The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-03-12
PULPIT AND PEW
WORK OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Association Organized Year Ago Held It's Second Meeting
Philadelphia by Leading Religious
of the Nation-What the Association Stands For

The religious education convention held
a year ago in Chicago was unique. In
| response to call issued by over one
hundred prominent educators, there
gathered in Chicago some four hundred
| men and women. The people of the
churches Of Chicago responded to the in
| vitation and on the opening night a vast
audience in the Auditorium greeted the
speakers. The sessions Of the convention
continued for three days with large and
attentive audiences The enrolment of
delegates included many Of the most
prominent educators Of the country,
| twenty-three states we're represented, also
Canada and some foreign countries.
! The convention resulted in the forma-
! ton of the Religious Education associa
ton and the proceedings Of the conven-
ton We're published. This volume, con-
| sisting of $50 pages. Is perhaps the most
important book ever published on the
subject Of religious education
| The second meeting of the association
| was held in Philadelphia last week. 1t
was as representative In character as the
| former meeting. On the program of the
| convention We're the leading experts Of
the country and the most intense interest
was evident. Dean Frank Sanders, Ph.D.,
| D. D., Of Yale divinity school, presided.
IN his opening address he reported
membership Of nearly 1000 and an ex
penditure Of about $1,000. The work of
| the year had been in the line Of organiza
| ton The opportunity of the coming year
was in arousing interest In religious ed
ucation, In promoting Intelligent work,
in collecting data in the various depart
ments Of the association and in placing
at the disposal Of all the results Of prog
ress at any point. The society's chief
function lay in assisting the intelligent
| layman to be working factor in the
religious education problem Of the flu
| ture. ... >..-.-,
The general subject for discussion was
| 1.-THE Bible" 'The Bible in Religious
! experience" Religious Education in the
| Home - 1.-THE Bible in Education" and
1.-THE Bible in Social and Civic Life" were
the chief divisions of the subject.
President Halls Address.
DR.. Halls annual Survey Of Progress
in Religious and Moral Education and
his address as the new president Of the
association were remarkable contribu-
tons to the program. These two adj
dresses reflected the thought, the spirit
and the purpose of the whole convention.
The points discussed were: The vastness
of the field of religious and moral educa-
ton In this country, the lack Of co-ordi-
nation between the constructive forces
| in this neld-a deficiency somewhat coun-
terbalaEced by the underlying homogen-
city of ideal and purpose beneath these
forces, the presence Of certain inimical
conditions that must be reckoned with,
the timeliness Of the Religious Education
association as q possible agent of ade-
quate coordination of principles and
methods and the conviction that the as
l ISOLATION records progress in recording at
I this early stage of it's life an Intelligent
I perception of the need Of progress.
. Among the inimical conditions noted
the apparent tendency of American life to
Of ina ia he of ioriN q
conviction element of education for
citizenship. DR.. Hall continued: 1.-THE
function Of this society was to promote
religious education on a basis of true
knowledge. Steps therefore should be
taken, that are adequate, rational, COM
1 plete and scientific, to bring within the
4 sphere Of conduct the truths Of the Bible
to every man. woman and child in Amer
lea. The purpose. of this association Is,
, that processes Of non-religion shall not
go on, but that this Bible, the fountain OF
divine truth, the well-spring of divine in
spiratiOn shall be so presented to the
youth Of our land that there shall be q
revival Of religious life. To have a part il
this service is a precious possession
| For the work of the year it Is proposed
to raise $4,000. Ten thousand dollars Of
this will come from memberships and $10,.
meeting Of the association nearly $4,000
of this latter amount was subscribed.
/ Resolutions. IN
The resolutions adopted are in effect s
4 declaration Of principles and an outline O.
methods. They are the disqualification O.
I the thought of the convention. In then
4 the association declared Its conviction
that, owing partly to rapid changes In thu
conditions of modern life, an emergenc,
has arisen in respect to the training O
the young in matters that pertain t.
character; that such education depends
\ primarily upon the influence Of high per
\ ! sonality; that the most important institu
J ton for the development Of character i
the family; that in any complete plan 70
character training the Bible must have
q permanent and unique place; that some
where within our trinity Of educationa
u. institutions-the home, the church an,
| the school-the child is entitled to receiv
possession Of its truths; that to this en
no equipment in the way of personal stud
! on the part Of parents and teachers, or il
| the way of means and methods, can b
too costly, and that to promote these end
r this association will devote it's energie
- during the coming year, first, to investiga
Y ton and practical stimulation in the vari
: Gus directions represented by it's seven
: teen departments; second, to agitatio
and diffusion of information thru it
+ proceedings and other printed matte
!. and thru public speech; third, to tn
r. OIL local C0HteiS 1Of Lle SLuu
n of practical problems in the light Of es
O tablished principles. and, fourth, to per
= sonal effort of each member in his ow
station to practice and promulgate thes
II principles.
The New Officers.
- The officers elected were:
President. Charles Cuthbert Hall, D. D
y president of Union Theological Seminary; fri
~ vice president, Francis G. Peabody, D. D., dea
II of Harvard Divinity School, vice president
Ell Professor Martin G.. Brumbaugh, Phi. D., Unive
l. sity OF Pennsylvania; Caroline Hazard, Lift. D
president Wellesley college; the Rev. John
Mckinney, president Sunday School Editors
l. association; Glen X. Shurtleff, general seer
II tary Y. M. G. A., Cleveland; the Rev. Charlie
- Il. Brown, pastor First Congregational churc]
e Oakland, CAL; William r. Webb, principal Wei
* School, Bell Buckle, Tenn; Richard H. Jess
n LII. D.. president University Of Missouri; Il
= Rev. Samuel W. Deke, LII. D., correspondent
secretary National League for the Protectio
ident American Board of Commissions for Fo
eign Missions; the Rev. Levi Gilbert, d. D
editor Western Christian Advocate; Professt
John NJ. Coulter, PHI D., University Of Oh
cago; the Rev. e. Morris Ferguson, secretar
d New Jersey State Sunday School Association
Miss Mary Evans, Lift D., president Lake Err
College; Professor George Cross. Phi. D., Norti
4 western University; Bishop Coadjutor Aiexande
~ Mackay Smith Of no Profestant EricoopaI M