The Washington herald., 1922-05-08
URGES ALTERATION
OF OLD RELIGIOUS
VIEWS BY MODERNS
We Must See With Own
Eyes, Says All Souls
Memorial Pastor.
JESUS WAY OF LIFE
Keep Old Form, But Give II
Christian Interpretation,
Sterrett Advises.
JESUS WAY OF LIFE
By ). M'BRIDE sTERRETT.

BY j. M'BRIDE sTERRETT.
have been asked to give you
this morning some account of my
new book on Modernism in Re!
Iigion." None of us like novelties
in religion. IL we really care for the
spirit of devotion. That is nour-
ished best by old forms and sacro-
sanct phrases. But the new en-
virons permeate the old. A reval-
uation is given to the old. This
process goes on till old forms and
phrases become of only relative
truth and worth.
A new world-view has come and
with 1t a new re-formation.>o of the
old house. We are twentieth century
people. The form. the embodi-
ments of our religion are chiefly
those made by people with very
different world-views. They saw
with their own eyes.
Must See with Own Eyes.
We moderns must see with our
own eyes. greatly helped indeed by
what they saw. Today there are
hosts of good people so STEPPED In
modern culture that they cannot
but regard much of the old forms
and doctrines of the churches as
hindrances.
Modernism Is an attempt to make
a synthesis between the old forms
Of our religion and our new learn
ing. i should define Christian
modernist as one who Is the thank
full heir OF all the Christian ages.
but feels that he cannot be the
slave of any one of them.
The new learning, the twentieth
century world-vicw, must he al
lowed to modify the Interpretation
put upon Christianity by people Of
very different world-views.
A modernist is like the heir " an
old castle. Proud possessor of the
work of ancestors, he feels the
need of renovating some of the
older parts: of putting in some mod
ern conveniences. and. II necessary,
of building on new additions.
Must Think and Work.
He, too. must think and work as
well as his ancestors. He must not
merely hold their work. He must
increase the heritage to pass II on
to coming generations. Like the
chambered Nautilus, he must build
new chambers in organic connec-
ton with the older and lesser ones
The chief contention of modern
lists Is rather a backward cry, back
to Jesus OF the Gospels, as more
clearly seen through the results of
modern Biblical criticism. "Sir. we
would see Jesus" with our own
ewes. Loyalty to Jesus as thus
seen is the marked characteristic
of their religious life. Then as to
the embodiments OF Christianity;
as to the various interpretations of
Christ and His message and mis-
sion, they would use the results of
modern historical criticism in a re-
valuation of what men of older
times thought about Jesus. This
necessarily modifies ones valuation
of the old in regard to doctrines
nd forms of organization and wor-
ship.
Christianity Is Way of Life.
Christianity is for them primarily
a way of life-Jesus' way of life.
Their chief interest is in this. Get
the truest idea possible of the hu-
manly divine personality, and of
His message and mission and then
follow Him, at all peril. Try to get
His mind and spirit and to live
in it, These matters of the form
Of church government. of doctrine
and worship take their relative
position as aids to living this life.
None of them are OF final or
infallibIe character. All of them
are only relatively jure divine and
may be reformed to better meet the
needs of a new age. They are only
Of service as they minister to the
devout following OF the Master.
Many of the old ones will stand
only as historical landmarks in the
course OF mems Interpretation Of
Jesus. Much of the old orthodoxy
will be put into the older and un-
serviceable chambers of the old
building. used as museums OF an
tiuue and obsolete forms.
Take none of them as final au-
thority. For the hot emotion of
past generation is but the cold au-
thority of the next. And nothing
cold is vitalizing. Back to Jesus
for the vitalizihg of the Christian
life in modern tines and then for
ward with Jesus in loyal service In
His Kingdom on earth.