Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-12-02
GOD AND EVOLUTION
DR.. W. W. Keen Believes In Both and
Tells Why--Hits the Fundamental.
lists and ti.Viviscctionists at
the Same Time
ny GEORGE NOX Mccain

nR. W. W. KEEN has just added another
- bay to the lnurels Of distinction that
crown his eighty .Onc ears Of wonderful lie.
lie has written another book.
1t IL not n prctentiOus volume us to size.
1t contains 100 pages. with brief preface.
md Id venture most anything that its con.
rents will create as much discussion. be as
widely quoted in cuogy and condemned In
controversy as amy ther similar book that
has appeared this year.
its title. ~
1t has far wider scope, however. than is
conveyed in its title.
In addition TO being an expression of the
Doctors faith in evolution and bis belief in
God. il ~. mt the same time, n defense OF
rvlsection nnd challenge to the so::cnlled
fundamentalists of the Baptist Church.
Dr. Keen Is u member of national promi.
hencc IN that denomination.
if nc were not great surgeon he would
nave been great preacher and theOlogian.
A NOTE Of personal interest in the little
"A historical sketch accompanying the
work Is intcrcstin
For fifty five years DR.. Keen has been a
trustee Of Grocer Baptist Theological Eemi-
nary nt Upland near Chester
lie is the only survivor of the original
board.
The seminary is located on ground that
belonged TO his ancestor. Jornn Kyn, angli.
cized George Keen. who came from Sweden
in 1642 in the retinue of John Printz. the
first Governor of "N"w Sweden"
lie founded the City Of Chester and called
Sweden.
William Penn, forty years later, changed
the maine to ''hcstcr.
On June last Dr. Keen delivered the
commencement address ut the Theological
Seminary.
That address was the genesis of the book.
THIS is the dedication of his work:
TO all sincere seekers after truth who
revere the Bible as the word of Cod who
revere nature as the work Of God. and who
surely agree"
Direct. emphatic and unhcsitatingly the
diNilngul shed author lin, y this challenge at
IN" iundamcntalists and anti evolutionists.
" a FUNDAMENTAL difficulty with the
4 s".raled funhancn'aists is that they
tan to recognize the fact that the children
ot israel for whom the penta,cuch was
written. We're Oricntals and Scre living in
ii" int"''"rtual chldhood Of the human race
lad tod sent this message to them in
"a" modern mG'trr-of-fact Occidental form
they would hardly nave comprehcnded it.
ana might easily hav" rejected it.
''Thrir minds were cast IN a poetic mold,
'h"Ir literature was pcrunea'cd with imagery,
metaphors and parallels. 1t was delivered TO
them by bards. priests and prophets.
No scientists then existed.
IN this age of general education I can
hardly believe that the sincere literalist
"hn insist that while Adam was made un.
conscious an actual rib was taken from his
body ana out Of it was fashIDncd a woman,
and that Ev" and crprnt actually co.,
vers"d together in intclisiblc speech.
'''ro those who are familiar even in n
general way with Oriental literature, ali
TINS is rl,nrly TO be understood fguratively
and not literally.
SO. too. the description of the holy
''rN>i'l'ni, who's" light was like = unto
II hi>l"r stone clear - ,ryStnl y and
III" city wa" pure gold. like unto glass
ANA Ill" iW"iv" gates wcr Twelve pearls
every several cat" OF one PEARL etc.. can.
not possibly be understood rs u literal dc.
>"ripti"n."