Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-10
7lELY NEWS AND VIEWS OF THE RELIGIOJ
VARIETY OF VIEWS OF THE
MEANING OF KINGDOM IDEA
The Belief That Church is to Evangeze Of Transform
Some Phases of the Subject

The kingdom of heaven, or the
kingdom of God, terms Familiarity
used by Jesus Christ during his min
istry. is having a variety of inter-
pretations, and for some religious
people the war situation in Europe
is awakening new interest
Five or six views are held about
the kingdom of God. Some think
of it as referring TO the mai stats
after death. Others regard the
church and the kingdom as identi-
cal. Some people speak of the ms.
sionary efforts for the conversion of
non-Christian nations as extending
the kingdom of God. Others speak
and write of the transformation OF
the institutions of life and of the
variety of the social activities of
men as the development of the king
dom in the direction of higher ethical
and spiritual attachments. still other
students of the Bible and of the signs
of the times regard the kingdom Of
COD as not yet come. For these the
millennial period is expected to bring
in the kingdom of God. This view
has especially active advocates at the
present time.
From the millennial point of view
the war is encouraging. But from
the point of view that holds that
human life is making steady, con-
sistent progress to better things, the
war appears to be depressing. Those
of the former view believe the church
to be here to evangelize and to bear
witness. and not to transform and
to civilize. Those generally of the
latter view believe the cnurcn Is
here in the spirit of conquest to over
come evil and to eXalt the good. The
former hold that this age win end
in disaster and the kingdom of God
cannot come until afterward. The
latter believe that the processes OF
moral and spiritual evolution are
demonstrating the elements Of the
kingdom of God even now. While
the former postpone the era OF social
transformation, the latter are work
ing energetically to regenerate So
ciety.
Two Views Affected Differently.
Tremendous and staggering out
breaks of war affect these two vary.
ing points of view quite differently
One takes comfort and claims thai
the end of the age is near The Other
Is depressed and sees only the pas
sions of men for the time desper
| ately seeking to withstand the force'
for good. In the first week of thl'
month an organiZati ton called Tx
Brotherhood of the Kingdom" me
| in annual conference to consider th'
| subject of 1.-THE Next Great Awaken
ing but the war had a dispiritinl
! effect on discussion until recover
was found in the deepened conviction
| that God is in His world and hat
not forsaken 1t. Not so is it witt
those who see in war, one of tn
signs of the removal of all divip
restraint upon man."
The period of disaster begins, 1t i
! claimed, by the taking away of tn
| church and the control the churc
exerts, until what is latent in tn
human heart" lying under "a vas
system of repression" bounds fort
| in lawlessness and iniquities. Thi
Is necessary, according to this view
in order to usher in the kingdom O
God. On the contrary, 1t is held b
others and by far the larger part G
Christendom, the church in its es
sential spirit and power will continu
to overcome in the long run the evil
of life and will transform society an
gradually make of 1t, though it ma
be indeed slowly, the kingdom 0