The Topeka state journal., 1909-02-18
DIR. MOULTON'S LECTURE
PIeases Large Audience With Talk
on the Bible.

The first of the series of university
| extension lectures under the auspices
of the teachers Of the Topeka schools
was given at the high school auditor
1um Wednesday evening by Richard
G. Moulton, professor of literary
theory and Interpretation, at the Chi
cago university. There are six lee
lures in the course which closes We'd
nesday evening, March oath.
The subject of last nights lecture
was THE Literary Study of the Bible
as Distinct from Theology and Criti-
c1sm" Professor Moulton is not a
stranger in Topeka for he has deliver
ed lectures at the high school for a
number of years and has many warm
friends and admirers who always well
come him.
Professor Moulton is not only lee
turer, but he is an actor, that is as far
as the rendition of his lectures is con-
cerned and most interesting person
ality as we'll The subject of the lee
ture course Literary Reading as
Means of Biblical Study suggest a
dreary, heavy series of readings to
many, but his opening lecture proves
that this is far from being the case.
There was not a moment during the
lecture last evening when the au-
d1ence was not with the speaker, fol-
lowing closely his every act and word
and the hour or more used in the de-
livery passed quickly. He Hkened the
Bible to an immense scrap book
pieced by many hands and a creation
requiring deep literary study for cor
rect interpretation
When you read the Bible from all
of its literal standpoints and phases it
becomes literature of the highest or
der" declared Professor Moulton. "It
underhes all literature and a technical
understanding of literature is essential
to arrive at the meaning of the Bible.
Poor grammar and the lack of know
ledge of literature may lead to misun-
derstandings of interpretations and
likewise of the teachings of the Scrip
ture.
Likewise it may lead to misconcep-
tions. The Bible is a dramatic produc-
tion and the drama is different from
all other classes of writings Here it
is one character speaking and there an
other and the words which seem to be
those of Christ to the reader not lit
erary student may be the words of
the Bible was written literature was
at its height but the mode of recording
the writings was in it's infancy. There
was nothing in the manuscripts of this
age to distinguish the prose from the
poetry. More than that the letters
were not separated or We're the words
or sentences or even the paragraphs and
it is not to be wondered at that mis-
takes of conception should have arisen.
There was no way of distinguishing
between one speaker and another and
this has given rise to many compIica-
tions which are only now being ex-
planned to the satisfaction of the liter
ary students. The manuscripts resem-
bled as far as intelligence to the ordi-
nary reader is concerned, the note
books of the stenographers of today
THE original authors are not respon-
sible for the Bible a we know it today
for it has passed through many hands
since it was impaired to manuscript
form by them. First came the scribes
and then the doctors followed by the
rabbieS and then last of all the trans
lators and none of them had any idea
of literature. We say that Shakespeare
said 'Frailty, thy name Is woman but
never said it. 1t was one
of his characters and the expression
does not reflect the character of Shake
speare at all.
$50 it is with many of the pas
sages in the Bible. They are in the
Bible to be sure and that book is given
stances they are the utterances of
some one in no way allied with the
divine history of the world. People |
overlook the fact that these express |
sions are not those of the author but
Of some one who is being quoted.
"The old version of the Bible is a |
series of texts; the new version fur |
nishes the connecting links. In read |
ing the Bible would suggest that the |
student read a book at time and
LIldI dC one SILliH6- IhCH Tic ASduSl |
will get the connection which ma
belongs with the interpreta- |
ton. That is just what makes the |
theaters so popular. One goes to a thea |
ter to see one of Shakespeare pro-
duction and he sees the entire play or |
book at one sitting and gets a cor
rect Interpretation of the authors |
Idea.''
The second number of the course |
Deuteronomy, or the Farewell of |
Moses to Israel" which will be given /
Wednesday evening, February "a, is |
described by Professor Moulton as "a
brilliant drama of the book of |