Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1903-12-06
The Religion of the Future.

II an article in the d. 'enber AT
lantiC. Rev. r T. Munger discusses
under the hero, The Church: Some
Immediate Questions" some Of The
manifest tendencies of present day re-
ligious thought.
AS to the creed of the future Dr.
Munger thinks there will be recon-
sideration of the cherished ideas Of
scripturaI inspiration, but he feels
sure, nevertheless, that the creed Of
life, if we may so term it. will be defi-
mite. searching, severe in its penalties
and as relentless as they are in life
itself, urgent both on the restrictions
and the possibilities of life. and never
forgetful of those inspirations that al
ways come when the full meaning and
import of life are revealed. Its sacri-
flee vii be more real than that CT
vicarious oblation for ii will be of self
and on the cross of obedience to truth
and duty There will be ho original
sin to confuse the mind, but enough of
ones own to be kept down ana turned
to moral uses. It's heaven will not be
so clear and golden as that of old. but
will take on such colcr and form as
overcoming life may give II, and. be-
come as real and present as Ike itself.
The confusion of. today viii not be
ended by blowing it away into a thin
mist, nor By explosions of criticism.
but only by clear vision now opened
by real life in a real world
The age OF new churches aud dog
mas has passed. in the judgment of
Rev. Munger, and the new era Of di-
vision and separation seems to be
drawing to an end. 1t is doubtful If we
are soon TO see onother denomination of
any Importance that can be called
Christian. There is great activity In
the theological world, but it does not
move in the direction of creedal or
ganization. There is no less theology
for theology will never go out of
fashion--but it locks toward explana-
ton If not extinction of creeds already
existing. and to other changes that
drop out or reinterpret old meanings
and bring in new. Careful distinctions
and definitions that determine the ex-
act amount of freedom or necessity in
the will are disregarded, because
Christian faith is not now approached
on that side of our nature. Emphasis
is transferred from the field OF specu-
lation where chiefly the denominations
originated, to the field of action. to
psychology and human society. The
pressure CT the past is less felt, or is
felt as reverence rather than as au-
thority The fact of change-whatever
its cause-can no longer be resisted,
and the chief question that burdens
thoughtful minds in the church is: at
what speed and by what road will it
move into the region where it must
go; also. what shah be left behind and
what carried forward? The main
question of all is: how to retain steadi-
ness of mind in the confusion and rush
that fill the air. Serious minds trem-
BILE before the changes that come
laundering down upon them.
All that Mr.. Munger says, however,
is not inconsistent with the hopeful
view expressed only few days ago by
DIR. Robert f. Y. Pierce, pastor of the
Baptist church at Scranton, Pennsyl-
Vania, namely:
Jesus Christ is triumphing. There
was never so much genuine Christian
ity as now. In the commercial world
many of the greatest business men are
Christian men. In military life the
most distinguished generals are Chris
tian men. The music which lives
breathes the spirit of the Divine Mas
ter. The greatest literary productions
tell the story Of the Nazarene."
Summed up, perhaps the tendencies
OF today are best described by the
statement that while there is less and
less veneration fer dogmas there is
more and more genuine faith in a life
hereafter. more and more faith in the
Supreme Being. and a better apprecia-
tion OF the teachings of Jesus.