Evening star., 1951-02-02
Lost Of three articles trocine current re-
lieious trends in America.

&oSt ot tHtee otttStSS HuStH9 SufIGHt IS-
lieious trends in America.
more devout it does hint that
organized religion is commanding
new, wider attention.
A few Of the clues:
!. Seminaries are packed and
some of them for the first time are
being forced to turn away appli-
cantS.
2. Bible sales have nearly
doubled in the last decade. in
creasing between and 10 per cent
in the last year.
3. A radio networks broadcast
on religion last month stirred the
greatest letter response in the
programs 16-year history.
4. The number of newspaper and
magazine syndicates handling re-
ligious features has jumped from
II to IS in five years.
More Churches Being Built.
5. Church-building is at an all
time high.
6. Most colleges and universities
across the country have expanded
religious curricula to meet student
demands.
Z. PreSent-day touring evange-
lists have attracted near-record
crowds.
8. American industry and adver-
tlsing men for the third time are
backing an unusual, nation wide
religion-promotion program.
8. Church contributions and at
tendance "a basic gauge of church
vitality are considered by officials
to be at peak.
10. Religious and inspirational
books in recent years have achieved
q regular place on best-seller lists.
d Close observers view the sharp
ened religious appetite of the
country as a result of the in
security of the times.
They also see it as a possible !
reaction against an age of in
tense scientific rationalism, and
a resurgent conviction that ma
terialistic advances can never
fully cope with life's basic needs.
Looking for Something Steady.
One minister. the Rev. Ira w.
Langston, of the Park Avenue
Christian Church here, offered
this analysis:
People have discovered that
the things they counted on most
are no longer dependable. The
family structure is not what it
once was 20 years ago. The alb
solute. positive assurance of
United States invulnerability is
gone. The value of money has
fallen to pieces. To put it briefly /
things are shaking, and the peo-
pie are looking for something un-
shakeable."
What is the result of this in
stability? Here are answers of
some leading church authorities:
Theologian DR.. Heinhold Me
nuhr: There is a new recep-
tlvity toward the message of his
toric faith which is in marked
contrast to the indifference and
hostility of past decades"
DR.. Samuel McCrea Cavert
general secretary of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ
in the U. S. A.: There is a tre-
mendously increased interest in
religion, and I hope a steadying
influence. Primarily it is a re-
Vlval in interest, rather than in
religion itself. People no longer
are writing off religion as old
fogey and outmoded. This might
be prelude to a real revival In
religion"
Parents More Concerned, 4
DR.. Bernard J. Bamberger, presi- /
dent of the Synagogue Council of
America: "Unquestionably there is
q very much greater degree of af- |
f1llation and participation. Parents
are demonstrating much greater
concern for the religious training
of their children"
Episcopal Bishop Henry Knox
Sheriff.: "T'he number going into
the ministry and life vocations in
the church has increased tremen-
dously. The atmosphere in univer-
slty and college circles is more
friendly to religion than at any
time in a generation. There are in 4
dlcatlons in my correspondence
that more people are laying
greater emphasis on PRAYER"