The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1918-01-26
Value OF STUDY
OF HISTORY
The World War Has Emphasized Its
Great lmportance-Catholic His
tory Has Taken On a New
Significance.
Christianity Has Not Failed for the
World Has Not Vet Tried Chris
tianity-FaIIacy of Modernism De-
handing New Philosophy and a
New Religion.

HdnoIH9 new fnlIoSOpny ana a
New Religion.
(By DR.. James j. Walsh)
If there is one thing more than. an
other than this war has emphasized it
is the value of the serious study of
history, that is, if we are to have any
proper understanding of that very
complex creature man and his de-
velopment down the centuries. We
were very much inclined to think be-
fore this war that men had become
very different from what they had
been in the olden time, and that as
consequence of this fundamental,
though very gradual change, a great
war between the civilized cultured ma
tions of the world, that is, one that
would last for any length of time, had
become quite impossible.
AS a result of this feeling history,
as department of knowledge, had
apparently lost not little of it's value
as the background of our thinking
with regard to our own time, while
we complacently fostered the thought
that we had progressed so far in re-
cent years that practically the history
of the peoples of the older times,
when they were as yet barbarous
enough to make war after war, and
were so lacking in civilization that
wars even between the leading peo-
pies of period were frequent, was
absolutely separated from us by
barrier that made their doings in the
long ago of scarcely more than acad-
emic interest. Dry-as-dust students
of history, interested in anything that
happened in the past might care to
gather together the details of infor-
nation that we had with regard to
these old times, but the subject was
of very little practical interest. The
older peoples were a curious distantly
related set Of races, but so unlike our.
selves as to be only subject for cur
ious speculation. History had lost it's
place, to some extent at least, as
subject to be pursued with serious con-
siderations, under the idea that we
could comprehend our own time bet
ter by faithfully and carefully study
ing the former times and seeing the
almost inevitable comparisons. Com.
parative history had somewhat lost
most of it's practical significance, and
the philosophy of history was pushed
into the background, while the idea Of
evolution made it perfectly clear that
men were engaged in inevitable prog
ress which sooner or later would
make them ever so much better than
men had been before.
Catholic History Important.
Now we know better and are quite
ready to acknowledge that the course
of history is continuous, and that so
far from being different, we have had
our similarity with the men and wo-
men of the older time brought out
clearly and emphasized for us by the
fact that we are in the greatest war of
human history, and so far from being
non-warring people, we too have
had the great duty of making war
thrust upon us, and recognize how
sacred it may be. History then be.
comes not merely theoretic study Of
old-time facts with regard to benighted
people very different from ourselves,
but an actual record Of past exper-
fences of humanity and teaching by
example that enables us to understand
our own time far better than would
otherwise be the case.
Above all, for Catholics history is
important and in the light of recent
events, has taken on great, new
significance. At the beginning of the
war there were not few unbelievers
who insisted that Christianity had
failed since this war had been allowed
to take place, and that as after 1900
years Christianity had been quite un-
able to keep people from going to
war, it must be set down as fiat fail
ure. AS one Of the emphatic upholders
of this opinion declared we have tried
Christianity for 1900 years now and
it has failed, it is time for us to try
something else. To which Gilbert
Chesterton in London replied trench
antly that in spite of it's being with us
for 1900 years we have not tried
Christianity as yet. Now it is time
for US to try Christianity.
Efforts Of the Church.
A knowledge of history would serve
to show very clearly that the Church
and the Popes have been the greatest
factor for peace in the world, and YET
have never been able to force peace
on mankind. A great many people
seem to forget that God made man
free, and that even He Himself doe,
not force men, and that institutions
that set out to force mankind break
down very soon and then shortly are