Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-04-23
Closing Sessions of the Religious
Education Congress.
THE BIBLE IN LITERATURE
Two interesting Papers. Read on
That Subject.
DIR. RANKIN's REPORT

The congress of religious education,
which has been in session at the New
York Avenue Presbyterian Church since
Monday evening, will come to an end with
the close Of the session this afternoon.
While the attendance upon the sessions of
this, the first, congress of the American
Society Of Education, has not been as
large as one would have expected from
the character of the papers read and the
eminence of the essayists, yet the con-
gress itself has proved great success,
and will doubtless result in an increase of
interest in the cause.
The session this morning was particu-
larly valuable and suggestive, the subject
for consideration being the deSirablity of
biblical instruction in the colleges. Two
papers were read, one by Professor e. p.
Gould and one by Professor A. p. Mon
tague, as showing that the Bible should
be used as pure literature and can be so
used without giving offense to those who
object to religious instruction in the
schools.
President Rankin of Howard University
read a large number of letters from col
leges in different parts of the country
which showed that the Bible is used as a
subject for study in most of them, and
that the interest in the study is generally
on the increase.
General John Eaton presided at the ses-
sion, and the religious exercises were con-
Quoted by Rev. w. w. Van Arsdale, pastor
of the Fifteenth Street M. E. Church.
Prof. GoulTs Paper.
The first paper Of the morning was read
by Prof. E. P. Gould of the Divinity School
Of Philadelphia on the theme, 1.-The Bible
in Higher Institutions of Learning
Prof. Gould, after defining what is meant
by the term higher institutions of learn
iEg," said that it had often been questioned
whether religion came properly as a sub
ject for the teacher within the curriculum
OF college. If the Bible Is to be taught
In such institutions, he said, it would be as
literature and not in its effect upon the
spirit and the conscience. The latter comes
Within the province of the church. One of
the principal mistakes committed in our
DIVINITY schools is the treatment of the
Bible, which is either regarded minutely
Which Is exegesis, or technically, which is
theology, whereas, in reality, the Bible in
It's highest conception Is guide to re-
hglouS nfe rather than a basis for theo-
logical dogmas. and this we can reach by
regarding it from the standpoint of litera-
tUre.
Then, in mastery and scholarly man.
ner, ne went on to consider the Bible as
a part of the worlds literature, pointing out
the ethico-religious value of the Deuteron-
omic laws, the idyllic beauty OF the story
OF Ruth and the majesty. and power of the
Literature, he said, has q place amonp
the humanities in the college curriculum
because 1t reproduces life. Viewed from
TINS standpoint alone, the Bible stands pre-
eminent. the gospels, for example. are
marvels of self-restraint and self-efface-
ment, and as mere recitals of facts thew
are wonderfully successful. The epistIes
while upon the same theme, are different
IN form and more In the nature of COM
mentaries 10 meet the questions which had
naturally arisen. The beauty of this liter
azure ana Its value as study arise from
me 1act that 1T is SO thoroughly saturated
with the life 1T depicts: while it shows US
clearly the processes which have been fol-
lowed, 1t yet reaches definite conclusions
winch are the vindication of the prophet
rot the priest or traditionalist
viewed as literature alone, there is no
DOCK In the world that so well repays study
as the Bible. 1t tells US what Jesus was
ana that is more important than what
Jesus did.
As to Inspiration.
In conclusion Prof. Gould said: 'Tnspira-
ton is the quickening which comes from
the INFUSION OF higher ideas. The ideas pro-
ouce the inspiration, as salt flavors, ard the
rose smells. and a college creates an at
nosphere Of culture, and the England Of
Elizabeth produces a Shakespeare. This in
SEPARATION in all art is drawn from two
sources; first, wide knowledge of facts
ment Aipei d.
Man lives in this world. q world nathan
wholly good nor bad. but deeply interest.
ing IN which tragedy and comedy. and for
tHas matter, purse, are in a perpetual state
" lux ana reaction; in which Ideas iostJe
each other and interests are at wa lis
ing with problems and punctuated With
incorporation MARKS, and any literature Nc
u Ior mere to have vitality, must reflect this
But, secondly, inspiration is drawn from,
an intultlve knowledge of the meaning ~
i Im1ngs; UNDERLYING the mixture which be-
the world Lne If surface. This meaning is that
olVioual, bundle Of unrelated facts ga
na1. put that there is an Ideal. not aI
, mys reanzed and, in fact, obscured 80,
iarseiy by an unidealized reality very
NOW, these two sources Of ,nsn,r..,o<
ct, plesent In Just proportion In Scrint,,ra
1atin " II an air of mixed sanity and e1e
,,ai o ~ oi truth to the lower range Of aot-
well. The anu NO. TO the underlying ideal as
n rnHeu evil OF human life, but debasnd
mixture in which evil overlies the doasel
which a nest the state of perpetual conflict
enee In human life Of redemntive fnro es-
nshting or and gradually removinp -
superincumbent evil, and releasing e ,nS
vdtanzing the deeper and less evident good
REINFORCING the original divine eIenoeSn to ~
man with the universal divine shirt III
But Its chief inspiration is the divine
man. And this is the final fact about
scripture, that it embodies a literature
whose chief source of inspiration ia The
ideal man, historical fact-the ideal real
lied In man, historical fact-the ideal
realized In man not less human than anv
other, but more intensely human than any
other, whose story is more moving and
vital than that Of any of the worlds he
roes." e
Prof. MOntague's Views.
Prof. A. p Montague of the Columbian
University followed Prof. Gould in a care
fully prepared paper. in which he consid-
cred the same theme from a somewhat Diff
ferent point Of view. He referred briefly to
various masterpieces of the Greek and
Latin authors. and pointed out in an in
teresting manner the superiorities of the
Bible viewed as literature, for it possesses
character of thought and Of style unsur-
passed in the wide range of intellectual
activity.
In the course of his paper Mr.. Montague
said:
IF, then, the New Testament--and to
this have confined my remarks-offers. as
I have endeavored to prove, in addition to
an inspiration unquestioned by thoughtful.
fair-minded men, oratory which places #
on the same plane with the highest elo-
quence of Rome and Greece, pathos which
moves the heart far more than the tender
est sentiments of Latin bards, sublimity
loftier than the greatest intellects of re-
publican or imperial Rome ever attained
iDvective against sin and iniquity as with.