Charles William Gordon

Charles William Gordon, CMG (September 13, 1860 – October 31, 1937), also known as Ralph Connor, was a Canadian novelist, using the Connor pen name while maintaining his status as a church leader, first in the Presbyterian and later the United Church in Canada.

Gordon was born in Glengarry County, Canada West. He was the son of Rev. Daniel Gordon and Mary Robertson Gordon. His father was a Free Church of Scotland Missionary in Upper Canada. While at Knox College, Gordon was inspired by a lecture given by Superintendent Robertson about the challenges in the West, leading him to pursue his summer mission work there, and ultimately to spend his life on reform and mission work in Western Canada. Gordon's views were largely shaped by Robertson, who believed that the settlers' lax attitudes towards irregular church services and lukewarm spirituality could only be remedied by missionaries. Gordon felt called to be one of these missionaries and establish not only churches, but Christian social and moral reform in Western Canada. The theological atmosphere in Scotland during the 1870s and 1880s was increasingly liberal. This movement towards harmonizing traditional Christian doctrine with modern advancements, such as science and evolution, greatly appealed to Gordon. He became an influential proponent of social reform in the West, as well as for the union of the churches. The union, which resulted in the formation of the United Church of Canada in the 1920s, was a response to the increasing liberalization and secularization growing in prevalence especially in Canada.

Gordon's views of Western Canada were intricately connected to his views of religion and Christianity. His social and reform work were rooted in his call to ministry and his desire to see Canada united both in faith and in Nation.

The difficulties on the mission fields of the Canadian West were motivating factors for his fiction writing, and he successfully had many of his writings published and sold.

Personal life

Family history Charles William Gordon's parents were Rev. Daniel Gordon (1822–1910) and Mary Gordon (née Robertson; d. 1890).

Glengarry County, Ontario, where Charles would be born, was backwoods country, situated on the St. Lawrence River, and composed of Scottish immigrants. It was characterized by the Scottish virtues of religion, hard-work, and stern Calvinism, but with the addition of wry wit and a passion for theological debates. It was these theological debates that led to the division of the Presbyterian Church. Rev. Daniel Gordon had a reputation as a fiery Highland preacher who inspired both fear and awe with his sermons on sin and the final judgement. As Charles said of his own father, "Not one of all the great preachers I have known could ever thrill my soul as could my father when I was a little lad." Daniel Gordon also had a sense of humour and was both liked and respected. She excelled in English, mathematics, and philosophy; so much so that she was invited to be principal at the young age of 22. His formal education began in the pine log schoolhouse at Athol. The schoolhouse itself represented the settlers of Canada West: sturdy yet poor. It was during this time, as Charles grew into his love for learning, that the British colonies of North America were on their way to Confederation.

In 1870, his father was called to Zorra in Oxford County, where the congregation was Highlander mixed with Lowland and English. Later, when Gordon had taken up the position offered to him in Winnipeg, he was reacquainted with Helen who had moved out West with her family when Dr. King was given the position of first principal of Manitoba College. Together, they had one son (J. King Gordon) and six daughters. All of their children graduated from the University of Manitoba, continuing on the strong scholarly legacy of their parents. Despite Gordon's many duties, he remained close to his family at all times.

Gordon continued working right up until a few days before his death on October 31, 1937. His passion for preaching, ministering to spiritual needs, and serving social reform never abated. His passionate discussion of missions to Canada West caught Gordon's attention, so much so that Gordon volunteered to spend the spring and summer of 1885 in a mission field in Manitoba.

During this time, the church was undergoing significant upheaval due to controversies posed by scientific developments. The role of theology was called into question, specifically by Higher Criticism. What appealed to Gordon was that these men were able to find a balance between tradition and modern advancements, reconciling the conflicts the two seemed to pose. Gordon was greatly assured by this appeal to the common people and was reaffirmed in his calling to "save souls." This "pragmatic Protestantism" was popular at the time in Canada West, where the focus on individual salvation was emphasized. He was then appointed missionary around what is now Banff, Alberta.

In the mid 1890s, Gordon settled down in Winnipeg, Manitoba, as Minister at St. Stephen's Parish. He continued to live out his missionary ideals through his novels, especially Black Rock (1898) and Sky Pilot (1900).

Throughout his life, Gordon never swayed from his role as minister, while also writing, and serving in prominent public positions, such as moderator of the Presbyterian Church in 1922.

Service in World War I When the Great War broke out in 1914, Gordon was quick to enlist. He volunteered for service with the 43rd Cameron Highlanders as army chaplain at the age of 54.

Writing career As a result of his dedication to his missionary tasks in Western Canada, Gordon began his literary career and wrote a fictionalized account of life in the northwest. Gordon used the 'Ralph Connor' pen name while maintaining his status as a Church leader. His early novels were set in the Western mission fields that Gordon became familiar with and the plot of his novels often followed a similar outline and his first stories were published in the Presbyterian weekly, The Westminster. The landscape and setting of his narratives was presented as a force which renewed and purified Christianity. In his novels, a missionary hero is often faced with tremendous difficulty in bringing Christianity to the wild frontier, and the men in particular posed a great challenge. This outline is evident in numerous novels such as Black Rock and The Sky Pilot. The missionary protagonist in his novels reflected the image of missionaries in the late-Victorian historical literature and were often described as being able to overcome hardship due to their dedication and unwavering faith. His protagonists also combated the harshness of the frontier by preaching the gospel and redemption. His early novels also highlighted important religious questions, such as the presence of a loving God and individual mortality, making such issues real and tangible. The drunkenness, violence and profanity present in his writing that was associated with the antagonists of his stories were portrayed as products of the western frontier and were not meant to be interpreted as alienation from God.

As suggested by Swedish historian Dick Harrison, Ralph Connor's novels are often romanticized versions of the Canadian West. His novel Corporal Cameron, for example, epitomizes the myth of the Canadian Mountie. The vision of the West rested firmly upon a British dominated society, and the North West Mounted Police represented an irresistible force stemming from an invincible culture. Gordon published his first novel, Black Rock, in 1898. While the book was moderately successful in Canada, his second novel, The Sky Pilot, gained him international attention in 1899 and the reputation of 'Ralph Connor' was officially launched. Several novels followed his 1899 publication such as Glengarry School Days and The Man from Glengarry; The Superintendent; The Prospector; The Doctor; and The Foreigner .

While Connor's audiences responded to the straightforward appeals for conversion and the presentation of the gospel in simple style, most critics have dismissed the Christianity in his novels as being oversimplified, and therefore not worthy of significant attention. The harsh experiences faced by missionaries made it difficult for many to regard the Canadian West as an area that would spark religious revival. One missionary stressed the loneliness and lack of opportunity for nurturing a deeper faith. Glenys Stow, summarized Connor describing him as a "Didactic popular novelist; social activist; unconscious mythmaker; Connor is a strange mixture as a writer. Little that he has written will last." By the mid-19th century, Canada had reached a critical stage. Charles Gordon's impression of the religious situation in the Canadian West was strikingly similar to that of Superintendent Robertson and was inspired by him to apply his talents within Canada rather than take part in foreign mission work.

Immigrants viewed the West in the light of the expansionist campaign and challenged all the traditional premises and viewed the North West from a new perspective: the "Promised Land" in terms of agricultural potential rather than religious expansion. The potential of the "Promised Land" was accompanied by a number of insurmountable obstacles. The difficulties on the mission fields motivated Gordon's decision to write fiction as the changes he desired to make in the developing nation would become the focal point of his fictional narratives. However, the missionaries, such as Gordon, had found little beauty or romance in the wilderness as it was accompanied with heathens and 'Indians'. C.W. Gordon believed it was his role to help the immigrants flooding the Canadian West to be "good Christians and good Canadians". He optimistically believed in the possibility of individual salvation and notions of duty and sacrifice. The praise in response to his first fictional sketches encouraged Gordon to continue writing his religious-driven stories. Gordon was honoured with a number of different degrees and awards. In 1919, he was awarded an honorary doctorate of divinity by the University of Glasgow; in 1937, the University of Manitoba awarded him an honorary L.L.D. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George in 1935. The structure embodies the classical mission style of ecclesiastical architecture. and sportswriter and mystery novelist Alison Gordon.

Ralph Connor House The Ralph Connor House, located on the Assiniboine River in the Armstrong's Point neighbourhood of Winnipeg, was the home of Charles Gordon, wife Helen, and their seven children.

Today it is a heritage property designated as a National Historic Site of Canada in 2011, a Provincial Heritage Site in 2004, and a Winnipeg Landmark Heritage Structure that was built in 1913–1914. The House was named after Charles Gordon's pen name and is currently owned by the Friends of The Ralph Connor House, which has launched a 21st Century Campaign to ensure the legacy of the Gordon family continues. Their mission is to "preserve Ralph Connor House as a meeting place that keeps alive the spirit and legacies of Rev. Charles and Helen Gordon, their family and the University Women's Club of Winnipeg, and to continue service to the greater community." Their vision is to "be a centre and meeting place that fosters the work of people who are committed to education, social justice, healthy communities, human rights, music, art, literature and intellectual activity."

Publications In 1972, the National Library of Canada released The Works of Ralph Connor which listed some 43 titles as well as three books for which he wrote the introductions. His publications include:

1898. Beyond the Marshes, Toronto: Westminster 1898. Black Rock, a Tale of the Selkirks, Toronto: Westminster 1899. The Sky Pilot, a Tale of the Foothills 1901. The Man from Glengarry A Tale of the Ottawa The Westminster Company Toronto 1902. Glengarry School Days, Grosset 1904. Breaking the Record, New York: Revell 1904. The Prospector A Tale of the Crow's Nest Pass The Westminster Company Toronto 1904 Gwen: An Idyll of the Canyon Fleming Revell 1906. The Doctor, Revell 1908. The Angel and the Star, Toronto: Revell 1909. The Foreigner A Tale of Saskatchewan, The Westminster Company Toronto 1914 The Patrol of The Sun Dance Trail The Westminster Company Toronto 1917. The Major 1919. The Sky Pilot in No Man’s Land 1921. To Him That Hath, George H. Doran Company 1923. The Gaspards of Pine Croft, George H. Doran Company 1927 Black Rock A Tale of the Selkirks Copyright George Doran 1927, Publisher McClelland and Stewart Toronto 1929. The Runner A Romance of the Niagaras, Doubleday, Doran and Gundy Toronto 1931. The Rock and the River A Romance of Quebec, McClelland and Stewart Toronto 1932. The Arm of Gold, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart 1933. The Girl from Glengarry, New York: Dodd, Mead, & Co. 1934. Torches through the Bush, Dodd, Mead, & Co. 1935. The Rebel Loyalist, Dodd 1936. The Gay Crusader, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart 1938. Postscript to Adventure: The Autobiography of Ralph Connor, Farrar & Rinehart, inc.

Filmography The Heart of a Lion, directed by Frank Lloyd (1917, based on the novel The Doctor) The Sky Pilot, directed by King Vidor (1921, based on the novel The Sky Pilot) God's Crucible, directed by Henry MacRae (1921, based on the novel The Foreigner) Cameron of the Royal Mounted, directed by Henry MacRae (1921, based on the story Corporal Cameron) The Man from Glengarry, directed by Henry MacRae (1922, based on the novel The Man from Glengarry) Glengarry School Days, directed by Henry MacRae (1923, based on the novel Glengarry School Days)