Evening star., 1947-05-04

I 4
ment for freedom Of ex-
preston, he declared: AS good
almost kill . man as kill . good
book: Who kills q man kills 8 rea-
lsonable creature, Gods image; but
he who destroys d good book, kills
treason itself, kills the image Of God,
las it were in the eye. Many man
lives q burden to the earth: but Q
good book Is the precious ufe-blood
iof master spirit, ennbalned and
treasured up on purpose to q life be-
Iyond life.
The great English poet responsible
for those compelling words belonged
to an age In which books were few ~
number, costly In price, generally
mot available to the average citizen.
Three hundred years later books are
many and various, inexpensive con-
sidering the labor represented in
their manufacture. well within reach
|of any individual who really cares
to read. Milton,s observations, how
ever, still are apt. Good books prob
ably are more important to our tre-
lmendously complex and dynamic
|civilization than good books ever
were to any OF its predecessors. Liv-
ling generations need books that
serve spiritual, cultural, social pur-
pose, If only as an antidote to books
|of q dysgenic character-Such works
lat Hitler's brutal "Mein Kampf" and
other peryersely unscientific, u1-
reasonable titles of the same deplor-
able class.
Current Reading.
Fortunately, the current supply of
literature to replenish the. mind and
refresh the soul is equal to the de-
mand. Much of the best of 1t comes
out of the distant past. much Of it
is as new as sunrise. A visit to-
any bookshop during Religious Book
Week, beginning today, will prove
the point. Just to see with ones
own eyes the beautiful volumes
available is an experience worth
having and worth remembering.
The National Conference of Chris
tians and Jews, organized in 1928
in behalf of justice, amity, under
standing and cooperation among
Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
Americans, sponsors the annual oc-
casion-seven days set aside for
study Of the spiritual wisdom of the
ages. It recommends $50 books OF
demonstrated merit. The list, a.
revelation in itself, fills a 36-page
pamphlet, copies of which may be
obtained without cost from the Con-
ference Office, 381 Fourth avenue,
New York is, N. Y. "Of course, Il
the foreword explains, "any list of
religious books should be headed by
the Bible" The Book. of Books from
which millions draw strength and in
spiration still is the "best-seller" all
over the world. Logically associated
with it in theology as well as in
chronology in a practical modern
library would be: THE Talmudic
Anthology" edited by Louis I. New
man; "The Small Sanctuary" by
Solomon B. Freehof; In Time and
Eternity" by Nahum N. Glatzer;;
THE Ethics of the Fathers" by r.
Travers Herford; "The Jewish Way
of Life by Isadore Epstein; "The
Odyssey of Faith" by Bernard
Heller; Jewish Feasts and Fasts, y
by Julius H. Greensboro; and "A
History of Jewish Art" by Franz
Landsberger. These volumes trace
the growth of Jewish philosophy
and the history OF the Jewish people
through the centuries. Each is a
scholarly production, yet each is
readable in ordinary hands. The
conference adds biographies, novels,
books on current problems, books
for children and Joshua L. Lieb-
mans brilliant and helpful guide to
sanity, Peace of Mind
Catholic Recommendations.
In the Catholic group of recon-
mended books are fresh transla-
ton of "The Confessions of st.
Augustine" by F. j. Sheed; a re-
Gently discovered classical English
version of "The Imitation of
Christ; Saint Andrew Daily
Missal," edited by Gaspar Lefebvre,
o. S. B.; "The Divine Pity: A Study
in the Social implications OF the
Beatitudes" by Gerald Vann, o. p;
"A Bedside Book of Saints" by
Aloyslus Roche. S. j.; Truths Men
Live BY: A Philosophy of Religion
and Life" by John Anthony
O'Brien: Morals in Politics and
Professions" by Francis j. Connell,
c. SIS. r.; Spiritual Problems Of
Our Times" by Luigi Sturzo; 1.-THE
Mysteries of Christianity" by
Matthias Joseph Scheeben, trans
lated by Cyril Vollert, S. j.; "a
Century of the Catholic Essay"
edited by Raphael H. Gross, C. PIP.
S.; and "The Popes' New Order: A
Systematic Summary of the Social
Encyclicals and Addresses, From