Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-10-11
|UN|TAR|ANS FAVOR
Committee Urges Replacing
"Antiquated" Courses in
Theological Schools.

Courses presented in Unitarian the,
ological schools are inadequate and
antiquated" and should be replaced
by such modern subjects as social
sciences, the psychology of religion
and modern natural science, in the
opinion of a commission which re
ported it's findings to the first meet
ing of the American Unitarian Asso'
citation conference at All Souls
Church here this afternoon.
The commission, declaring that the
pulpit should not be n lecture plat
FORM" found that Unitarian preach
ing has dealt overnuch with matters
Of a philosophical and theological
character"
"While we recognize the value OF
such preaching" it continued. I'VE be-
lieve that what our people need and
are seeking are heartening words that
will encourage them to meet the vicis-
STUDIES of life.
1--WE are certain that the courses
presented in our theological schools
are inadequate and antiquated. We
earnestly commend to the considera-
ton of the leaders in our theological
schools a thorough revision of the
courses.
Social Science Urged.
'"The commission recommends that
the courses in ministerial preparation
shall be built rather about the social
sciences than about the topics OF dog.
matte theology, church history and
biblical literature, and languages
which have formed the nucleus of the
classical discipline in divinity schools.
specifically we believe that greater
attention should be given to the sub
jects of sociology, political science, and
the history and psychology of religion.
philosophy and the religious implica'
tons of the assured results of modern
natural science"
The commission also recommended
periods of training for young minis
tiers under older preachers, like the
inferno in the hospital and the young
lawyer in the large Office.
Representatives of 90 States and
Canada, between 800 and 400 in all,
are attending the conference, which
will continue through Thursday. Rev:
Ulysses G. B. Pierce, pastor OF All
Souls Church. welcomed the delegates
at the opening session this afternoon
Agreement Report Presented.
Among the reports presented to the
meeting was one of the Universal1st'
Unitarian commission, which has
studied phases of plan to institute
a working agreement between the lib
eral churches for the purposes of elm
mating rivalry and covering larger
field.
The church school should supple
ment the public school In training
children in citizenship, Frank w. Bal
lou superintendent of schools here
said at the Autumn meeting OF the
Unitarian Sunday School Society
which was held at the church this
morning. He urged more attention to
citizenship in the Sunday schools.
Sunday schools are facing large
new problems" Rev. George Lawrence
Parker. president of the society, said
in his address.
1--WE have to meet questions in chill.
dren's minds which are more search
ing than in former days." he said.
I'VE have a generation OF parents
who In large numbers have no salts
ents in whose minds the concepts of
God and personal responsibility have
worn thin. And we have n world that
is asking religious questions in new
terms. If we are going to teach re-
ligion as If those facts did not exist
we are beaten before we begin"
Dry Law Support Urged.
A resolution calling upon newspa'
pers to support prohibition was
adopted last night at a meeting of the
Unitarian Temperance Society. The
resolution was adopted after Rev.
Lyman v. Rutledge, president of the
society, had declared that 1.-The pres
ent attitude of the press is one of the
great obstacles to the enforcement OF
prohibition" and had urged that the
papers tell the truth about the sit
uation for one year."
Rum row has disappeared and a
drunken man on the streets is so un
usual that he is news. Prohibition