The San Francisco call., 1904-12-11

- TetElDES lie IS. or enDliQ DE-
linked fndissolubiy with the
higher life Of collegiate educa-
tion. IL book Of his addresses, re-
Gently issued by the University Of chi
cage Press. we end a strong call for
the reCc grition Of the spiritual on equal
plane with tne material in the scheme
az things academic. There can be no
higher life. according 10 DIT. Harper's
convictions. unless il has its founda-
tions firmly rooted in en- implicit trust
and faith in an exalted religious belief.
In the first address Of the series.
which gives the title to DR.. Harpers
book. ChicagO's president defines the
relationship between religious thought
and the other compOnents Of the higher
life, the arts, the sciences, ethics and
philosophy. While rcpUdiating the con-
tention that religion is the fostering
parent OF all these activities OF the
trained intellect the essayist maintains
that though an impulse apart from
every other esthetic endeavor, religious
spirit is in its totality all-embracing,
alI-satisfying. Art, science, ethics and
philosophy cannot be well balanced
without the leaven Of religion.
facts he has advanced DR.. Harper
shows himself 10 be a latitudinarian Of
the broadest stripe. The religion of
Jesus Christ is a religion capable Of
adjustment 10 any and every individual.
however peculiar his temperament,
however exacting his demand" Again
he says, 7 do not urge upon you any
form Of religion. for have in mind its
very. essence, that which is common TO
all forms" In strange contradiction to
these dicta. however, DR.. Harper fol-
lows In a succeeding address with
plea for the cultivation Of religious
worship in the cOlleges-worship. as he
defines II. being the unanimity Of ritu-
alistic practices which binds individual
religionists into unit. How reconcile
the universalism Of the essayist's re-
.ligious conceptions with his demand for
aggregate worship among university
students7
The religious side Of instruction
must not be ignored or treated half
heartedly.' says the president Of Chi
cago IN his address on Religious Be
lief IN College" And again: And
finally there must be specific teaching
Of definite character adapted to individ-
uaI needs and necessities. This calls for
chairs OF Bible instruction in every in
stitutfon." Is Dr. Harper's recon-
mendation in tune with his theory? II
every man is open TO choose his re-
ligious belief-to be a church in himself
il he so wills it-can his independence
profit by set instruction? Has there
ever been a theological school which
nodded the thought OF Buddhist and
Calvinist, Greek orthodox and Friend,
under the same regimen Of instruction?
II the seuli-oficial religious training
that is now being given students Of
universities through Christian associa-
tions makes IN the end, as it surely
does, for the insistence upon dogma
more OF less allied with the tenets OF
certain religious bodies, could official
academic instruction, sanctioned and
supported by university regents, do
aught else?
DR.. HsrDer's universalism cannot be
put into practice. The weight of opin-
ION to-day is that the public university
must be divorced from any programme
OF religious training II It is TO achieve
broad Independence Of thought and
spirit. The Bible is studied as ntera-
ture with profit: religious schemes en-
ter into the scope Of philosophical stud
ies as material for consideration in the
abstract. Beyond this the province Of
the modern university cannot, accord
ing 70 present opinion, have place.
CThe University OF Chicago Press;
orice SD