One of America's most prominent and influential theologians of the early twentieth century, Walter Rauschenbusch of Rochester Theological Seminary, suffered terribly in the strong anti-German (and antineutrality) atmosphere of the times. Rauschenbusch, though born in the United States, was a German American, and, along with several other German American ministers, had trouble swallowing the denunciations of Germany so prevalent at the time. Some Lutheran ministers had begun as early as 1914 to issue statements attempting to defend Germany's conduct in the European war, and Rauschenbusch, a Baptist, followed similar lines. The Congregationalist published an article by Rauschenbusch, titled "Be Fair to Germany," in October 1914, in which he attempted to demonstrate that Germany was not the only nation that had behaved aggressively. Instantly labeled "pro-German," Rauschenbusch only made things worse for himself when he collaborated with Charles Aked in 1915 on a statement...