The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-02-07

- "'SS ieleh Cole, under the auspice
OF the Rhode Island Women's club prov
ed such an inspiration TO the club tha
second course was decided upoI
ana Prof, Henry Thatcher Fowler Ph
| -, of Brown University was chosen I,
YehVer course of seven lectures OF
Tlhe Poems Of Ancient Israel" Tn,
hrst lecture In this course was given be
tore representative and cultivated audi.
ehce yesterday afternoon In the Mathew.
son street NJ. f.. church and since, Prof
| Fowler Ia a recognized student OF Bible
literature ana an able exponent OF The
same much interest centered In his
schoiarly Interpretation OF his chosen
theme. In part he said
one may approach the Bible from
ulnerent standpoints and with variou.
purposes. Regarding IL as "A record OF
blNlne revelation one may take IN the
volume with the thought of coming in
TO communion with God.
again one may come 10 the Bible with
"hat may be called the practical aim
OF acquiring that knowledge of its con-
tents which may enable him 10 nerforn
service similar TO that OF the founder OF
the church. At another time one may
aPproach the Bible fired by a desire TO
KNOW the exact history OF that nation
through which we have received our
rehglon as he would know the history of
ihose nation through which we have re-
celVed our art, philosophy law and gov
ernment s''
or he may come 70 Il with the lin
gust desire to know from the original
Hebrew and Greek. the exact meaning
ot the writings which have exercised so
great an influence upon the worlds life
ana thought
Yet again realizing that we have here
one OF the great literatures OF the world
one may come TO the bible with the
spirit OF the man OF letters, TO appreciate
e ,he peauty q form, the depth OF feeling
the sweep OF thought which Character
ICES every great literature.
from each of these stsndpoints and
WIN each of these aims the Bible is
being studied.
Much is being done 10 arouse and
maintain interest in Bible study by the
sunday schools, Christian associations.
lp9ihheee Separtmentss OF Bible literat ture.
suilds ard ali the methods OF the present
lay and yet the universal experience of
'Sfhehs Ia eh IN school and college seems to be
,os,os .nat the s,s vast majority OF the edVated
ire growing up almost totally ignorant OF !
l.e r,ost familiar Bible narratives.
Il ~, ,,e .,oue nlouern agencies cannot replace |
ne influence OF the old New England |
rome, where i'm daily family reading and |
u constant memoriZing under the moth /
= iaithful guidance a familiarity with |
ne BlDle was acquired which every other
fort fails TO afford"
After this preliminary introduction To
ne ne course OF lectures I'm Bible study. |
'hicht Prof. Fowler entered upon yester-
ay referred TO the lecture readings eiv-
u by Miss Cole. which had led TO the APP
recla ton, through her art or vocal in
epth OF feeling which characterize the
oeetic literature of the old Testament.
Assuming then that his hearers had
eau,y Of form and the the depth HV Of FEELING i
hich Characterize the poetic literature or
le Old Testament. Prof. Fowler said:
we are thus to consider the. poems OF
lcient israel as portion OF the worlds
terature, yet we shall find that our |
nay must have the devotional spirit
we might as well try to appreciate
ldkespeare without interest In human |
v as 10 Try 10 appreciate the lyric out |
'urinss of the Hebrew without sym
THY with his devotion to Jehovah"
In dwelling upon the earliest form OF I
erature and the beginnings OF Hebrew
erature. the speaker continued:
The earliest form OF literature is IN
preston OF emotion rather than OF the
sical faculty, and emotion. whether
eking expression i'm music. dance or
)rds, tends towards a rhythmical OUT
W. From the combination of music. ,
nee and rhythmical speech literature
rings after the articulate utterance :
parates Itself from the music and the :
nee.
The earliest literature. then. fulfls the 4
'ential characteristics Of poetry in that 4
combines rhythmic speech with main ,
emotional origin, and may even he
ought to the further tests OF being
lcrete and artistic expression OF the J
man mind :
From the origin OF poetry we see thatit 4
not. at nrst. like our modern poetry, n
individual expression. but. rather, the -
nmOn utterance of the common feeling
tribe or community. 4
Bearing this fact I'm mind. We NAV
Did serious misinterpretation OF early
TRY in Israel
In tho Biblical literature we find rraces
the early characteristics referred to-
p women - Israel go ont 10 meet Saul r.
! Da vid with music. dance and song
.werinE each other I'm antlphonal re- VI
en-.
In the song OF the well In the 2ist chap
of numbers We find "A bit or ancient
s song. in which all the people express
ir lnv IN tho priceless boon of winter
thirsty land.
in the quotations ascTihed to the book
the wars or Jehovah aud the book OF
har. n tsntalizinE glimpse Is given us n
the early poetic literature Of Israel [ =