The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-13
OTHER PEOPLES NOTIONS
Education In RELIGION,

10 tA6 EDITOR OF Ine JOufnal.
When ten college. presidents and four
college professors representing as many
different colleges all in one state, get to-
gether for several days during the pro-
gress of a school term, something of great
interest must be on hand, for such men
nave no time to waste. This is just what
happened last week at Ames. Iowa. at the
second conference of the Iowa Fellowship
OF the American Society of Religious Edu-
cation Professor J. B. Weems, of the
state college, chairman of the COMMITTEES
on program was the power behind the
throne. OF the twenty-one to whom as
slgnments of papers and addresses were
mace, nineteen were present ready for
duty, each one showing himself master
OF his theme and in full sympathy with the
aims and methods of the fellowship. 1t
was source OF great qualification that
the general secretary of the society, DIR. J.
r. Gilbert, was so far recovered from his
recent illness that he could be present and
take his part in the proceedings His SER
mon on Sunday and his addresses on FRI
day and Saturday evenings were exceed
ingly inspiring. .-.~
Less than year ago the movement
which issued in this fellowship began with
| three men who are at the head of three
great educational institutions of the state,
presidents, George q. MacLean of the
state university, w. F. King of Cornell col
Iege and S B. Mccormick Of Coe college.
These were not able even to get together
in person, and SO they arranged their
plans by correspondence The result was
the first state conference at Iowa City and
the organization os a college Of fellows. Ii
| these had waited for a large number to
get together on a proposition to organize
the cause Of education in religion, nothing
| would have been done. All advance
movements for the public veal depend
upon a few leaders who have the pluck,
| courage and wisdom to pioneer the way.
! Special credit is given to President Mac
| Lean for his push in the inception of this
movement in Iowa.
| The good that will come of this second
conference will be an increase in the num-
Der and faith Of the Fellows of Iowa. One
| college president remarked to the writer,
| There is more in this than I thought -
! and he heard only the last part of the pro-
| gram which was no better than the first.
1t was reported of another who is a Fell
low of both the Royal Society of Great
| Britain and of the American Society Of
Religious Education that he found the lat
ter fellowship equally honrable and more
profitable in the opportunity it offered for
| usefulness.
| Pastors of churches will gradually come
to recognize the wisdom of uniting to
hold similar conferences or Institutes in
their own immediate localities, calling to
their aid the Fellows Of this society, and
seeking to introduce clearer knowledge of
the principles and methods of educational
work in their churches. They will waken
to the truth that in this direction lies
the strategic opportunity of the church OF
to-day; that education understood in the
profound sense of bringing into express
sion that which is deepest and most real
in man. is indeed means Of salvation,
as Professor Coe ably maintains in his
recent book, ''The Religion of a Mature
Mind
It will Furthermore be seen that there
is work to be done by the United
Christian forces of this country which
cannot be done nearly well by the tie
nominations working Independently and
in spirit of rivalry. And when it comes
to be appreciated that religion as taught
!. by the churches, and education as champ
toned by the schools have the same end
the development of character, the schools
! Of the state will cooperate with the
church on this basis.
Iowa will not be able to hold all the
4 good Of this work. 1t will overflow into
. contiguous states. Already she has Sc
a swift pace for Minnesota. Surely thu
educators and clergy of the gopher state
, will not lag behind those of the hawkeyt
state in such work. The problem Of ou
time for the veal of each commonwealth
Of our nation is tWo-fold: "a How t.
unite the Christian scholarship of thu
country in service of study and inves
tigation bearing specifically upon educa
ton and religion in their deepest aspect
e as character building forces; and CD hov
to spread the knowledge thus gained NOR
and more widely among the people. TIL
demand is for a movenlnt which has bot
depth and breadth. Concerted though
and action in this direction is practicable
= The press could be utilized. Journalist
: and publishers would gladly give currenc.
= to productions which have the sanction o
y | a fellowship at once American, scientific
. and religious. &C. M Heard.
District Secretary, n. w.