Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-15
NEW BOOKS
AT RANDOM
I. C.. M.

MARTIN LUTHER: A Destiny Lucien
Febvre. Translated from the French
by Roberts Taplcy. e. P. Dutton
q Co.
Two weeks ago, maybe three, 1t was
Rabelais who passed this way, crossing
the long bridge from his own time
400 years ago-into the present. SO
close Of kin are the Renaissance from
which he set out and this twentieth
century In their mental releases and ex-
pansions, in the scope and substance Of
their achievements, that transit between
the two is not at all like moving out
from one era into a distant and alien
one. Rather, like stepping from last
year into the current one. It Is, in
large measure by virtue Of such essential
bond that the genius of Rabelais, Ger
VanteS, Shakespeare, Is on It's way TO
bloom again In original beauty-on its
way to a revival of immediate contacts
and renewed power.
X ~
It is from the Renaissance also that
this other man, this Martin Luther.
steps forward for consideration. In
other mood, to be sure, than that Of
literary genius, driven by vastly dlf-
ferent urgencies. Yet he, like them,
stands as q great driving force in o
period of tremendous alterations, Of vital
emancipations in the ways Of mans
thinkingS.
Biographies have come to know that
their preoccupation must be that OF
digging in, primarily that. 1t Is the
hazards be reached No longer will 1t
serve to trail footsteps from cradle to
grave, nor to sum merely material
achievements no matter how spectacular
these may be. First Of all, In the study
of a life, the psychologist must be on
hand, probing for the deep sources Of
feeling and desire and impulse, for In
fiuential strains Of blood operating in
the new offshoot. for the strength ana
quality of inherited traits and tenden-
cies, for the impact Of surroundings
youth. without such groundwork it Is
not possible TO project the individual
life, nor to interpret It's influence, nor
to balance any mans account either
with his own time ana place or With
succeeding periods.
Lucien Febvre is psychologist OF the
French stamp. First q student ana m
vestigator. Analytical, in the straight
and fearless fashion Of his people. He
accepts such issues as appear by way
of the minds logic and modes OF ad-
vance, In addition to such special
power. M. Febvre looks at his subject
| in the large, uniting minor and sub
ordinate powers and qualities in their
| functionings to vital and considerable
stages In the career Of this historic
| figure. He makes use of much material
that Is new or, If not entirely new, he
causes it to serve the modern scientific
approach to human behavtors and ef-
fects. He projects Luther, whole,
complete and highly dramatic figure. He
writes we'll, engaging the reader in
Luther'S own problems which, after ALL
are very human problems and, so, every
mans, not those of this great reformer
alone. A picturesque writer as well as
scholarly.
The story Is more or less familiar. A
German peasant, brought up like the
rest of that order. A fortnight fellow,
sometimes violent in his moods and
speech. A scholar. by hook or crook
A religionist Of high fervors, dreamer
Of Gods kingdom brought to earth for
| the happiness Of men. A monk A
priest-but Hnsatisfied restless, bewil-
dered. Then, a rebel in his own out
breaking way. Then, punishment from
| the powers Of the church against whom
he has Numbered so daringly. Finally,
complete separation and the setting up
of q new historic churchly order that
has lasted from his own time. that has
gathered UP q great army OF Protest.
ants.
Not in this arrangement. Not In the
big historic sense made use of by this
writer in summary and conclusion. We
had not been led TO think that, under
the Church Of Rome, Western civiliza-
ton constituted q genuine information
| alism wherein kings and emperors, all
temporal rulers, were under both the
secular and spiritual control of the head
of the church. The Pope headed the
state. The King obeyed, or was pun
ished for INSTRUMENTATION. Luther
discontent-which like the poor are AL
ways with the world-he begat the idea
Of sects in religious practices. an idea
| which held also the seed of modern
nationaliSm, the separation OF racial
| units, or local groups, into those self
regulating bodies which grew to the
| full-fledged nations of our own day.
| Not a statesman nor a politician, this
Luther. Not waywise to the world. Not
adroit In his worldly intercourse. Nor
did he aim to be any Of this. His goal
was solely reform in the church and
liberty for the great body Of the people.
And did he succeed in any immediate
sense? It has taken the most OF these
centuries to make even a little Roadway
| in some Of the plans that were Luther's
and for which he suffered diSappoint-
ment and defeat. He was so often
wrong, you see, according to his day.
Yet. despite all this, he was eventually
| to have an effect on Statecraft itself
| (quite apart from his influence upon re-
ligious ideals and practices) unforeseen
| and yet logical. A powerful effect GER
tainly. Was it to promote the peace OF
mankind and the welfare Of the world?"
| A question of Observation-Disclosures or
internationalism, that is today engross-
ing a large part of the world. An in
searching study of the man, his period
and his influence, that is by its partic-
uIar standpoint, by its comprehensive
character, specially calculated to nlumi-
nate some of the great questions that
are at the present time engroesing pub
lie thought and interest. A highly dra-
matte figure comes into the open here,
by virtue of the historic sense of this
author, coupled with special training
| for the study and with the right sort OF
imagination to deliver 1t, human and
alive.
THE LIFE OF PAUL OF TARSUS
Mary Larrimer. Lothrop, Lee &
Shepard CO.
Taking the Epistles Of Paul as his
autobiography, the author from such
material has selected, arranged and CO.
ordinated the facts set down in such a
manner as to produce connected and
interesting story Of the life Of the
Apostle. Story gleanings from the Bible,
such as this one, are both useful and
interesting. So big, so diverse In theme
and treatment is this Book that stories
from it serve to simplify it, to make it
| desirable, to invite to its ultimate COM
plete study. The author, relying al
most entirely unon PAtll,S own letters,