and poverty, and instead assured the elite that their worldly success was a sign of God’s blessings.

Early life

Born in Chicago, Fifield grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, where his father was a Congregational minister. After having served in the infantry during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, he received a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

degree from

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chic ...

in 1921. In 1924, he obtained a Bachelor of Divinity degree from the

Chicago Theological Seminary Founded in 1855, the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS) is the oldest higher education institution in the City of Chicago and was established with two principal goals: first, to educate pastors who would minister to people living on the new west ...

and was ordained a minister.Fifield Jr., James W
Academy Stamp & Autograph. Retrieved 19 April 2015

First Congregational Church in Los Angeles

Fifield received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1934. The following year, he moved to Los Angeles to head the First Congregational Church.Ronald Lora and William Henry Longton (1999
The Conservative Press in Twentieth-Century America
pp. 153–154. Greenwood Press. The First Congregational Church was at the time heavily indebted due to the costs of a cathedral-style building which had a 176 foot high tower, more than 100 rooms, auditoriums, and a gymnasium. The church had 1,500 members at Fifield's arrival, but after Fifield initiated a major increase in activities membership rose to over 4,500 in the beginning of the 1940s and the debt was paid off in 1942. The members of the First Congregational Church were mostly among the wealthy, giving Fifield the nickname "The Apostle to Millionaires".Kevin M. Kruse (6 April 2015

PoliticoRalph Lord Roy (1953
Apostles of Discord: A Study of Organized Bigotry and Disruption on the Fringes of Protestantism
Beacon Press. Boston. pp. 286–294 The Church from 1937 to 1942 paid substantial money to Spiritual Mobilization. Fifield strongly opposed a merger of the

Congregational Christian Churches The Congregational Christian Churches were a Protestant Christian denomination that operated in the U.S. from 1931 through 1957. On the latter date, most of its churches joined the Evangelical and Reformed Church in a merger to become the United ...

with the

Evangelical and Reformed Church The Evangelical and Reformed Church (E&R) was a Protestant Christian denomination in the United States. It was formed in 1934 by the merger of the Reformed Church in the United States (RCUS) with the Evangelical Synod of North America (ESNA). A ...

to form the

United Church of Christ The United Church of Christ (UCC) is a mainline Protestant Christian denomination based in the United States, with historical and confessional roots in the Congregational, Calvinist, Lutheran, and Anabaptist traditions, and with approximatel ...

. The merger was approved by a clear majority of the general council of the Congregational churches in 1949, and Fifield became part of the minority movement that tried to stop the merger from going through. The merger was completed in 1957.

Spiritual Mobilization

In 1935, Fifield co-founded Mobilization for Spiritual Ideas with president of Carleton College Donald J. Cowling and William Hocking. Fifield started his religious-political organization Spiritual Mobilization in 1935. He became its president; its ideology has been described by Kevin M. Kruse and others as

Christian libertarianism Christian libertarianism is the synthesis of Christian beliefs with libertarian political philosophy, with a focus on beliefs about free will, human nature, and God-given inalienable rights. As with some other forms of libertarianism, Christi ...

. "Freedom under God" was a much used phrase by Fifield and the organization. The message was mainly directed towards Congregational, Presbyterian and Episcopal ministers and laymen through radio and television programs and a monthly magazine ''Faith and Freedom'' with William Johnson as editor and James C. Ingebretsen as a major contributor. Fiefield and the organization attracted the attention of philanthropist J. Howard Pew and former President

Herbert Hoover Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...

whom Fifield met and with whom he corresponded. In 1940, Fifield gave a speech to the

National Association of Manufacturers The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) is an advocacy group headquartered in Washington, D.C., with additional offices across the United States. It is the nation's largest manufacturing industrial trade association, representing 14,000 s ...

at the

Waldorf Astoria New York The Waldorf Astoria New York is a luxury hotel and condominium residence in Midtown Manhattan in New York City. The structure, at 301 Park Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, is a 47-story Art Deco landmark designed by architects Schult ...

where he praised capitalism and business leaders, while denouncing

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

and the New Deal. The speech, which underlined that Christian leaders and religious arguments were crucial in the effort to promote a free-market agenda, was exceptionally well received. In 1949, Spiritual Mobilization started broadcasting a short radio program called "The Freedom Story". By late 1951 the program, which included brief remarks by Fifield, was broadcast on more than 800 radio stations. In 1951, the Anti-Defamation League demanded an apology from Fifield after he falsely stated in a program that "it was a matter of historical record that Benjamin Franklin denounced the Jews at the Constitutional Convention in 1787." On other occasions, Fifield and his organization were also accused of racism and anti-semitism. He successfully campaigned to remove UNESCO material from use in schools in Los Angeles. In 1961, Fifield hosted and had televised on his own show a speaking appearance by

Robert W. Welch Jr. Robert Henry Winborne Welch Jr. (December 1, 1899 – January 6, 1985) was an American businessman, political organizer, and conspiracy theorist. He was wealthy following his retirement from the candy business and used his wealth to sponsor ...

, the founder and leader of the

John Birch Society The John Birch Society (JBS) is an American right-wing political advocacy group. Founded in 1958, it is anti-communist, supports social conservatism, and is associated with ultraconservative, radical right, far-right, or libertarian ide ...

. Fifield called the Birch Society "a very important enterprise that might help save our freedoms."

Awards

Fifield received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary in 1934.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fifield, James W. 1899 births 1977 deaths American Congregationalists American libertarians Christian libertarians University of Chicago alumni People from Chicago People from Kansas City, Missouri United States Army personnel of World War I Chicago Theological Seminary alumni