Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-12


and experimentation in religion To him, |
think Athens represents simply the Greek
tendency toward metaphysical theology, to-
ward great concern with doctrinal definitions,
toward speculation. And to him | think
Jerusalem represents whatever the original
religion of Jesus seems to him to have been
before either the organizing genius of Rome
or the specializing genius of Greece got hold
of it. And unless he is an ardent Funda-
mentaist, / think he would like to see
Professionalism return to Jerusalem not to at
tempt slavishly literal reconstruction of
every aspect Of primitive Christianity, but to
return to Jerusalem as one, lost in the
woods would like to get back to the start
ing point of the journey in order to get
ones bearings and direction afresh.'
The average man will find more difficulty
in ascertaining from this paragrap phi what Mr..
Frank means than he finds it difficult to
comprehend the Greek metaphysical theol-
ogy'' or "the organizing genius of Rome"
If he means by returning to Jerusalem,
return to the Christianity of the Jewish and
Gentle churches of apostolic days. he will
find recorded of those primitive churches
that in them there were as many and as
sharp differences as there are divergent
views in modern Professionalism. Between
Peter and Paul and Barnabas there were
i pronounced disagreements. Indeed nearly, if
not quite, all of the major Ep1stles of St
Paul arose from, and gathered about, great
controversies concerning the person of the
Christ and the gospel of salvation which the
suffering, risen and assembled Saviour
brought to mankind.
But other statements of Mr.. Frank show
that he thinks little better of the primitive
Christianity of apostolic time than he does
of Professionalism. He says that many as
poets Of primitive Christianity were born
in and colored by the time and place of it's
origin. And such aspects plainly have no
more than historical interest for modern
men" Are we then to understand that
primitive Christianity-"the faith once for
all delivered to the sants''-is possessed
of some aspects which give interest to it
| a curio for a museum rather than truth
to be believed and obeyed?
Mr.. Frank seems to be opposed to any
thing that is staae and fixed. He wants
no revelation that is full and final but he
desires something that is in a state of flux,
and is susceptible of growth Hence as
the self-apponted spokesman Of invisible
and indeterminate body Of laymen he says:
More and more laymen are, I think
feeling that there is distinction between
the religion of Jesus and theological Chris
tianity. And they would, unless [ misread
their desires, like to see Professionalism re-
turn to Jerusalem dvest itself of the many
accretions it has taken on as it has passed
through Roman and Greek civilization, and
thrust it's dynamic into the life Of modern
America, there to create realistic and valid
forms of thought and action that honestly
express the modern American rather than
wv
Il think the average intelligent Profess
tant layman would like to see Professionalism
become frankly and fully religion of the
spirit rather than the religion of either a
church or book
III this language means anything it sig
miles that Mr.. Frank wants religion Of
vague and incoherent sentiment quite apart
from and independent of any settled truth
about God and man and Gods salvation
/ for the human race. He would have neither
an lnfall1ble church nor an inerrant Bible
| He would redeem mankind from sin by
1 baptfzing the race in floating mist or in a
| log bank Of sentimentality more or less
tlnged with religious atmosphere
! Well' sensible men will not accept that
sort Of sorry substitute for "the truth as
| 1T is in Jesus" More and wiser Iaymen
IMAM Mr.. Frank assumes to represent will
| reject 1t as vehemently the most ardent
OF those whom he calls, with ill-concealed
| contempt, Fundamentalists.
! Wherever Professionalism may be going.
! 1t IS not going after such a will-o '-the-wisp
as Mr.. Frank sets before it for its goal,
Ii he follows such a jack-o- lantern. let
us ask, Where is Mr. frank going?" Be-
| tore he knows it he may find himself in a
bog. In fact, he lis there already and
hence, he knows not where Professionalism
is going and in his befogged condition he
valnly 1magines that nobody knows"