The Denver Jewish news., 1925-08-13
A JEWISH RALPH WALDO EMERSON
Writes "Ihc Most Original Daring and Paradoxica Book
About Religion"
By JOSEPH Fort NEWTON, LittD.
Church of the Diuino Paternity, Noap York City

h%G. @ d @ Is to % sosspS saS5 IF s ;S ns % & a Ss @
wn %nrw 81 @ the ~ ISs So b ia
STs Tsc 'RSTt Editor religion the most daring and aF'doea
"The Wonder of Life" has just been issued by the
Macmillan Company.
Margaret Fuller wont to exclam, in her buoy
ant and brilliant ~ accept the universe" The
exclamation betrayed the quality her faith and the
habit of her heart well the spell of the transcend
entalism of her day under which she lived When grim
old Carlyle heard of her habit he remarked "Gad she'd
better!' And had we though much depends upon
the spirit in which do it, whether in dumb resgna
tion or happy reconciliation.
Here lies the widest difference between men-not
their wealth knowledge social postionbut whether
they are accepors reectors of life Some men deal
with the stuff of life artists deal with their materials
selecting such parts of suit their faith fancy and
refusing the rest 1t astonishing how widespread this
attitude is. Not few cults of day are merely de-
vices by which folk Gull few aspects of life and make
world of make-believe, in which to live.
Others reject life, all of it, regarding it simply
ridiculous predicamen which precedes death, to be
dured with the best grace cyncay comcally
as temperament or taste may elect In little Book of
Wisdom it is called, which picked up the other day.
CLEANED from the writings of the sagcs struck how
few had anything good to say about life. Such WISDOM
if may be named is salted with satire and hard
know from cynicism.
There are however, few in every agc-robust and
souS-Who accept II Is, all OF
cdy no less than its comedy its risk and peril its beauty
and pity and pain They drink its cup and do not merely
sip it. They deem it great gift, divine opportunity,
capacity for heroic endeavor Meredith said in words
now carved in open marble book the modest slab
which marks his grave: "A little holding lent do
mighty labor" OF such is the kingdom of Greatheart
and his hand.
Of late years, especially since the Great War; which
shattered many dreams, have had great deal Of
ugubrous railing at life, chiefly by young strangely
enough, to the astonshmen of their elders. Grim pes
simiss or futilitarians they talk and write if
dryrotted world crumblng about them, and their
souls falling apart all because, forsooh the valet
service in this AMen's Inn is their taste, and
truth and beauty and divine reality not brought
their door before breakfast silver platter Prophets
of futility, they solemn owls-decadents in
vaded OUT of the ranks before they the front
line trench.
Even the religion of day is doar and downcast
if faith had fallen to lower and lost its
of JOY recent essay entitled "The Lost Radiance
of Religion and its wide reading gave hint of deeply
felt lack Yet Religion in days of old transfgured life
turning even its tragedy into triumph Wherefore them
joycss faith if faith it be- which is perplexity
than prophecy?
In contrast with this mood, so much in vogue,
| comes extraordinary book The Wonder OF Life, by
Rabbi Joel Blau, of PenEl Temple Ncw York, which
attention alike by its faith and form. 1t is such
book finds very rarely and reads than
Israel Zangwill described it 'the original book
about religion, the most daring and paradoxcal,
written by American rabbi or for the of that
by any American ecclesastic"
book less ecclesiastical it would be hard imagine
Strictly speaking it is neither nor essays. but
series of visions such Emerson might have written
had he been born in Judea Jewish might give
US had he grown up in New England. 30 restless
fear haunted aged, whose garsh glee and loud, hard
laughter but stihe the cry of the SOUL it brings exat
ing of Kindred-fe, in whose deep Friend-
may find release of power, fuflment of faith
and joy of life linked with zone great life which
and sings and cannot die
In short would call it book OF mysticism, if that
word had been badly used to describe every kind
of queer creed and cult Besides, if it exquscly deli
cate in its artistry of insight imagery and epigram its
fectes of phrase and its niceties of perception, its
thought and faith robust and rich be described
ural school Woodbine from whence with his knowedg