Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-05-26
STUDY
EVOLUTION IS.
TEST OF TRUTH
DR.. Knudson Terms Higher
Criticism a Progressive d
Revelation.

Convocation at the University Of
North Dakota this morning was adj
dressed. by DIR. Albert Knudson, Phi.
D., st. b. Of Boston School of The
ology on the subject, 1.-The Evolution
of Modern Bible Study" President
Frank l.. MsVey presided.
DR.. Knudson, II of the most force
full, interesting and magnetic speakers
who has appeared this year in the
clear and readily comprehensive ex-
position of the entire field of bible
study and spoke in brief as follows:
The modern method of bible study
Is popularity known as the higher
criticism. This method is nov COM
monty accepted by Christian scholars
of all schools. In its evolution we
may distinguish W stages; first, the
period of tradition. and secondly. the
ton to that of criticism. The transit
ton from the period of tradition to
that Of criticism. The period Of ira
dition extended over the first fourteen
or fifteen centuries of the Christian
era. During this period bible study
wa sdominated by three assumptions:
the tnafallibility Of scripture. the al
legorical method of Interpretation,
and the principle Of ecclesiastical au-
ho IIICSC hSouill JULIUS we're
bound up with an empiriscistic phtl-
osophy. The human was regarded
as the passive recipient Of a ready
made knowledge. God was looked
upon as revealing Himself only in a
miraculous way. Hence the bible as
His word must have been miraculous
~ dictated to men and SO must be
absolutely infallible. But If strictly
inerrant the only way it could be adj
f11Gfad RI thu n1k4r15 -~al---,- - =
later day was by the allegorical meth
Cd Of Interpretation. nd the only
way the a~llegorical method of inter-
probation could be controlled was by
the principle Of ecclesiastical author
ity by making the church the authori-
tatlve Interpreter Of scripture.
. When Thought Began to Change.
In sixteenth century his tradi-
tiona1 system Of thought began to give
way. The thinkers of that day re-
1ected the principle of. ecclesiastical
authority. and the allegorical method
OF interpretation. but they chung more
tenaciously than rel to the infallibil-
VT OF scripture. This continued to be
times. Only within the past half cen.
Jury have the progressive leaders Of
the church rejected the doctrine ~
strict in%fallibility. We now make No
EFFORT to harmonic scripture with
modern science. We take It as Il i.
and still find 1t d book Of incomnar.
able religious value.
-Four important developments IN
MODERN thought have aided In the ad-
the Christian faith. First is the doc0
trine Of the divine immanence. God
works through the natural as we'll AZ
the supernatural. He can sneak
through men in spite Of all their nat.
rual limitations. Second is the COW
stitution or creative activity OF
ought The human mind necessar-
ny works over its material before Il
can make 1t a~rticulate to others. And
was consequently a large human az
lment In their teachings. Third 10 tha
law OF evolution. This requires us 10
nold to a progressive revelation NJ
Goa. n a progressive revelation I'm
pies that the lower stages Of reveia :
ton are imperfect. And in the fourth
place We have the progfnatistic test
OF truth. That Is true which works
II the oible nnds US at greater depths
81 our being than any other book
that Is proof sufficient Of its divinity
We need no other"
The special music for the convoca-
ton this morning was a group Of
songs by Mrs. Arthur Bratrud. Mrs
Bratrud sang with a Violet" by
Greg. "Du bist vie cine Blume" by
Degele, and by the Waters of Min.
netonka' by Lleurance. The last
number. with its Indian fascinstion
Its accompaniment Of rnppline music
that sounds like the ripping Of water
In h moonlight, was so charmineiv
interpreted by Mrs. Bratrud, her ac.
companist, Mrs. L. c. Harrington. and
Professor ". ". Norton who PLAYED
q violin oblisato, that it had to be re-