The Portland daily press., 1891-11-17
NEW PUBLICATIONS

DOCK OF much interest to musical nao
pie and particularly TO the earnest studon.
OF music has just been published nndor A. y
ute OF Studies In the Wagnerian Drama
by Henry Edward Krehbiel. Those who
were so fortunate as &c hear Mr.. KrehbieI,s
lectures which he delivered in Boston last
winter VIII be glad to renew their CO.
quaintance with the subjects then discp ssoa
and others less favored will find in the in
teresting and instructive chapters mncb 80
pleasure and profit. In an able introduc.
tory chapter the auther discusses the rela.
ton OF Wagner to his predecessors-tba
position which, as poet and composer bo
noids In the world of art-and the ethical
Idea underlying all his works. The antbor
then gives simply and clearly the stories of
Tristan and Isolde-Die Meistersiueer Won
Nurnberg-Die Ring des Nibelungen and
farsifal The various chapters are illus-
trated by typical musical phrases and their
significance explained. Mr.. Krehbiel
showes a thorough knowledge of his sub-
]ect and no one who reads his work can
fall to gain deeper insight into the works
OF one of the greatest of musicians. New
York; Harper & Brothers; Portland: Lor-
Ing. Short & Harmon.
The New Theology. By John Bascom.
New York: G. p. Putnam's Sons; Port
land; Loring, Short & Harmony The
work is from the prolific pen of writer
who has made frequent contributions to
the discussion of theological and ethical
subjects. 1t cannot fail to be of great in
terest to that large body of intelligent
minds who are greatly interested in the
present phase of theological discussion. 1t
Is profound and suggestive In its thought,
and opens wide fields for philosophical and
theological research and speculation. The
writer says that the new theology Is not
theology In the sense Of fixed and deter
mined creed, but rather that it lis move
ment slow. continuous, progressive, i'm
piDging upon human life with great force !;
that 1t is not what the leaders of religious
thought now think. but what is impressed
upon the religious mind as whole, what
the masses now think. This movement
has been accelerated by the progress made
in ethical and physical science which has
made revision Of religious thought nee
essary. but has been impeded by the dog
matte temper that has been shown In re-
| gard to the outlying and non-essential
question.
The topics which closely concern the
New Theology are discussed ia this book
under the heads of Naturalism, Super
naturalism, Dogmatism. Pietism and Spir.
itualism. The author defines Naturalism
as the universal presence of laws in the
world and their conference in a complete
system 1t includes physical intellectual
and moral aws.-comprehending the physI
cal and the spiritual. The Supernatural is
that which transcends all the sensible
terms of experience: the realm in which
faith exercises itself: the inner force of the
natural unfolding in visible forms of the
invisible things of the spirit. Dogma is
the effort of the mind to give expression to
its belief and is subject to all the imper-
fections of the human intellect. tits the
theoretical statement of Theology based
upon investigation in the material world,
and speculation in the moral and spiritual
domain. 1t claims a certainty of result
and absoluteness Of authority which are
not justified by the unstable foundation
upon which 1t builds. Pietism is the effort
to give outline and definition to religious
life by prescribed duties. explicit profes
sions and strong conventional feelings.
The pietist is man of ardent devotion to
distinctively religious duties, with an In
tense form of character colored by super
sensuous convictions and with burning
desire to inspire his own sentiments In
others. The author elevates the meaning
of Spiritualism from the depths into which
ithas been sunk by association with Spirit
Ism, and re-consecrates it for its high call
ing. 1t means the predominance of those
incentives which are addressed to us
through our spiritual nature, the fullness
of that rational life which judges all things
by their relation 10 righteousness. the rec
titude of the soul itself. "We move for
ward under wide naturalism, implanted
in our own constitution, the constitution
OF society and in the Divine Mind. This
maps for US the otherwise UNEMPLOYED
path. The desire reverently and obedi-
emily to wait on each fresh revelation in
this upward tending way is the temper of
tho Nouu rphan1o0v