The Detroit times., 1916-10-28
Reformation Year"
Begins Oct. 81 In
All Churches
FOUR MILLION TO
TAKE ACTIVE PART
Four Hundredth Ami
versary to Be Cele-
brated Oct. 81, 1917
sy the RELIGIOUS RAMBLER


Comprehensive plans Tor the
worldwide celebration OF the -four
hundredth anniversary OF the Rstor
nation have been long under way
BY the various Lutheran bodies
and a few days hence, oct b. BE-
gins what has been designated Ref
ormation year. II will culminste
one year later, on the exact ami
versary Of the mailing % his IA
NOUS 81 theses on the door OF the
wittenberg church by Martin Llth-
or. While the elaborate program !s
made especially for the 100000
Lutherans in America there are
said 20 be $4,000 900 in the world
II In expected 20 affect all the
Protestant churches in the land.
Lutheranism In America r. a.
vided into many denominations
all OF which show a tendency 70
coaiesce. The Ave leading bodies
the General council, General synod
United synod OF the south, the joint
Ohio synod. and the Iowa synod r.
have come together Ia one Join,
committee 10 prepare for the qaldri.
centennial. Large plans % really
statesmanlike character and scope
have been made for a nationwide
observance They reach down n
every local community in the land
that has a Lutheran church, and
each OF the large cities has spe.
cial committee 10 carry our the
general program
Special stress is laid by the gen
erai committee, OF which the Rev
r. n. Gold IL secretary. and which
Has its national headquarters in the
Horner building, Philadelphia upon
the point that this celebration ~
400 years OF Professionalism r. not
anti-Catholic: IL Is less concerned
with conditions in the church prior
TO the Reformation. than with those
in America today The slogan %
the centennial is TO celebrate "a
Reformation OF the sixteenth cen
fury. and 10 hasten The transforma
ton OF the twentieth"
All the modern devices 10 quicken
church consciousness have been
adopted. There will be special Ref
ormation motion picture Aims dis
played; and. in cooperation with
the committee. the great talking ma
chine concerns have put out special
records containing the Reformation
hymns. SUNDAY school children vii,
wear Reformation buttons A Ref
ormation medal has been struck by
the committee on one side -
shows a portrait OF Luther with the
dates OF his birth and death, Ms
head being encircled With Tho
words Fine Feste Burg lst Unser
Colt" The other side pictures the
monk. Luther mailing his theses to
the church door. and underneath
him is the Scripture reference. John
S:l+l5. The encircling text ie
"Quadrtcentennial OF the Reforma
ton" This medal. and It's reprodue
ton, will become familiar 20 the
general public before oct 81. 1917
Pageants OF the Reformation do.
picting scenes IN the life % Luther
will be used both in indiyidus.
churches and in united celebrations
The modern methods ~ impressinc
principles and facts arc 10 be ON
ployed In ways that would have
made Luther rub his eyes.
That this centennial is 70 have
permanent effects upon the life Of
the church is made clear when The
scope or the plans Is scanned The
Joint committee. OF which The dis
tinguished scholar. the Rev Dr r
o. schmsuck. OF Lebanon. Pa. Is
chairman, has deliberately under
taken TO create a new body ~ Ref
crmation literature and agencies
for the circulation OF that which
already exists. A group OF Amer
can scholars IL translating the prin
efpai works OF Luther into English
and two volumes are already out
There In announced also the sec
cnd volume OF Luther's correspon
denee. and a well-known American
author IL preparing a new and pop
ular life OF Luther, for the quadri
centennial. Translation IL also be-
Inc made OF a recent German HIS
tory OF the Reformation A Refor
nation library has been created. FOR
the circulation Of these and other
worts.
Another ambitious achievement OF
this celebration committee Is the
securing OF the preparation. by lead
ne Lutheran scholars. OF two dozer
Articles on Reformation fundamen
sa1s." These cover a wide range