The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1912-01-31

III J d ~ ~ d IN 4 DAf - 80
touch with it. Yet it is a method of
approach that is gradually breaking
down the unfortunate and un-Christ-
| ian barriers between the different de.
nominations.
! The method" is the same as that
adopted so largely today in philosophy
and psychology, and attempts first of
all to clear the mind of the student
| of all preconceived notions and set
opinions, and have him begin, as If
the subject he is to stndy had never
before been presented to him.
Naturally therefore, as a method of
approach, the life of Jesus would not
be looked upon from our present view
point back through the centuries-a
viewpoint, which because of history
and Christian civilization, definitely
places Him in a fixed category; but
the modern student in the up-todate
theological seminary or university
must study Jesus first of all through
the glimpses we have of Him in baby
hood, then childhood youth, His call
to minister, etc, down to His death.
This method is ideal, and does what
no other method can possibly do,
namely, it presents the humanity of
Jesus, which our fathers were apt to
entirely forget. This method also
brings Jesus where He meets the
needs of the men of our age. We see
Him in His struggle with temptation,
in His absolute reliance upon God, in
His final victory over Himself when
He says, Into Thy hands | commend
my spirit" Had He failed at any
point, and the historical method
shows up the possibility of failure all
along the years of His career, He
would have been no different from
any one of us, and no more in char
acter and worth than any one of us
But He did not fail More than this,
He passed through a unique expert
ence with death, such as none of us
men has ever had. The historical
method" shows how completely He
surprised His disciples, who had gone
back to their work at fishing ana
other occupations which they were
following, before He had called them
They lost all faith in Him. Right here
the method shows how completely
scientific it is, for it treats all the
resurrection story from the stand
point of psychology-how those men
were astonished how they rallied
about their Lord, how from that very
moment they turned from their work
to preach Him, not merely as their
Lord, but as the Lord of men every
where; how He was Immediately eX-
allied as head of the Church and the
Savior of men, and one who because
of His experience with death, and be-
cause He was completely under the
power of God, and in new and pc
cuiar way represented God to men,
was therefore worthy of the highest
worship. Paul said, HE emptied
Himself" The historical method"
shows how completely. The "histori-
cal method" shows how rightly after
His resurrection He held His position
in the estimate of the church, and
rightly is worshipped by all Chris
tians, whether they, admit that they
worship Him or not.
The method merely is disturbing,
and not the results of the method, to
all who have not been trained in this
way. 1t is the method of the Rit-
schlian school in Germany, the method
that Harnack in Berlin largely uses,
and the method adopted by all pro-
gressive schools of thought in Amer
lea. 1t is truly scientific and holds
the admiration of the thinking world
This method is making theology one
of the most attractive sciences Of the
day. More than all else, this method
is uniting Christendom in an accurate,
spiritual approach to the greatest
problem of the ages-the understand
ing of the life and work of Jesus of
I Nazareth, who is called the Christ.
thank you for your courtesy.
Sincerely yours,
ROWLAND B. DODGE.
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