The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-07-22
DR.. ToMPKiNs SPEAKS.
Talks Interestingly on the Educational
Value of Literature.

University, July 22.-(Special)-D
the past week the summer school has
been favored with a series OF lectures by
one of the greatest leaders of educational
thought in the entire country. Dr. Arnold
Tomkins. principal of the Chicago Nor
NAL school. Throughout the week he
has delivered two lectures day, those in
the morning before the general assem-
bly, having been devoted to the develop
ment of the topic, 1.-The Philosophy of
Education;" his afternoon lectures have
been on various subjects
Yesterday morning he spoke on the Ed
ucational Value of Literature" "Litera-
ture," he said. deals with the fundamen-
tails and essentials of human life. 1t has
no bounds of time or place; it is as broad
as life itself. Since we cannot master all
of literature, we must choose the best,
and the only invariable standard by which
we are to Judge is the value of that which
the piece imparts."
He said that the educational value of
poetry Is that 1t draws the line of dis
tinction between our real and our ideal
selves, and teaches the pupil to transform
everything about him into something
strange and beautiful. The poet takes our
ideals and, having passed them through
the furnace of his brains, gives them to
us In sublimated form.
In teaching literature, the teacher must
first put his finger on the pulse beat of the
piece, for 1t is through fiction that the
great truths of life are taught
Last night DR.. Tompkins delivered a
splendid lecture on THE Religion of Ed
ucation.' He spoke in part as follows:
1T Is proposed to discuss the highest as
pect of education, the discussion of relig-
ion being only incidental. Usually they are
separated as two distinct. If not antagon..
fstic, things; but when we come to mako
our best definition of one we define the
other. When minister rises to the best
statement Of his theme ana the teacher
comes to state the ultimate meaning OF
education they are forced to repeat each
others phrases.
This all becomes clear when we search
for the common element In religion and
education The whole argument is based
on the fact that the common attributes are
more fundamental and essential to an OBJ
Ject than the marks separating the one
from the other.
There Is common element in all re-
ligions, whether Protestant or Catholic.
Christian or heather. This is found as the
essential thing in the religion of the Hot
tentot. In all religion, the fundamental
feeling Is that back of visible things there
Is an Infinite power-back of the finite
every soul feels that there is an infinite
Religion is craving for unity with God
The educated are initiated and sus.
tains5 under the same feeling: viz. that
we can touch the infinite through the
finite This is the motive of all thinking
and the meaning of all processes of
thought. Genuine thinking is a religious
process In that it is craving for touch
with the infinite back OF things. 1t thus
appears that education and religion are
fundamentally one"
The regular lecturer for the last week
of the summer school will be Superintend-
emit ]. b. Cunningham of the Boys High
school of Birmingham. Mr.. Cunningham
will lecture at 1890 o'clock Monday morn
ing, and at o'clock each afternoon ex-
cept Wednesday.
On Wednesday morning at 1920 DR.. J.
T. Searcy. superintendent of the Alabama
Bryce Insane hospital, will lecture before
the summer school. At 2:30 o'clock on the
afternoon of the same day a special clinic
will be conducted at the hospital for the
benefit of those of the summer school who
are interested In such matters
Tonight at s:15. DR.. Thomas M Owen
bama History before the summer school
There was no charge for admission, and
the public was cordially invited to at
tend.
The enrolment for the present session
has reached total of 316 which Is but
slightly behind that of last year.