Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-07
Do Riches
NOUV Rule
Churches ?
What Part Is Religion Taking in
Modern Movements for
Social Justice?

! two ago, perfectly apparent to those
who think or who observe the signs
of the times. That my statement
was not unWarranted is confirmed by
a remarkable article which has just
! appeared in an English review of
! great Importance.
| The review of which 7 speak is not
| devoted to religious subjects, but
| when 1t turns to theology il puts to
| shame the feeble opponents of Sec
| tarianism which are published in
| America, some of them even beneath
| the attention of children. The ar
| tlele with which l propose to deal is
| entitled 1.-THE Task Of Theology in
the Twentieth Century"
| Such a subject may not appeal TO
the struggling young Newark cleric
who as It seems. trusts to the NOV
ing picture sermon and the glazing
turkey supper" poster outside Of his
church to I'LL the seats within.
Proofs of Interest.
But the subject is Of supreme i'm
portance, nevertheless, and, as the
article to which ! refer says, the
mere wealth of production of books
dealing with theology or religion in
dicates that there are readers whom
they interest.
1t has been openly stated Of late
years that theology is an outWorn
subject, but this cannot be the case.
The vast output of theological lit
erature must, perforce. have pub
lie interest far more important than
the turkey-supper cleric or the re-
ligious poster-artist.
Theology introduces, directly or in
directly, nearly every branch OF
human science. but, what is perhaps
not sufficiently recognized by theo
logians is the influence on it OF the
kindred pursuits OF art and litera
ture. Artistic and poetic ideals are
of the greatest aid to the religious
investigator, but how few of the half
taught clerics of the day realize this,
how few of them appreciate the fact
that the renaissance Of poetry, now
manifesting itself, is q part of the
same spiritual movement which in
dicates a revival in religion. Indeed,
how few there are that are capable
of realizing Il.
All should Know Literature.
1t would be q good thing for re-
ligion if every cleric of the day, Ike
DR.. Dawson. Of the First Presbyterian
Church. of this city, should be thor
oughly acquainted with the popular
novels and dramatic literature of the
hour. For some of the imagination
which inspires the genuine novelist,
or the dramatist whose work is vital
lied makes him also a prophet. AS
such it is certainly desirable that the
pastor who Is lit to teach the lesson
of religion should be acquainted with
the men who are. perhaps, foreteiling
the Last Affairs" of mankind.
But, as l have said repeatedly, this
revived interest in religion is fact.
But again, to return to the article on
The Task of Theology in the TWen-
tieth Century," the revival does not
mean necessarily a revived orthodoxy.
1t does not always mean religious be-
lief, even of the nebulouS kind, for it
can be fostered out of purely scientific
curiosity, as the study of human
phenomenon, all the more attractive
if the student happens to think that
we are at the end of q specifically
religious force.
The main point to note is the
manifestation of this religious inter
est by an increasing number of per-
sons and the vast amount of new
knowledge, both external and inter-
nal, that is pouring in upon the world
Nhat Is It's Import?
1t is impossible to say in what way
this vast thrush of knowledge is go
ing TO affect traditional standpoints,
but to any one, as I said before who
reads the signs Of the times, there
are one or two important considera-
tions the weight of which will be ap-
parent.
There is first and perhaps at this
time foremost, the impact of COM
parative religion. Are the traditional
religious organizations going to find
therein 4 further support? Or, will
IL have 8. solvent influence, leading,
perhaps, to q general estimate OF the
value OF religion. but to a diminished
sense OF the Importance of anyone
now existing. Again, our horizons
are widening. The couple of millen-
NUNS that have scarcely elapsed since
the birth of Christ seem to US far
less than they did to our fathers. The
centuries have begun to shrink be-
fore our eyes, as Mr.. George Bernard
Shaw said.
Is Christianity to be what it claims
to be, the central fact in the spiritual
experience of humanity. or is it only
an episode, as has been said, be.
tween two eternities of death, soor
thought takes ones breath away
and still more emphasizes the re.
sponsibillty of the Christian.
Demand Upon the Churches.
Obviously, If as Christians claiu
1t to be the first, the Christian church
has q great work before 1t in the as.
smiliation OF all this new matter
| And some of these attempts are re.
| tlected in recent books on theology.
Another fact is patent, Of no less
! significance. Christianity is Christ
has been the rallying cry for long
and every other element in Historical
Christianity has been regarded as
/ having worth only in so far as II
| helped better to express q living faith
! in Christ.
! Now, however one of our American
! philosophers. quite Independent of &c
clesiastie attachments, has come for
ward to declare that the Person OF
the Founder is of no Importance al
all, and that the whole notion i:
summed up in the claim of loyalty
to great community, and that
| church authority seems TO be coming
into it's own again, and that in an az,
slngularly impatient. OF authority.
At this point there arises a still NOR
vital problem. If Christianity be
above all things. fellowship and
sense Of brotherhood, how can tn,
churches reassert for themselves q pc
sition which they have lost?
View of the Many in the Streets.
No one can, say at this moment tina
the average man in the street feel
that the Christian church is promot
ing this sense of fellowship. 1t ma.
he that he is Wrong-that he ough