Evening star., 1954-01-03
By cospor Names
Rslleiovs News Edlssr q The Sscs


Northwestern UniUersity is n
the pleasant surburbGn totDn Of
EuGnston. H.. Just north OF
CHICAGO.
Ordinarily late august finds It's
sDGlks deserted. its lecture halls
silent. its campus drotDsy. It q
the siestG period bet,Deen the end
OF summer school and the start
OF f,etD scholastic year.
This summer 1Cill be different.
People iD'u crotUd It's grounds. Men
and tUonsen IN strange dress and
speaking IN stranger tongues tuiH
fu its buildings. An electric in
tensity tDtl replace the usual
lethGrgy.
For the tho ,Deeks OF August
1881 900 delegates, 600 official
Utsitors. $50 co1lSultdnts and 100
youth delegates to the second as
senbly OF the World Council OF
Churches tDill make the campus
hum sUith GctiUity. The council's
constituting tor frst) assembly
tDGs held In 1940 at Amsterdam,
Holland.
Charchn1en tDill come from PAX
istGn and Brazil. SDeden and China.
Austria and FrGRce-jrons each of
the IS countries tDhere the coun-
cits I61 Protestant and Orthodox
member churches are represented.
Bishop @. Bromley Oman OF
Washington Is American president
OF the World Council.
This colorful meeting In Evans
ton will be one Of numerous inter-
national and national gatherings
that should make 1854 the most
fateful year In the history Of or
ganized religion in the United
States.
Internationally important events
win be the World Presbyterian Al
lance General Council ct Princeton,
N. J.. July 27-August 8. and the
Anglican Congress. August Ala ct
Minneapolis. To these might be
added meetings held In connection
with the Catholic church's Marian
year observance.
American gatherings Of special
significance include the biennial
National Council Of Churches meet
ing at Boston, November 28-Decem-
ber 8. and events next fall centering
about the tercentenary Of the first
arrival Of Jews in the United States.
Other significant meetings are
church conventions that will de-
eide historic merger steps.
DebotobIe Theme
The Evanston assembly may pro-
duce fireworks as well as color. Its
apparently innocuouS theme. Christ
the Hope Of the World" has
developed unexpected complications.
The theme was selected from Is
suggested because the councils Gen.
trail Committee believed the assem-
bly, should make a serious attempt
to declare. in relation to the modern
world, the faith and hope which are
affirmed in its own basis and by
which the churches live"
In many quarters the debate al
ready has started and has taken an
archaeological turn. (Es-
chatology Is the doctrine Of the last
or final thing, as death, resurrection,
the end Of the age, the
second advent Of Christ, Judgment.
and the future state0
According to DR.. Henry p. Van
Dusen. president Of Union Theologi-
cal Seminary. the central issue is
"the degree. if any, to which expec-
tation Of Christ's return to bring
a terminus to human history should
control and determine Christian
hope"
The influential, non-denomina-
tional Christian Century warns the
debate "can drive lines Of division
through local congregations
(an0 can even cost the preacher
on courthouse square his job"
Thought for Millions
Another religious publication.
Signs Of the Times, declares nobody
can stop the coming storm Of debate.
"And when it comes millions Of
people all over the world will be led
to think Of Christ's second advent
as they have never thought Of it
before. They win be faced with the
challenge Of their personal duty in
the light Of the tremendous truth
that the Lord Of heaven is soon to
return In judgment to this earth"
Many fear one result Of this de-
bate may cause some delegates to
leave Evanston more aware Of their