The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1912-12-29
IN THE RELIGIOUS WORLD
THE TREND OF THINGS.

new 1Ork may now become the Ma
honal Bible University" inasmuch as it
has received from Mrs. John S. Kennedy
100000.
The late John S. Kennedy gave many
millions to the Presbyterian missions
The sum now received by the Bible
Teachers Training School is the begin
ing Of a larger fund for the development
OF the school into a university grade.
The training school grows out of the
modern tendency and willingness OF lay
men to work in and for the church, and
the recognition of the fact that there
was never an age when there was less
excuse for unframed workers in the
churches than this one.
The new university differs from some
others in the emphasis 1t lays upon Bible
instruction as the basis for all other
training. Other instruction will include
the training Of missionaries fer service
in both home and foreign fields, Y. NJ.
c. a. and Y. W. C. A. secretaries, and
there is to be added a theological depart
ment, in the great part for the training
OF evangelists and street and park
preachers in summer. The leader of the
enterprise is Rev. DIR. Wilbur W. White,
who is well known here in Washington
from his popular Bible class conducted
here under Y NJ. c. \. auspices seven
years ago.
As the humiliation and disintegration
of Turkey proceeds. attention will doubt
less be called to the fact that the holy
places of three faiths have for CEN
turtles been under the Turkish flag Not
to mention Constantinople itself. and the
cities of Asia Minor made sacred by the
footsteps of Paul, and the history of the
churches which he planted, the geo.
graphical foci, so to speak, of Judaism.
Christianity and Islam are all in the
keeping of the Turk. Turkish soldiers,
of the same temper as those who have
been massacreing Christians in the Bal
kans, are the keepers of the Church OF
the Nativity in Bethlehem. Of the
Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jeru-
salem and Of the site of the Temple of
Solomon, where now stands the Mosque
Of Omar. Mecca. Medina, Kerbela
Meshed Ali and the lesser shrines of
Islam are also within the Ottoman EN-
pire- An observer cannot refrain from
specializing concerning the effect upon
worldwide religious tolerance and poll
ticdI stability were G-eat Britain to take
possession OF Syria and Arab. There
has for a few years past been a bazaar
prophecy current in Cairo to the effect
that within five years England would
control all the holy places If such a
move were made, it would not be from
religious motives but merely to safe
guard Great Britain's interests in Egypt.
India, and the Persian gulf.
The Eastern Orthodox Church. repre-
scented in the Balkans and in Russia, has
lately signifed its Willingness to take
Tart in world conference on Faith
and Order" Approaches are being made
10 bishops in the Roman Catholic Church, |
but thus far no response has been re-
ceived. The bishops to be approached |
are those of Italy and not America.
Churches of Scotland and Ireland. the |
l.utherans Of Germany, and other bodies |
in less close touch than some others
have expressed interest. and. in some in'
stances, intention to name delegates
No intimation whatever is given when
the conferences may be called. It is sim.
Uly stated by unity leaders that within |
the two years. since the scheme was
proposed, more has been accomplished
than had been thought possible. and that
there still remains a vast amount of ed
UcatiOnal work to be done before it will
be safe TO call the meeting. 1t is thought
likely the conference. when held, will be /
in America and not in Europe. That is
as far as the unity leaders as yet con- |
sent to predict.
The Federal Council of Protestant
churches, representing thirty-two denom- /
nations. changed from South TO North
and from Methodist to Baptist in electing !
its president, Prof Smaller Matthews, as
successor to Bishop Hendrix, OF the /
Methodist Church South.
Prof. Matthews is Maine man just
turning fifty. or will do so in a few
months. He has been prominent in the
{ hristian world OF affairs for years. his !
latest connections up to his election as
head OF the council. being the editOrship |
OF the Biblical World and religious d.
rector of the great Chautauqua reading !
ana Other work of education. He has |
long been dean of the Divinity School
Of the University of Chicago. a depart |
mcnt which he created. He has been !
prolific writer on religious topics. His |
election to the presidency OF the Federal
'ouncil does not interfere with his rela- |
lions with the University of Chicago.
The daily newspapers have been max |
ing a good deal OF fuss over the publica- |
lion Of n Baptist Bible" says the New
York Continent. But if they had known !
q bit Of the history behind their news
they would not have thought it quite so
a astonishing Older church people remem- |
Der the movement to provide special |
edition Of the Scriptures for Baptsts-I
with the word 'baptize' always translated |
'immerse'-which fiourished in that de- |
more than half a century ago. |
When. however, such a volume was actu- |
ally put forth the reception OF it sadly |
its sponsors The sense of |
christian unity among Baptists proved |
much stronger than their UNCONVENTIONAL |
dogmatism and the vast majority Of |
them continued to read the same Bible
that their Christian neighbors of other |
churches used. The Baptist Bible of
those days fell into speedy disuse and |
has long been out of print But some
persistent souls went on with the idea |
under a slightly different form; they pro-
posed that Baptists should contribute
real new translation to the Christian |
world. with their favorite word immerse' |
only an incident to general revision. This
was a much better notion, and for thirty /
years various Baptist scholars, beginning
with DTs. Weston and Broadus, including |
President Harper and ending with Profs.
Price and Sampey, have been at work
IN the task This version now finished
i. distinctively Baptist only IN that {
puts immense in brackets after 'bap-
tie wherever the latter occurs in the
lext For the rest Of it the interest Of
the work consists in many new workings
II familiar Bible ideas. To hit on such
fresh renderings often fllips the atten-
ton of accustomed Bible readers; for
n hich reason students may likely value
the Baptist translation. But not even its
distinguished translators can expect II to
become really popular"
In recent visits of Gypsy Smith, the
a.