Charles Sheldon’s massively successful 1896 novel In His Steps was first published as a serial. The novel went on to sell tens of millions of copies and became one of the best-selling books of all time. A literary take on a morality play, Sheldon’s novel was conceived as he sought a new means to deliver his message from the pulpit—Charles Sheldon was a minister in Topeka, Kansas. The novel is, in some respects, autobiographical as the narrative traces the lives that surround a minister in a small town outside of Chicago.

Narrated from the perspective of an omniscient, third-person narrator, the novel follows the lives of Reverend Henry Maxwell and the members of his congregation in the town of Raymond. Rev. Maxwell challenges his congregation to ask themselves “What Would Jesus Do?” for an entire year and act only as they believe Jesus would have them act. The novel traces the inner lives and relationships of many who take the pledge, from the precocious young Rachel Winslow to the wealthy heiress Virginia, to the worldly newspaper editor Edward Norman, to the minister of a notable Chicago parish, Dr. Calvin Bruce. Each character’s life is radically changed by the challenge issued by Rev. Maxwell, and the town of Raymond is forever transformed by the love and sacrifice offered by the Christian disciples inspired by grace. This study guide references the 2012 Kindle Edition reprint by Baker Publishing Group.

Plot Summary

In His Steps opens in the study of Reverend Henry Maxwell as he attempts to compose his regular Sunday sermon. He is interrupted by a stranger looking for work, and while the reverend is kind, he turns the man away. It is not the last time that he will see the man, however, as Rev. Maxwell is interrupted the following Sunday by the same man. The man, Jack Manning, enters the First Church of Raymond and takes the floor in the midst of the sermon. He challenges all those present to honestly reflect on whether they are living up to the ideals of their professed faith. The following Sunday, after Jack dies in Rev. Maxwell’s own home, Henry Maxwell steps into the pulpit and issues a challenge to his flock: Pledge to live for a year asking a single question, “What Would Jesus Do?”

From this moment the lives of many within the congregation are changed forever. A small group stay after the service to meet together and work out a plan for this endeavor. Rachel Winslow turns down a chance to be in the opera to stay in the town of Raymond and use her gifts to serve God, Virginia Page determines to use her enormous inheritance to fund various business ventures, Edward Norman reforms the local newspaper, and Rollin Page turns over a new leaf and attempts to reach out to all his former friends.

Many important events in the story take place in the poorer neighborhoods closest to the town of Raymond, nicknamed the Rectangle; Raymond’s townspeople join forces with traveling evangelists to host revival meetings in an attempt to reach out to the poor in the community. The Rectangle eventually plays host to an election party where the status quo is challenged regarding the grip the liquor interests hold over the area. Eventually the Raymond congregation find success in the establishment of a school for young women, teaching many valuable skills to gain self-sufficiency and climb out of the cycle of poverty.

The events in Raymond and the Rectangle become widely known, and Dr. Calvin Bruce, the pastor of the Nazareth Church in Chicago and an old friend of Henry Maxwell, issues the very same challenge to his own congregation. This leads to similar projects in the heart of Chicago. Dr. Bruce gives up his post in his Chicago parish and joins forces with Bishop Hampton, who has similarly given up his position of honor, in order to establish a halfway house in the heart of the city. As the novel closes, Rev. Maxwell and a small cohort from Raymond are invited to Chicago to give their testimony. The movement begun in the small town of Raymond continues to spread, changing the lives of all who are willing to ask themselves: “What Would Jesus Do?”