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THE DISCIPLES DIVINITY HOUSE
OF THE
UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
HERBERT LOCKWOOD WILLETT LIBRARY
From the Library of
EDWARD SCRIBNER AMES
1870-1958
Head Resident 1894-97
Member of the Board of Trustees 1900-58
Dean 1927-45
Dean Emeritus 1945-58
(.in
<^y99
Digitized by tine Internet Arcliive
in 2011 witli funding from
CARLI: Consortium of Academic and Researcli Libraries in Illinois
http://www.archive.org/details/scroll471447unse
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII SEPTEMBER, 1949 No. 1
Beginning Again!
E. S. Ames
The autumn leaves are falling but it is a time
of new zest rather than of melancholy. We are back
from fishing, travelling, visiting, and resting. The
old tasks v^e take up have a crisp, new air and a
promise of better things. At least our hopes always
offer brighter hues even to the commonplace days.
This is one reason the times ahead allure us.
It is a new and attractive view that meets the
eyes of the officers of the Institute and the staff
of The Scroll. Year after year, for half a century
we have cherished these dreams and they have not
lost their charm and appeal. We know that we are
associated in a good cause and that the possibilities
of greater achievements are in our hands ^nd hearts.
To make them real and manifest we only need clos-
er cooperation, better understanding, and serener
faith. The annual meeting last July was well at-
tended and all reports of the program show an
expanding and deepening grasp of the problems
and opportunities. A fine group of younger lead-
ers has arisen and they are equipped with better
education and wider experience. Many of them
held responsible places during the war, and many
saw wider worlds at home and over seas and in
the upper air, than any generation of patriotic, re-
ligious youth ever saw before. They are seasoned
and sobered by struggle, danger, and victory. They
make clearer assessment of facts and theories, and
they are ready to work out together both the means
and the ends of intelligent and practical religion.
We are about to join great numbers of Disciples
in Cincinnati to celebrate a hundred years of or-
THE SCROLL
ganized cooperative work in the growing and mani-
fold interests of a great, young, adventurous
Brotherhood. We have had notable success in de-
veloping a new religious movement in a free, demo-
cratic country, where the masses of men and women
have better education, greater freedom from old
creedal beliefs and popular superstitions, and more
incentives to think, for themselves, than in any
country of the world. There never has been such
a challenge to ministers and laymen alike to re-
think and restate their honest, enlightened religious
faith in plain terms and in a constructive spirit.
The Editor of The Scroll is eager to make this
little magazine great and vital not so much by its
size and circulation as by its timely treatment of
the ideas and problems which are confusing and
distracting thoughtful and sincere people. Free
and open discussion among the members of the
Campbell Institute is a fruitful method for stimu-
lating and directing their thinking. The editor con-
ceives it as his task to help this process and to se-
cure as wide a participation of the members as
possible. Short papers are desired in order to
have more contributors and more give and take
in exchange of views.
It seems scarcely necessary to state once more
that all the work done on this publication is done
without monetary remuneration, and that only a
very gentle censorship is exercised over the con-
tents. The circulation might be greatly extended
by publishing more controversial and propagandist
articles but the object is to obtain as much light
and fellowship and spiritual refreshment as possi-
ble. The Institute membership is scattered through-
out this country and is not partial to any area,
educational center, or class. It is a free fellowship
for all who share its ideals and purposes.
THE SCROLL
The 1949 Annual Meeting
W. B. Blakemore, Secretary
The annual meeting of the Campbell Institute was
held at the Disciples: Divinity House Tuesday, July
26 through Friday, July 29. The weather was hot,
which only led to an appreciation of the fellow-
ship and to intellectual vigor. This annual meeting
was attended by the largest number of persons at
any annual meeting for the past several years.
Ninety-five different persons attended one or more
sessions ; the largest number at any session being 50.
The meeting opened with a panel report of the
Minister's School on the Church and Economic Life
held at the University of Chicago during the first
term of the summer session. Seven Disciples were
members of this school : Clyde Evans, Joe Belcas-
tro, Ramon Redford, Lewis Deer, Monroe G.
Schuster, Arthur A. Hyde and Ralph E. Bennett,
The panel was presided over by W. W. Sikes of
Indianapolis, Indiana. Preliminary reports of the
school were presented by Mr. Cameron Hall of the
Federated Council of Churches of Christ in Ameri-
ca, Victor Obenhaus, dean of the School, and a
member of the Federated Faculty of the University
of Chicago, and W. B. Blakemore, Dean of the Dis-
ciples Divinity House. The central theme of the
report was the problem of the operation of the
church in the midst of labor-capital-management
disputes, which are carried on primarily through
pressure and power blocs.
The evening session on Tuesday was based upon
the book by Harold E. Fey entitled The Lord's Sup-
per: 7 Memiings. Mr. Fey gave a short account of
how the book came to be written indicating that
its origin was a paper which he prepared originally
THE SCROLL
for a Thursday evening program at the Disciples
Divinity House some years ago. S. Marion Smith
of Butler University presented a paper dealing with
the problem of the origins of the Lord's Supper.
He reviewed a wide range of New Testament schol-
arship indicating that Dr. Fey's interpretation of
the origins represents a central rather than an
extreme view of the subject. In the course of his
presentation Professor Smith succeeded in giving
the Institute something of a refresher course in
methods of New Testament criticism.
The communion service for the 1949 annual meet-
ing was held at 9:30 P.M. in the Chapel of the
Holy Grail. It was conducted by Dr. Kenneth
B. Bowen, minister of the Morgan Park Church,
Chicago, Illinois. The theme of the service was the
consecration of the ministry to Christ. Organist for
the service was Howard Smith, talented young or-
ganist of the Orchard Street Christian Church,
Blue Island, Illinois.
On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons at 4
P.M. Dr. Myron T. Hopper, College of the Bible,
Lexington, Kentucky, presented lectures on the
Contemporary Controversies in Religious Educa-
tion. C. B. Tupper, Vice President of the Institute
presided at these meetings, which were character-
ized by vigorous discussion. On Wednesday eve-
ning, J. J. VanBoskirk, Executive Secretary of the
Chicago Disciples Union, gave the 1949 Presidential
Address opening up problems relative to present
dissensions in the brotherhood. The discussion was
continued on Thursday morning following brief
presentations by Burrus Dickinson, President of
Eureka College, Eureka, Illinois, and W. B. Blake-
more, Dean of the Disciples Divinity House.
On Thursday afternoon at 2 P.M. Dr. S. C.
Kincheloe of the Federated Theological Faculty of
THE SCROLL
the University of Chicago gave a lecture on the
Church in the Expanding Town. His attention was
centered primarily on towns in the range from
25,000 to 100,000 and typical factors in the ex-
pansion process were noted. Mr. Donald Fein of
Owensboro, Kentucky, Monroe Schuster of Ander-
son, Indiana, and William Smith of Evansville,
Indiana, presented case studies of their own city
situations.
On Thursday evening the session was based upon
Alexander Campbell and Natural Religion by R. F.
West. Exceedingly able papers were presented by
two men who have done doctoral research upon as-
pects of Alexander Campbell's thought. S. Morris
Eames, Professor of Philosophy at the University
of Missouri, presented a paper which dealt with
problems of metaphysics, epistemology and value in
the thought of Alexander Campbell. Dr. Harold
Lunger of Oak Park, Illinois, dealt with the ethical
issues, stressing the importance of biblical thought
in the development of Campbell's ethical theories
and socio-historical views.
On Friday morning the Disoiples of Christ: A
History by W. E. Garrison and A. T. DeGroot served
as the basis of discussion. The first paper wasi pre-
sented by Dr. H. E. Short, Professor of Church
History, College of the Bible, Lexington, Kentucky.
He outlined particularly problem areas for histori-
cal research among the Disciples of Christ, nam-
ing ten areas in which further work is definitely
needed. R. M. Pope, Dean of the School of Re-
ligion at Drury College, Springfield, Mo., presented
a paper on the problem of interpreting Disciple
history. He propounded the thesis that we are a
distinctive body with a witness to contribute to
Christendom at large; this witnessi including the
practice of immersion as expression of Christian
THE SCROLL
faith (though not as a requirement for church mem-
bership) and the necessity of an inquiring and
enthusiastic lay ministry.
The final session on Friday afternoon centered
upon the book by C. C, Morrison Can Protestantism
Win America. The main thesis of the book was
reviewed by C. B. Tupper and commented upon by C.
E. Lemmon, Columbia, Mo. It was pointed out that
such books, as those written by Dr. Morrison and
Mr. Blanchard, have elevated the controversy be-
tween Catholicism and Protestantism from the level
of irrationality to that of considerate discussion
in the light of facts.
On Tuesday and Wednesday evenings a dinner
wasi served in College Hall of the Disciples Di-
vinity House. On Thursday evening a picnic with
all the fixings, including watermelon, was enjoyed
upon the lawn immediately back of the House.
The final session adjourned at 5 P.M.
Alexander Graham, Vice-President
Richard L. James, Dallas, Texas
When the American Christian Missionary So-
ciety was organized in Cincinnati in 1849, an in-
fluential preacher from Alabama was present and
was elected one of the vice-presidents. Alexander
Graham was a prominent figure in the formative
years of the "restoration" in Tennessee, Alabama
and Illinois. As a lawyer, school teacher, editor, he
used all of these avenues as means of proclaiming
the faith wherever he happened to be.
Graham was born near Hartsville, Sumner Coun-
ty, Tennessee, November 29, 1811. His educational
background is a good example of the breadth of
learning and experience which characterized many
of the first generation preachers in the new move-
THE SCROLL
ment. His attendance upon the schools was often
made possible by teaching to help defray the cost
of tuition. Under Dr. Ring of Gallatin, Tenn., he
istudied Greek and Latin, continuing his teaching
as a means of support. His biographer reports that
he learned to read Greek, Latin and French with
the greatest of ease, and taught them many years.
He also read with a fair degree of ease Hebrew, Ger-
man, Itahan and Spanish. By 1839, he had studied
sufficient law to pass the bar examination, and ac-
cordingly made his initial speech before the Ca-
haba Bar, Shortly after he was assigned the duties
of the Solicitor's Office in Marion, Ala.
Graham's religious experience is also of interest
in (Showing the progress of an enlightened mind
in search for a religious faith in keeping with its
mental powers. He had joined the Baptist church
at the age of eighteen. Shortly thereafter he had
an opportunity to preach his first sermon in the
Baptist church in Sumner County, Tenn,, when the
minister. Elder John Wiseman, was absent. He
was asked if he would not say a word in order
that the congregation should not go away from the
meeting without instruction. Taking his Bible, he
read a chapter and made what his biographer terms
"a speech which would not have been a discredit
even in more advanced life." He continued to ap-
pear in public addresses with Elder Wiseman for a
time after that incident.
In 1832, he had an academy near Paris, Tenn.,
and did regular preaching in the neighborhood. It
was about this time in his life that he became
acquainted with the "reformers," He found that
he was very much in harmony with the teachings
of the "Campbellites," However, he did not leave
the Baptist church until 1834.
8 THE SCROLL
On March 3, 1834, with a Doctor Anderson and
one lady, Graham formed a worshiping congrega-
tion near Gallatin, Tenn. The principle upon which
they were organized was that "they agreed to drop
all party names, to unite as a body of Christians
on the word of God alone, forsaking and abjuring
all Creeds and Confessions of Faith." Of this oc-
casion, he wrote, "I was once a worldling, then a
Baptist; but I now discard every other name but
that of Christ, of whom I am a Disciple." As prepa-
ration for this event there had been a period of
five or isdx years of Baptist ministry. During this
time he had prepared for his use a kind of Con-
cordance to the Scriptures, a synopsis of Ancient
History, of the reigns of different Roman Em-
perors, Jewish Rulers and a -geography of the
countries mentioned in the Old and New Testaments.
In these works, Pinckney B. Lawson, his biog-
rapher, asserts that there is no evidence that Graham
had any first hand acquaintanceship with the works
of the Campbells except what had come to him
from the enemies of the "reformers." However, on
June 1, 1834, Graham preached at Second Creek,
where he had been a member of the Baptist Church,
a sermon from the eighth chapter of Acts of Apos-
tles which shows "how clear were his views of
the Scriptures at this early age of his change of
faith, how perfectly in accordance with all his sub-
sequent preaching and also with what kindness he
treated those who had been and whom he still wished
to be his brethren. . . ."
Having been set upon by many of his friends
for having changed his faith, Graham came to Ala-
bama in 1835 where he met James A. Butler in
whose home he remained during the following year.
Butler was interested in the Campbell movement
and they came to be fast friends. In 1836, the two
THE SCROLL
of them began what to my knowledge is the first
magazine of our faith to be published in Alabama.
They called it The Disciple. In its introduction, the
purpose of the publication was to aid the "refor-
mation" chiefly in the State of Alabama. Declar-
ing that they looked not to a sect for support, but
solicited "the attention of the intelligent and liberal
wherever found." We could stand reminding that
a hundred years ago, the appeal of the "reformers"
in Alabama, as no doubt elsewhere, was to the
intelligent and the liberal. This paper lasted two
years under the editorship of Graham. In 1839, it
re-appeared under the direction of James H. Curtis
and James A. Butler for one year. Like so many
of our magazines of that era, it passed out of
existence. Few copies of it are in existence today.
The two copies with which I am acquainted are in
the possession of Dean Joseph Todd, and C. C.
Ware. I shall appreciate information concerning
additional copies.
In Marion, Ala., Graham studied law in order
to earn a livelihood. In 1839 he received his license
to practice and made his maiden speech before the
Cahaba Bar. Those who heard it acclaimed it a
success. Shortly after, he was given the duties
of the Solicitor's Office, and received an income
of $2,500 the first year. During this time he
wanted to continue his lecturing and preaching but
the "sectarian spirit" manifested by other churches
in the vicinity would not allow him the opportunity
to speak before their congregation or use their
buildings for his own purpose. So, in 1846, he erect-
ed a neat little building at the cost of some two
thousand dollars to himself and an additional five
hundred which was raised by others. That year,
S. A. Townes in The History of Marion wrote, "The
new, respectable and ever increasing denomination
10 THE SCROLL
of Christians, called Disciples or Campbellites, have,
under the superintendence of Mr, Alexander
Graham, a convenient church in the progress of
completion." From this congregation some of the
leaders for the founding of many other congre-
gations were to be produced.
In 1842, Graham became principal of Marion
Female Seminary. This institution had been or-
ganized by the Society for Promotion of Education
among the Baptists. The Baptists withdrew their
support in 1838 and the stock and management of
the school passed into the hands of William E. Jones
in 1841. Under Jones' management, Miss P. Max-
well was appointed principal and the following year
Graham was elected to take her place. He served
one year. Miss Maxwell resumed the principalship
for a number of years. When fire destroyed the
buildings in 1849, Graham set about to raise funds
for the reconstruction of a new seminary and suc-
ceeded in procuring comfortable buildings and
furnishings.
There is an interlude in his life which he spent
in Illinois. During this time he served as a preach-
er, teacher and editor. The First Christian Church
of Springfield, had been organized in 1833 by
Josephus Hewitt. Alexander Graham served as the
second pastor of this church. Here, also, he went
into the publishing business again and issued a
monthly magazine called The Berean, at a sub-
scription of $1.00 per year. This effort again met
the fate of the previous publication and was dis-
continued. Graham then returned to Alabama and
became a member of the editorial staff of The Bible
Advocate.
Perhaps the greatest single thing of lasting im-
portance which Graham did for Alabama was his
visit to Cincinnati in 1849 to attend the Christian
THE SCROLL 11
Convention at which The American Christian Mis-
sionary Society was organized. He was elected
one of the vice-presidents of the Society. Due to
his influence, following this convention, "Co-oper-
ation" meetings in Alabama increased in frequency
and the agitation for a state organization was
stronger than ever. Due very largely to the efforts
he gave to this cause a state society was effected
in 1886.
In Marion, Graham had married Miss Mary
Cathey in 1836. She remained a faithful helper
in his many activities until his untimely death at
the age of thirty-nine years. He had been a member
of the Masonic Fraternity and the Sons of Temper-
ance, making frequent speeches at the meetings
of these organizations. P. B. Lawson, who knew
him intimately and who was his biographer, de-
scribes him as a man of "small stature, but well
proportioned, indeed remarkably symmetrical, of
easy, uniform, dignified and graceful carriage. He
had been dyspeptic all his life, had weak eyes, which
had been greatly increased by continued reading.
... He was unusually modest and humble in his
pretensions." He spoke without notes or written
manuscript. Quoting Lawson further we can say
that "He was the first standard bearer of the cross
among the ranks of "The Disciples of Christ" in
the South, and the Bible, and that perfect system
of religious and human conduct revealed through
its pages."
T. W. Casky, pioneer preacher of Alabama and
Texas remarked that "Graham had the mind of a
giant and the heart of a woman. The most pro-
found logician I ever heard, and yet as tender
in his feelings as John, the beloved disciple; a ripe
scholar, and yet you might hear him preach for
years and never learn from his preaching that he
12 THE SCROLL
knew any other language than his mother tongue.
With all his greatness, he was as unassuming as a
child, as near a faultless man as I ever knew."
With the convention going to Cincinnati again
this fall for the celebration of a hundred years of
co-operative work among our churches it is well
for us to examine the character and habits of the
men who assembled in that first convention and
gave birth to our united efforts. Many have for-
gotten that these pioneers considered themselves
"liberals" in religion. Others have ignored the
fact that they were constantly interested in the edu-
cational approach to religion and organized and
taught schools themselves. Some have become so
busied with a study of the scriptures that they over-
look the fact that these men were also scholars
in other fields as well as in biblical scholarship. We
would do well to keep these in mind and seek to
develop in our leadership the well rounded scholar,
who by his wider acquaintanceship with the ex-
periences of man's history will be better capable
of interpreting the will of God as contained in
the Scriptures.
You have asked me to contribute a little squib
occasionally for The Scroll. Apropos the present
discussion of International Convention programs
I recall that after one such convention a group of
follows were having breakfast together and com-
menting upon the length of convention programs.
One thought there were "too many speeches," an-
other "Not too many; but too long," whereupon a
third sapiently observed, "It would be fine if we
could have fewer speeches, but more said." Could
that possibly happen at Cincinnati in October? —
F. W. Burnham.
THE SCROLL 13
Growing Free Traditions
Reported by W. B. Blakemore
John E. McCaw, director of student work for the
United Christian Missionary Society, in complet-
ing the work for his B.D. degree which was granted
at the Spring, 1949, convocation of the University
of Chicago, has written an important dissertation.
It is entitled "Formula and Freedom Among the
Disciples of Christ."
Mr. McCaw's thesis is that the founders of the
Disciples recognized that there could be no ef-
fective religious life apart from formulations of
faith, practice, and church organization. In this
respect they were not antinomian or libertarian.
On the other hand, they realized that all formula-
tions are human devices and therefore must be con-
stantly subject to re-examination and revision. In
this respect they were not legalists or dogmatists.
Mr. McCaw sketches the prolific years during which
our earliest leaders worked out the first formula-
tion of our brotherhood. In other words, begin-
ning with a group that was as yet unorganized,
they set to work to develop an organization for it.
This work of organizing had to be done at all
three of the levels of religious expression : thought,
worship, and church organization. It took a quarter
of a century, from 1809 till the late 1830's, before
our early leaders felt that they had made a good
start on this very considerable task, but by that
time a "first formulation" had been worked out.
Mr. McCaw then penetrates through to the atti-
tude toward that formulation on the part of the
men who made it. That attitude was one of tenta-
tiveness, of constant willingness to re-examine their
views, a thorough recognition that what had been
developed was characterized throughout by a quality
14 THE SCROLL
of human devising. Their attitude might well be
described as that of having arrived at a "practical
absolute," to use a term later invented by Dr. E.
S. Ames. -In other words, they felt that their for-
mulations of belief, worship, and organization were
as good as they could achieve at the moment and
therefore were good enough to adopt for the time
being. They certainly expected their formulation
to be improved. It was not put forth with the decla-
ration that "This is it," not forced upon other men.
In this respect it should be pointed out that
there was one serious defection from this attitude.
In 1835, when Alexander Campbell published the
first edition of The Christian System (the original
title was Christianity Restored) he did write a
preface which says, in effect, "This is it." But to
the second edition he wrote a preface which was
a return to the more humble — and more liberal —
attitude which was the general trait of the Disciple
pioneers.
The Christian System, The Messiahship, even
The Gospel Restored, were not published as dogma.
They were set abroad to provoke the discussion
of important issues, not to end it. This attitude
is particularly evident in most of the doctrinal
essays in The Christian Baptist and The Millenial
Harbinger. These essays were invitations to dis-
cussion. The most important evidence that this
was the case is provided by the openness which
characterized the pages of these two journals. Alex-
ander Campbell's policy was that of the "open
column." He was probably the first religious jour-
nalist to adopt that policy. His significance in this
matter has recently been strongly pointed out in
R, Fred West's book on Alexander Campbell and
Natural Religioyi.
In the second stages of his dissertation, Mr. Mc-
THE SCROLL 15
Caw examines the attitudes of the second genera-
tion of Disciples to the formulation which had been
worked out by the first generation. A definite shift
in attitude had taken place. The second generation
adopted toward the work of the first generation
an attitude which the first generation itself never
adopted toward its own work. The second genera-
tion began to treat the work of the first generation
as a perfected and completed project. Where the
first generation had envisioned its work as a process
whose end was nowhere in sight so far as they
could see, the second generation looked back upon
the ideas of the preceding generation and said,
"This is it." They became legalists and dogmatists,
and any hint of tentativeness was looked upon as
antinomian, libertarian, as "making shipwreck of
the faith."
What the Disciples need to do is to recapture
the mind of our forefathers. We must understand
that there is a third position between legalism
and antinomianism, and that it was in this third
position that our movement was born.
With respect to the formulations of religion,
whether they be in the realm of doctrine, of wor-
ship, or of church organization, three attitudes
are possible. On the one hand are those who say
that the outward formulations of religion are sacred
and immutable, and have been given and fixed at
some point in history. On the other hand there are
those who say that all formulation of religion is
wrong, and we can get along without it. In be-
tween, and above these two points of view, stard
those who recognize that form and order are
necessary, but who refuse to deify any particular
form. They recognize that as life develops, the
forms of life must develop. As religion moves
along through history, while the fundamentals of
16 - THE SCROLL
religion remain stable, the formulations and ex-
pressions of religion change from age to age. The
function of these outward forms is to lay hold
of the age and time in which they appear, and the
outward aspects of religion must constantly be
reconstructed in order to do their constantly new
work in every new generation. This is why the
work of creating religious society and culture is
never finished. Every generation has freedom to
work out, with fear and trembling, its own for-
mulation for carrying on the work of the Kingdom.
The Institute at Cincinnati
During the Centennial Convention the Campbell
Institute will hold four meetings. Two of them
will be held in the Victory Room of the Gibson
Hotel, Fifth and Walnut Streets.
Tuesday, October 25, Victory Room, Gibson
Hotel, Dr. E. S. Ames will present a brief paper
on. The Basis of Our Persisting Loyalties. Richard
M. Pope, President Elect of the Campbell Institute
will preside, and open the discussion in which all
present will be invited to participate.
Wednesday, October 26, Victory Room, Gibson
Hotel, Dr. Lin D. Cartwright, Editor of the Chris-
tian-Evangelist, will speak on, "Problems of Pub-
lishing a Brotherhood Newspaper." Ronald Osborn
of Northwest Christian College, Eugene, Oregon,
will preside.
On the evenings of Thursday and Friday, Oc-
tober 27 and 28, there will be informal public meet-
ings of the Institute beginning at 10:30 p.m. The
place of these meetings will be announced later.
THE SCROLL 17
Sleep and Damnation
Hunter Beckelhymer, Kenton, Ohio
In a recent visit with Dean Ames our conversation
turned to the fact of people's indifference to the
Church. The writer suggested this as a problem
worthy of the mettle of the Campbell Institute, and
the Dean agreed by suggesting that I write an
opening article on the subject for The Scroll.
Readers will note that there is plenty of room be-
tween the writer's position and the tree where
some sawing may be done, and also that there are
plenty more limbs where other writers can make a
stand. The bluntness of the assertions in this article
are solely for the sake of brevity, and belie the
writer's doubts and questionings, and eagerness for
light from others.
The problem is reflected in that utterly defeated
feeling a minister has after an indifferent pa-
rishioner has smilingly told him that "I will sur-
prise you some of these days by coming to church,"
or "I'll try to get started before long," or (in winter
or spring) "I'll get around when the weather gets
a little warmer," or (in summer and autumn) "when
the weather gets a little cooler." For most non-
church-goers will agree verbally that the Church is
doing good work, that Christianity is the best way
of life, that regular worship is important, and that
people ought to go to and support the Church. The
fact remains that around the periphery of every
working church fellowship are the inactive, the
inert, and the indifferent — not to mention the vast
numbers who have had no contact with a church
since they dropped out of the Junior department
because they were the only boy or the only girl in
their class.
Many elderlj^ elders will shake their heads in
J^8 THE SCROLL
nostalgia and say "People aren't church-minded any
more." That's right, but why? And what can be
done about it?
Here is one reason. The Church is no longer the
chief locus of education, social life, news, and rec-
reation, that it once was in isolated rural areas.
And it will never be these things again. There is
no isolation today, and many of the Church's^ for-
mer functions are now a public responsibility or
a commercial venture. The Church as never before
is, if anything, a community of faith and worship.
Its program of teaching, social life, and recrea-
tion, although on the highest plain, is always in
desperate competition with a dozen other sources
specializing in these functions. Note the terrific
struggle to maintain a youth program during the
school year, and particularly when the athletic and
social season is in full swing. Notice how young
people too will go to the movies down town on
Sunday evening, even though a better picture is
being shown at the church. The Church is over-
whelmed by the competition in every area of life
except that which is distinctively its own. There
it stands starkly alone.
Another reason is the inertia of habit. Very
few adults now go to the church in which they
attended Sunday School as a youngster, particu-
larly in cities. Our population is increasingly mo-
bile and fewer people are spending their lives in
the communities where they were born. This
means that the habits of church attendance, how-
ever strong in earlier years, have at some time
been violently broken by moving to another com-
munity. Unless some alert pastor was on the job,
the habit of attendance in the new community was
not formed and we have another non-resident mem-
ber who "used to go all the time in Podunk, but I
THE SCROLL 19
just got out of the habit of going." Any event
that breaks a person's good habits jeopardizes his
soul. It often takes only a few weeks of unsettled
conditions to lose a person from the Church for
years. He develops another habit of sleeping, visit-
ing the folks, or puttering around the house on
Sunday mornings, and his churchmanship miay
have thus ended "not with a bank but a whimper."
I think it is only realistic to recognize that habit
is often as strong or stronger than reason and will
power, and persuasion is terribly ineffective
against a habit of sleeping on Sunday mornings.
On the other hand good habits are equally strong.
A man's character is very difficult to distinguish
from his habits. "From sleep and from damnation
deliver us, good Lord."
Another reason is shyness. Who of us has not
married an eager young bride who is a good church
member, and a groom who out of sheer timidity
has frustrated her plans for anything but a small
private wedding in the pastor's study? They don't
show up for church, and the minister calls. The
bride says that she wants to come but Hubert is
terribly shy and "doesn't know anybody in the
church." She is probably telling the truth. There
are lots of Huberts for whom any social contacts
other than those with a few cronies are painful
and terrifying experiences, at church or anywhere
else. And this same factor deters some who would
like to join the church. "I hate to go down the
aisle on Sunday morning."
Another reason is class consciousness. Some of
the members of the writer's church don't come
because they feel that some of the church leaders
and officers are beneath them socially. It is not a
fashionable church. Strangely enough there are
others who don't come for precisely the opposite
20 THE SCROLL
reason that they feel the same church to be for
the wealthy, well dressed, and high browed. It
is a tribute to the church that both are in a measure
right. For, indeed, people of both high and low
estate are working side by side in the church. But
the standards of success imposed on men by our
competitive society do make barriers of class con-
sciousness which the Church finds it difficult to
overcome. Needless to say, this reason for non-
attendance is seldom the one given the minister.
Another reason is the abandoned concept so
familiar to our fathers . . . "worldliness," currently
known as secularism. It may be simply that the
scramble for material success has completely pre-
occupied a person's time and attention. It may be
that a person has fallen into "recreations," busi-
ness practices, or personal wea!knesses that he
knows to be wrong, but which have not yet brought
him their dismal harvests. He pays the Church a
tribute by recognizing that such things are incon-
sistent with Christian churchmanship, but is not
ready to give them up. He has a certain integrity
in his sinfulness. Some men may be gamblers, drink-
ers, dishonest in business, or philanderers because
they have never been churchmen. It is also true that
some men are not churchmen because they are cur-
rently enjoying gambling, drinking, dishonesty, and
philandering.
Now, what to do about it? The writer's boldness
comes from a terrific sense of urgency, and not from
any conspicuous successes as an evangelist.
First: I believe that the Church should devote
larger and larger portions of its energies to provide
those things that simply cannot be had elsewhere —
corporate worship, religious discipline, and the di-
vine recklessness of Christian teaching. Social life,
recreation, and the like (unless completely unavail-
THE SCROLL 21
able elsewhere in the community) should become by-
products of a church's religious life and not ends in
themselves or, to put it bluntly, bait. This is not to
circumscribe the scope of religion, nor to urge the
compartmentalization of life. The Church's appeal
should be the Christ lifted up, and other things nat-
ural and spontaneous by-products.
Second: We ministers need to be more alert to
our own members who move to other communities,
and newcomers from other churches into our own
communities. We must strike while the iron is hot
and see that the habit of church attendance is not
broken in moving. Spencer Austin's program and
materials for reaching non-resident members is fine,
and deserves the effort that it requires. Both the
pastor back home and the pastor in the new com-
munity should concentrate hard on a member who
has moved as soon as he moves. I also believe deeply
in the importance of patient and persistent calling
on the backsliders and the backslid, although the
many disappointments of such work have in part
prompted this article.
Third: It was Andrew who brought Peter to
Christ, and it is still members of one's family and
his closest friends who can best introduce a shy per-
son into the fellowship of the Church. The minister
is fortunate who has laymen who will gently and
persistently use their influence upon friends and
relatives until these timid ones begin to feel that the
Church is "we" instead of "they."
Fourth : The very fact that most churches do have
people of widely different economic and educational
levels within their fellowship indicates that class
consciousness can be and is transcended in Christ.
Is it too great a concession to the devil, however, that
in a visitation evangelism campaign the minister
makes sure that a particular prospect is called upon
22 THE SCROLL
by visitors with whom he will feel at home.
Fifth : The minister is limited by his own ability
to find an opening into the lives of his members and
others. When "worldliness" or some secret sin is
standing between a man and God, the minister will
probably be told every reason except the true one
why the man is away from the Church. It would be
shameful indeed, however, if any sinner had the im-
pression that the Church will make peace with evil
to attract a new member, or that it will ever shut its
doors to a man because he is an evil-doer. Our Lord
came to seek and save that which is lost.
This analysis is based upon the conviction that
people's indifference to the Church need not be in-
terpreted as a failure of the Church itself — although
the problem can be approached from that angle. It is
no reflection whatsoever upon Mozart, Prokofief and
other great masters of music that their compositions
were not appreciated when Artie Shaw ventured to
play some of them in a New York night club recent-
ly. Popularity has never been and never will be the
standard by which true worth is measured. And
every minister knows that despite his own enervat-
ing shortcomings and those of his congregation,
many people are finding within the fellowship of
his church the bread of life. When two or three are
gathered together in the Master's name he still is
in their midst.
Jonah — A Great Book
W. J. Lhamon, Columbia, Mo.
The book of Jonah is protest fiction, and thus
quite in line with the fine little story of Ruth. Much
of the Old Testament is written in story form, and
this is one secret of its attraction for the people
THE SCROLL 23
who read it — they like the stories. Some of the
finest story tellers of all time lived back there, six,
or eight hundred, or a thousand years before
Christ. The unknown author of Jonah was one of
them. The plot is perfect. Jonah was a grouchy
prophet, and he never recovered from it.
So here is the plot.
1. The Lord tells him to go and preach to the
Ninevites. But he hates those foreigners and starts
off in the opposite direction toward Tarshish.
2. A storm arises, a storm sent by the Lord, who
takes this way to catch his wayward prophet. The
sailors fix the blame on Jonah and cast him over-
board. Such a big wind to deflate such a little
prophet !
3. The Lord, now having his wayward prophet in
hand, prepares a big fish to swallow him, and final-
ly heave him up with a push toward Nineveh. To
the chuckling story teller the creation of the big
fish is no miracle; a few strokes of his quill pen —
and the thing is done.
4. Grouchy Jonah, the boyish runaway prophet,
caught thus goes to Nineveh and preaches, not be-
cause he wants to, but because he has to.
5. And his sermon? A day long one as he marches
into the city, crying, shouting, threatening — "Yet
forty days and Nineveh shall be destroyed." Not a
word of mercy, or forgiveness, or even of justice.
The mad sermon of a mad prophet; no hope but
only hell for the Ninevites!
6. Did the Lord destroy the Ninevites to satiate
his prophet's anger? No! He caused the city to
repent. Even the King gave orders for repentance
and fasting — no food, no water, no clothing but
from torn old bags — repentance ! And a ragged city
crying for mercy!
24 THE SCROLL
7. Jonah on his hill top is in a rage. His prophecy
has failed, and he wants to die. Then the Lord
conciliates His mad little prophet with a gourd
— of all things! And the Lord tells his babyish
prophet that He has to have mercy on the city of
six hundred thousand, in which there are a hundred
and twenty thousand babies— AND MUCH CAT-
TLE. Humor here! And keen satire! And above
all a great, new thought about Jehovah — He cares
for foreigners, at least as a herdsman does for his
cattle.
Here then is one of the "best stories ever told."
As said above, it is protest fiction. The protest is
against a small, sectarian, and merely national
God. It strikes the note of internationalism.
"What Does God Will?"
Robert A. Thomas, St. Joseph, Mo.
It may sound presumptuous to you that anyone
should set himself to deal with the question, "What
does God Will?" and yet "God's will" is a phrase so
often on our lips, so clearly a part of our religion
that this question must be dealt with. Jesus made
it clear that his supreme purpose was to demonstrate
the will of his Heavenly Father. He said, "I am
come to do the will of him that sent me." He further
made it clear that those who claimed to be his dis-
ciples were to demonstrate it by doing the will of
God.
It is not everyone who says to me "Lord! Lord!" who
will get into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those
who do the w'll of my Father in heaven.
These are familiar statements of Jesus, and they
are only two of many saying the same thing in dif-
ferent words. "The will of God," or "the will of my
THE SCROLL 25
Father," were phrases often on his lips. The prayer
he taug^ht his disciples includes the words. "Thy
will be done on earth as it is in heaven," and we
pray these words in public prayer more than any
others. Nearly everyone who leads a congregation
in public prayer includes the idea that we want to
know the will of God more perfectly, and petitions
Him that we may do it better.
A constant repetition of words or phrases, how-
ever, does not mean they are used wisely or that
we have any adequate understanding of them.
Repetition sometimes breeds laxity and careless-
ness, and this is true of our use of the term "will of
God." Many of us have never questioned seriously
what we mean by that phrase. We use the words in
discussion and prayer, but they have no real mean-
ing for us, or, more truly, they have a variety of
meanings which do not hang together. That is, at
one time we have one idea about it and in another
situation or at another time we have a different
idea. Our theological or philosophical thought is
therefore mixed up and sometimes self-contra-
dictory.
You may not think this is greatly important, or
you may believe that the preacher is stressing ab-
stract ideas having little or no relation to our life
problems. Not so ! Creative living, happy and satis-
factory lives, depends on a unified approach to the
problems of life. We have to be one person, and not
two or three, if our lives are to count very seriously
for anything. We cannot attain any real unification
of our powers, our abilities, our talents without an
honest unification of our basic concepts of religion
and life. For a Christian this means putting some
meat on the bones of the idea of the will of God
because that idea is so important to our faith. We
should never use the phrase "will of God" carelessly
26 THE SCROLL
or without specific meaning. It is at the heart of
the concern of Christ and Christianity.
What does God will? Some persons think he wills
everything that happens. As a matter of fact, the
old Calvinist theology, which was dominant in
Protestantism for some two hundred and fifty years,
states that what happened had been determined by
God from the beginning of time and could not be
changed. That is, everything that happened was
according to what God willed. For those who hold
this view God is the great King, the all-powerful
dictator. He is thought of as a manipulator of
events. When this is the theological pattern man
cannot do anything to help himself. He cannot
do anything to assure his own salvation. He is pre-
destined either to eternal salvation or eternal dam-
nation and nothing he does can make any differ-
ence. God seeks out certain ones to save and con-
demns certain others to punishment.
Some passages in the writings of the Apostle
Paul have given the theologians their leads in this
approach, but for the most part the conceptions of
John Calvin came from the Old Testament rather
than from the New. Whatever we may believe
about this idea of the will of God determining every-
thing, it is necessary to admit that it is a unified
system. It has an answer for everything. It al-
lows no exceptions. Every life is in the hands of
God. Everything that happens is His will.
I do not subscribe to this theological position
for what I think are good reasons. Our forefathers
in the Christian Church did not subscribe to it
either. The Campbells, Scott, and Stone would have
none of Calvin's pre-destination. Why? Simply be-
cause they did not think it was Christian. They
did not believe it was in accord with the teachings
of Jesus, and their first principle was that being
THE SCROLL 27
Christian meant being a disciple of Christ. They
held that the Old Testament was not as important
as the New Testament, and that in the New Testa-
ment the teachings of Jesus were more important
than other sections. In other words, they did not be-
lieve in the Bible as a level book. It had, so to
speak, ups and downs of inspiration. Parts of it
were more important and more in accord with the
will and revelation of God than other parts.
They discovered that there are some things about
the idea that God wills everything that is — that
he is responsible for evil as well as good — that are
not in accord with actual statements of Jesus and
certainly not in accord with his general spirit.
When persons came to Jesus for healing and were
healed, he said, "It is your faith that has made you
whole." He indicated time and again that persons
could do something about their own lives — that they
could of their own free will change their minds
and their habits and their allegiances. He did not
hold to the idea that men can do nothing of their
own volition, but rather based his whole teaching
on the belief that there is inherent in man the
possibility of choosing to do God's will.
Still more important, however, is the teaching
of Jesus about God's nature. He spoke of God
as the Loving Heavenly Father, who cared for
His children above all other things in the universe.
Look at the wild birds. They do not sow or reap, or
store their food in barns, and yet our heavenly Father
feeds them. Are you not of more account than they?
. . . See how the wild flowers grow. They do not toil
or spin, and yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his
splendor was never dressed like one of them. But if
God so beautifully dresses the wild grass, which is alive
today and is thrown into the furnace tomorrow, will
he not much more surely clothe you, you who have so
little faith ?i
1 Matthew 6:26-30 (Goodspeed translation).
28 THE SCROLL
In the light of such teaching how can we attribute
evil or suffering to God? If we are really disciples
of Jesus — if we really believe that he is the clue
to God, the revelation of God; if we really believe
him when he said, "He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father," then we cannot believe that He wills
evil, but only good.
If that is true, whence cometh evil? Why is there
tragedy and suffering and sorrow in the world?
Why is there anything but good? This is a problem
that has bothered Christian thinkers thro'Ugh the
ages. If God is good and God is all-powerful (omnipo-
tent is the theological term), how can there be
evil? The honest Calvinist simply said we have no
right to ask such a question. What we are getting
is better than we deserve. But the question has
bothered Christians, and it has to be dealt with.
It is the question which is on the lips of even good
church people when they suffer the loss of a loved
child, or a father in the prime of life. It is what
people mean when they say to a minister, "Why
did God do this to me?" or "What have I done that
God should treat me like this?" or "Can God be
good and just when he takes the life of such a
one or causes such a tragedy?" It is a sad thing
that Christians only rarely face this question before
tragedy or trouble strikes at them, and thus have
no acceptable and understandable and helpful an-
swer.
We cannot here discuss the whole problem of
evil, but only indicate some paths for your own
thinking to explore. In the first place, many things
which we call evil or tragic are not really so from
any point of view except a selfish one. Can't you
think back over the events of your own life and
find such experiences — times when you felt a great
THE SCROLL 29
tragedy had occurred, but which as the years have
g-one by were proven not tragedy at all, but cre-
ative and actually good experiences? In the second
place, much of evil as we know it comes from our
human ignorance. We do not know enough to pre-
vent certain evils from plaguing us. Increasing
knowledge will eliminate much of the evil that sur-
rounds us in the present. But the most of evil we
know comes because human beings are free, and in
their, freedom choose the evil way. We do not do
what we should do and what we know is best. And
by our very freedom to choose either good or evil
we may thwart the purpose and will of God. Thus
it appears that God is limited. He is not all-power-
ful. The creation of man with the capacity for
choice and with freedom of will means the self-
limitation of God, for God does not abrogate that
human freedom of will. He does not take it from
us, even when we use it for evil purposes.
All of us as human beings, children of God, are
in control of a bit of God's purpose and God's will.
We can either determine to do it or not. We can
block his purpose in our lives by choosing evil and
disregarding God. We can hold up the establish-
ment of the Kingdom of God by our refusal to ac-
cept it within us. We can bring evil upon our-
selves and destruction upon our civilization because
of our wrong choices. The great proportion of evil
and suffering and tragedy come about because we
are not yet willing or intelligent enough to make
the saving choices.
This is all meaningless verbiage, you say? No,
it is a real problem we are dealing with and basic
to our understanding of Christianity and the deter-
mination of the way we shall live personally. How
shall I know what God wills for me? This is the
crux of the vocational problem of serious-minded
30 THE SCROLL
Christian youth. Many of them are convinced of
the importance of doing the will of God and they
are striving to find out what it is so far as their
personal lives are concerned.
If we are serious in believing Jesus, then God
ivills that men he saved to His Kingdom. That is
a simple statement, but its implications are broad,
indeed. Being saved to the Kingdom of God means
being saved in the present to a possession of God's
hopes, purposes and dreams within us. It is a real
salvation that lifts us from pessimism and despair
and fruitless living — that enables us to find mean-
ing and purpose in our daily lives — that gives us
hope and satisfactions — that releases the creative
energies of God which we have kept bottled up
within us.
For most of us it will mean keeping on with the
same jobs and living with the same people in the
same houses and attending the same church. But
all those activities will take on new meaning and
assume different levels of importance because we
have begun to see our personal lives from the per-
spective of God.
For some of you young people, being saved to
the Kingdom of God may mean the utter devotion
of life and time and talents to bringing the saving
Kingdom to others, and that may mean the mission
fields of Africa or China or Japan ; or it may mean
the field of political action and devotion to estab-
lishing government that is just and righteous.
God's will can be done only when we know the
good news of Christ, as well as the present needs
of men and submit our lives to his Kingdom. That
will is for good, not evil. It is for creativity rather
than destruction. It is for high values, not low ones.
It is for purposeful living, not aimless living. It
is for love, not hate.
THE SCROLL 31
Notes
It was a pleasant summer at Pentwater, Michi-
gan; hot but not so hot as Chicago. Among our
neighbors were Willett children, Campbell children,
C. C. Morrisons, Edgar DeWitt Jones and wife,
the Atkins family for a time. Van Meter Ames and
family just back from a year in France. Visitors:
Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm Pauck, Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Williams, Mr. and Mrs. Julius Weinberg, Phil Rice,
Mr. and Mrs. Bernadotte Schmitt. For brief calls:
Louis Hopkins, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. VanBoskirk,
Mr. and Mrs. Carter Boren, W. B. Blakemore,
Charner Perry, Miss Jessie Watson, Miss Jessie
MacLean, Miss Miriam Wilson, Mr. and Mrs. George
Marsh, Mr. and Mrs. Jay Calhoun.
We deeply regretted having to miss the visit of
Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Chicago, but we were
thrilled by many reports from those who saw and
heard him. Many newspapers and magazines also
brought delightful accounts of his one address at
Aspen, Colorado, and of the Convocation ceremony
at the University of Chicago where he received an
honorary Doctor's degree, and later in the day played
the great Chapel organ informally, to the delight of
a select, private (?) company which filled the place!
A luncheon for him was given by the Conference
of Women's Clubs, under the management of the
President, Mrs. Charles S. Clark which was at-
tended by President Colwell of the University, the
Mayor of the City, the Governor of the State, and
many other distinguished citizens. Emory Ross of
New York was his attendant and interpreter
throughout his American visit. Everywhere Dr.
Schweitzer made a profound impression by his
simple, modest bearing, and by the sheer fact of
his personal presence carrying the weight of great
scholarship in many fields, his life-long mastery of
32 THE SCROLL
the organ music of Bach, and his thirty-six years of
heroic service as a medical missionary at his Lam-
barene Hospital in the heart of Africa. His first,
quick visit to the United States has given the vision
of a saintly soul which has already stirred thousands
of people to a new realization of what it is possible
for one great man to do in this strange world, with
no fanfare or a single false note in the symphony
of his manifold genius.
For the October Scroll we already have on hand
an article by the new President of the Institute, Mr.
Richard M. Pope; an article by Professor Howard
Elmo Short, of the College of the Bible on "Needs
in Research in Disciple History," an article by Dean
Blakemore on "The Word of God"; and an article
by Reuben Butchart, of Toronto, on "Religious
Background of Josiah Royce."
Mr. John O. Pyle, 8841 So. Leavitt St., Chicago, is
undertaking a third printing of the book. Religion,
by E. S. Ames. The book is now out of print but
calls for it continue. Mr. Pyle now owns the plates
from which the book was originally printed by
Henry Holt and Company. Mr. Pyle's son is in the
printing business and is helping his father in the
project.
The Centennial Convention in Cincinnati next
month should be great in every good sense. Cer-
tainly President F. E. Davison, of South Bend, Indi-
ana, has done everything that travel and talk can
do to promote attendance and a fine spirit of fellow-
ship from every part of the country. His infectious
smile will do the rest when we get together!
Robert Thomas, who is succeeding C. M. Chilton
in the St. Joseph, Mo., Church writes that the
Church had a wonderful birthday dinner for Dr.
Chilton, Sept. 21, in honor of his 82nd year. He
says Dr. Chilton is lively in mind and body — plays
golf three times a week — reads books that would
tax the mind of anyone, and thinks clearly.
We preachers would often be surprised to dis-
cover how little people know or care concerning
the things we think and talk about all the time.
For instance, I met a man the other day who is a
success in business, reads the papers, has opinions
about politics and the money market, but had never
heard of Albert Schweitzer.
Leslie Kingsbury, after five years as pastor of the
good church in Paris, Illinois, has gone to Edin-
burgh, Scotland, to study with Dr. John Baillie and
other famous men of that University. Mr. Frank
Coop has come from England this autumn to carry
on studies in the University of Chicago.
Lewis Smythe writes from Nanking, China, that
conditions there show some promise of the mission-
ary work continuing with less disturbance and
hindrance.
In the Black!
How it delights the treasurer's heart to report
that the Campbell Institute is in the black! It has
been a rough year, and we could not possibly have
come out except for large gifts by friends of the
Institute. Being aware of this, the members at the
annual meeting this summer decided to raise the
dues to $3.00 a year. If as many members pay up
as did last year we will be able to make ends meet
without calling on our liberal friends for subsidy
again. So now it's three iron men required instead
of two. And we ought to be taking in more new
members. That can only be done when every "In-
stitooter" is a promoter. Send us names of men
who ought to be in the Institute, and would ap-
preciate receiving copies of the Scroll. Ye editor in-
sists he's got lively articles up his sleeve (or some-
where) , and the Scroll will be coming your way with
lots of life and vigor. Send in your dues! Three
iron men will pay you up! If in doubt don't write
us a letter, send us a check!
R. A. Thomas, Treasurer.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII OCTOBER, 1949 No. 2
A Rainy Day
E. S. Ames
This is a rainy day. A month ago when I sat down
to write some reflections on our world, all was
bright and warm with the beauty of early autumn.
Now the sky is overcast with clouds and a chill is
in the air. But no matter how mixed the weather,
life goes on. Food is eaten, the morning paper comes
with the record of strange events, some tragic, and
some with promise of new remedies for old ills.
The paper tells of the burning of the buildings of
the sanitarium at Martinsville, Indiana, where our
long-time friend O. B. Holloway used to go every
spring to get the baths and play cards with Jewish
cronies he came to know there. One year my wife
and I went there and enjoyed the rest, the waters,
and the excellent meals. In one night the place was
devastated by fire.
This morning's mail brought other clouds. Two
were bills, one from the Bowman Dairy for the
milk they brought last month, one for electricity
which lighted our cottage at Pentwater during the
summer. One letter came from an old friend with
a check for nine dollars to pay for The Scroll,
partly in advance. Another letter from a dear
friend telling of heart-breaking sorrow, not by
death or accident or malice, or loss of faith. It was
the sorrow from circumstances the like of which
was never told me before.
And then there was a beautiful letter from the
daughter of Lawrence Lew, acknowledging a little
gift for her wedding day and enclosing a clipping
from the Peoria paper about the wedding. Lawrence
35 THE SCROLL
is teaching economics in Bradley University which
has developed into an institution of thousands of
students and of good standing. The report of that
wedding carried the impression of the genuine,
rich culture of the Chinese people. It reflected in-
telligent, sensitive, and seasoned qualities from the
long traditions of a high civilization with no in-
timations of the terrible wars and depressions that
have harassed the Chinese nation.
One telephone call was from an electrician to
tell me what it would cost to install an electric con-
trol on the thermostat of our gas furnace. In the
old days, many years ago, we had a coal furnace
which heated the house by hot air. But the air
seldom was really hot, and it never was an even
Jieat. Frequently the man of the house had to
be away from home, and the unpleasant duty of
shoveling coal fell to his already over-burdened
wife. Sometimes she would jokingly remark that
she "ran the furnace." Finally, in a burst of de-
termination, we installed a gas furnace, with hot
water heat. It was regulated by a clock which
has to be wound once a week, and she winds it.
We chose Sunday, on our arrival from church, as
the time to wind that clock. That was a great ad-
vance over the old method of shoveling coal, but
she, with a bit of mischief, still says she "runs the
furnace." Sometimes we do not get back home at
the established hour for winding that clock and
once in a while the heat does not come on at the
proper hour, or it comes on when the heat is al-
ready rolling! So when I realized that it is possible
to have an electrically controlled thermostat, I de-
cided to get one, not only to relieve my wife of
the responsibility, but more especially to avoid
her having to explain to neighbors and friends the
servitude which she gaily confessed when she re-
THE SCROLL 36
peated that old incriminating remark, "I run the
furnace."
In, The World's Great Religious Poetry, edited
by CaroHne Miles Hill, on page 403, is a line which
[ have read devoutly for many years, but never
more so than this year. The line reads,
"0 God in Heaven, vouchsafe to cure my leg!
Matter burst from it yesterday."
This quotation is used with considerable poetic
license, but the poem in which it occurs, "The
Church," is printed to illustrate the decadence of the
Church which encourages personal petitions over
trivial things. The poem continues :
"My God,
Vouchsafe to fill my shop with customers!
— Help me to find out if my servant John
Is robbing me ! — 0 God cure my sore eyes !
— Save me, my God, from being drunk so often !
— Lord, let my son pass his examination!
He is so shy. Thou shalt have a great candle.
— Help me to make her fall in love with me.
I will put ninepence in St. Anthony's box.
— My God, if only I could get some work!"
Two of the depressing facts about our Chicago
churches. One is that the Jackson Boulevard Church
has had to see David Bryan leave as its pastor for
Sedalia, Mo., while the Church faces a very un-
certain future. Fundamentally it is the great shift
in population to which the "West Side" has been
subject for years, and the influx of colored people.
The other fact is the uncertainty of the future of a
good congregation built up through many years of
sacrifice and devotion. It will not die but it has
suffered serious internal disturbance.
37 THE SCROLL
Tomorrow will be another day. It will bring its
own weather, cooler, probably brighter. Through
it, too, the pressures of human interests will be felt
and new plans and hopes will emerge. Meantime,
blessed are they who keep a clear vision of the way
ahead, lighted by the stars.
Religious Background of
Josiah Royce
Reuben Butchart, 27 Albany Ave., Toronto
In probing human personality Religion should
not be neglected as a live source. Josiah Royce,
professor of the history of Philosophy at Harvard
University (obiit 1916) has received acclaim as
one of America's best loved philosophers, and has been
placed amongst a brief list of names of the world's
greatest thinkers. His interest in religion is testi-
fied to by at least his "The Problem of Christianity"
and "Sources of Religious Insight" (Scribners,
N. Y., 1914). The writer's purpose herein is to
trace the sources of some religious influences that
affected the youth of one we may call Josiah
Royce III.
His grandparent, Josiah Royce I, was born in
Leceistershire, Eng., Nov. 28, 1779; whose wife,
Mary Curtis, from same shire, was ten years young-
er. These as parents emigrated with a small family
to Canada, arriving in 1816. Two were sons, Rob-
ert the elder, and Josiah II, born in 1812. Their
journey's end was Dundas, at the west end of L.
Ontario. There, in his home, a Baptist church
was set up on October 11, 1834. He died in 1847,
leaving a religious heritage to his family. The son,
Josiah II, was baptized and received into the Bap-
tist church at age 22 {Year Book, Dundas Baptist
THE SCROLL 38
Church, 1930). Later years reveal him as well as
one possessing personal piety, also a high sense of
responsibility for the cause of Christ. While the
son Robert remained to farm in Wellington County,
the younger Josiah II, after some years, settled
first in New York State and later in Iowa. From
a village in that State on April 30, 1849 he left
his home, with a wife and infant child, and entered
upon the long trail of the Forty-Niners in search
of gold in California's hills. The saga of that ad-
venturous journey is worth reading. His wife's
journal was the basis of "The Frontier Lady,"
New Haven, Yale Univ. Press, 1932, and Katherine
Royce, wife of the philosopher, contributed a fore-
word. The journey encompassed real dangers from
famine, . thirst, Indians, and snow in the Sierras.
The trail was strewn with wrecks. The Royce
wagon got over the mountains just in time to escape
a snowfall that would have ended their pursuit and
they descended to Nevada County, California, and
settled at the mining town of Grass Valley. Severe
trials during a long residence in the State awaited
Josiah Royce II. Some of them are revealed in
letters to his brother Robert, in Ontario, which are
extant amongst the family. A son was born on
November 20, 1855, Josiah III, and a family of
three others taxed the father's resources to main-
tain.
Josiah Royce II came to California as a Baptist,
"but the little Baptist church he entered became
almost broken up about 1857 because of the removal
of a number to other parts. Nearly at the same
time, a Christian Church (Disciples is meant) was
organized in which Josiah Royce and his family
made their home. This preference he retained
throughout life." The source of the foregoing is
the Ontario Evangelist, in November, 1888, report-
39 THE SCROLL
ing the death of Josiah II on June 22, 1888. This
was copied from the Los Gatos, Calif. News. Quo-
tation from the long obituary would establish that
Royce was a sincere Christian and acted accord-
ingly.
From here we pass to a nearer range towards
Discipledom influences. In the writer's research
for his book, published in August, "The Disciples
of Christ in Canada Since 1830," he received from
Nova Scotia chronicles that some of the Hants
County Disciples emigrated to California in early
days and entered into the work at Grass Valley.
One of these, Levi Sanford, of Sacramento, Cal.
wrote to the Pacific Times, May 15, 1912 with ref-
erences to his religious experiences there. He was
a pioneer member of Hants County churches. In
the year 1832 he removed to California, accompa-
nied by a wife and a sister and reports that "we
three began to keep house for the Lord at Grass
Valley." Our jiumber increased to about forty
... I assisted in building up Churches of Christ
in Grass Valley, Pleasant Ridge, Franklin and
Sacramento." Here is plainly a church begun in
a home and ending in a small organization. It
establishes the fact of a Church of Christ (Dis-
ciples) at Grass Valley. In that group Josiah
Royce II and family had their religious home.
The obituary notice quoted bears heavily upon
the deep religious character of Josiah Royce II.
Amidst his financial struggles and lack of health
with which to labor for his family, he wrote to his
brother Robert in Ontario, and in it discussed the
apparent backwardness of the cause in Ontario as
compared with California. His letters reveal a
tender regard and responsibility for his family.
With such facts can we think of him as omitting to
lead his greater son toward, if not to, the Christ
THE SCROLL 40
he tried to serve? I cannot report whether the
works of Josiah Royce, the Harvard philosopher,
show any heritage from our Church of Christ
sources, but I feel that they may well be there. The
early religious experiences of even a philosopher
may well color his later thinking. Herein lies the
seemingly inevitable conclusion that Josiah Royce
ni was influenced by Disciple views in early Hfe,
even if he may not have adopted them.
Report of the Commission On
Restudy of Disciples of Christ
0. L. Shelton, Chairman
W. F. ROTHENBURGER, Secretary
The Commission on Restudy of Disciples of
Christ expresses appreciation for the privilege of
these years of fellowship in study and discussion,
and for the interest manifested in the reports which
have been made from time to time. It expresses
the hope that they have contributed to a better
understanding of some of the problems of our
brotherhood, and that they will foster the spirit
of unity and fellowship among us.
We submit the following resolutions:
I. Whereas, the San Francisco Convention passed
a resolution giving us the task of preparing a docu-
ment for publication containing the Reports of the
Commission to the 1946, 1947 and 1948 Conven-
tions, with appropriate introduction, conclusion
and bibliography,
We herewith submit such a document to this con-
vention with the hope that it may be used widely
for study and discussion, and that it will serve
to foster understanding, relieve tensions, and pro-
mote unity in our brotherhood.
41 THE SCROLL
n. Whereas, the Commission on Restudy of Dis-
ciples of Christ feels that, although its work is not
fully completed, more might now be accomplished
by inaugurating a period of study and discussion
throughout the brotherhood with the view to pro-
moting understanding and fellowship, and to give
full opportunity for such a program,
Be it resolved that the present Commission be
dismissed at such a time as a Restudy Extension
Committee has been appointed, and conference held
with the present Commission on Restudy.
III. Whereas, the Commission on Restudy of Dis-
ciples of Christ feels that the results of its study
and discussion should be more widely disseminated
through such study and discussion groups as may
be deemed advisable.
Be it resolved that a carefully selected and wide-
ly representative Committee — "A Restudy Exten-
sion Committee" — be appointed by the Executive
Committee of the International Convention, after
counsel with recognized divergent groups among
us, to give guidance in planning and fostering study
and discussion groups, and implementing such plans
and methods as promise the greatest good to our
brotherhood. The Commission has made some sug-
gestions as to certain means which, in its
judgment, might be helpful. However, these sug-
gestions are made with no thought of limiting the
procedures of the Committee, but only to share
our experience and express our concern for the
extension of the studies in which we have been
engaged, and our confidence in the spirit and under-
standing that will grow ©ut of such a program.
IV. Whereas, it appears that a representative
Commission for reference and resource concerning
the phases of faith and doctrine in the various pro-
posals looking toward unity among Christians, and
THE SCROLL 42
in the realization of the Kingdom of God among
men, would be of much value to our churches and to
our various boards and agencies,
Be it resolved, that the Commission on Restudy
of Disciples of Christ, recommends to the Interna-
tional Convention of Disciples of Christ, that the
Convention, through its Executive Committee, ap-
point and issue a call for the first meeting of a
Commission on Christian Doctrine, consisting of a
widely representative group known for its fa-
miliarity with and interest in theological studies,
drawn from all geographical areas at home and
abroad in which we have churches, and inclusive
of all the several emphases of thought under which
we have sought to present our witness ;
And further, that this Commission at its first
meeting organize itself under a Chairman and such
other officers as may be needed, forming themselves
into convenient regional sections to insure active
and economical participation, the sections in turn
providing themselves with officers for their work;
and the sections further providing for the expira-
tion of the term of one-third of their number in two
years; one-third in four years, and one-third in six
years; thus insuring continuity in each section by
staggering the terms of service which shall there-
after be for six years;
And further, that this Commission shall study
the significance of various statements of faith and
doctrine, of theologies, polities, and practices in
general Christian life and order as these subjects
may relate to our movement and to New Testament
Christianity; may pursue as it may deem advisable
joint studies with similar bodies; shall serve as a
body of reference and resource for those who may
desire to avail themselves of its labors; and shall
issue from time to. time findings and statements in
43 THE SCROLL
Reports to the Convention and in such other form
as the Convention may advise.
We close our Report, and our work, with the
fervent prayer that God may so grant to us the
riches of His grace, that our concern for the salva-
tion of those who are without Christ, and our wit-
ness for the unity of all of God's people, may be
as a shining light radiating the perfect light of
Christ.
Concerning the Disciples
Richard M. Pope
It is becoming increasingly plain that the twenti-
eth century, for the Disciples as for many another
religious body, is a time of testing, and a time for
grave decision. Living as we do in a time of un-
paralleled danger, we cannot afford the luxury
either of running away from decisions that must be
made, or of concerning ourselves with trivial mat-
ters. The time has come when we must re-think our
position in the Christian world, and see if we have
something significant and unique to say to the rest
of Christendom, and if we have, to say it clearly
and distinctly that men may hear, and if we haven't,
to lose ourselves as quickly as possible in the
churches from which we came.
This summer it was my good fortune to read The
Disciples of Christ; A History, by W. E. Garrison
and A. T. DeGroot (St. Louis, Mo., The Christian
(Board of Publication, 1948). Reading this book,
and reflecting upon the story of our people, I, for
one, came to the conclusion that the Disciples do
have a heritage and a message that is worth preserv-
ing and preaching, something precious that must
not be lost.
The Disciples have had two great themes — Chris-
I
THE SCROLL 44
tian unity and the restoration of New Testament
faith and practice. Garrison and DeGroot point out
that the present tension between our conservative
iand liberal elements is largely a matter of which of
these two main themes they think most important —
the conservatives calling primarily for the restora-
tion of the New Testament church, and the liberals
emphasizing the principle of unity.
The first and undoubtedly the more important of
our themes has been the desire to restore the unity
of the Church. Now, to be united, it is necessary to
be united about some great loyalty. The center of
this loyalty for Christians, as their very name would
imply, has always been, and remains, Christ. But
how do you learn about Christ? You learn about
Christ from the creeds, the denominations had said.
It is to the credit of Thomas Campbell, and to those
who came after him, that they were among the first
to see, and to say, that Christians could never be
united by creeds. Subsequently history has vindi-
cated that insight. How do you learn about Christ?
From the Church, some said, especially through the
supernatural wisdom that is given to her clergy.
The founding fathers of our movement knew enough
church history to know that the Church in general,
and the clergy in particular, have made too many
tragic mistakes, and been guilty of too much evil,
ever to suppose them to be the final interpreters of
Christ. The Holy Spirit, others claimed, will reveal
to the individual all that he needs to know about
Christ. Again, our leaders rejected the principle
of personal experience as a final way to knowledge
and unity in Christ, believing that it led to the fur-
ther fragmentation of Christianity, rather than its
unity. There was left the New Testament, and this
was seen as our earliest and best source of informa-
tion about the center of Christian loyalty and unity.
45 THE SCROLL
Our first theme, then, has been unity in Christ — ^the
Christ, not of the creeds, or of the Church as an
ecclesiastical institution, or of personal religious
experience, but the Christ of the New Testament.
This is an everlastingly true insight. In his ex-
cellent book. The Man Christ Jesus, John Knox says
that —
"The Christian community carries the mem-
ory of Jesus deep in its heart. It carries much
else in its heart, but nothing more certainly
than that . . . Indeed, one might almost define
the church as the Community which remembers
Jesus."
To define the church as "the Community that re-
members Jesus" is an ideal congenial to Disciple
thought, /et it does not go quite far enough. For
there is always the danger that the Church may not
remember the true Jesus, but a figment of its own
imagination. It is not difiicult to show that this
has actually happened, — during the days of the In-
quisition and its horrors, or the preachers who pre-
sented arms in such ridiculous fashion in World
War I, for instance. The final check on these tragic
lapses of memory must be the New Testament. It
can be misconstrued, no one person perfectly inter-
prets it, everyone reads into it something of their
own experiences and desires, but it remains as the
best standard of measurement of what is true to
Christ that we have. It is significant that we have
been a "Bible people" — and rightly so, not because
we worshipped or idolized the Bible, but because
the Bible told us about Christ. This can be seen
in the simple confession of faith that we have made
requisite for Church membership — faith not in the
Bible, but in the "Christ, the Son of God," which
the Bible tells us about. It may be also seen in our
popular slogan, "No creed but Christ." Some have
THE SCROLL 46
objected that this slogan is too creedal, and that it
involves theological speculation. If so, it is a kind
of irreducible minimum of creed and theology that
is necessary as a basis for Christian unity and fel-
lowship. The experience of the ecumenical move-
ment would seem to bear this out, as the World
Council of Churches of Christ has adopted as the
basis for their constitution a similar confession of
faith. In this, they were simply echoing what our
backwoods preachers were saying along the Ameri-
can frontier over 100 years ago. Dr. Garrison, in
the book mentioned above, says —
"They had not begun with the desire to be a
distinct religious body and become a 'great
people' but with the purpose of uniting all
Christians upon the basis of loyalty to Christ."^
It is quite possible that we were the first church to
make this simple plea. Certain it is that to find
unity in personal loyalty to Christ is a part of the
New Testament message which had been neglected
for centuries. And it seems certain, too, that this
idea is even older than the New Testament, for-
before there were churches, or a New Testament,
before there were creeds or sacraments, there was
a supreme loyalty to Jesus as the Christ. This is
the only necessary basis for Christian fellowship
and unity. And the Church cannot give this up. As
Dr. Knox has said, it would be like denying one's
birth. To do this would be to cease to exist as a
Church. It is possible, and even desirable, to have
fellowship with all kinds and conditions of men,—
agnostics, skeptics, and atheists, as well as members
of other religions (and it might well be a rich and
rewarding fellowship), but it would not be a Chris-
tian fellowship without a faith in Christ at its heart.
Thus we have tried to show that the first part of
^W. E. Garrison and A. T. DeGroot, The Disciples; p. 420.
47 THE SCROLL
our great plea — to restore the lost unity of the
church by calling for unity in Jesus as the Christ
is still relevant and valid.
The second major theme of the Disciples has been
the restoration of the faith and practice of the New
Testament. There are several things that may be
said in a very negative way about this idea. First,
it most certainly was not a new idea. In fact, it is
practically impossible to find a protestant denomina-
tion that didn't begin with the desire to restore the
New Testament church. Wyclif, Hus, the Anabap-
tists, Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, and Wesley all
thought that they were being true to the New Testa-
ment. Second, our founding fathers were undoubt-
edly wrong in assuming that men are going to agree
on what the New Testament says. They shared in
this mistaken notion with most of the great Re-
formers. Luther at first was confident that the
Bible, the open Bible, was all that was necessary to
liberate men from error in religion, and was amazed
and shocked to discover the doctrines that men could
apparently find in the Bible. To explain this phe-
nomenon is not in the province of this paper. Let
it be sufficient to point out that Eastern Orthodox,
Roman Catholic, Anglican, Calvinistic, Methodist,
Lutheran, Baptist, and Pentecostal churches all
quote Scriptures to show that they are practicing
the ordinances and sacraments of the New Testa-
ment church, and the Quakers apparently quote
Scripture to show that ordinances and sacraments
were not important to the early Christian fellowship !
Nevertheless, when all of this has been said, I
want to take my stand with those who say that our
devotion to the New Testament and our desire to
recapture its message and spirit has not been a
mistake. The New Testament tells a story that
cannot be matched for beauty, or power, or truth, in
5HE SCROLL 48_
he writings of any other religion or culture any-
.v^here on the face of the earth. One can see this
, bjectively in the influence of the Bible on any
^■iulture in which it is read and studied, and one can
prove this subjectively in the laboratory of his own
inner life. And there remains the plain historical
fact that the Bible is our primary source of informa-
tion about Christ. It is impossible to separate
loyalty to Christ from loyalty to the New Testa-
ment, because in its words, and behind its words
we dimly perceive, as through a glass darkly, the
Word.
"The Word of God"
hy W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois
Some months ago, I wrote that one of the errors
of fundamentalism is the misidentification of the
term "Word of God" with the Scriptures, whereas
the term is rightfully identified with Jesus Christ.
Mr. Lloyd Channels of Flint, Michigan, wrote that
he would appreciate some further discussion upon
this matter. To enter upon such discussion is to
resurrect an old debate within our movement, a de-
bate quiescent for a generation. But the issue is
fundamental. From my own point of view, the per-
sisting tendency among our people to equate "The
Word of God" with the Bible is not a benign error,
but a malignant one. The roots of the Disciple
tendency to misidentify the "Word of God" with
the Bible lie in the popular Protestant usage of the
last three hundred years. The expression, for most
Protestants, has usually meant the Scriptures.
However, time after time, critically minded Protes-
tants have pointed out the error of this popular
usage. Despite their admonitions, the customary
49 THE SCROLI
habit of speech has remained. Only occasionally
within the annals of Christian thought, has i
prominent leader condoned, and even encourage*
by what he wrote, this popular tendency. Such a
one was Alexander Campbell. This is an unfortu-
nate fact for the Disciples. At this point, Camp-
bell not only stands in contrast to the bulk of criti-
cal Protestant thought; he even stands in contrast
to the Bible itself. The worst aspect of Campbell's
error is that with full consciousness of the fact that
it is not scriptural usage to identify the Word of
God with "the Scriptures" he proceeded to express
himself in terms which condone that usage. He
who would argue that equating Bible and Word
of God is an error cannot look to the Sage of Beth-
any for much support.
The Biblical meanings of the term "Word of God"
are four or five. The most primitive of these seems
to be the meaning that lies behind such a state-
ment as, "And God said, 'Let there be light,' and
there was lieht." The primitive conception of deity
was one in which there was no hiatus between God's
utterance and the accomplishment of his will. What
God says is from this point of view, that which
God acco^Tiplishes is equal with his words; God's
acts and his utterances are equally expressive of his
will and intention. The second meaning of the term
"word of God" is those statements of a prophetic
nature which were said to be uttered by God to
certain men at different moments of history. In a
sense they were equally actions because the given
words of God were accomplished. Thirdly, and this
is the central meaning, the Word of God is that
which God has done supremely, and that which
he has sunremply done is the sending of the Christ.
The best illustration of this usage of the term is
to be found in the prologue to the gospel of John.
THE SCROLL 50
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God . . . and the
Word became flesh and dwelt among us." A fourth
meaning of the term is "that which God has prom-
ised," or "the promises of God." The "active"
meaning, which is fundamental to the term, has
here taken on a future sense, but it still refers to
that which God accomplishes, or will accomplish.
The fifth meaning of the term is "the gospel," or
the good news about what God has done through
Christ. What is here meant by the term "gospel"
is not the record about Christ as written according
to one or another reporter, but the fact itself. How-
ever, since the term "gospel" may mean either the
fact itself that is good news, or the recording of
that fact as given by Matthew, Mark, Luke, or
John, it is possible to slide into the habit of equat-
ing the term "Word of God" with both these mean-
ings of the term "gospel," whereas it is properly
to be equated only with the first.
The tragedy of our Disciple situation is that Alex-
ander Campbell understood all these distinctions.
But he allowed the last mentioned thing to happen ;
he allowed his readers to elide the two meanings
of the term "gospel" with the term "Word of God"
and confirmed their tendencies to uncritical bibli-
cism. But let the words of Campbell himself reveal
him in this regard.
In the third issue of the Millenial Harbinger, Vol.
I, No. 3, pp. 124-128 Campbell published his essay
entitled "The Voice of God and the Word of God :
The Gospel Now the Word of God." Following are
some sentences from the essay :
Words and phrases which, in the Jewish writings, were
used in a more general sense, are, in the New Institu-
tion, used in an appropriated sense. Thus, while the
term Christ was generally applied to all the anointed
ones in the Jewish age, it is in the apostolic writings
51 THE SCROLL
exclusively appropriated to the Saviour. The phrase
"Word of God," is used in a like restricted sense in
the apostolic writings. From the ascension of Jesus
it is appropriated to denote the glad tidings concern-
ing Jesus. This is its current acceptation; so that out
of thirty-four times which it occurs, from Pentecost
to the end of the volume, it thirty times obviously re-
fers to the gospel. On three occasions it is applied to
the literal voice of God at Creation and the Deluge,
and once to him who is in his own person the Word
of God. But What I wish to note here is that it is never
applied to any writing or speech from the day of Pente-
cost but to the gospel or proclamation of mercy to the
human race. The previous writings given to the Jews
are not called the word of God now, because this
phrase has in it the idea of the present command and
will of God. . . .
. . .The voice of God spoke the universe into being
from the womb of nothing. The same voice recreates the
soul of man, and the same voice will awaken the dead
at the last day.
There is no possibility of arguing against Camp-
bell's position that in its New Testament usage the
term "Word of God" refers most frequently to "the
gospel." But against Campbell it must be pointed
out that in New Testament usage the term "gospel"
never meant the New Testament or some part of
it — how could it when none of the New Testament
books were yet written — but meant Christ and the
news about him. In apostolic times, the term gospel
pointed, not to a group of writings, nor even to the
literal voice of God, but to "him who in his own
person is the Word of God," to use Campbell's own
phrases.
The main contention of Campbell's argument de-
pends upon the idea that the spoken word of God
(The Voice of God) has now been replaced by a
written (the Bible) Word of God. The fantasy of
this way of thought lies in the fact that there never
was a literally spoken (uttered by a voice) Word of
THE SCROLL 52
God in the first place which could be replaced by
a literally written (pen to paper) Word of God in
the second place. The Word of God was not origi-
nally a speech, much less a document; it was an
enactment in history. The ancient Hebrews looked
upon the Exodus as something that God had ac-
complished and called it a word of God. The
Christians looked upon Jesus Christ as the decisive
action of God, and called HIM the Word of God.
In our own day there have been several move-
ments of thought which have sought to recapture
this New Testament meaning of the term "Word
of God." Such an effort has been one of the values
of biblical criticism, and it is preserved in both
liberalism and neo-orthodoxy. The neo-orthodox
are quite helpful at this point. Those who feel that
this movement is just a sophisticated fundamental-
ism should become familiar with their discussions
of the Word of God. For them, the Bible is no long-
er the infallible point of reference. They turn to
Christ. Several of the neo-orthodox slogans seek to
make this point clear. Hence they speak of Christ
the "the Word within the word." The second "word"
in this phrase refers to the Scriptures — in line
with popular Protestant usage — but the important
point of reference is the Word, the Christ who is
reported about in the Scriptures. But it is not the
report which is all important. For neo-orthodoxy,
the Scriptures must be subjected to all possible and
relevant criticism in order to make sure that we
get behind the written words of Scripture to the
Living Word which is Christ.
Why did Campbell state the case as he did? It
must be remembered that Campbell was writing in
a particular moment of history, seeking to combat
certain religious abuses of his own time. Among
those abuses was that kind of spiritualism, or re-
53 THE SCROLL
ligious enthusiasm, indulg-ed in by men who claimed
that they had been vouchsafed an individual and
special "word of God." In seeking to combat this
individualism and the divisiveness inherent with-
in it, Campbell sought to restrict the norms for a
Christian to some objective and immediately avail-
able reference. For this purpose he selected the
Bible. He wanted to deny the possibility that any-
one could claim a special visitation from the Holy
Spirit. Consequently he developed his well known
theory that the one and only agency of the Holy
Spirit today is the Bible, the Bible read or preached
so that men might hear and believe. He went so
far as to say that the Spirit never acted apart from
the Word, by which Tie meant that the Spirit acts
only in, through, and by the Bible. All of this was
consistent with his Lockean philosophy with its
sensationalist epistemology, but it was not true to
the religious experience of Christianity. Camp-
bellites were still debating the matter at the turn
of the century — and now we raise the issue again.
The fundamental error in Campbell's point of
view is one instance of a general type of error. It
consists in mistaking one of the expressional forms
of Christianity for its central fact. The central fact
of Christianity is Jesus Christ. By virtue of the
historic stimulus provided by that central fact a
religion develops. Like all other well developed re-
ligions, Christianity expresses itself in four major
types of formulation : ecclesiastical societies, ritual,
writings, and a moral code. To mistake one of these
four for the central fact is to mistake an outward
form for the invigorating activity of God. To as-
sert that the church is the one form which gives
true expression to the central fact is to adopt ec-
clesiasticism. To assert that a particular way of
worship is the adequate expression of the initial
THE SCROLL 54
fact is to adopt ritualism. To assert that some par-
ticular morality does it is to espouse moralism. To
assert that a particular group of writings, namely
the Bible, is the entire, adequate and infallible ex-
pression of the central fact of our religion is to
adopt biblicism. As between these four errors there
is little choice in the long run. Protestant biblicism
in its earlier days may have corrected the errors
of Roman ecclesiasticism. But after a while the
errors of biblicism work their havoc and have to
be corrected. During the last century there were
two popular alternatives to Protestant biblicism.
One was the ritualism represented in such a move-
ment as Anglo-Catholicism ; the other was a moral-
ism which won considerable popularity in America,
the Ethical Culture Society being its finest expres-
sion, though it typified also much of Unitarianism.
The Disciples were not much affected by either of
these movements, popular as they were, but per-
sisted by and large in their Campbellite biblicism.
Biblicism of the type into which Alexander Camp-
bell and many of his followers fell is ultimately just
as reprehensible as papalism or ecclesiasticism, or
ritualism, or moralism. None of them suflfice to give
expression to the fulness of Christ, to the Living
Word of God which is operative in history now —
and has been from the beginning. Let him who
would truly identify and understand the idea of the
"Word of God" return to the prologue of John's
gospel and ponder it until its perfectly plain lan-
guage has become crystal clear to him.
55 THE SCROLL
Our Needs in Research
Howard E. Short, The College of the Bible
Our Needs in Research as Pointed up by the
Garrison-DeGroot Book
I want to throw out some suggestions of fields for
research that are apparent, in the light of what
has been done in this book. Some of them may
be day-dreams. You can be the judges about that.
One never knows how much unexplored territory
there is, until he gets lost a few times. The only
way it will all be charted is for individuals to parcel
out the lot, and spend a lifetime on small areas,
probably as a hobby. (At least I wouldn't count
on retiring on the royalties, just yet.) It must be
a directed and purposeful hobby. Sometimes we
can throw out suggestions and get takers. Semi-
nary professors especially, ought not to be too
fearful of casting their pearls before swine. It's
surprising what results you get sometimes.
1. State Histories.
We have already referred to the dearth of prima-
ry source materials in this field. Some things are
being done. We all await Henry Shaw's work on
Ohio, the manuscript of which looked fine several
years ago. I have a student working on Northeast
Georgia. A fellow in Texas is working on the whole
of Georgia. Last summer I sent another student
to the Christian Board to work on some Georgia
material they had, to try to get it ready for show-
ing. Something will come out of all this. Mac-
Donald out in Liberty, Missouri, has the Phares
diary from Mississippi, and ought to work on the
interest which he now has. There must be many
other cases. There is room for an interpretative
history of the work in many states, on the same lines
THE SCROLL 56
of the Garrison-DeGroot book.
2. The Churches of Christ.
Here the material is even more illusive — and the
scope is fast becoming the whole world. My inform-
ant this week told me that there are "thriving"
congregations in Munich, Frankfort, Berlin, and
Rome. In Texas they are building "everything from
plain, modest little $10,000 chapels, to $400,000
buildings." I attempted a study on "The emergence
of the Churches of Christ out of the general reform
movement instigated by Alexander Campbell and
others," for my B.D. thesis. It was lots of fun, for
I had just completed the American church history
course and neither the Disciples of Christ nor the
Churches of Christ were even mentioned in class
lectures !
When the authors remarked that the Churches
of Christ are not completely written off (p. 406) ,
they also said that the reader could reflect about
the matter. By letting me do that, they let me
differ from their conclusion, for my conclusions
after twenty years of casual study are, that if the
language is to be taken in its normal usage and
the situation viewed in the customary way, then
we are completely separated — as separately as we
are from the Baptists. Well, what I started out to
say was, that most any research about the Churches
of Christ is a needed addition to church history.
3. The Independent Movement within the
Brotherhood
About three decades, or maybe a little more, have
gone by now since this situation became tense. If
I understand the genesis of American denomina-
tions, something very familiar is going on in our
ranks. Again, I would like to be purely historical
about it, if that were possible. Now is the time
to be collecting materials and information. In an-
57 THE SCROLL
other quarter of a century, our historians will have
to record what has happened. And unless we make
better progress at it, we won't have anything to
work with, in the way of materials. Tentative
studies, short papers, even B.D. theses ought to be
written in increasing numbers. If students could
be discouraged from writing so many apologetics
in the field, and urged into straight historical re-
search, we would get some more studies like a few
that have been made,
4. The Real Relations of James O'Kelly, Abner
Jones, and Elias Smith to our Movement
This may be one of my dreams. Every one of
our histories starts out with them or soon gets to
them. In varying degrees they point out their in-
fluence upon, or relation to, our movement. I've
had a notion for some time that their relation to
us was largely that of the general church scene,
and that although we had some ideas in common,
they are hardly ancestors of ours. They belong to
that portion of the Christian Convention in the
United States (now a part of the Congregational-
Christian church) which was beyond our range, to
the East.
I know research is needed in this matter — for
what we have hasn't settled my mind, and I have
a right to more information!
5. The Influence of Later Camp Meetings on our
Movement.
This may be a dream, too. But we usually find
Stone visiting the camp meetings in the Green
River country; coming back and sponsoring the
Cane Ridge revival; then we drop them from the
story. A fellow was telling me last week that he
had found that camp meetings had considerable
influence in Missouri in later days. Maybe some-
body could waste away his idle hours on this.
THE SCROLL 58
6. A History of our Missionary Movement.
No sketch of this work in a general history can
suffice now. Neither is the working material put
out by the Board staff sufficient. A history (in the
ordinary connotation of that word) is now needed.
Remember our foreign missionary enterprise is
a hundred years old, too.
The "Survey of Service" has now become of age,
having been published in 1928, and it would wel-
come a little brother — or son. It is essentially a
handbook anyway, not an interpretative history.
7. The Period of Adjustment.
A friend has set me to thinking. He pointed
out that a biographical study of the times of J. H.
Garrison and Isaac Errett would be a great con-
tribution to our literature, because we haven't given
ample study to that generation. Even now, it's
often a case of the twentieth century looking back
to the founding fathers — and overlooking the years
of adjustment, roughly 1866-1906. I think there is
something valid here; but don't let anyone take
off on a study of it — for I may want to do that
myself.
8. The Ministry.
Here, I can't quite explain what I mean, except
by telling you what we have been doing. As a
project in statistical correlation and in personal
biography, I have assigned various periods of time
to students, and asked them to study the College
of the Bible graduates in that period. One man
studied our class of 1922 (the class of Hampton
Adams, Lawrence Ashley, John Barclay, A. C.
Brooks, Ernest Ford, Benton Miller, and several
other famous men). He charted their wanderings
as recorded in the year books, and a score of other
factors. I haven't time to explain how interesting
59 THE SCROLL
it really was. Another man studied all the men
who had come from Georgia to us, and all who went
to a Georgia pastorate. Think of the questions that
can be answered — if it were possible to do this long
enough, to make it national in scope, and covering
a half-century or more. I believe we Disciples know
less about the past, present and future of our
ministry than any group I know. I think history
could teach us some valuable lessons if we would
listen.
9. Autobiographies.
It must be because I have passed forty, but I
like personal reminiscences more and more. What
if they are "colored," either by a lack of modesty
or by too much modesty. They give us historical
materials that nothing can duplicate. The men are
still living who know and have participated in our
ups and downs of this century. Think what it would
have meant, if H. O. Pritchard would have left
an extended account of his friendship and con-
versations with Daniel Sommer. But he didn't.
Think of the rise of the independent movement,
the Louisville Plan, the beginnings of the Federal
Council, the birth and death of the College of
Missions, the beginnings of comity and union work
in Asia, the heresy trial in Lexington. Do you think
anyone ever scratches the surface, when he writes a
"history" of these events?
In this matter I am performing a definite task —
partially by refraining from writing my own biog-
raphy, but mostly by keeping after Dr. Stephen J.
Corey to write his. (I threaten to write his biogra-
phy every once in a while, and that starts him off
again.) Really, if he will write like he can talk
to our students, calmly, without anger or boasting,
just telling details about committee meetings and
correspondence, which could never get in print
THE SCROLL 60
otherwise, it will be a great historical contribution.
Needless to say the picture of his life would be
prized, beyond its historical value.
10. Ecumenical Biography.
It is time for some more study on the relation
of our leaders to this vast twentieth century under-
taking, from Peter Ainslie, F. D. Powers, and J.
M. Philputt, down to our present representatives
to the World Council. A study of our relationship
to this movement specifically, without including
all our early thoughts about unity, would be worth-
while.
This is a list of ten proposals. Do with them
what you will.
Conclusion
Now for a few words of conclusion, and I think
I can be finished in less than the time allotted to
me.
There are two little things that I must say, that
just wouldn't fit anywhere. One is, that all the
Atlantic Christian students that we get at the Col-
lege of the Bible keep complaining to me because
their institution isn't mentioned in the book. It
is queer that that is the only one of the institutions
that escaped all of us. I remember looking on the
galley-proof to be sure that Eureka, Hiram, and
the College of the Bible were well displayed!
The other matter is that I want to commend
Dean Blakemore's review of the book in the Janu-
ary issue of the "Scroll". I hid it so I wouldn't be
copying too much. I do remember one thing I
wanted to disagree with; perhaps that's why I
mention it at all. Dr. Blakemore commended the
authors for not having any footnotes. I charge
them with gross neglect ! That's the frosting on the
cake, footnotes. Don't you just revel in Principal
Robinson's footnotes, in the "Biblical Doctrine of
61 THE SCROLL
the Church". It sort of permits the "student" to
share the secrets of the author's mind, while the
hoi polloi just race along, reading the text.
This is a great book, and I hope my sprawling
around over it hasn't dimmed your resolves to
return to it over and over again. Having finished,
I turn back to the Christian^Evangelist of Decem-
ber 29, 1948, and notice that my opinion has
changed regarding the state histories a little bit.
But I still agree with the lead sentence: "This is
it!"
Theology^s Scylla and Charybdis
(Continued from September 1948 Scroll)
By Oliver Read Whitley, New Haven, Conn.
The danger of making generalizations is apparent.
Recognizing this danger, I am bound to say that I
cannot agree that "the basic issue raised by neo-
orthodoxy is the problem of religious knowledge,"
and that differences in view about "the nature of
God, man, sin, salvation, and the like might be
resolved if it were not for the differences at this
point."^ In the discussions which I have heard and
participated in, and in the representative literature
on the subject which I have read, the problem of
religious knowledge has not assumed the paramount
place in the argument. Many differences in em-
phasis might be straightened out if the two groups
could agree on this question of knowledge; but I
doubt very much if all of them would be resolved in
this way. The place of temperament in this picture
cannot be over-emphasized.
Personally I am impatient with both parties to
this dispute. I have heard neo-orthodox adherents
sneeringly remark about the fact that John K. is
a liberal — always talking about ideals, and drool-
ing sentimentally about the kingdom of God. I
5 IHd, pp. 23-24.
THE SCROLL 62
have heard liberals disdainfully remarking that Dick
N, believes in neo-orthodoxy — you know, all that
stuff about original sin and total depravity; he
can't possibly have any ideals because he thinks it
is futile to try to do anything about social problems.
Much of the discussion that is bandied back and
forth in this vein does not deal with differences of
view about the sources of knowledge; it has to do
with the differences between "once-born and twice-
born temperaments," between optimistic and pessi-
mistic outlooks, and between renaissance and refor-
mation attitudes about man's purposes and God's
design.
There are values in both approaches, which can-
not be vitiated by building semantic bon-fires under
thinkers whose view we do not share. To be told,
for example, that the liberal is naive, full of illusions,
has too much faith in reason and science, and is
still dominated by the eighteenth century idea of
progress, is somewhat annoying. To a certain ex-
tent, this description is true, but as an attempt to
discredit the liberal approach it is not, and can
never be successful. The real liberal is not neces-
sarily naive and sentimental. Professor Perry has
pointed out this fact. "Men will never be," he says,
"so innocently hopeful as they were at the close of
the nineteenth century. They will never again ex-
pect Utopia to be the instant and spontaneous effect
of a cult of reason, or of the advancement of the
physical sciences, or of the adoption of constitutions.
They are unlikely to put their trust in a providential
entity called Progress."®
The argument that the liberals are too naive and
sentimental seems to miss the real point. What
they are after, it seems, is to keep alive man's sense
that he has a great responsibility for much that
happens to him, that he cannot throw everything
6 PURITANISM AND DEMOCRACY, pp. 638-39 (Van-
guard Press, 1944).
63 THE SCROLL
into the hands of God and rest upon his laurels.
They seem to be telling us that freedom and re-
sponsibility are intellectual and moral necessities;
that if there is a Creator behind this human ad-
venture he intends for us to discover and realize
certain purposes and values. The liberals continue
to remind us, through such voices as that of Mar-
garet Mead, that our sojourn on earth is in part
characterized by the goals and purposes which we
set for ourselves. "In most of the civilizations of
which we have record, man had an alibi for not
using his mind ; the world was as God had made it
and willed it to be ; balances were righted in heaven ;
Fate or Chance or the order of the universe were
responsible. . . . Only in those societies which shifted
success from heaven to earth . . . could we have a
type of character in which it became a virtue to
do the kind of thinking that lies behind invention,
... to set problems and solve them."^
The liberal temperament is a needed weapon in
the fight against fear and despair. People are con-
fused and bewildered ; they need so desperately to
believe that human life has possibilities beyond
those which have been revealed in atomic bombs
and bacteriological warfare. They need to recover
from the shock of finding out once again that man
can be bestial, that he can kill and steal and lie,
and maim. Some light must be made to shine in
the darkness. Some way must be found to get be-
yond our realization of the depths of depravity of
which the human soul is capable. We have heard
enough of war; perhaps it is time now to talk of
peace, and love, and forgiveness; of cleaning up
the ruins of the world, of rebuilding factories,
homes and cathedrals. The liberal points to some-
thing real and vital when he insists that man,
no matter how depraved he is must in some sense
assume a mature responsibility for his own prob-
lems. Turning them all over to God is much too
7 AND KEEP YOUR POWDER DRY, pp. 206-7.
THE SCROLL 64
simple. For what we have done there is scarcely
any excuse; and we stand in need of God's grace
in this respect. But this is no reason for washing
our hands of the matter. The need of GocT s mercy
ought to lead us to a prayerful assumption of re-
sponsibility, and not to childish excuses.
The controversy between liberalism and neo-
orthodoxy places us between Scylla and Charybdis.
There are things to be learned from both sides of
the issue ; each points to valuable insights. But be-
tween sentimental illusions, on the one hand, and
enervating pessimism on the other, there is little
to choose. Liberalism, in its extreme form, leads
easily to premature disillusionment, when a man
discovers that his dreams do not come true; neo-
orthodoxy, carried to its logical conclusions, leads
to inertia and do-nothing-ism, on the grounds that
it is useless to try. Our most pressing need in re-
ligious matters is to find a middle-ground.
The Pious Unimmersed
From Garrison's and DeGroot's History
Here in brief and impartial statements are in-
teresting facts about this question. It appears that
this question has been with the Disciples from the
first. See page 389. "The Brush Run Church of
1809 had few immersed believers — and had a hu-
man creed." "Alexander Campbell, in his reply to
the Lunenburg letter, insisted that the unimmersed
were Christians and later demonstrated a consistent
willingness to commune with them."
"In the August, 1945, issue of the Millennial
Harbinger, Dr. Hook of Georgia reported six ad-
ditions, one a Methodist Protestant, whom he did
not immerse. Nothing seems to have been done
about this recrudescence of the earlier practice of
Barton W. Stone."
65 THE SCROLL
"Dr. L. L. Pinkerton in 1869 emerged as the first
true 'liberal' among the reformers, arguing not only
for the admission of the uniramersed but also against
the prevailing doctrine of the inerrancy of the
Bible." P. 390.
"J. S. Lamar wrote in the Christian Quarterly
for April, 1873, on, 'The Basis of Christian Union,'
contending that actual fellowship and union would
have to be 'formed irrespective of our differences,'
because as a consequent of Christian union, agree-
ment may be reached; a^ its antecedent never."
P. 390.
"W. T. Moore seems to have been the first to
make definite church membership provisions for
the uhimmersed." Christian Quarterly (New Series,
1897-1899) P. 391.
"J. A. Lord, later editor of the Christian Stand-
ard, argued before the Missouri Christian Lecture-
ship of 1885 in favor of the program of W. T.
Moore." P. 392.
In 1948, the authors estimate "that about 500
churches practice open membership openly or quiet-
ly. In addition, a number of churches near colleges
and universities (14 may be fairly accurate) re-
ceive the unimmersed as student members." P. 440.
"Even among those ministers who do not practice
open membership, there is a very large number of
those who are restrained from it by considerations
of expediency only, not by conviction." P. 440.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII NOVEMBER, 1949 No. 3
Persistent Loyalty
E. S. Ames
(For Campbell Institute. Night Session. Cincinnati.
October 25, 1949.)
We face today the most confused world we have
ever seen in the 53 years of the history of the Camp-
bell Institute. Our own members have been influ-
enced by the cross currents of liberalism, humanism,
neo-orthodoxy, ecumenicity, and practical activities
which tempt us to side-step all doctrinal issues.
The Disciples of Christ once had a "plea" which
all of us knew by heart and proclaimed with con-
fidence and zest. But our college and seminary
graduates have become less certain of the old slogans,
and are much more hesitant in declaring "the true
faith" in union meetings and in the presence of
other faiths. Even O'ur advocacy of Christian union
seems to become inconsistent when we try to present
the familiar five-finger exercise of Walter Scott. The
third finger, or whichever one it is that stands for
baptism, seems to have suffered paralysis, and some
have therefore concluded that the whole hand of Dis-
ciple doctrine has lost its punch.
I do not share this conclusion nor this tendency.
Perhaps it is fitting on this centennial occasion to
indicate some of the strong points of the Disciple
position today in spite of many changes in biblical
scholarship and in the religious climate of all
protestant churches. Changes in biblical scholarship
may be illustrated by improved translations, and
by more adequate dating of the writings of both the
Old and New Testaments. The changes in the climate
of religious thought may be seen in the widespread
68 THE SCROLL
concern in all kinds of churches for cooperation and
other experimental forms of union.
The first and most important point of Disciple
teaching has always been the exaltation of Jesus
Christ to the central object of faith. All churches
make faith in him and love for him supreme as the
first condition for sharing their fellowship. The Dis-
ciples have been unique in this, since they have in-
sisted that no other belief or action is of equal im-
portance. It has always been regarded as not re-
quired or allowed to demand of a candidate for
Christian fellowship that he declare his thoughts
or convictions on any creedal doctrines. The can-
didate might be free, and feel free, to declare
his ideas about any of the familiar doctrines usu-
ally given in the well known creeds and confessions
of faith, but it was not demanded.
The Disciples have always held that the new con-
vert's faith in Christ, and understanding of him is
necessarily limited and imperfect. He is a "babe in
Christ" and must grow in appreciation and compre-
hension of the goodness and greatness of Christ.
What the candidate shall believe about Christ is not
so much a question of his humility and docility as
it is of his capacity and instruction. The usual pro-
cedure of all churches of the traditional types, from
the Roman Catholic through Protestantism, is to
set up elaborate doctrines and definitions of the be-
ing and nature of Christ as the forms through which
initial confessions of faith are to be made. Even
where siuch formal confessions are not required it is
expected that the substance of the faith will be
expressed. Catechetical, and less scholastic methods
intended for the same end as the catechism, are em-
ployed to shape in advance the character of the
confession to be made.
THE SCROLL 69
The common practice of the Disciples from the
beginning has been to receive persons on their pro-
fession of a heart-felt desire to become followers of
Christ. In evangelistic meetings it has been common
to receive the confession of very young children,
often less than ten years, of age. Many times it has
been obvious that children of that age or younger
were more influenced by the example of the children
and by the emotional impulse created by the general
excitement of a revival. It has been my observation
that these small children have seldom been refused,
or if some delay were effected in individual cases,
it was thought the souls, of these individuals were
not in the least in jeopardy since they were already
safe because of their innocence in their tender years.
In other words, children and others were welcomed
because of their love for Jesus Christ, and not be-
cause of the correctness of any theological opinion
about Christ.
Much the same attitude has prevailed among Dis-
ciples concerning more mature converts. They have
been accepted when they have been drawn to Christ
by his love, by his sympathy for needy souls, by
his outreaching compassion for all in distress, and
by his friendly counsel and encouragement for all
who cherished dreams of heroic ideals and unselfish
service. The Disciples have never made the sense
of sin a primary requisite for joining the company
of Christ, though it has always been made clear
that whoever, in the presence of Christ, felt him-
self to be a sinner, would be impelled to renounce
his evil ways and consecrate himself most sincere-
ly and wholeheartedly to the better things made
manifest to him in Christ. The Disciples have
never taught the doctrine of original sin, or of
human depravity. They have held to the presence
70 THE SCROLL
of good in human nature, and to the possible de-
velopment of more goodness in all of us. They have
believed in the dignity and possibilities of human
nature.
They have believed in the freedom of the will,
or the freedom of personality. The call of Christ,
"Come and follow me" is presented to all ages and
conditions of men as if they could arise and follow
him. There is no hint that they are unable to do
so. There is no suggestion of a Calvinistic fate,
or doctrine of election, paralyzing their first step.
It is the challenge of an urgent and persuasive call
to action. It is as elemental as withholding the hand
from flame, or seizing food to eat. Every day says :
"See, I have set before thee this day life and good,
and death and evil . . . therefore choose life."
The Disciples have grown up, as a religious body,
in circumstances which have led them to place
great stress on this attitude of voluntary choice.
It is part of their inheritance socially, politically,
and religiously. On the frontier in pioneer days,
they were schooled to enterprise, initiative, and in-
dependence. They believed that the Lord helps those
who help themselves. In these and many other
things they stood in striking contrast to the prevail-
ing types of religion that were brought to America
by other churches. They could not be good Calvin-
ists. They were not docile conformists to any of
the old rituals or ecclesiasticisms. Loyalty to Jesus
Christ was the vital center and heart of their re-
ligion. And this loyalty was not shaped by any one
of the current religious moulds. This sense of per-
sonal and moral freedom in their interpretation
and practice of Christianity did not presuppose any
humanly formed tradition, any more than did their
political life, or the scale of their economic life. In
THE SCROLL 71
the older societies of Europe and Asia, occupations
were largely decided for individuals by inheritance.
Similarly marriage was predetermined within
narrow ranges by birth and station.
The idea of progress. Another common-sense
conviction of the Disciples — not yet "debauched by
metaphysics" is that some progress is possible in
the affairs men set their hearts on, including mat-
ters of religion. The farmer normally believes that
seed will grow from good soil, and that it will bear
fruit after its kind if properly cared for. Whole-
some teachers lead children and youth into greater
knowledge and wisdom. Salesmen are convinced
that progress can be achieved in creating a demand
for a useful article by clever and insistent adver-
tising. Every magazine and newspaper is alive
with invitations to you to improve your health,
your comfort, your efficiency. Religious, ethical,
cultural publications show ways and means of help-
ing to make better human beings. The sciences and
arts have made amazing headway ini the last three
centuries. These gains to be sure, are in specific
lines, but a single invention, like the printing press,
or the steam engine, affects beneficially large areas
of life at once and for good.
It seems strange to be arguing these things be-
fore intelligent and practical persons, buit there
are intelligent and clever people in class rooms,
theological seminaries, and pulpits, who have heard
so much professedly learned talk about the futility
and vanity and perversity of human nature that they
have lost faith im progress and are confirmed pes-
simists.
Such persons often assume that the defender of
progress holds that progress is automatic and in-
evitable and that it leads to perfection. Certainly
progress is not automatic. It has to be planned.
72 THE SCROLL
worked for, and paid for in many ways. Read the
lives of Marconi, Edison, Pasteur, or Madam Cur-
rie, to see what their success cost. You will read
there also how tenuous and precarious the results
seemed through long periods of search and experi-
ment. Neither is perfection necessarily implied in
any forward moving progress. Athletes do not
compete to make perfect records. Their ambition
is much more modest and simple than that. They
are content "to break the record." Perfection is
more likely to be a claim of salesmanship rather
thaju of sober statement of fact. I have had great
fun for many years with the manufacturer's label
on the oil burner of a hot water heater. The label
on that oil burner was. "Perfection number 62."
The label implied an acknowledgment that the
progress of the manufacturer had not reached per-
fection. It was only number 62, but it felt so good
that he called it New Perfection.
Implicit in this problem of progress is another
test question, and this the question whether human
nature can be changed. The psychologist, the edu-
cator, the salesman, and the advertiser and pro-
moter say it can be changed. "Change" is a trick
word here. A tree, going through the natural stages
of its cycles may be said to be moving from one to
another stage of its being, but it keeps its nature
as a tree. A man does not lose his human nature
in becoming a Christian. He may lose some traits of
character which have long embarrassed him, and so
far he is changed, but he is likely still to pass for
the same person, the same man, the same citizen.
When the study of the psychology of religion be-
came a subject of inquiry at the beginning of this
century, much attention was given to the nature
of conversion. Some held it to be a sudden change,
while others saw it as gradual growrth. The difR-
THE SCROLL 73
cuity in such a controversy is not so much with the
facts as with the theories with which the facts are
approached and assessed. The prevailing opinion in
theological circles is that human nature cannot be
changed except by an act of divine grace. In other
words by a miracle. The Disciples, in contrast,
have believed that the heart could be changed by
reason and suasion. This does not mean that
changes can be made equally easily in all beliefs or
doctrines, or in morals and social habits.
In general, it may be said that certain systems of
culture are more subject to change and progress
than others. Religion is apt to be more rigid than
politics, and styles of dress and manners are usually
more flexible. Change in itself is not always desir-
able, but the willingness to consider what seem to
be useful changes, and to experiment with them in
practical ways is important. As man becomes more
experienced at the level of literacy and of technol-
ogy, he attaches more importance to experimenta-
tion. Civilization may be thought of as including the
readiness to criticize prevailing ideas and methods
of social behavior, and to undertake new ways which
such reflection suggests. By such means it is
thought possible to attach flexibility and adjust-
ment to new conditions which seem conducive to
growth and vital progress. In the religious world
at the present time there are groups who conscious-
ly seek growth through wisely controlled change,
and there are groups which as deliberately and sin-
cerely resist all efforts at change.
This is the simple growth which the Disciples
proclaim. The central fact is loyalty to Jesus Christ
and his spirit. It assumes the freedom of human
beings to follow him, and to adapt their attitudes
and behavior to his way. It assumes the possibility
74 THE SCROLL
of progress through continuing discipleship in spite
of humaji imperfections.
The fruits of this simple, common-sense religion
have been among the religious marvels of the past
century. It has gathered to itself vast numbers of
searching hearts vi^ho welcomed its release from
wornout, unintelligible theological systems into the
freedom and peace of reasonable interpretations of
the scriptures and of the religious life; who were
inspired by feeling the opportunity and inspiration
of working with Christ to draw men into his way,
and who felt the thrill of vigorously making con-
verts, building churches, establishing life-long
friendships through their labors in extending
through new ideas and methods a more satisfying
and vital expression of the Christian religion. They
believe that this undogmatic, creedless religion
could bring new life to old churches, could vitalize
the missionary cause of all peoples of the world, and
could promote the cause of Christian union in the
minds and hearts of all who entered into its spirit
and participated in its practical works.
The times in which we live are auspiciously ripe
for a new and widespread appreciation of this sim-
ple, yet profound interpretation of the religion of
Jesus Christ. It seems to me particularly incumbent
upon college men among Disciple ministers and
laymen to make a new assessment of the resources
and ideals of their religious position in relation to
the conditions in which we live. It is amazing to
witness the efforts of the traditional orthodox faiths
endeavoring to satisfy the minds of modern men.
How can the old orthodoxy or neo-orthodoxy hope
to appeal to intelligent, educated Americans. Those
orthodoxies are grounded in medieval conceptions
of religion and philosophy. They spring from Euro-
pean backgrounds which were never really aware
THE SCROLL 75
of the philosophy of the Renaissance and the En-
lightenment, that is, of 17th and 18th century-
thought.
For those who are seeking reliable guidance out
of the confusions arising from the old dogmatic sys-
tems of Roman Catholicism, Protestantism, and
modern purveyors of neo-orthodox paradoxes, I
recommend the little book of Professor Whitehead,
called Science and the Modern World, especially the
ninth chapter on. Science and Philosophy. This
book is on sale in all book stores and on news stands
for 35 cents. It is a readable, critical, and illuminat-
ing discussion of philosophy and religion in the main
streams of human thought through the centuries
down to the present time. Here one of the greatest
minds shows the fallacies of scientific material-
ism and the emergence of a vital religious faith
for modern man.
For all the distraught, yet wistful souls of our
time, I also recommend as a tonic for courage and
faith the work and writings of Albert Schweitzer.
Turning from assured success in the several fields
where he had already won distinction in Europe,
he followed the call of Christ and human needs and
buried himself in equatorial Africa to be a physician
among the suffering natives. For thirty-six years
he has stuck to his little hospital at Lambarene
under most forbidding circumstances. After days
of severe and exhausting toil with his patients, he
regularly turned to his studies of Civilization and
other profound problems affecting mankind. Pro-
fessional and business correspondence grew upon
him to burdensome proportions, but he never
shirked the exhausting load. The story of his
staggering, self-imposed duties seems incredible.
His visit to Colorado last July to give the address
76 THE SCROLL
on the 200th anniversary of Goethe's birth made Al-
bert Schweitzer a Hving force and personality to
hundreds of thousands of people who had scarcely
heard of him before. From that visit great influ-
'ences are radiating into every home, school, and
church in this country from this unique, Christ-like
missionary, so great and so humble.
Every Disciple minister should feel obligated by
the stream of thought to which he is most indebted
to make himself aware of the background of the
ideas which are put before him in much current
theological writing. It would, of course, be absurd
to refuse all consideration to any idea simply be-
cause it comes from the far past, but it is equally
absurd, and often more dangerous, to accept what-
ever comes in the name of some great name of the
past. It should put us on guard against some names
that are most frequently found influential in cur-
rent religious literature. We Disciples are fairly
secure against John Calvin who made his system
400 years ago, and against Martin Luther, also of
the 16th century. Existentialism is a new name
for a point of view which is claiming widespread
attention among intellectuals today. This point of
view is influenced by the Danish philosopher and
literary light, Soren Kierkegaard, who lived from
1813 to 1855. Other names often cited are Martin
Heidegger (1889-) and Edmund Husserl (1859-
1938), the founder of Phenomenology. The chrono-
logical dates of these men are modern but their
ideas are most strongly influenced by Aristotle, the
Scholastics, Kant, and thinkers of that type. These
thinkers cannot rightly be ignored but they are not
likely to be so vital to Disciples in this twentieth
century as would be Francis Bacon and his suc-
cessors in English and American thought down to
and including Alfred North Whitehead.
THE SCROLL 77
The Disciples are not and never have been prima-
rily interested in metaphysics nor in theology which
is only a poor relation of metaphysics. The Dis-
ciples have been most of all a biblical people. There-
fore biblical history, with its varied imaginative
literature has been a very vital concern which has
often tempted them into misleading literalisms
and legalisms. One of these conspicuous tempta-
tions has been to try to make the book of Revela-
tions a literal prophecy of the coming ages and of
the end of the world and the final judgment. Bibli-
cal history, the free flowing story of human aspira-
tions, struggles and defeats in the endeavor to find
fulfillment of hopes and alluring ideals. The one
recurring figure hovering over Hebrew prophets
and peoples has been that of a coming ruler, a
mighty king, a prince of peace. Isaiah cries out!
Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
And princes shall rule in justice.
It was into this picture of a prince of peace that
the personality and life of Jesus were fitted, not by
metaphysical argument but rather by love and de-
votion. He won his place on the heights of moral
and spiritual grandeur by acclamation and affec-
tion, rather than by intellectual analysis and cal-
culated proofs of perfection. The greatness of Jesus
was of the order of the power of the allegiance of
the heart, and not of the order of mathematical mag-
nitudes, or of logical demonstration. The greatness
and grandeur of Jesus Christ can only be measured
by the quality of love, not by the quantative scales
of geometrical size and force. The beauty of a rose
cannot be impressed upon a spectator by any dis-
cussion, or dialectical argument, concerning its
origin, or its habitat, or its age or its lineage. The
beauty of the rose is grasped and understood only
in the living experience of aesthetic love of beauty
78 THE SCROLL
and fragrance. The same is true of the beauty
of the Rose of Sharon, and the beauty of a white
and noble soul.
The fruitful use of the intellect is teleological or
practical, not general or abstract. That is, it serves
values or ends. These values or ends arise in the
field of desire or will. Values are the ends sought
by the will, and consist of the purposes, plans, hopes,
and objects sought in the life process. They indi-
cate the direction of action, of faith, of hope. It is
the desire to find out the purposes of Christ and
the means of realizing them that gives the drive
to the Christian life, and sets the general problem
for the thinking of a Christian. For the individual,
the problem is how to be a better Christian. For
society, or for the society called the church, the
problem is to learn how to be more Christlike. Thus
knowledge is a means, never an end in itself.
Knowledge arises in the quest for grasping what
should be done, and the best way to do what is
needed to serve the ends desired. Knowledge is
important in the Christian life, but it is not knowl-
edge in itself or for itself. It is because so much
of metaphysics and theology is concerned with ab-
stract knowledge that it is impractical and useless
for the religious life. This religious life is primarily
a life of action directed by loving faith in Jesus
Christ.
It is at this point that the Disciples of Christ
have made their victorious plea. They have mag-
nified devotion to Jesus Christ as the center and
height of their preaching to those not professed
Christians, and the basis of their appeal to those
already Christians in profession, to work for the
union of all Christian people in the one great cause
of advancing the highest possible realization of this
practical devotion to Christ throughout the world.
THE SCROLL 79
The Disciples have been seriously devoted to the
quest for knowledge but it has been for knowledge
of the scriptures and for knowledge of Jesus Christ
and of his qualities of mind and heart. They have
not concerned themselves with theology because
they have thought other kinds of knowledge con-
cerning the Christian life were more vital and ap-
pealing to enlightened, thoughtful people than
theology is or possibly could be in this modern age
of science and democracy. It seems to me that this
loyalty to Jesus Christ, beyond all the dogmas and
doctrines of the traditional theology, is the source
of the great success and strength of the Disciples
in the past century, and the promise of their con-
tinuing success and strength in the future.
The Convention
It was very appropriate for the Disciples to have
this year's convention in Cincinnati where their first
missionary organization was effected 100 years ago.
From that beginning many types of societies have
been developed in the century of cooperation. This
fact is significant because the idea and practice of
cooperation came slowly and against much serious
opposition. It was thought by many to involve
dangerous innovations, not provided for in the New
Testament. And that was true. It would lead to
some sort of ecclesiasticism. And that has happened.
It would lead to the development of a degree of
authoritanism among a free, informal, and very
democratic people, and that danger has appeared.
But nevertheless organization has brought certain
efficiency and power, whatever the cost. Every one
agrees it was a great convention. It was great in
numbers. It was great in cost (possibly a million
dollars, counting the expenses of travel, hotels, rental
80 THE SCROLL
of halls, hats, taxis, booths, dinners, and amuse-
ments) . Let us hope it was also great in ideas pub-
licized, in good loyalties generated, and in the
demonstration that the desire for Christian unity-
has grown more vital in a hundred years. It seems
too bad that there was not an interpretation in the
daily papers of the way in which the Disciples, in
a hundred years, have passed beyond the doctrine
and the spirit of the Christian Standard and the Cin-
cinnati Bible Seminary ! Now that so much organ-
ization has been achieved by the Disciples it seems
unfortunate that there is not more attention given
to informing news about this great religious move-
ment. Probably the most conspicuous item in the
news was the talk of union with the Baptists !
Perhaps the most important and promising
feature of the convention was its emphasis on edu-
cation. The pageant of the colleges, faculties, stu-
dents, growth, and outlook for the future, gave im-
pressive evidence of grounds for substantial and
solid assurance of strength. The loyalty and enthusi-
asm of the alumni of the various schools in their re-
unions were prophetic of greater days to come.
One of the most stirring sights of the week was
the recognition and consecration of new mission-
aries destined for foreign fields. Even more mov-
ing was the presentation and applause for the veter-
ans of years of service in far countries of the world.
New recruits are still coming in spite of all that the
experienced men and women on mission fields have
learned and told in these hundred years. An im-
portant fact about the new recruits is the more
careful training they receive. Apparently they are
better prepared than are students for the ministry
at home. They must pass physical and psychological
tests, and meet other aptitude requirements that
show them qualified to perform the labors and en-
THE SCROLL 81
counter the problems that arise among strange lan-
guages, customs, religions and cultures. On the
whole, the missionaries are more mature, broader
minded, and more genuinely religious, than are their
class mates who have spent their lives in religious
work at home.
Among the more imponderable values of a great
convention are the renewal of friendships and the
exchange of experiences which life has brought. In
one respect this convention was too great. It could
not allow time and opportunity to see all those pres-
ent with whom even a few words would have been
so informing and rewarding. No wonder many have
come to feel that it is better to sit in a booth by
a thoroughfare through the exhibits and hale old
friends for a heart warming chat. The time so
spent is not wasted as the time may be when sitting
in a regular seat in an auditorium where the am-
plifier is out of order or inadequate! Anyway, it was
a great Convention after a hundred years !
A Haunting Memory
A Sermon for Armistice Day 1949
by IRVIN E. Lunger
I was six years old at the time — almost six and a
half! I knew there was a war going on. My brother
was older and read the headlines of the WiUiamsport
Su7i to me each evening. We discussed in uneasy
voices the lists of names — printed in bold face type
under a caption 'Casualties' — which appeared reg-
ularly. We saw our parents and our neighbors stop
in to console the people down the street when the
name of their son appeared in one of these lists.
I saved my pennies for the long line of pennies
we would form each week on the sidewalk outside
our school — pennies for war bonds. I had more than
82 THE SCROLL
one nightmare — from which I awoke in a cold sweat
with terrifying memories of German soldiers chas-
ing me. Yes, I was only six years old at the time —
but a boy of six is older for his years when they are
war years.
Then the siren sounded at the fire-house a few
blocks away. Bells on churches and schools began
to toll. An excited neighbor fired a shotgun from
his attic window. A lady — three doors down the
street — ran onto her front porch with an American
flag wrapped about her, weeping with joy. The
armistice had been signed !
A parade formed quickly. It moved — with blaring
bands and waving flags — down Fourth Street. With-
out asking permission of anyone, I raced toward
the noise of music and shouting, I watched the pa-
rade pass by and joined in the crowd that surged in
its wake. Ahead of me, dangling crazily from a gal-
lows on the tail-board of a wagon was an effigy of
the Kaiser. Perched precariously upon a truck was a
great box — upon which was scrawled, "The Kaiser's
bones." People milled about — waving flags, singing,
slapping each other on the back, laughing, weeping.
I was only six years old at the time — ^but I will
never forget November 11th in 1918!
I remembered it vividly when, nineteen years la-
ter, I stood in the railroad car in which the armistice
had been signed. The French countryside we 3 quiet
and peaceful. The First World War seemed remote.
Then Robert Southey's poem, "The Battle of
Blenheim," crowded its way into my mind. And I
recalled how old Kaspar told his two grandchildren
of that famous battle. He gave a graphic account of
the battle — with its horror and death. When he had
finished, little Peter asked simply, "But what good
came of it at last?" Old Kaspar thought a moment,
then replied, "Why that I cannot tell but 'twas a
famous victory."
THE SCROLL 83
As I left that historic railroad car, my heart was
heavy. For I had been in Germany, Austria, Italy
and France then for nine months — and I felt the
chill shadow of impending tragedy. Conversations
and events were continually recalling memories of
November 11, 1918 — they had become haunting
memories.
During the remaining months of my travels in
France and England, I found myself confronted
again and again with little Peter's question, "But
what good came of it at last?" and I could find no
other answer than that of old Kaspar, "Why that
I cannot tell but 'twas a famous victory."
The armistice ended late in the summer of 1939
— or had it ended earlier? At any rate, we knew in
1939 that the world was again at war. Millions of
men were once again straining every nerve and
sinew to win another famous victory.
Memories of the First World War became alive.
Tragic events transpired and I had the haunting
feeling that they had happened before. Dates, bat-
tles and names were new — but the heartache and
tragedy were the same.
Then came the end of war again — in 1945. There
was — thank God — no Armistice Day. There was a
V-E Day and then, later, a V-J Day. It seemed to me
that they were different. Perhaps it was just that I
was older. Yet it seemed to me that there was a
soberness in 1945 which had been lacking in 1918.
It was as though the memory of November 11, 1918
laid a heavy hand upon our shoulders. Our service
of thanksgiving and dedication in the Rockerfeller
Memorial Chapel in 1945 was no wild demonstration
of frenzied joy. It was a time of sober gratitude.
We had no conviction that victory had brought us
peace. We rejoiced in victory but our hearts were
honestly troubled — by the haunting memory of past
1
84 THE SCROLL
failure and by the task which we knew lay ahead.
In 1945 we sensed that winning the war had been
perhaps a less arduous task than the one which
awaited us — that of establishing a just and endur-
ing peace. Nothing is more unmistakable evidence of
this awareness than the fact that we have made so
little of the anniversaries of V-E Day and V-J Day
in these four years since 1945. I suspect that, while
everyone knows that November 11th is Armistice
Day, few can remember today the exact date of
either V-E Day or V-J Day.
Our unrestrained celebration and amazing opti-
mism on November 11, 1918 are a haunting memory.
We seem content — chastened by it — to hold up the
designation of a day to signalize the victory in World
War II until we feel more confident that the ulti-
mate triumph has been secured in peace.
I am glad that we cannot forget Armistice Day.
I am glad that it haunts us in moments of easy opti-
mism or careless indifference. I am glad that the
memory of November 11, 1918 keeps us from pre-
mature celebration in these crucial years since the
end of the Second World War.
We are more realistice today in our endeavors
for peace. We are more honest in our evaluation of
movements and problems in the world. We are more
patient in our peace-making. We know, all too well,
that it could happen again — this tragedy of war.
I know that there is much to chasten us in mo-
ments when we are prone to optimism yet I feel that
the world is much closer to peace today than it has
been in the recent past. Because we were too ready
to read the portents of hope after November 11, 1918,
we are now all too cautious or lacking in faith and
hope to read rightly the signs of these new times.
I would not minimize the dangers which lurk in
THE SCROLL 85
our world. There are powers which, unrestrained,
could surely destroy our civilization. The atomic
bomb now is theoretically capable of destruction 70
to 100 times greater than in 1945 — a single modern
bomb, scientists warn us now, could wipe out an area
of 75 to 100 square miles. Certainly this is no time
for easy optimism.
Peace treaties with Germany, Austria and Japan
have not been concluded. Small wars continue to
erupt. Civil strife impedes reconstruction. Tensions
abound. And armament budgets sky-rocket. Further-
more, two-thirds of the world's peoples are inade-
quately nourished and one-half are improperly
housed. Vast numbers of folk still wander from
place to place — seeking a home, searching for fami-
lies separated in the chaos of war.
All too many Chicagoans — to look closer home —
while deeply concerned about justice in distant lands
and wiiile disturbed by the failure of certain nations
to solve domestic problems short of violence are in-
different to perplexing problems of race and class
which confront them and permit disgraceful acts
of violence to occur in their midst.
Yes, there is much to warn us against undue opti-
mism. However, there is basis for hope^ — and it is
to be found, too, in the realities of our present world.
No picture is complete without the inclusion of these
signs of promise.
The nations are making progress in the struggle
for peace. The discovery that Russia has the secret
of atomic bomb production is certain to make for
better understanding and more realistic dealing
between the United States and the Soviet Union.
When men respect each other's swords, they are cer-
tain to be more ready and reasonable in dealing with
their problems.
86 THE SCROLL
The slow progress of the United Nations cannot
be underestimated. Despite its many obvious weak-
nesses, it is providing a meeting place for the nations
and the thorny problems of our time are being
brought before it. While the successes may not be as
dramatic as the failures, they are none-the-less real.
In such a world as ours, it is not evil that men test
and try each other — short of battle. Where else can
this be done, with greater promise, than in the
United Nations?
With the growing awareness of the interdepend-
ence of our world, there is emerging a new recog-
nition that — one world or twc' — all men and nations
are now joined in a common fate or a common
destiny. This is reason for grim hope.
Finally, and most important, the temper of our
times is changing. The note of ''emptiness and bit-
terness, negation and exhaustion" is fading. The old
gospel of despair, never too appealing, is steadily be-
coming less attractive. Cynicism and pessimism, so
closely allied to defeatism, are gaining few new
converts. There is a new atmosphere of hope. As
Assembly President Romulo declared recently, "This
session of the United Nations coincides with a turn-
ing-point in the post-war international relations."
The mood today is affirmative — hopeful !
We need the faith — and it is increasing, not di-
minishing— that men, the makers of war, can be
the makers and sustainers of a just and durable
peace.
The memory of November 11, 1918 — which has
haunted us so long — need not be an enemy of our
hope. In fact, the memory of past failures is man's
greatest teacher. Some say man will never learn.
Were this true, he would have long since destroyed
himself and his civilization. Man has learned — and
will continue to learn — from the failures which
THE SCROLL 87
haunt his spirit and will not permit it to rest until
they have been rectified.
Men know today that peace is not automatic — any
more than is progress. They know that there is no
more warrant for "business as. usual" in the decades
of peace-making- than there was in the time of war-
waging. They know that, while they seem destined
to live amidst uncertainty and turmoil, they can con-
tribute mightily to the coming victory of peace if
they will keep the faith with courage, with honesty
and with patience.
We — as Christians and as Americans — may con-
tribute to the coming victory of peace. To do so,
we must resist the assumption that war is inevitable
and declare our faith that peace is possible. We
must do all we can to sharpen the sense of moral obli-
gation and to sustain our people in the steadfast
exercise of ever growing responsibilities. We must
strive ever to keep alive a sense of the inclusiveness
of mankind, thereby guarding against the interests
of race, class or nation which threaten to limit
freedom or opportunity. We must declare our faith
that the exercise of armed might can never deter-
mine the rightness of a cause. We must be resolute
and intelligent in opposing all who, unwittingly or
with evil intent, increase the tensions of our world
by hysteria and hatred, F'inally, we must strive
earnestly and humbly to deserve the confidence of
the peoples of the world in our endeavors at home
and abroad.
Until we have dedicated ourselves — in good faith
— to these things which make for peace within our
community and our nation and our world, Novem-
ber 11, 1918 will remain a haunting memory. Indif-
ference to these things on our part labels us betray-
ers of those who won this opportunity for us, trait-
ors to man's highest hopes.
THE SCROLL
We may feel that the atomic bomb is the greatest
power on earth — a power too great for us to cope
with. We would do well to remember the words of
an American who visited Hiroshima and declared,
"The greatest force on this earth ... is the will to
live and the will to hope." Bound up with this is
the faith that men can and will live beyond fear —
in peace.
May November 11, 1918 haunt you — give you no
peace — until you win release from its spell through
faith and noble works!
People - Places — Events
"DISCIPLES' GREATEST CRUSADER!"
By F. E. Davison
It was October 7 last and I was in Parkersburg,
West Virginia. Having arrived late at a Crusade
Luncheon I was just being seated and informed that
my Crusade address would be called for in a few
minutes. Then a message was brought me which
left me completely stunned. It was this : "Your
friend, Milo J. Smith, is being buried this after-
noon." Thoughts came thick and fast — "Why didn't
the message reach me sooner?" "Could I take a
plane and reach Berkeley, California, in time for
the memorial services?" "How can I carry on with-
out my friend Milo?" but the immediate question
was "Shall I tell the presiding officer that I am ill
and cannot speak?"
During the flash of moments there came the de-
cisive answer to my questions. The answer came
through other questions — "Did the Disciples during
the past fifty years ever have a Crusader like Milo
Smith?" "Where could I be closer to his spirit than
standing before a Disciple audience and urging them
to rise to new heights of Christian stewardship
THE SCROLL 89
for Kingdom purposes?" I could hear him saying
"Forget about my memorial services, Davy, carry
on and give them both barrels."
I stand willing to defend my thesis that the Dis-
ciples never had a Crusader like Milo J. Smith.
When I first knev^^ him forty years ago he vv^as a
mighty Crusader for the temperance cause. ''The
brevi^ers' big bosses" were never able to run over
this orator, fighter, and strategist. It is significant
that his last meeting was that of a temperance
board where following a vigorous speech he had
his fatal heart attack.
Milo was also a Crusader for evangelism. In 1910
during my beginning days he held a revival for me
in a small village church. During the first three
or four nights the audience had remained small and
there had not been a too enthusiastic reception of
Milo's biblical but philosophical sermons. About the
fourth night Milo stopped in the middle of his
sermon and told everyone to go on home. He drove
every person out of the church. I was heart-broken
for I knew my days were over as pastor of that
church. After all were gone, Milo said "Now Davy-
keep your shirt on for we will have a house full
tomorrow night." The next day the village was
buzzing v/ith rumors about the evangelist but the
next night the house was full. Before the two weeks
were over we had increased the church membership
by one-third.
This mighty Crusader for Kingdom causes was
himself the most generous soul I have ever known.
He had few possessions but he and his good wife
have given literally thousands of dollars to the
church and church projects. This made him an in-
valuable aide in money raising campaigns. Many
of us feel that Milo never received the recognition
he deserved for his work among the Disciples. Per-
90 THE SCROLL
haps, a partial recognition came when he was elected
vice-president of the San Francisco convention. This
position he filled with credit to himself and his
brotherhood.
Milo Smith was a Crusader for world peace and
social justice. A book could be written about his
work in that field. He was a Crusader for inter-
racial goodwill. When I was with him for a week
last July his major interest was a Negro church
which he was then serving as pastor. I preached
for him one night and saw in what affection he was
held by the members of that good church. I am told
that two officers of that church helped to carry his
body to its final resting place.
This good man was misunderstood by many. In
fact it was only the Inner Circle that really knew
and appreciated his true worth. Outwardly he some-
times appeared harsh and dogmatic but some of us
came to know that inwardly there was a heart as
big as a barn door. Galen Lee Rose said at the
memorial service "Milo was a non-conformist and
by this time Heaven must know that it is dealing
with a non-conformist." At this remark the family
joined with the rest of the audience in a hearty
laugh.
No proper appraisal of Milo Smith could be made
without mention of his wonderful family. The four
girls and two boys were all home with their families
a year or so ago. They all went to church together
and filled the family pew — in fact several pews.
After church their picture was taken on the steps
of University Christian Church. Their number was
then 25 but it has increased since. After he sent me
one of those pictures I wrote Milo that he looked
as proud as a peacock but that most of us knew
that the credit for this remarkable Christian family
went to Mrs. Smith instead of him.
THE SCROLL 91
Milo knew world affairs and was able to argue
with the best informed. He was a philosopher and
although he held no degrees in that field he could
hold his own in discussion with E. S. Ames or Rein-
hold Neibuhr. I suppose no one would have ever
accused Milo of being a poet for he did not often
use poetic language to get his ideas across. How-
ever, after he realized that the death stroke had hit
him he apparently slipped into his study and wrote
on the back of three envelopes his final message
which to his friends is like blank verse from celestial
regions. It reads :
"In a last hour what would a soul write if it
had hands?
A word to wife and children, my friends of the
Great Fellowship, the Church of the Living
Christ
The things yet you would like to do — how great
the number
It may be that can continue
Life is majestic and rewarding, when God keeps
vigil with the soul.
Tomorrow is always bigger and better and Hope
abides as the morning breaks Eternal bright
and fair.
To all of you who have been in my heart —
"Carry On!"
Mr. John 0. Pyle, a layman in the University
Church, Chicago, has undertaken the third print-
ing of the book. Religion, by Dr. Ames. He thinks
it is a good answer to Orthodoxy, Neo-orthodoxy,
Fundamentalism, Existentialism, Atheism, and Ag-
nosticism. The book is reprinted from the plates
used by Henry Holt and Company in the first edition.
It may be obtained from Mr. Pyle, 8841 So. Leavitt
St., Chicago, at the original price of $3.
92 THE SCROLL
From J. R. Ewers
Babson Park, Florida
Mr. R. A. Thomas, Treasurer:
I have just read every word of the latest SCROLL.
Seeing that you have raised the price to $3, I hasten
to send in that amount. I graduated from Chicago
in 1905, joined the Institute at once, feeling it a
great honor to be admitted, after my degree; and
have always enjoyed the TONIC effect of the fellow-
ship.
After 37 years in Pittsburgh, at the East End
Christian Church, I came down to my home here.
We have secured more land on Crooked Lake, Bab-
son Park, and have enlarged our home. I have a
most beautiful knotty-pine study, looking out over
the lake to the Bok Singing Tower, Orange trees
and flowering shrubs are all about us.
I have been asked to become pastor as of Jan.
1, of the Community church here, a small but
choice group of people. Dr. Sam Higginbottom is
one of our elders and we have a happy fellowsjhip.
This summer the buildings have been completely
repaired, and future improvements are in mind.
Also a number of people have joined us. The people
are "sermon-tasters" and keep me at my very best.
Many of the "denominations," down this way,
are rather narrow, but, I must say, they do busi-
ness! We, also, have our social problems, the lines
being tightly drawn. The "Railroad track" runs
right down through our little parish! But people
are kindly. Please know, then, that The Scroll
helps tie me to your group. Here's check.
Oct. the 14, 1949.
Cordially,
J. R. Evers
THE SCROLL 93
From Margaret Garrett Smythe
27 Hankow Road, Nanking, China
Oct. 11, 1949
Dear Friends :
I am afraid it has been several months since you
have had any direct word from us. But now that a
little mail is beginning to slip through the blockade,
I want to try to get a brief letter off to you.
No doubt China has been much in the news dur-
ing recent months. I hope you have had a fair
account of the happenings here. It is now nearly
a year since the time when it became evident that
this part of the country would undergo a change in
government. And each of us had to make our de-
cision as to whether we were willing to stay and
take our chances under the new regime. Most of
the missionary community decided in favor of stay-
ing, and I have not heard anyone say he regretted
that decision. We personally have been tre-
mendously glad that we've had the opportunity of
being here during the stirring events of the recent
months.
The turnover of the city when it actually came
on April 24th was relatively peaceful. We went to
bed on Friday night with the old government in
control. For several days we had been hearing the
sound of heavy artillery from across the river, but
there had been nothing that sounded very close. Be-
fore daylight on Saturday morning we could hear
sounds of hurrying feet on the little road past our
house and we knew something was breaking loose.
At nine o'clock when I went to the hospital for my
usual morning schedule, I found it impossible to
cross the main street. The Nationalist army was in
full retreat and there was a solid mass of humanity
94 THE SCROLL
moving southward. We had one day of lawlessness
and looting which was ended on Sunday morning
when the Peoples Army marched in and took over.
Since then they have been in full control and, what-
ever one thinks of the Communist ideology, one must
admit that their soldiers have won a great deal of
respect here in Nanking by their simple living, good
behavior and fair treatment of the common people.
We westerners have been very courteously treat-
ed. The only restriction is that we have not been
allowed to go outside of the city wall, and the
only hardship has been the cutting off of home mail
by the nationalist blockade. We have been allowed
to move about the city freely except for the first
few days. We have never missed a Sunday at
church or a day at school or hospital because of
any restrictions imposed upon u?. The hospital and
University have been having some labor troubles
and difficulties in reorganization, but these have
been largely internal. The University opened this
fall with 700 students which is about up to prewar
standards. The Tuberculosis Center is carrying on
under the new government with the same staff and
they have just helped us complete X-ray exami-
nations of all the new students. We found about
5 % suffering from tuberculosis, which is lower than
last year. We have spent the last several weeks
since school opened trying to get these students
settled in hospitals or on rest programs in their own
homes. There are always a number of heart-break-
ing problems which seem impossible of solution. As
yet our sanatorium facilities in China are pitifully
inadequate.
Our own family is all well. Peggy went back to
the States in January and is now a freshman at
Hiram College. Joan is studying at home with us
THE SCROLL 95
here in Nanking this winter. We are trying to live
more simply this year in keeping with the new
regime, but no restrictions have been imposed from
without. We do not know just what the future will
bring but the immediate prospect for the Christian
program in Nanking seems very hopeful. As one
of our young Chinese Christians said, "We must
find ways of outdoing the communists in good
works !"
We hope you will begin writing us again now
that a few letters are slipping through. Ordinary
mail with a five cent stamp seems to be best. All
you home folks have been much in our thought dur-
ing these shut-in months and we have missed hear-
ing from you.
Our very best personal wishes to each of you.
Margaret Smythe
I News
These paragraphs will bear news for all readers,
though not all the items are equally new to all. Some
things here may seem old today but may become
new tomorrow. Have you ever noticed how your esti-
mate of people and events changes with time and
circumstances ? Your mind is somewhat like an opera
gla.£s. If you reverse it, the perspective changes.
Things near and large become small and remote.
This is one kind of relativity. Practice it and beware
of it!
Basil Holt, in far-off Johannesburg, Transvaal,
P. O. Box 97, publishes the South African Sentinel.
Or you may address him through the UCMS, In-
dianapolis. In the issue of last July, he offers proof
that David Lloyd George was a Disciple. There is
also an interesting account of Virgil A. Sly's recent
trip to South Africa.
96 THE SCROLL
Now look through the glass at John Dewey, who
was ninety years old last month. He is undoubtedly
America's greatest philosopher and still growing. At
the Convention in Cincinnati his book, Reconstruc-
tion in Philosophy was recommended (though not
from the main platform) as a book every good Dis-
ciple should read. This book helps to understand
what the Disciples have been doing in the recon-
struction of religion. It is too bad Albert Schweitzer
does not know this book and also Dewey's, A Com-
mon Faith.
Hiram College is preparing for its Centennial
celebration which began October 22 and will
continue through June, 1950. James A. Garfield
worked as a janitor while a student there. The Li-
brary has a room for memorabelia of Vachel Lind-
say, our most famous Disciple poet. A history of
Hiram has been written by Mary Bosworth Treudly
of Wellesly College. She is a sister of Mrs. E, M,
Bowman of Chicago.
Bishop Oxnam gave the third series of lectures on
Christian Unity for the Disciples Divinity House,
November 14 to 17. These are the Hoover Lectures
for which the Disciples House has an endowment
fund of $50,000. As Dean Blakemore remarked in
his introduction on the first night, it will be interest-
ing to note the tone and direction of this lectureship
in the coming years.
My friend, Henry C, whose elite address is
Indian-Queen-On-The-Patomac, advised against put-
ting in an electrically controlled thermostat. That
was very surprising to me because Henry is scien-
tific, and he is accustomed to the experimental
method. He fears the electricity might go off and
leave the house cold and dark. I remember forty
years ago when electricity was put in my house,
some of the old gas pipe fixtures were left in the
I
THE SCROLL 97
walls for fear we might have to return to gas if the
electricity should fail ! My conviction is that we must
go forward with science even at the risk of some-
times being cold and dark. Then we have a better
chance to be warm and to live in the light!
On October 23, at four o'clock, an unprecedented
event occurred in the great Rockefeller Chapel. It
was the first Choir Festival of all the choirs of
Disciple Churches in the city. The place was full
to the last seat. Never have so many Disciples sat
together in one place in Chicago. There were 300
singers in the chancel. When they marched in, three
abreast down the long aisle, wonder grew on the
faces of all present. The musical selections were of
a high order and were masterfully directed by Mr.
Fred Mise, and the great organ was played by Mrs.
Hazel Atherton Quinney who has given many re-
citals there. Selections were from Bach, Elgar, Men-
delssohn, and others, including Handel's Hallelujah
Chorus from the Messiah. Credit for initiating this
very successful program goes to the City Secretary,
J. J. Van Boskirk.
Safety first — a golf story by Kenneth B. Bowen,
pastor of the Morgan Park Church: "It happened
on The Summit Hills Golf Course near Covington,
Kentucky. The foursome were : Warren Grafton,
Ray C. Jarman, Wolcott Harsell, and Kenneth B.
Bowen, — all members of the Cloth. It was a blue
Monday. We were on the teeing ground for the
fourth hole. All had driven except Wolcott Harsell.
As usual, he was the last man. In enthusiasm for the
game he had no superiors, but his skill was far from
that of Bobby Jones. For sheer wit he was the life
of the party. On this occasion Walcott teed up very
carefully. In due and ancient form he addressed
the ball in great style. At last he swung with savage
vengeance, but completely missed the ball and
98 THE SCROLL
dropped his club! While standing there looking at
the ball in deep humility, a little insect crawled
up on the 'white pill,' and Harsell said eloquently:
'Little bug, little bug, — for you that is the safest
place in the universe' !"
Mr. W. L Schmerhorn, the tallest and the wealthi-
est man in our Church has passed away, and was
buried last week in Kinterhook, New York. He was
a self-made man, if there is any such, and achieved
the distinction of becoming a millionaire. He was
85, and he and his wife, almost the same age, had
lived alone and in a modest way for persons in their
circumstances. She loved to do the housework, but
found time for much reading. She was wise and
witty. They sustained the great loss of a young
daughter, their only child, many years ago. After
his wife's death, about a year ago, he has bravely
borne his loneliness and increasing suffering. His
stalwart soul seemed never to give up hope of re-
covery. He received his visitors, almost to the last,
with the same clear mind and friendly interest al-
ways so characteristic of him. He was a devoted
member of the Church for almost forty years and
was a regular attendant and a faithful member of
the finance and other committees. He made an im-
posing figure in the costume of the King at the
Christmas Pageant, and enjoyed the spirit and com-
radeship of the dinners and parties with youthful
zest, and, with appreciation of the important phase
of religion which they expressed. He and his wife
gave several thousand dollars for a Youth Chapel
which is yet to be built for the Church. Both of them
were very friendly souls and quietly helped many
individuals and causes. They will be sorely missed
but their long and faithful service will be long re-
membered and will bear good fruit through a long
future.
THE SCROLL 99
Mrs. Mabel Waite Cress, a sister of Claire
Waite, well known to members of the Institute,
died November 17. Services were held in Universi-
ty Church and burial was in Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
where the family lived before coming to Chicago.
Mrs. Cress had been a very successful kindergarten
teacher in the public schools until her retirement
three years ago. She had a fine understanding of
little children and won them to her and to the happy
life of her school room, with her natural grace and
charm. She had been a loyal and enthusiastic mem-
ber of the Church for forty-three years, and espe-
cially of the Woman's Business and Professional
Club. It was particularly sad to see her wasting
away through the months of her iUness, but her
many friends will always think of her in the years
when her spirit was so vivacious and irresistible.
C. E. Lemmon On High Religions
Reported by W. J. Lhamon
Dr. Lemmon of the First Christian Church has
presented to his congregation a series of sermons on
the general theme of "High Religion." He said in
effect that there are good religions and evil ones.
In His sermons Jesus utterly discarded nine tenths
of the Old Testament. Gone from his sermons and
parables is the whole of the Old Testament sacramen-
talism. No longer the blood of rams and lambs, and
doves and pigeons, and red cows and scape goats for
the atonement of sins. When Jesus forgave he did
so simply on the condition of repentance — and that
is both logical and psychological. The teachings of
Jesus hold a tremendous insurgence against a vast,
mistaken, and even magical past.
$3.00
Three Dollars Are Due
Many appreciations of the Scroll have come
into the office, 1156 East 57th st., Chicago. One
says: "I subscribe to at least forty-five leading
magazines, among them. The Nation, Christian
Century, Freethinker now called Common Sense,
The Liberal, The Humanist, and Progressive World
and I enjoy none more than The Sbroll. . . . Best
wishes, and for an increasing number of leaders
who are not afraid to think."
Others also send friendly notes and commenda-
tions with their checks for $3, to which it became
necessary to raise the price at the annual meeting
last summer. All subscriptions become due July
first, which is the beginning of the fiscal year.
Every member of the Institute and every subscrib-
er should cooperate by voluntary remittances to
save labor and expense in the office. Last year we
accumulated an ugly deficit by the end of the year,
but we are out of the red now and can stay out
if all our readers will "have a heart" and help
promptly. Checks may be made out to The Scroll,
and sent to 1156 East 57th st., Chicago.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XL VII DECEMBER, 1949 No. 4
The Church Office
By Orvis F. Jordan
Once the preacher lived in a study; now it is an
office. The change is ominous. However, for some
men an office will save enough time that he may
have a study also.
Well do I remember nearly fifty years ago seeing
the picture of Dr. H. 0. Breeden, of Des Moines, in
a magazine. He had an office! He ran his church
like a business man runs his business ! The reaction
in the ranks of the clergy was decidedly unfavorable.
But since then a lot of ministers have developed
an office. For this there is no pattern. It would hard-
ly do any good for a department of practical theology
in a divinity school to set up some kind of ideal office
that a minister must have or he is no good minister.
An office must grow around a set of parish activities.
I have had four parishes, one in a village, another
in a factory city, still another in a university town
and the last in a metropolitan suburb. The same of-
fice would not do for all of them. But perhaps the
same equipment might.
The other day I heard Dr. Morrison say sadly
that he had never learned to run a typewriter. His
voluminous writings were done with a lead pencil.
He has gotten more done than most men do, but
he has worked too hard to do it. I might almost be-
lieve that a man should show a divinity dean that he
is proficient on a typewriter before he is admitted. It
will save the student a lot of work and save even
more time for the man who has to read his essays.
Church offices have notoriously bad typewriting
machines. They are often the junk that nobody
102 THE SCROLL
else wants. In a fifty year ministry I got my first
brand new machine two years ago. That also has
been a waste of time.
Most ministers now days discover early how im-
portant the mail is as a publicity medium. The hek-
tograph is soon discarded as a messy and inade-
quate duplicating device. Perhaps the cheapest
mimeograph is then secured. A cheap machine us-
ing cheap mimeograph sheets often turns out jobs
hardly legible. The customer labors through the
letter if he is a lot interested, but more often he
does not. It is love's labor lost. The best is not
good enough. The church office which sends out
better duplicated letters than the business men send
out elevates the social standing of the church.
However, the most important thing about a
church office is its records. The young fellow with
a church of a hundred members can carry nearly
everything in his memory. Once I could have called
off the street addresses of all my members. But to
what purpose? The memory should never be clut-
tered up with the less essential.
My record system grew this way: I first began
carrying file cards when I called on new people.
After I left the house, and when I was in the car,
I wrote down the most important information that
I had secured. This made m^e more careful to lead
conversations around to the essentials. The card
soon showed the age of the children, the occupation
of the father, the churches the family had been in
and the skills that they possessed. It indicated the
progress I had made in securing new members. Back
to these cards we have gone for a lot of things. Do
we want to enlarge the choir? The card file tells
us where to go. Do we want to improve the Sun-
day school, here are the people who have once been
teachers, or still are. Do we want new members?
THE SCROLL 103
Sometimes with the card file before me, I have got-
ten a good class together with the telephone.
In my office is a route list. I do not very often
canvass right down the street for my rule is never
to ring a door bell unless I have an important rea-
son to disturb the people within. I long ago quit
making calls just "to fix up my fences."
However, my finance committee wants just such
a file, and right now in our buiding drive it is the
heart of the business. Sometimes I use it to organ-
ize an afternoon's work the best, locating near-by
families through the file.
We card index four thousand individuals. The
cradle roll superintendent has an index of over a
hundred babies and little children. The mother of
the baby gets a list of the books in the public li-
brary that might make her a better mother. The
baby gets a greeting on each birthday and in the
same envelope the mother gets information as to
the stage of mental development to be expected of
the child at a certain age. How I wish we were or-
ganized to render this service to every department
of our church school. We know the school grade of
every child, six hundred of them. From the files
it is easy to make a mailing list of children twelve
to fourteen when we organize the pastor's' class each
spring to prepare children for church membership.
Though over half of our Sunday school children
are from families that have no members with us,
we now secure about ninety per cent of our children
as members while they still attend Sunday school.
For a long time Sunday schools have had class
books that recorded the attendance of children and
then we have done nothing with these records. An
inadequate teacher loses a whole class, and then we
wake up too late. A child is sick all winter, and
no one from the church ever calls. A child that
104 THE SCROLL
does not adjust isi lost. Many schools enroll a hun-
dred new pupils every year, and are the same size
at the end of the year. The front door is wide open,
but so is the back door.
There are card indexes for special problems. One
for the aged makes us aware of shut-ins and strang-
ers who have come to live with their children. In
this list are people that are alone, and about to
run out of money. Nowhere in Protestantism is
there an adequate facing of the problem of the aged.
But we are going to try.
There is an index for college students. These
hear from us, and show up at church when they
come home. They come around for vocational coun-
selling or other kinds of advice. We get them to-
gether Christmas week for a breakfast and recre-
ation.
The counselling requires more than a card. My
doctor uses a card, and can tell me what my blood
pressure was ten years ago. He would need a file,
if he went all over me. In my file is the story of
five delinquent youths that have fallen afoul of the
law this month. Here is the story of a dissatisfied
wife who came around last week to get my ap-
proval for a contemplated divorce. The file tells
what dissuaded her. All of these were in church
this morning with a new look in their eyes. I have
a file with so much dynamite in it that it is kept at
home.
In a big cabinet are a lot of files on special prob-
lems. If a problem is too big for me — that happens
a lot — I write a half dozen ministers to ask what
they do about this. When the replies come in, as
they usually do, I do not need to plow a field that
is already plowed. I write experts in schools and
colleges for ideas on my problems. They have
been good to me.
THE SCROLL 105
When I went into the ministry, J. H. Gilliland
at Bloomington, 111., was a great success without
an office and without any parish calls. One has to
be J. H. Gilliland to run a church from a pulpit. I
know I could never do it. My office grew like Topsy,
and just the other day I asked a business man to
overhaul it.
Left to the last is the most important aid in a
church office, and that is a secretary. Long before
there was any money in the budget, I used to ask
the Women's Circle for volunteers who would help
a day a week. Women liked to do this, as they re-
tained skills they did not want to lose. I told the
Circle that such a woman was worth a lot more to
her church than she would be making aprons for the
bazaar. A half dozen new members to a church is
worth far more even to the budget than any bazaar.
My secretary keeps me from forgetting appoint-
ments and reminds me of duties that I only half
discerned. I refer to her some of my policies to
get a common sense lay reaction to them. She keeps
me from making the worst mistakes. That is the
reason I have been able to stay a long time with one
church.
From Willis A. Parker
209 Chestnut Street, Asheville, N. C.
While reading the article by Reuben Butchart in
the October issue of our small magazine it occurred
to me that I, for one, should know something worth
saying of the religious backgrounds of Josiah Royce.
I was his pupil for the period of 1909-12, and ex-
cept for one semester, had one of his courses. He
was ill and absent from the University from Janu-
106 THE SCROLL
ary till June of 1912. I wrote my thesis for him,
mostly during the period of his convalescence.
Professor Royce was not an effusive person, but
was agreeable, kindly, humorous, tolerant and en-
couraging toward pupils disposed to question him
and his never-easily-comprehended positions; and
to the fact that I never wholly accepted his Absolute
Idealism, I probably owed his choice of me as one
of his small circle of assistants. He labored to be
understood. But never, to persuade another to his
own position.
Soon after my arrival at Harvard in the fall of
1909 he spoke to me of a letter he had received from
his former pupil, Professor J. E. Boodin of the
University of Kansas, who had encouraged me to
go to Cambridge. He knew I had been a minister;
and when I told him I was soon to take leadership of
one of our small churches in Boston he brightened
and said we would get on well together, because
he had been brought up in a home of Disciples. He
repeated with a bashful smile several of the fa-
miliar cliches of our early ministers, "A church
unique in not being unique," "distinct in not being
distinctive" and others I do not recall. He gave me
one counsel, which was "not to underestimate the
strains and exactions of the task I was assuming"
in competition with keen minds ten years younger
than my own. I found it necessary to give all my
energy to my studies during the third year; for
because of his absence I did most of the work upon
my thesis without his counsel. I learned during that
first interview that Professor Royce's parents had
been devout and active in a near-by rural church,
accustomed to entertaining the itinerant ministers
upon whom they were chiefly dependent for their
church leadership. He told me his love of logic origi-
nated in the home discussions with these ministers.
THE SCROLL 107
an experience as familiar to me as to him. I cannot
tay anything of his participation in the worship of
any church. He did not attend the daily chapel serv-
ices on the Harvard campus, except upon occasions
when the preacher was his guest. In my time Har-
vard students made most of their devotions in pri-
vate; paid singers and faculty members comprised
most of the daily congregations.
Royce was religious or not, according to defi-
nition. Like Spinoza. The true concept of Reality
was God, or Ultimate Being; the triumph of Good
over Evil, which were the two essentials (and con-
trast-effects) of moral experience. He would h^ve
agreed with his younger colleague, Santayana in
calling religion "the head and front of everything."
But for different reasons.
But like Santayana he veiled his meaning with an
arabesque of confusions that would have perplexed
his parents as it often did his pupils. While I toiled
over my thesis upon a subject he proposed, after my
rejection of three subjects he tentatively suggested,
he was writing his own masterful treatises on two
of the three I had declined. The two were "The
Incarnation" and "The Atonement"; and for Royce
they comprise the heart of "The Problem of
Christianity." When I demurred at both, because of
their lack of appeal, he suggested, of all things,
"The Christ-Myth." Apparently he was probing for
the outer depths of my skepticism. Again I was
silent, because to me the Historic Christ had never
been a problem.
Like many others who are permitted such ex-
alted and exciting moments among great men and
great issues, I was too anxious and fearful and
aw^are of my limitations, to make memorable and
definite and clear, what my mentor strove so pa-
tiently and reverently to open up for me. In his
108 THE SCROLL
small study in Emerson Hall he stood silent, while
I gathered courage to propose a metaphysical prob-
lem I had had the temerity to press upon him dur-
ing and after his lectures. It was Pluralism. I re-
call with what eagerness he welcomed the idea, and
with what patience he cut it down to proportions
that one man and one lifetime could contain. Was
I thinking of atoms or of persons of Democritus or
Leibniz? of the conflict between Morality and
Monism, which for nearly three years had intrud-
ed into our every class-room discussion or Kirk-
land Avenue walk?
When I proposed "Pluralism from Leibniz to
James" he replied, "Why not confine yourself to
James? then added "and include Irrationalism with
Pluralism." So it was settled, and I found he had
his wish; I was over my head in Mysticism, Moral-
ity, and every aspect of religion. So it happened
that I wrote the longest and the poorest thesis ever
accepted up to that time at Harvard, for the doctor-
ate. Cushman of Tufts college challenged me on
both counts; later he admitted I was right as to
length, but claimed the honor as to the other di-
mension! Upon reading his, as he did mine, we
agreed to share that honor between us. Professor
James had died in 1910 nearly two years before.
Avoiding the critiques of such minds as Boutroux,
Bertrand Russell, and Harvard's own Ralph Barton
Perry, my efforts were monumental as to both valor
and incompetence.
When later I saw Professor Royce and told him
I felt many of my criticisms of James were point-
less, he smiled and said he had admitted the same
to be true of his own thesis) written for Professor
Lotze on Kant. It was like him to be gracious, and
understanding. He did what he could to have me
feel like a philosopher.
THE SCROLL 109
I have small space to help Mr. Butchart with his
question of what Royce owed, if anything to his
Disciple heritage. He surely did not stress the Chris-
tological element as do the Disciples. He wrote in
the Preface to "The Problem of Christianity" what
amounts to the acceptance of the Pauline concep-
tion, which I associate with Harnack, with doubt
as to whether I can trust my memory of the issue
in all respects. In the "Sources of Religious In-
sight" he makes what I regard as the most decisive
statement of his distrust toward the New Testa-
ment sources of our knowledge of Christ.
• On the other hand, Royce's doctrine of the Church
as a metaphysical and moral unit of Loyal Spirits,
whose Cause he conceives as a unity of causes, each
lesser fulfilled in a larger unity, appears to have
been suggested by what in that earlier time of our
religious history was often the theme of our minis-
ters.
Professor Royce was fond of Biblical figures of
speech, especially those that portended a triumphant
outcome for the struggles of mankind toward a just
social order.
The best statement of that aspect of his thought
is perhaps found in his last essay, "The Hope of
the Great Community." To my knowledge he de-
livered it twice, to convocations of philosophers.
Therein, he bared his heart to the threat of world
war I to the truth of his Ethics — whereof he had
often employed the social and political orders of
Germany and Japan as illustrations. Loyalty, he
had made his concept of excellence, defining it in
two ways, or in two degrees of its fulfillment, as
devotion to a cause among causes, whose several
rivalries are resolved by the insight that reconciles
them in a common and higher concord. The glow of
his emotion awakened in me the memories of meet-
110 THE SCROLL
ings and sermons followed by the sound of multi-
tudes singing "Shall we gather at the river," or
the Te Deum Laudamus, intoned by a concealed
choir.
It seems proper here to say that Royce was no
other-worldly philosopher but a man of social pas-
sion. He equated his philoisophy with the actual
triumph of earthly causes. Unlike Spinoza he did
not think of escape by the logical subterfuge of
invoking a conceptual ladder to sub specie aeter-
nitatis.
I make my profound acknowledgement to Mr.
Butchart for his paper, revealing what I failed to
learn of the background of my incomparable master
in metaphysical teaching. While so doing, I am
reminded, what a study in backgrounds is afforded
by the contrasting origins of all four of those men
of genius. Palmer, Santayana and Royce, who for
three decades, "were of one accord in one place"
for a reason of such spiritual significance. Palmer,
seventh generation from original puritan ancestors,
Peabodys, Palmers, and other Mayflower families,
whose land titles came directly from the Indians;
James, firstborn of that half-rationalist and half-
mystical father, the elder Henry James, and Irish
Mary Walsh, with a quaint but soon-to-be eminent
Yankee R. E. Emerson for a sort of god-father;
Royce, named Josiah the III, with pietism and ra-
tionalism united in a ruggedly individualistic strug-
gle for existence in a rural frontier; and Santayana,
whose Spanish-Scotch-American inheritance is such
a web of tangled tendencies that only so able and
patient a mind as his own can bring meaning out
of it.
All three of his colleagues acknowledge Royce
as a kind of Nestor and Master. Santayana, the only
THE SCROLL 111
survivor, has paid him two tributes worthy to be
noted. One is in Persons and Places. The other,
an extended essay, is in "Character and Opinion."
In the latter is stated with incomparable art, the
way one truly great mind views another he does
not wholly understand. Lesser minds will be ad-
monished by such a chaste example, that sometimes
it may be better to admire or wonder than to com-
prehend.
The faults of Royce's philosophy have nowhere
else been so clearly seen nor so mildly stated.
I find in their analysis no diminution of the stature
of the man described. Rather, his height increases
as I in my heart admire one so much greater than
his philosophy itself, by whom, more than any other
I learned that for me, at least, my ovvti philosophy
may sustain me as truly as one more adequate may
bear a weightier load. I cannot doubt that he who
taught it to me was religious. Nor that he was in-
debted for his greatness to those social inspirations
he remembered and identified with his home and
kindred.
Gadgets, God,-And . . . THE DEVIL
Benjamin F. Burns, Waukegan, III.
{In response to a query by the Editor of The SCROLL)
Gadgets have religious value! A wise preacher-
philosopher from Ohio, Paul Hunter Beckelhymer,
indicated as much in a recent statement: "How
quickly the v^^heels of the Kingdom of God would
grind to a stop if it were not for A. B. Dick." His
observation is supported by a young Jewish educator
who reported that the home deep freeze unit is keep-
ing many Jews closer than ever before to their tra-
ditional religious observances. Formerly in commu-
nities where the small number of Jewish families
112 THE SCROLL
made obtaining and keeping Kosher foods imprac-
ticable, many Jews neglected the faith. Now the
preservation of food and faith is made easier by
home deep freeze units.
My own experience in daily work and relaxation
supports these sages and I say, "Gadgets have re-
ligious value ! Gadgets are for God." When my type-
writer is spelling out in legible, impressive-looking
characters my own meditations so that others may
read them I say, "Gadgets are good." When the
A. B. Dick 90 is quickly multiplying a sermon so that
it may be read in every home of the church, "Gadg-
ets are wonderful." When my Dodge '42 is saving
my feet and tripling my calls to hospital room and
home sick bed, "There is religious value in gadgets."
And space (and the Editor) would fail me if I told
of radio and television; of telephone and wire re-
corder ; of pop-up toaster and automatic coffee mak-
er; of Electroliner and DC-6.
Certainly gadgets are for God ; they have religious
value. These bring transformations for the better
in man's life and remake his society. These cre-
ations of man's imagination, reasoning power, and
mechanical aptitude moulded by science set man
free from unnecessary labors. They endow him
with time and energy for religious thought and the
service of God and man. Gadgets extend his eyes
to see blue hills, green streams, snow-capped moun-
tain majesties; sensitize his ears to hear the heart-
beats of God's children beyond the seas and over the
boundary lines; extend his hands that they may
heal the sick afar off, build new homes for the home-
less wayfarer, harvest the crops for the hungry.
Certainly gadgets have religious value ; they are for
God.
"What you really mean. Burns, is that gadgets
are for the devil. Gadgets have not religious but
THE SCROLL 113
demonic value. They are worshipped. They become
God-replacements. They destroy human beings. Re-
member how that typewriter refused to operate and
you spoke in tongues not of good men or of angels.
Recall how both you and Beckelhymer almost joined
that unnumbered army of the Devil's household who
have been converted through the ingenuity of the
Devil's chief of resident inventors, A. B. Dick. As
for Jewish faith, could anyone but the Devil himself
devise so perfect a resting place for it — a deep freeze
unit? The Dodge on zero mornings, the radio and
television starving out church meetings, the tele-
phone in the middle of meals. . . . The devil knows
a good thing when he sees it. Gadgets have demonic
value; they are for the Devil."
Let's see now, where was I before that interrup-
tion? Oh, yes, gadgets have religious value. Their
mechanical faults and structural defects are but
temptations of the persistence and spirit of man.
Certainly temptation is of God to develop strong
character.
"What you really mean, Burns, is that temptation
develops CHARACTERS. All right. Look a little
deeper and see that gadgets promote demonic well-
being. Are not the mimeograph and the telephone
and the radio and the wire recorder coming between
you and your friends in the church ? Don't they pro-
vide an easy out from personal visitation and friend-
ly calls for you and others? Are you not building
up a dependence on them? Aren't you getting proud
of that Dodge '42 now that it has run without re-
pair for 3 months, and isn't it making you lazy and
taking your health? Radio and television: setting
men free or making them slaves and giving them
"televisionitis" and producing a generation of dis-
torted Milton Berles or neurotic, anxious, jackpot-
hopers? Electronic gadgets are carrying atoms and
114 THE SCROLL
biological warfare. Convinced? Well listen to the
great prophets of theology in your own tradition —
the Protestant faith! Science and reason are the
parents of most of our gadgets but if you have read
any 'respectable' theologian of today you would
know that these two are no longer esteemed. They
are now cast out of any religious discussion. Gadgets
are for the Devil; they have demonic value."
As I was about to say, gadgets have religious
value-potential. When they are directed by Chris-
tian commitment to set men free from unnecessary
toil, to sensitize and increase man's understanding
of his universe and his fellow man, to implement
and extend his outreach of love — gadgets are for
God. They have religious value-potential!
"We are now agreed. The word 'potential' is high-
ly regarded among us. It is our favorite gadget of
the Devil himself. He says it makes things much
easier for him. But one request, Burns, make sure
that your article gets printed. You see printing is
perhaps the very, very topmost gadget we have.
Highly organized. Has its own archdemon — the
Printer's Devil."
Peopli
le - Places - Events
By F. E. Davison, South Bend, Ind.
The picture before me must be our Notre Dame
National Champions but the heading says "Past
Presidents At Centennial Convention." What a group
of champions they really are! Since the waterboy
has now been made a part of the team I look upon
them with even greater admiration. My radio is
on. What is that I hear?
"This is the game of the century being played this
afternoon by the Disciple Presidents vs. the W. F.
D's (The world, the Flesh and The Devil). What a
team and what a world. Get ready while I give
THE SCROLL 115
you the starting line-ups of the two teams. Word has
reached me that the W.F.D's are playing under-
cover and I am not allowed to give you names of
their players. However 'The Presidents' are out
in the open. During this first quarter world-famous
Edgar Jones will handle the hall at center — there he
is in a brand new suit. At ends will be that great
pair known as Rafe and Abe. Steve Fisher and
Andy Harmon will play the tackle positions. Those
noted guards (true guardians of the faith) known
as Jake Goldner and L. D. Anderson will be in the
starting lineup. Homer Carpenter and his long time
friend E. S. Jouett will alternate at quarter calling
the signals. Of course thorough-bred Alonzo For-
tune will be at full-back and on either side of
him those plunging half-backs Bill Rothenberger
and Nat Wells.
"Coach Graham Frank is giving final instruc-
tions to his team. The W.F.D.'s will kick off.
There goes the referee's whistle and the game is on.
It's a high kick and the ball goes to Rothenberger
on The President's' 10 yard line. He takes the
ball and is on his way up the field. That shifty
boy dodges three tacklers but is brought down on
his own thirty yard line. Carpenter is calling sig-
nals. There goes a quick line up — a shift. The ball
goes to Fortune and Andy Harmon opens up a hole
for him so he makes eight yards in an off tackle
play; This time an end run is being attempted
by Nat Wells but Rafe Miller fails to get his man
and Nat is thrown for a loss of three yards. Now
Carpenter is dropping back to make a pass — it's a
long, long pass to Abe Cory. It looks like it is good.
No just as Abe was ready to catch it 'Greed'
knocked the ball out of his hand. The pass is no
good. The Presidents will have to kick now and
Coach Frank is sending in Fred Kershner known to
116 THE SCROLL
many as 'Golden-Toed Freddie.' There goes the
kick and what a boot it is^almost to the opposing
goal line. The player catches the ball — it looks like
"Indifference." He starts back up the field but
fleet-footed Rafe Miller is down there and with a
flying tackle he brings him down the 20 yard line."
Here my radio went bad and I couldn't get a
word until sometime later I heard the announcer
say "We are about ready to start the third quarter
of this game. That first half was a honey. It looked
like a draw when in the last two minutes Roger
Nooe who was playing end took a pass from Jouett
and ran thirty yards for a touchdown. 'Golden-Toed'
Freddie kicked the goal making the score 7 to 0 in
favor of The Presidents.
"Coach Frank is sending in an entire new back-
field — Bill Shullenberger at quarter, Harry McCor-
misk at full-back, "Hefty" Lemmon and "Speedy"
Sadler at the half back positions."
Again the rad'o went bad and the next time I
heard the score it was still 7 to 0 but The Presidents
were marching down the field. Then I heard the
announcer say, "The W.F.D.'s are sending in a new
player — he must be seven feet tall and he looks like
he might weigh a ton. My spotter tells me his name
is "Mars." The W.F.D.'s have the ball. Signals are
being called. The ball is handed to Mars. That big
boy wade~ right thru the line. Shullenberger gets in
his way but he steps right over Bill. Lemmon throws
his two hundred pounds at him but Mars leaves
Lemmon gasping for breath. On he goes. McCor-
misk tries to get to him but fails'. 'Speedy' Sadler
is after him but all to no avail. Mars crosses the
goal line. Now he is kicking the goal and the score
is again tied at 7 to 7."
What wouldn't I give for a new radio! Now I
guess I have it working again. The announcer is say-
THE SCROLL 117
ing- "There is but two minutes to play. TKe score is
now 13 to 7 in favor of W.F.D.'s. The Presidents
have sent 'Shorty' Adams in to play quarter-back
and 'Lanky' Snodgrass has replaced Cory at end.
Adams is calling signals — and Shorty is back for a
pas?. He spots Snodgrass who reaches high to get
the ball on his own 35 yard line and those long legs
are going places. The safety man may get him. No,
Lanky has straight-armed him. Snodgrass is in the
open but 'Materialism' and 'Secularism' are hot
on his heels. He crosses the 30 yard line, the twenty,
the ten, the five — but he is tackled. It looks like he
may have fallen across the goal line. Yes, the referee
signals a touch-down. But it looks like Snodgrass has
been injured on the play. Captain Adams signals for
Doctor Cook and the waterboy. Now 'Lanky' is up.
He was just out of breath from that 65 yard run.
There is no need for the waterboy or the doctor. The
Presidents kick the goal. There is the g^un. The
game is over and The Presidents win 14 to 13. Three
cheers for the Presidents."
Why did I g-o to sleep reading a great paper like
the Christian Evangelist? I promise you "Lin" I
will never do it again.
Campbell and Empirical Religion
Morris Eames, University of Missouri
(Concluding pages of paper at Campbell Institute,
July, 19i9)
Campbell's ethic was based upon his view of human
nature which thought of man as possessing a body,
a soul, and a spirit. Because of his origin, his nature,
his relations, his obligations, and his destiny, which
are all involved in the moral process, man seeks the
greatest happiness for himself and for society.
Campbell presupposed freedom of the will and the
doctrine of responsibility as being necessary for the
118 THE SCROLL
moral line. The object of goodness in his philosophy
is not momentary happiness, but prolonged human
happiness. It is always increasing and never sta-
tionary; it is always multiform, but not uniform.
The individual's happiness must be in harmony with
the happiness of all other people, that is, an indi-
vidual's happiness must not be built upon the mis-
use of personality for selfish ends. The degrees of
utility in moral principles places the physical on the
lowest, the intellectual on the comparative and the
moral on the highest levels men can aspire to in
their affections.
This brief and inadequate treatment of the leading
ideas of Campbell's philosophy is admitted. I have
intended only to sketch his ideas on Hume's scepti-
cism, the four powers of acquiring knowledge such
as instinct, sense-perception, reason, and faith; the
role of the human intellect and the human will ; the
operations of the inductive method, the view of se-
mantics as accepted from Bacon; how this theory
of knowledge is wedded to revealed religion ; some of
the main metaphysical ideas he assumed and how
this theory of knowledge and ideas of revealed re-
ligion are coupled with an utilitarian ethic.
I would like now to point out what I think some
of the implications of this system are:
1) This view takes too naively the certainty of
sense-data, for sense-data themselves must be
checked and their conditions rationally justified.
2) It does not do justice to the mental operations
of man in ascertaining truth, and it makes the most
certain truth the immediate sense-data of which any
man is aware. Thus, it narrows the meaning of the
term "idea" to the point that ideas are really non-
operative in human conduct.
3) It makes truth "correspondence with fact," but
it does not make room for any consistency in our
THE SCROLL 119
empirical knowledge. Consistency on this view can
only be contained in deduction.
4) It contains the sciences within a very narrow
orbit and limits their growth. Locke's theory and
Campbell's theory too would never give us scientific
knowledge of the predictive sort — for it is nominal-
ism without any place for universal propositions.
5) The legical implications of this nominalism
leads to an individualism which sets up rights with-
out duties in the strictly logical sense.
6) It gives a very vague and confused notion of
the self, which appears to be assumed without much
critical acumen. The individual is a self -inclosed en-
tity, and thus, all the problems of man's sociality
which the utilitarians faced are evident here.
7) It stagnates the religious experience of man
and really confines such experience in the discovery
of the experience of those of Bible times.
8) It makes for legalism and literalism of the
greatest possible sort by limiting the religious cul-
ture of people to the faith and practice of Bible times.
9) It limits the operations of God, that is, of hig
creative life, and it is hard to see in just what re-
spect there is a living God, and it puts Campbell clos-
er to the deists than he thinks, a minimal sort of
supernaturalism.
10) It leads to ridiculous views about the origin
and nature of other religions, of the origin of lan-
guage and of the treatment of miracles.
11) It unites legalism with a utilitarian ethic,
either of which does not do justice to the moral life
of man, for both of these taken singly or together
limits the free play of intelligence in the discovery
of the good.
12) It negates the whole cultural continuity and
struggle of the church from the close of the book
of revelation to the present.
120 THE SCROLL
What is the logical outcome of empiricism for re-
ligion? I do not mean for this to be a loaded ques-
tion, for surely, if we are trying only to limit empiri-
cism today, those who want to take the side of re-
vealed religion and develop what they may call a
true Campbell faith are free to do so. The neo-
supernaturalists might have a field day here. But
my purpose is to discover what experience as under-
stood, analyzed, and criticized today presents us in
the way of a religion, and I frankly admit my in-
terest in empiricism.
Today we have empiricists who give narrow and
broad interpretations to experience. The narrower
types have stripped off any sub-stratum, any super-
natural operations, any transcendental self, and have
interpreted natural law in terms of probability. On
this view, description and analysis is the sole func-
tion of philosophy. Religion and value theory are
reduced to a feeling state or emotion, but most of
the time this school, designated by the term positiv-
ism, does not even take up the subject of religion
and value theory at all. Some of these men emphasize
the nature of words even to the neglect of the nature
of things and the nature of thought.
A fuller critique of experience involves the nature
of things, the nature of words and the nature of
thought. In this interpretation the relation of our
scientific beliefs to our beliefs about value becomes
the primary problem of contemporary academic and
practical life. The broader interpretation does not
lodge value in the self nor does it think of value
stored away in a Platonic heaven. Experience can-
not be reduced to a matter-stuff or a mind-'Stuff but
involves a continuity of body, words and mental
operations.
Above all things it seems that religion deals with
value, and value is lodged in experience in the broad
THE SCROLL 121
sense of that word. Equating empiricism with ex-
perience, and not limiting it to the narrow portion
of sense-data as did Locke and Campbell, I 'believe
that an adequate description and explanation of ex-
perience today, as far as religion is concerned must
take account of :
1 ) a scientific description of life and of the world
as expressed in such fields as psychology, physics,
chemistry, anthropology and sociology; 2) a view of
God growing out of this the empirical approach ;
3) an ethic based upon a scientific view of man and
his social life; 4) organized ideals that grow out of
purposive behavior of individuals and group life;
and 5) dispositions to respond or attitudes which ac-
company selection-rejection behavior.
With these former contentions in view let me
state that I believe that empiricism in the broad
sense discovers a quality in experience which we may
call religious; a God that is not subjective, but sub-
jectively-objective, that is, imbedded in the experi-
ence of man ; a God that is Value, and a Value that
is stable yet changing. I believe that the moral
values imbedded in experience can be scrutinized by
the same methods that apply to other "facts" of ex-
perience. I do not wish to spin out a whole philoso-
phical view here, but merely to point out that em-
piricism need not negate religion or relegate it to the
realm of emotion or designate it as a realm of in-
tersubjectively held ideals.
Alexander Campbell had his place in his age in
the search for the good life, the meaning of religion,
and the nature of human knowledge. But I am quite
certain of the fact that if we try to return to Camp-
bell, as we have to the Biblical church, that we shall
suffer grave consequences. Our direction lies, I be-
lieve, in re-thinking and re-evaluating empiricism
and its outcome for religion.
122 THE SCROLL
^^American Transcendentalism''
Richard L. James, Dallas, Texas
The recent translation into English of The Bhaga-
vadgita by S. Radhakrishnan and published in a
volume with notes dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi re-
minds us of a cycle of influences which have been
exchanged between this country and the Orient. The
"Gita" is a poem in the larger work of Sanscrit liter-
ature known as the Mahabharata, which along with
another, the Ramayana, are two of the most impor-
tant pieces of work among the Upanishads, Brah-
manas and the Megahaduta. The publication of this
recent edition, dedicated to Gandhi, who in turn, ex-
pressed a great admiration for Thoreau calls atten-
tion to that movement in American thought known
as American or New England Transcendentalism.
This group of literati at Concord composed of Thor-
eau, Emerson, Alcott and Whittier were to set forth
on the American soil a revival of the older thoughts 1
of the Orient.
Perhaps this movement in American life can be
dated to have begun with the organization of the
Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1783. Sir William Jones,
noted scholar and linguist contributed no less than
twenty-nine papers to the first four volumes of the
society's "Transactions." These works were read and
discussed by the New England transcendentalists.
The examination of Whittier's library revealed that
there were copies of Algier's, Poetry of The Orient,
Child's, The Progress of Religious Ideas, Stoddard,
The Book of The East and that he had read the jour-
nals of the Asiatic Society of Bengal.
Arthur Christy made extensive studies in the sub-
ject of the effect of this mysticism on American
THE SCROLL 123
thought. Says he, "No one Oriental volume that ever
came to Concord was more influential than Bhaga-
vadgita. This is evident from the manner and fre-
quency in which the Concordians spoke of it."
The poem, Bhagavadgita is composed of eighteen
chapters and tells the story of the struggle of the
human soul over the question of the rightness of kill-
ing in battle. Arjuna, hero of the Pandu hosts con-
verses with Kristna concerning his indecision. The
Kurus and Pandu foemen are ready to engage in
warfare over a fatal feud. The leader of the Kurus
hosts is a kinsman of Arjuna. This complicates mat-
ters. Respect for one's kinsman is also involved.
Arjuna is in doubt whether he should kill his foe
under such circumstances. Krishna, the divine in-
carnation of the Vishnu deity, finally overcomes Ar-
j Una's doubts by a long discourse on the duty of the
warrior. He tells Arjuna that the warrior must be
utterly devoted to the Supreme Spirit. Krishna
speaks thus, telling Arjuna to go and kill the foe in
battle :
". . . the man of perverse mind who, on account of
his untrained understanding, looks upon himself
as the sole agent, he does not see truly. He who
is free from self-sense, whose understanding is
not sullied, though he slay these people, he slays
not nor is he bound by his actions." (Chapt. XVIH,
vv. 16-17)
Previous to this discourse on the duty of the war-
rior, a vision of the god had appeared in the form
of the Charioteer Krishne who explains to Arjuna
the nature of Vishnu. In this description of omni-
presence, Arjuna sees Vishnu as follows:
"Time am I, world destroying, grown mature, en-
gaged here in subduing the world. Even without
thee, all the warriors standing arrayed in the op-
124 THE SCROLL
posing armies shall cease to be. ... I am the ritual
action, I am the sacrifice, I am the ancestral obla-
tion, I am the medicinal herb, I am the sacred
hymn, I also am the melted butter, I am the fire
and I am the offering. I am the father of this
world, the mother, the supporter and the grand-
sire. I am the object of knowledge, the purifier. I
am the syllable Aum and I the rk, the sama and
the yajus as well. I am the goal, the upholder,
the lord, the witness, the abode, the refuge and
the friend. I am the origin and the dissolution, the
ground, the resting place and the imperishable
seed. I give heat: I withhold and send forth the
rain. I am immortality and also death, I am be-
ing as well as non-being, 0 Arjuna." (Ch. XI, v.
32; Ch. IX, vv. 16-19).
Emerson himself said that it was useless for him
to put away the book. "If I trust myself in the
woods or in a boat upon the pond, nature makes
Brahmin of me presently : eternal necessity, eternal
compensation, unfathomable power, unbroken si-
lence,— this is her creed." Indeed, it was Emerson
who gave the most concise synopsis of the thought
of the "Gita." In his lines of "Brahma" he shows
real kinship to the Oriental thought :
"They reckon ill who leave me out;
When me they fly, I am the wings ;
I am the doubter and the doubt.
And I the hymn the Brahmin sings."
In his essays "Self-Reliance," "Compensation" and
"The Over-Soul," Emerson develops more fully the
ideas he has gleaned from Oriental thought.
Whittier's influence from the Sanscrit writings
will be seen by even a casual reading of his poems
such as "Miriam," "The Preacher" and "The Over-
Heart." The kinship is readily seen in
"Each in its measure, but a part
THE SCROLL 125
Of the unmeasured Over-heart."
Whittier maintained that the gospel was not ren-
dered any less precious because one may recognize
in it bits of ancient truth.
''We come back laden from the quest,
To find that all the sages said
Is in the Book our mothers read."
If this gospel record contains echoes of ancient
truth for Whittier, the Bhagavadita also contains
thoughts which seem most appropriate to the life
of "Miriam." In that poem, Whittier paraphrases'
a part of the Sanscrit poem to illustrate Christ's
forgiveness :
"He who all forgives.
Conquers himself and all things else,
and lives
Above the reach of wrong or hate or fear.
Calm as the Gods, to whom he is most dear."
"New England Orientalism," says Arthur Chris-
ty, "was the result of a synthesis between old ideas
and the new civilization of the nineteenth century
America, which was anything but one of quietism,
of stagnation and uniformity, or of finding in Nir-
vana the summum bonum. Orientalism had long
thought it majestic to do nothing. The modem
majesty consists in work." (American Literature
Magazine, Nov. 1933.) There are many respects,
of course, in which the American transcendentalists
were blind to the extreme contrast between the
Christian concept of forgiveness and the desire-
less striving for Nirvanna of the Brahmin. For-
giveness in the Christian sense implies a ruthless
facing up to the facts of the present situation and
doing something to set at right the wrongs involved.
The Oriental, on the other hand, turns away from
all striving in the present to a realization of the
126 THE SCROLL
subjective state of Brahma. A Brahmin might say
"I can do nothing," whereas a Christian would
repeat with Paul, "I can do all things, through
Christ who strengtheneth me."
It is interesting to observe that Emerson's first
book, Natm^e, was published in 1836, the year of
the six volume of The Millennial Harbinger. Emer-
son and Alexander Campbell were contemporaries.
They had more in common than just the years of
their activities. They were both revolutionaries
in religious thought. Both were trained for the
ministry. Both had difficulty with the prevailing
ideas relating to the observance of The Lord's Sup-
per. In 1832, Emerson gave up his position as first
assistant to Henry Ware at old Second Church, Bos-
ton, because he could not conscientiously observe
the communion as prescribed for Unitarians. But
they are singularly alike in that the revolution
against creeds of religion which was waged by the
Campbells found expression in Emerson as a revolu-
tion against creeds of thought. In the "American
Scholar" he called attention to the fact that Ameri-
cans had too long listened to the "courtly muses of
Europe," but went on to declare, "We will walk
on our own feet ; we will work with our own hands ;
we will speak our own minds." This revolution of
the scholar enunciated by Emerson in the realm of
education had been voiced in politics by Jefferson
from Monticello and was being proclaimed in re-
ligion west of the Blue Ridge by the Campbells and
Barton Stone. Of course, not all that any one of
this trio wrote or spoke was completely consistent
with their main revolutionary thought. Many things
which Jefferson said were not in keeping with his
great principles ; same with Campbell.
It is important for members of The Disciples of
THE SCROLL 127
Christ today to see both the kinship as well as the
antipathies which these men bear for one another.
On the frontier, the new "restoration" movement
was able to grapple with problems in the manner
in which Emerson declared they ought to be done.
But Emerson, bound by conventionalism and the in-
fluence of the Orient could not cut himself sufficient-
ly free to become empirical in this thought. "Camp-
bellites" have not been overly given to yogi-like
meditation and communion with the spirit God.
They have drunk from European waters rather than
Oriental. The influences of rationalism were upon
them rather than mysticism. In rereading the new
edition of Bhagavadgita one is brought face to face
with the strangeness of this Oriental expression in
comparison with the thought expounded from the
average pulpit of the Disciples of Christ.
Merry Christmas
By E. S. Ames
We send, my wife and I, our warmest greetings
to all our friends and beg them to take these greet-
ings with as much appreciation as if we had bought
elegant cards, autographed them, and paid post-
age besides. Of course our good wishes may be
delayed until after Christmas but we beg you not
to be so literally minded as to miss the spirit of the
occasion because of a few days' difference by the
calendar. If the very day is essential to making
the wishes valid, what shall we do with the cards
we have already received ten days before the ap-
pointed time? One of the joys of editing The Scroll
is that the readers seem never to mind when par-
ticular issues arrive if they feel reasonably sure
they will receive ten issues of The World's Greatest
128 THE SCROLL
Reli^ioits Monthly Magazine bearing the names of
the months from September to June inclusive. The
efficient Secretary of the Disciples Historical Society-
is the only person who has been at all troubled by
some difficulty he has found in trying to arrange
all the issues of The Scroll from its beginning,
forty-seven years ago, in definite and consistent
chronological order.
In the same friendly vein, we also wish you a
Happy New Year! What a miracle it is that we
shall soon be writing 1950. I count myself fortu-
nate that my life has run in even decades which
makes it much easier to compute one's age. I notice
that those born in odd years often hesitate longer
when asked their age because they have to make a
more complicated computation. Already specula-
tions are rife as to what this New Year will bring
at home and abroad. The newspapers have sensi-
tized us to events in the whole wide world, and the
atom bomb can never be far below the threshold of
consciousness. It requires faith of a different mag-
nitude to give and to receive sincere wishes for a
Happy New Year this season. But it is of the
very substance of life and religion to keep wishing
and hoping for the best, and to go on working for it.
In the last SCROLL — November 1949 — my article
on "Persistent Loyalty" presented a very idealistic
conception of our Christian religion. The central
principle is Love, but I am aware that it is not
sufficient simply to repeat that great word. We
must learn how to develop the attitude of love in
individuals, and how to "implement" love as a work-
ing principle in all relations of life. This is what is
needed to make Christmas real, to make it more
than an occasion of bright lights, tinsel, and wist-
ful music. Yesterday I found in my files a state-
THE SCROLL 129
ment from my friend, Henry C. Taylor, that bears
upon this problem. Mr. Taylor is an Agricultural
Economist, and as an authority in that field was a
member of the distinguished commission that went
to various countries a fev/ years ago to study con-
ditions in missionary work. Professor W. E. Hock-
ing wrote the published report of the Commission.
A few sentences from Mr. Taylor's letter will show
how material his thought is to this question of
vitalizing religion.
Farm Foundation, Chicago. November 17, 1938.
Dear Edward:
I listened with great interest to the discussion
Monday evening. I feel sure that some of the per-
sons present who participated in the discussion
received a new inspiration. Their interest in the
church and in religion as a means of improving
human relations in the business and social world
of which we are a part was greatly enhanced. On
the way home, the young man who was walking
with me said, "I realized a deep religious experi-
ence this evening while sitting at the table listen-
ing, thinking, and talking about the way in which
the work of the church can be so focused as to wield
an influence upon human relations." Thus, I feel
that much good came out of the meeting for those
present — this clearly aside from any suggestions
you may have gotten with regard to how to proceed
with your work as minister.
While listening to the discussion, I put down a
few notes which I now have before me and which
may or may not have some value to you. I am send-
ing my notes to you because I promised to write you
a letter in which I would hand to you such sug-
gestions as I might have made Monday evening had
I not felt that on that occasion I was playing a
better role by listening than by speaking. You know
130 THE SCROLL
that in a democracy, those who will listen well are
often more rare than those who will speak well
and that those who are ready to lead are often
more abundant than those who will give equal
energy and care to being good followers of good
leaders.
The thoughts which I jotted down on a little
slip of paper have to do with, religion and states-
manship. I think I said something about religion
and statesmanship before, perhaps at a meeting of
the Campbell Institute more than a year ago, but
there was no evidence that anyone understood what
I was trying to say. I shall therefore narrow my
audience down to you personally and see if I can
say something on religion and statesmanship that
may be understandable.
As I see the whole problem of human life, religion
may play a role not only in the adjustment of the
relation of the individual to this environing world
but also in the development of higher forms of
culture in that world of human relations. Accord-
ing to rough estimates made by a student in the
U. S. Department of Agriculture, 90% of the pro-
ductive energy of mankind is devoted to the sup-
plying of food (40%), clothing (20%), shelter
(20%), and transportation (10%) ; and only 10%
to education, research, government, health, religion
and the cultural arts. It is also pointed out that
through increased productiveness of the various
agencies having to do with the providing of food,
clothing, shelter, and transportation, a smaller and
smaller percentage of the people are required to
supply the demands for these staples; furthermore,
that the demands, particularly for food and cloth-
ing, are relatively inelastic, whereas the potential
demands for those goods and services of a cultural
character which relate to the building of the high-
d
THE SCROLL 131
er civilization possible to mankind, may be highly
elastic. In this field which relates to the beautify-
ing of our surroundings, a tremendous expansion of
activities may take place. The associating of the
esthetic with the satisfying of the basic wants for
food, clothing, and lodging is very important in the
building of a higher civilization.
The religious leader may well start by pointing
out the higher goals of life — those goals of man-
kind which rise above the goals of animals, and by
pointing out the pathway which leads to the attain-
ment of these goals. When the subject has once
been introduced, it may be broken down into many
subdivisions for special treatment.
I think you see that in all of these matters, I am
interested in having religion perform a large
fuction in improving the qualities of men in order
that we may have a more ideal form of political,
economic, social, and individual life.
Campbell Out--Campbellited
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago
Some months ago there came to the Disciples
Divinity House, as a gift from Seabury-Western
Seminary, a copy of the Hale Lectures for 1947.
The lectures were given by Alec R. Vidler, an
Anglican theologian, and are entitled Witness to the
Light: F. D. Maurice's Message for Today (Scrib-
ner's, 1948) . I marked the book for perusal, but
took a long time to get to it. Consequently, I have
been six months late in adding to my vocabulary the
most succinct statement of our Disciple position that
I have ever read in my life. I have found Campbell
out-Campbellited because a nineteenth century Angli-
132 THE SCROLL
can succeeded in saying with magnificent precision
exactly what Thomas and Alexander never quite
succeeded in saying so clearly. Here are Maurice's
words :
The Church is a body united in the acknowledge-
ment of a living Person; every sect is a body united
in the acknowledgement of a certain notion.
This quotation is from Maurice's Kingdom of Christ
(1838), Vol. n, p. 338, and appears on p. 209 of
Vidler's book.
"The Church unites around a person ; a sect unites
around a notion." Was there ever a more accurate
way of stating just what the Campbell's wished to
say. The next best statement is "No creed but
Christ," followed by "In essentials unity, in non-
essentials liberty, in all things charity." Far less
precise are "Not the only Christians, but Christians
only," and "Where the Scriptures speak we speak;
where the Scriptures are silent, we are silent." None
of these statements are as full roundly explicit as
Mauric's words. I wish Campbell had said them, or
had known Maurice so that he might have adopted
them.
Maurice was among the most beloved of nine-
teenth century Anglicans. In the midst of High,
Broad and Low church parties he stood above the
tides of doctrine and grasped the essence of the
unity of the church in the person of Jesus Christ.
His insight is applicable far beyond the bounds of
Anglicanism. It is an insight that is universal in its
meaning.
J
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII JANUARY, 1950 No. 5
The Head and Front of Everything
Van Meter Ames, University of Cincinnati
It is a kind of violence to put off what should be
done, and I am badly shaken by it, by the accident
of obligation, by the avalanche of duties interfering
with all that matters. But the rain takes time to
drip, the trees are patient and the silence remains.
It is easy to be busy and perhaps to be lazy, but who
is wise? The surprising thing is that I have known
at least four wise men myself. When I think of this
I am ashamed not to be more like them, for I am
no longer young. Indeed I am much older than
they when they were enlightened and living in a
way that was clearer than their teaching. Yet I
have students and I have children who want to learn
from me.
I must pause to realize, instead of straining for
I know not what, as if the good were ever eluding
me. The good is here, even in this ghastly century.
The dead are not in need of comfort. The needy
I cannot help much. Science will. Science and
decency we must insist on. Then there will be an
end of war and poverty and cruelty. Then the great
demand for philosophy Will begin. For people will
have leisure, and the only joy, the only safety in
leisure is wisdom.
Food and drink and games will not fill the void.
Building a house for everyone will take some time.
Making each house a thing of beauty will take longer.
Learning to paint and model, to play an instrument,
to sing and to make paragraphs will be important,
though not so urgent as to plan meals and days for
children, or to think what to tell them when they
134 THE SCROLL
want to know what we will not know unless we find
out for ourselves.
When I was little I waited for my father to come
home. I climbed up on his lap and said, "Now tell
me all about God, because Mother doesn't know."
I wish I could remember what he said, but it does
not bother me very much that I have forgotten. To
be sure, I recall what he said on later occasions, and
I can read what he said in his book on Religion
which was so absorbed in its time that it practically
disappeared. Fortunately one who fully appreciated
it has just now had it reprinted so that I can give
it to each of my children, with an inscription by their
grandfather. In a way that lets me out. For there
it is in black and white, as clear as it was in the first
place. Yet his words are less to me than the fact
that he said them, that he could say them to a child
in such a way that he would cherish the experience :
the sense of being held close by words about God.
I had a great teacher who did not talk about God
but who spoke of the Generalized Other, the values
of all other people as sought by the fully developed
self. He showed how the self developed from the
organism through the process of stimulus and re-
sponse in relation with other selves, until the roles
of the others were formed into an inner forum, and
a personality appeared which could call upon itself
and find itself at home ; yet could not be entirely at
home in the actual world and reached out to the ideal
toward which it would work with others. The ex-
citement of this outreach is still to be found in
George H. Mead's Mind, Self and Society.
Santayana has spoken of religion as "the head
and front of everything." He has also considered
religion as poetry, "as a work of human imagina-
tion." But this is not an objection, since to him
THE SCROLL 135
only the works of imagination are good. He says
that, though not literally true, they are symbolic of
truth, and one must live by one imaginative system
or another.
Impressive in these three sages is their calm,
their humor, their silence. Their pauses borrov^ed
from what they say, but that is edged by what they
do not say. And when I ventured further geograph-
ically and intellectually to meet the heir of China's
wisdom, Fung Yu-lan, I was struck again by the
twinkle, the poise, the pause. I am glad that Mac-
millan has recently brought out his Short History of
Chinese Philosophy. There is the gist of what he has
to say, and the rest is at least suggested. He begins
by saying that the important thing is philosophy
rather than religion, because he identifies religion
with the superstitions that have claimed that name
in his country. Also he cannot think of God as the
highest, because in his tradition and in his logic what
cannot be named is higher than what can be named
or personified. The highest for him is not a person
or a place or anything but the abstract conception
of the great whole. To think of it gives the intel-
lectual satisfaction, so to speak, of having made
the grand tour. It gives the sense of "crossing the
boundary," which is not a crossing at all, not a
passing to another region but a negation of reason
by the ultimate use of reason. This means that a
man reaches the highest sphere of living, and it
means a change of attitude so that he can return to
the ordinary world with fresh appreciation and
realize that there is nothing better than serving the
family and society, improving them spiritually. This
is the "open secret" by which all the ideal value
that could be claimed for the supernatural is found
and cultivated in daily living.
Fung Yu-lan puts together the mysticism of Tao-
136 THE SCROLL
ism and Buddhism with the social idealism of Con-
fucianism, and would add all that can be learned
from the logic and science of the West. In terms
of western thought he told me that he would com-
bine Dewey's social philosophy with Santayana's
sense of the metaphysical or logical background of
life. I think my father would say that what is
lacking here is the idea of God, at least as felt in
terms of the personality of Jesus. And perhaps the
sense of the importance of personality in general is
lacking, and the kind of interest in it which led to
the social psychology of Mead. Also perhaps the
merging of the individual with the family, with
society, and in turn with nature and the void beyond
being, has something to do with the vast patience and
stamina of the Chinese.
At any rate it was a "happy excursion" to meet
a thinker who knew our culture (being a Columbia
Ph.D.) without being imbued with it, so that he
was not sure a Thanksgiving dinner would be on
Thursday or a Christmas party on the twenty-fifth.
When I think of a Chinese scholar's calligraphy,
delicate appreciation of poetry and painting, avoid-
ance of this-worldliness and otherworldliness, devo-
tion to human values and subordination of them to
a cosmic perspective, I wonder whether his appar-
ent lack of interest in the personal is not simply a
great refinement. In fact the quality of his friend-
ship convinces me of this. But it was not reticence
which kept him from talking about God. He was
clear about that.
i had mentioned the difficulty of explaining God
to a child. He looked at a book I had thought might
help, telling something of different faiths held in
the West, attractively illustrated. He observed that
such a book would naturally make children wonder
about God. "Well," I said, "what do people say in
THE SCROLL 137
China when children ask about God?" His reply-
was, "They don't ask."
I remember my father's remarking on how far
one can go with religion without saying anything
about God ; and that to bring up this question too
early is likely to confuse the issue; whereas if it is
left until later the idea of God will be relatively easy
to understand in terms of everything else. His
objection to theology follows, because it emphasizes
what cannot be made clear in itself, and what di-
vides people even when they are looking for a basis
of agreement.
My Chinese friend does not think Christianity
will ever make any real headway in China. This
makes me think that if religion is the front of every-
thing, or the philosophy which takes its place, we
should not hope to promote peace by crusading for
our own. Rather we should seek what agreement
there may be in the different religions and world-
views, as a basis for international understanding.
A thing I think it important to teach our children
is that the white race is a small minority on this
planet, and that every fourth child being born is
Chinese.
My father says on the last page of his Religion
that the task now is "to reinterpret religion . . . but
the principle upon which it may be accomplished is
clear, and this is to discern the moral and spiritual
values in the daily life and social relations of normal
human beings, and to enhance and beautify them
. . . There are new perspectives of history in which
the great spiritual drama of the race may be dis-
played ... in a world-wide brotherhood of divine
power and measureless riches."
138 THE SCROLL
A Three Day Week
G. Curtis Jones, Richmond, Va.
John L. Lewis is one of the most discussed men
in America. I suspect he is also one of the most
cursed men in our country. As President of the
United Mine Workers, an organization aggregating
some 480,000 men, whose individual daily wages
average approximately $15.50, he wields tremendous
po\yer. Recently, the nation waited with bated
breath the outcome of the threatened strike. Mr.
Lewis assumed the roll of silence; to many it was
as perplexing as it was irritating. The coal strike
lasted but a few hours. Mr. Lewis ordered the men
to return to the pits for a three-day week. His
strategy is obviously discernible.
It shall not be my purpose to discuss the relative
merits of the miners in their scrimmage with the
operators nor the position of the operators in this
pathetic philosophy of economics. There is an angle
in this situation, however, that stimulates my imagi-
nation. The idea of a three-day week ! What would
happen to our general economy should similar basic
industries follow a kindred policy? How long could
the average man live on a three-day week income?
However critical you may be of the Coal Chief's
three-day week, irrespective of its far reaching con-
sequences, has it ever occurred to you it is still ahead
of the Church's one-day week? The question I want
to raise is, when will the church reach even the level
of a three-day week operation? Generally speaking,
the church has been satisfied with a good building,
an annual fellowship, a yearly revival, a Hallowe'en
party for the kiddies, a Thanksgiving celebration,
a Christmas tree for the Sunday School, and a young
Foisdick as its pastor. These are all good, but not
THE SCROLL 139
enough! If miners cannot furnish enough coal for
our country on a three-day week operation, quite
obviously the church cannot hope to furnish spiritual
energy and power on a one day a week operation.
Now, Mr. Lewis' strategy may be more of a sign
of things to come than a study in stubbornness. We
are living in a highly technological society. We can
hardly realise the industrial accomplishments within
the last half century. Many changes are forthcom-
ing and among them a still shorter working week.
Harvard's brilliant economist, Sumner Slichter,
writing in the November issue of the Atlantic Month-
ly, ventures to predict that by 1980, a generation
hence, our national productivity will virtually double
and that the value of goods produced by 1980 will
probably be in excess of 550 billion dollars annually,
as compared with last year's 246 billion dollars.
This will be accomplished, he believes, on a thirty-
hour week, with the per capita income estimated at
$3,252 as compared with $1,684 in 1948. All of
which means that modern man is having and is
promised more leisure time than ever before. What
will he do with this extra time? Where will he in--
vest it? And what can the church expect of this
efficiency ?
Workmen Unashamed
The Apostle Paul, in writing to Timothy, ad-
monishes him to be a steward of excellence, "A work-
man who has no need to be ashamed ..." (H Tim-
othy 2:15 R.S.V.) A workman soon leaves the
scene but the scene remains. Work, blessed work,
is more nearly a panacea for life's troubles than any^
thing else in the world. There is nothing quite so
pathetic as a person out of work, unless it is a person
who feels he has worked enough.
Carlisle said, "Give me the man who sings at his
140 THE SCROLL
work." Dean Brown of Yale says, "We have too
many people who live without working, and we have
altogether too many who work without living."
Samuel Butler puts it this way, "Every man's work,
whether it be literature or music, or pictures, or
architecture, or anything else, is always a portrait
of himself, and the more he strives to conceal him-
self, the more clearly will his character appear in
spite of him."
Jesus spoke supremely when he said, "I must work
the work of Him that sent me while it is yet day,
for the night cometh when no man can work." (John
9:14). The Master also declared that by one's
fruits he would be known. Our work reveals us as
we really are.
What then is the work of the church? England's
H. S. Whales maintains, "A living church lives : first
to regenerate individual lives; second, to judge and
redeem the society and political order which is the
environment of those lives." The work of the church
is to bring the mind and will of God into local focus.
The church seeks to reveal God to man. The church
is a sort of liaison between God and man. It points
to Christ as its head and points up his teachings as
the way of life.
Worshipers Unashamed
The church has always sought to provide worship.
This is the central responsibility of the church. The
reconditioning of its members, the tuning of its own
faith, is a cardinal must with the church. In worship
we have a cluster of magnificent reminders that
God is spirit and that we must worship Him in spirit
and in truth, and that He is a rewarder of those who
seek Him.
Phillips Brooks warned, "When all your faculties
go up to the sanctuary to praise the Lord, do not
leave your intellect at home to tend to the dinner!"
THE SCROLL 141
The Bishop was quite right in remindinig us to bring
our whole beings to worship, for whether it is a
private or corporate act, it is the surrendering of
self to God, it is seeking renewal and strength, it is
unrobing the soul before its Maker.
In talking with Joseph Smith, one of our mission-
aries, just back from China, he told me that when
the Communists were planning to take Wuhu the
members of his church went to daily worship at 6 : 30
every morning, and that when the Communists
finally came they were at church. Why did they go?
There was no parade of personalities. It was not
a ceremony, but a conscientious quest for spiritual
stamina in a desperate situation.
Society canmot be saved on a one-day week ob-
servance of worship, nor can it be salvaged with a
three-day week program. We must become wor-
shippers who have no need to be ashamed.
Witnesses Unashamed
The work of the church is to bear witness,
"... you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and
in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth."
Like John of old, we are not the light but we are to
bear witness of the light. Like the moon, we must
become romantic reflectors, so by day and night
men may see and know that our work is of Him
who sent us.
I shall never forget the impression Dr. George
Washington Carver made on me as a college student.
I cani see him yet, simply dressed, graciously answer-
ing questions. His benign face was haloed with
humility. To reflect on his life is to recall the strug-
gles that made him strong. He was born of slave
parents in Missouri. He was sold with his mother
to a family in Arkansas. His mother disappeared.
Bought from his owners for $300, Carver was re-
turned to Missouri, where he found work and even-
142 THE SCROLL
tually went to college. At last he emerged an emi-
nent educator, scientist and Christian. Once when
a distinguished visitor was trying to pay Dr. Carver
a compliment he said, "You have made a great con-
tribution to your race." Calmly the great soul an-
swered, "My son, God and I have done this work
together. We have mot had in mind a race ; we had
in mind the needs of humanity."
We cannot all bear witness as did Carver, but we
can bear witness as laborers, as housewives, as
churchmen.
The late Dr. Sparks Cadman was a very erudite
preacher. On one occasion he was called to a humble
home in a grey section of New York City. Oni the
bed lay the diseased body of a dying woman. She
had served as sister and mother to a large family.
She was distressed because as a member of the
church she had not borne witness as she felt she
should. Dr. Cadman patiently listened to the story
of travail and toil. He noticed her love-calloused
hands. At last the plaintive voice asked, "When I
stand before God what will I have to show him for
these years?" Whereupon, the thoughtful preacher
reverently replied, "My dear, show him your hands."
Show God your hands !
Witnesses who have no need to be ashamed.
Winners Unushamed
Evangelism is not an extra curricula activity of
the church. It is at the center of its work. Without
the spur of evangelism few would become Christians
and fewer still remain Christians. Contagious evan-
gelism is more than corraling people ; it alsoi includes
keeping believers in union with Christ.
An evangelist is a herald of good news. News,
good or bad, is difficult to keep. Evangelism is God's
desire for men to win men. It is the cure of souls.
It is the news that God is love. It is the news of
J
THE SCROLL 143
mercy and forgiveness. It is the declaration that
service is more honorable than self. It is the news
that life is more valuable than property. It is the
personal promise that when life is properly condi-
tioned it is an eternal force. Such a concept of evan-
gelism lifts it from the annual revival to a perennial
pilgrimage. Evangelism thus becomes a therapy;
in saving others we save ourselves.
A scintillating story comes out of Texas. It con-
cerns a prosperous Disciple layman. His preacher
had tried to interest him in daily Christian projects
but he was always too busy. The pastor was per-
sistent. At last the minister succeeded in taking
his friend with him one evening to make some calls
— visitation evangelism we call it. The layman's
eyes were opened and his heart was touched. He
saw the church as never before. He saw it in the
hearts of men. He saw needs higher than sales!
What did he do? The next morning he called his
business to say, "I will be out of my office for five
days. I am engaged in big business." What was
he doing? Giving five straight days to his church.
From a one to a five day concept of the church !
"A workman who has no need to be ashamed ..."
The Crusade for a Christian
World Speaks for the Colleges
By President Henry Harmon, Drake University '
Education is the natural child of the church. It
is a foster child of the state. The church has found
it necessary to share its parental responsibility with
secular organizations, but there are certain func-
tions and responsibilities that the church cannot
ignore or delegate if it is to achieve its historic goal
or render its holy purpose.
144 THE SCROLL
When the Crusade speaks for Disciple institutions
of higher learning, it presents the case of the Board
of Higher Education, junior colleges, senior colleges,
universities, seminaries, Bible foundations, and re-
ligious chairs, all represented on this platform to-
night.
In speaking for the colleges, the Crusade's voice
is that of more than 1,300 faculty members and
30,000 students. The schools included represent
$61,000,000 of assets, campus, buildings, etc., more
tham $24,000,000 of permanent endowment, and a
total annual operating expenditure of more than
$12,000,000. It is obvious that higher education is
a large enterprise with the Disciples, but not large
enough for its task or equal to the enlarged services
demanded of it by society and more especially by
the advances incident to our Crusade for a Christian
World.
You are aware of the phenomenal postwar increase
in collegiate enrollments. In 1940 it was 1% million.
Last year it was 2i/2 million, an increase of 43 per
cent, with more than one-half of them in church-
founded schools. During the last three years the
national increase was 20.5 per cent, while in our own
schools it was 127 per cent, more than six times the
national average.
Since 1940 the cost of offering a collegiate credit
hour has nearly doubled. Because giving to our
schools has not increased proportionately, the church
now furnishes only $3.68 of every $100 expended by
the colleges. The churches' stake in this cause is
greater, far, far greater than three per cent. If
we are to meet the challenge and opportunity that the
world and this Crusade places before us, the support
of our churches and many of their members must
be substantially greater.
The Brotherhood has founded 292 educational in-
THE SCROLL 145
stitutions during the last century and more than
two-thirds of them are dead, largely through starva-
tion. The 60 remaining are sorely needed. They
constitute one of the strategic forces without which
this Crusade and its struggle for a Christian world
cannot succeed.
The colleges' portion of the financial goal is $5,-
000,000. None of this can be used for debt retire-
ment, or endowment. Every cent of the fund is to
be used for expansion. It is to be dedicated to the
fulfillment of the Crusade, that is, the realization of
a continuously crusading force.
There are now in our colleges training for the
ministry approximately 2,000 men and women. The
Crusade will add 3,000 persoms to be trained for full-
time Christian service, a glorious increase of 150
per cent. Their training is your responsibility and
ours. Others will not and cannot do it for us.
From our own schools now come and will come
our Christian lay leaders and our ministers. Never
forget that according to a survey made by our Board
of Higher Education, one out of every three Disciple
students now enrolled in our own institutions is in
training for full-time Christian service. One out
of every three ! From our halls come our servants
and His servants. As a Christian people, we must
be quick to this responsibility.
"How shall they call on Him in whom they have
not believed? And how shall they believe in Him
whom they have not heard ? And how can they hear
without a preacher? And how can they preach ex-
cept they be sent?" And in a modern society, how
can they either believe or preach unless they are,
first trained?
The Crusade speaks for those institutions that,
will train them. That is, the Crusade speaks for
the colleges.
146 THE SCROLL
An Original Rift
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, III.
The body of Christians known variously as "Dis-
ciples of Christ," "The Christian Church," and
"Churches of Christ" is currently suffering an in-
tense discord within its own ranks. Such discord
has periodically been the fate of this body, and has
resulted in at least one substantial schism in the
past. Whether or not the current disturbance will
result in so serious a consequence remains to be
seen. It is not the purpose of this essay to prophesy
the future, but to indicate one aspect of the cause
of the difficulty.
Articles which appeared in the April and May
issues of the Scroll for 1949 have given a character-
ization of one party to the dispute. That party was
denominated a "new Fundamentalism." The asser-
tion that it is new depends upon the fact that the
particular constellation of ideas and practices that
characterizes the body has emerged within relatively
recent times. However, as the earlier articles point-
ed out, the present party is only the current mani-
festation of a general type which has earlier mani-
festations within this body of Christians. The pur-
pose of this essay is to ask the question, "Why {&•
it possible for this general type of party to emerge'
recurrently within the Disciples of Christ?"
A full scale examination of the question would
enter into psychological and sociological causes. In'
every instance of the development of schism, such'
causes are to be found. But the deeper question
which must be asked is whether there is an original
fracture within Disciple thought which tends to aug-
ment rather than to alleviate the psychological and
sociological sources of division. The thesis of this
article is that there is such a rift. It is a rift which
THE SCROLL 147
became apparent so early in the history of this
religious movement that it is virtually possible to
state that it was there from the beginning.
The tragedy of the Disciples of Christ is that they
began with two distinct and contradictory definitions
of church membership. One is the definition of
church membership expressed by Thomas Campbell
in 1809. The other is the definition of church mem-
bership expressed by Alexander Campbell as of
1839. The first is the definition of church member-
ship to be found in the Declaration and Address;
the second is the definition to be found in The Chris-
tian System. In the minds of most Disciples of Christ,
these two documents tend to be taken as earlier and
later expressions of the same point of view. But
they contain a fundamental difference which is no-
where more clearly seen tham in their differing defi-
nitions of church membership."
The Declaration and Address contains its defini-
tion of church membership in the famous first prop-
osition and repeats it in the eighth and ninth prop-
ositions. The first proposition reads, "That the
church of Christ on earth is essentially, intentionally,
and constitutionally one; consisting of all those in
every place that profess their faith in Christ and
obedience to him in all things according to the Scrip-
tures, and that manifest the same by their tempers
and conduct, and of none else as none else can be
truly and properly called Christians." The signifi-
cant point of this definition which is to be brought
into contrast with the definition of The Christian
System is in the clause, "that profess their faith in
Christ and obedience to him ..." In this clause,
the verb "profess" governs both the predicate nouns,
"faith," and "obedience." In other words, thoise
are Christians who have professed faith in Christ
and who have professed obedience to him. The pro-
148 THE SCROLL
fession is not of faith alone, but of faith and obedi-
ence. The "obedience" is a professed obedience.
This does not mean that the profession of obedience
is insincere; on the contrary, it is obviously a sin-
cere profession that is meant. But it does mean
that it is the one professing who judges whether or
not, and in what sense, he is obedient to Christ in all
things according to the Scriptures. It is not those
who hear the profession who make that judgment,
though they obviously have the right to judge upon
the sincerity of the profession by watching for its
expression in terms of the professor's temper and
conduct. In other words, the profession of obedi-
ence and later conduct must have integrity, but the
content of both is to be decided by the professor in
terms of what he believes obedience to Christ to
mean.
What has here been reported from the first prop-
osition of the Declaration and Address is to be found
again in these words from the eighth and ninth prop-
ositions, "... their having a due measure of scrip-
tural self-knowledge respecting their lost and perish-
ing condition by nature and practice ; and of the way
of salvation thro' Jesus Christ, accompanied with
a profession of their faith in, and obedience to him,
in all things according to his word, is all that is abso-
lutely necessary to qualify them for admission into
his church. 9. That all that are enabled to make such
a profession, and to manifest the reality of it in
their tempers and conduct, should consider each
other as precious saints of God . . . Whom God hath
thus joined together no man should dare to put
asunder." These words are quoted to emphasize
that the position of the Declaration and Address is
that the "faith" and "obedience" are both matters of
profession. Thomas Campbell persists in this man-
ner of speaking throughout the "Appendix," whence
THE SCROLL 149
several quotations, particularly from the last eight
pages, might be drawn with equally explicit language
as that exhibited above.
In contrast to the position of the Declaration and
Address which bases church membership in a single
action of profession is the position of The Christian
System which makes two disitinct actions requisite
to church membership. These two actions are a
profession of faith and submission to a ceremony.
The position is most clearly stated in The Christian
System within the essay on the "Foundation of Chris-
tian Union." This essay first appeared in Christian-
ity Restored, published in 1835, but we call it the
position of 1839 since that seems to be the year in
which Alexander Campbell adopted the term SYS-
TEM. The crucial sentences in the essay are these :
"The belief of one fact (that Jesus is the Christ) ,
and that upon the best evidence in; the world, is all
that is requisite, as far as faith goes, to salvation.
The belief of this one fact, and submission to one
institution expressive of it (baptism by immersion) ,
is all that is required of Heaven to admission into
the church." The definition of church membership
here given is precise enough; it has two distinct
requisites; one in the nature of a profession of faith,
and one in the nature of submission to a rite. Just
as precise was the definition of 1809 with its single
requirement of a profession embracing both faith
and obedience.
Did Alexander Campbell recognize that he had
defined the terms of church membership in a man-
ner different from that of the Declaration and Ad-
dress? This is a question that cannot be answered.
He probably thought that he had stayed within the
definition of 1809. But he must have felt some
necessity of stating certain parts of the first prop-
osition in a new way. In The Christian System, in
150 THE SCROLL
the chapter on "The Body of Christ," Alexander
Campbell presents fourteen propoisitions, the second
of which is obviously a re-writing of the first prop-
osition of the Declaration and Address. Alexander
Campbell's version of the proposition runs thus:
"The true Christian church, or house of God, is com-
posed of all those in every place that do publicly
acknowledge Jesus of Nazareth as the true Messiah,
and the only Saviour of men; and, building them-
selves upon the foundation of the Apostles and
Prophets, associate under the constitution which he
himself has granted and authorized in the New
Testament, and are walking in his ordinances and
commandments — and of none else." This re- writing
seems, upon casual glance, to repeat the original
statement of 1809. But on close examination, it
allows the introduction, under the terms of associat-
ing according to a given constitution, of the dual
requirement of a profession and a submission.
Thus it is that the Disciples of Christ inherit,
virtually from their origins, a fundamental rift.
They can appeal in their heritage to either one of
two different definitions of church membership. In
the terms! of one, he is a member who professes faith
and obedience, his own judgment as to whether he is
truly obedient according to the Scriptures sufficing.
In the other definition, he is obedient who professes
faith and submits to immersion.
Contemporary Disciples will have to face the
fact that here isi a fundamental issue. It is a root
of difficulty which constantly feeds into rather than
takes away from the tendency to division which lies
in more contemporary psychological and sociologi-
cal forces. Beset by such a tendency, men can line
up behind one or another of these definitions of
church membership, and, by claiming historical sup-
port, find their division increasing.
THE SCROLL 151
The present writer takes his own stand unequiv-
ocally with Thomas Campbell and the first proposi-
tion of the Declaration and Address. It is only by
accepting each other's professions of faith and obedi-
ence as sincerely as they are made that we can have
the sense and the reality of belonging to one body.
The position of the Declaration and Address does
full justice to both the subjective and objective poles
of our religion. The subjective pole is fully recog-
nized in the fact that our profession alone is re-
quired. The objective pole is equally fully recog-
nized in that it is in and to Jesus that faith and
obedience are professed.
In his later life, Alexander Campbell bemoaned
that his own movement which he had hoped might
lead to Christian unity wasi itself becoming torn
by dissensions. The cause of these dissensions, he
said, was the sinfulness of men. Was not Alexander
Campbell himself the chief sinner? The sixth and
seventh propositions of the Declaration and Address
had asserted that systems are useful, necessary, and
when properly derived "may be truly called the doc-
trine of God's holy word ; yet they are not binding
upon the conscience of Christians further than they
perceive the connection (to Scripture)," and can-
not "be made terms of communion, but do properly
belong to the after and progressive edification of
the church." But Alexander Campbell wrote just
such a SYSTEM. And from that system he took
a systematic definition of church membership. The
supreme assurance of his own righteousness in this
regard is to be found in the preface to the first edi-
tion of The Christian System : "We flatter ourselves
that the principles are now clearly and fully devel-
oped by the united efforts of a few devoted and
ardent minds ..." When men flatter themselves
they are likely to be mistaken about the values of
152 THE SCROLL
what they have accomplished. Four years later, in
the preface of the second edition, Alexander Camp-
bell wrote in more humble vein, "We speak for our-
selves only; and, while we are always willing to
give a, declaration of our faith and knowledge of the
Christian system, we firmly protest against dog-
matically propounding our own views, or those of
any fallible mortal, as a condition or foundation of
church union and co-operation." But the damage
had been done. The first edition of The Christian
System had published abroad a definition of church
membership which, standing beside that given in
the Declaration and Address, constitutes at the be-
ginnings of our movement a rift whose consequences
are so tragically present today. Alexander Camp-
bell performed many great services for the Disciples
of Christ. His failure to appreciate and preserve
the 1809 definition of church membership is a signal
mark of his limitations.
As Many As Will Be Brotherly
Claude E. Cummins
Some of us have been deeply troubled by not being
able to be brotherly with certain individuals and
groups. While we never cease to keep open the gate-
way to fellowship over which we personally have
control there seems to be nothing we can do about
the gate which is closed against us. We need how-
ever, to be sure that our lack of brotherly contact
with these individuals and groups is a result of an
exclusive circle drawn by them. We need contin-
ually tO' draw the circle that takes them in.
Some time ago I received a copy of the Bulletin
issued by the Kentucky Female Orphan's School of
THE SCROLL 153
Midway, Kentucky. This school is far more than a
rescue mission for orphans. It is one of our great
educational ventures and operates a Junior College
which constitutes a part of the fellowship of our
Board of Higher Education. In this bulletin the
pastor of the Midway church used an expression
which intrigues me. He spoke of "A Brotherhood
of Christians." How inclusive is our "Brotherhood
of Christians?"
When the average man among us speaks of "Our
Brotherhood" he has in mind something precisely-
comparable with what a Methodist means when he
says "We Methodists." On the other hand "A
Brotherhood of Christians" can be something far
more inclusive. It can bridge many gaps. Among
Disciples of Christ it can make possible rich and
enriching fellowship across lines of possible separa-
tion drawn by different methods of work, local
church practices, and the training of men for the
ministry.
Do we not also see a "Brotherhood of Christians"
in the coming to our communities of councils of
churches? Is not the meeting together of Christians
of various groups (denominations) in ecumenical
gatherings such a brotherhood? Will not the con-
tinuing of such brotherhood bring about much that
we seek by organization, resolutions and discussion?
The principle involved is that of an agreement to put
the great realities of the Christian faith above party
differences and to resolve to keep the bonds of
brotherhood in spite of separate differences.
But I must still admit that I can't open the other
fellow's gate. He must open it and let me in. I must
be always ready toi open my gate.
Pittsfield, Illinois
Dec. 28, 1949.
154 THE SCROLL
From Lewis Smythe
Nanking, November 19th, 1949
"New Democracy" is the magic word in China
now. On the first of October the People's Republic
of China was inaugurated in Peking. In Nanking,
student workers and government workers paraded
with big pictures of Mao Tze-tung. A few days later
they paraded again in honor of recognition of the
People's Republic by Soviet Russia. But no parade
has reached the high point of enthusiasm that the
students had last April 1st. That may be because the
most enthusiastic leaders are no longer here, having
joined the military campaign in the southwest.
Eighteen delegates went from Nanking to the
People's Political Consultative Conference that set
up the new government. Two of them were Chris-
tians : Dr. Yao Keh-f an of Nanking Central Hos-
pital (municipal government hospital now) and Dr.
Wu Yi-fang, President of Ginling College. Three
Christian leaders from Shanghai also attended : Dr.
Y. T. Wu of the National Christian Council, Mis'S
Cora Teng of the Y.W.C.A., and Dr. T. L. Shen
of Medhurst College. Everybody came back enthusi-
astic over the spirit and attitude of the leaders in
Peking. But at this early stage, the new govern-
ment admits only friendly political parties to par-
ticipation. There is more of a democratic spirit be-
tween workers, peasants, and intellectuals than of
formal, representative government as we know it
in the West.
It was admitted in Peking that the biggest prob-
lem would be to carry out their plans in all parts of
liberated China, that the economic diflficulties would
be tremendous until the fighting could be ended, and
that good leadership would take time to train. Other
visitors from the north report that the ravages of
THE SCROLL 155
last summer's floods are still bad. (If only some
of America's surplus wheat could be made available
to these flood suiferers, as was done in 1931. ) Taxes
of all sorts, that are very high to support the mil-
itary campaign, delay the resumption of full pro-
duction in business lines. Delay in adjustment of
labor disputes interferes with production in fac-
tories where other conditions permit operation. So
while hopes are high the diflSculties this coming year
are tremendous.
Economic difficulties are upon us again, today
reaching panic proportions. A drive for buying up
scrap iron by the government has; recently been
leading to pilfering of manhole covers, iron, gates,
and anything else made of iron. And the unemployed
are still with us.
Bible Institutes and Colleges
"Safe"?
The newly formed Accrediting Association for
Bible Institutes and Bible Colleges requires in its
constitution that its member institutions shall sub-
scribe annually to the following doctrinal statement :
1. We believe that there is one God, eternally
existing in three persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit.
2. We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the
only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
3. We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus
Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life,
in His miracles, in His vicarious death and
atonement through His shed blood, in His
bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the
right hand of the Father, and in His personal
and visible return in power and glory.
156 THE SCROLL
4. We believe that man was created in the image
of God, that he was tempted by Satan and fell,
and that, because of the exceeding sinfulness
of human nature, regeneration by the Holy
spirit is absolutely necessary for salvation.
5. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy
Spirit by Whose indwelling the Christian is
enabled tO' live a godly life, and by Whom the
Church is empowered to carry out Christ's
great commission.
6. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both
the saved and the lost; those who are saved
unto the resurrection of life and those who
are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
Query. Is it possible that there are any institu-
tions among the Disciples of Christ, or the Churches
of Christ, or the Christian Churches, that subscribe
to this statement? It is bad if any of them do, be-
cause they should not subscribe to any "creed," and
certainly not to this one, in this year 1950 ! Please
send information concerning any such institutions
thus "accredited," to The Scroll.
Coe On Schweitzer
Nothing that I have come across in the new mate-
rial on Doctor Schweitzer seems to shed any light
upon the contradictions in his personality to which
letters of mine to you have referred. There may
well be new light in material that I have not read.
The limitations of my eyes necessitate restrictions
upon my reading. Irwin Edman's review of
Schweitzer's Philosophy of Civilization (New York
Times Book Review, October 9) finds a gap between
Schweitzer as philosopher and Schweitzer as hu-
manitarian saint, but Edman does not perceive the
dominant presence of contrary motivations. On the
THE SCROLL 157
whole, it seems to me that there is more rather than
less justification for my claim that some unsatisfied
want has driven him in opposite directions, and
then induced a set of non-logical rationalizations to
make it appear that he has attained a unified per-
sonality. If he were not the multiform genius that
he is, nor the saintly medical missionary, perhaps
the cleft in his personality would be publicly recog-
nized. A halo like his is bright enough to prevent
seeing things !
The capacity of my eyes is insufficient to permit
me the reading of Schweitzer's new book. But Ed-
man's review makes clear that Schweitzer persists
in asserting what he has said before, that civilization
is an offshoot of philosophy. We are only as good
morally as our metaphysics is rational; nay, we are
bound to be good if our metaphysics is rational!
i^ou can guess how this sounds to persons who have
some familiarity with the psychology of valuation.
If I seem to be too persistent in my attempts to pene-
trate Schweitzer's riddle, please consider how his
attitudes, and the glamor of his fame, support the
evasions of current religion, which relies, as he
does, upon having the right philosophy.
I am tempted to compare rationality a la Schweitz-
er with rationality a la our ninety-year old Dewey,
but I desist.
Variety
Reconstruction in Philosophy by John Dewey.
265 pages. $2.75. Published by the Beacon Press, 25
Beacon St., Boston. Readable, believable, indispen-
sable for Disciples.
Old Paths Book Club, 5646 Rockhill Road, Kansas
City, Mo., is publishing an amazing array of old Com-
mentaries by Moses E. Lard, and old debates by Alex-
158 THE SCROLL
ander Campbell at unreduced prices !
E. E. Beckelhymer, Trenton, Mo., writes: I am
enclosing a money order which I hope will put me
up to date until July 1. Just today I read Dr. Ames'
address for the Institute members on Oct. 25th. It
is a fine article for Christmas or aiiy other date in
the year.
Charles Lynn Pyatt, The College of the Bible,
Lexington, Ky. I did greatly enjoy reading your
article, "Persistent Loyalty" in the November issue
of The Scroll ... I am inclined to believe that many
Disciples have an inferiority complex in trying to
face this confused world.
/. A. Lollis, Bowling Green, Ky. I would like for
this card to convey to Dr. Ames my immense grat-
itude for his series of articles on Schweitzer. I re-
cently shared with a club member a program based
on Schweitzer's Life and Thought. My file of The
Scroll saved my part of the program.
C. C. Ware, Wilson, N. C. I am getting ready to
bind my file of The Scroll ... I will have bound the
entire two years, 1949 and 1948, into a beautiful
volume, which I wish you could see as it is put up
on theishelf with a lot of other volumes of The SCROLL,
making a very handsome set covering a goodly num-
ber of years.
F. W. Wiegmann, Irvington, Indianapolis. To
keep The Scroll coming to my desk is worth more
than the three dollars due, so here's the check.
Harold W. Dauer, Chicago. Here is a check for
$3.00 for my dues . . . The articles in The Scroll are
most interesting and inspirational ... I am partic-
ularly interested in Dr. Ames' article, "Persistent
Loyalty" and Rev. Jordan's article, "The Church
Oflftce." I am a business man and Cubmaster of the
Cub Scout Troop 3710 and find these articles ap-
plicable.
THE SCROLL 159
0. Blakely Hill, The Christian Temple, Wellsville,
N. Y. I am enclosing my dues for the current year.
I thoroughly enjoy The Scroll and am proud of my
membership in the Campbell Institute. P.S. Why
don't the members of the Campbell Institute work
for a basis of real union among the Disciples and
other Communions in getting our Brotherhood com-
mitted to open membership?
William F. Clarke, 1853 Wallace Ave., Duluth,
Minn. I am an octogenarian. Half a century ago
I spent six years studying (at Butler) in college
classes with other young men the Bible from the
Greek and Hebrew texts. Since then I have spent
many years in public education. But though that
may help explain' my religious ideas, it does not
establish their truth. Some years ago Ames pub-
lished an article of mine on "Ipse Dixit Religion."
A thing is not true because the Pope or some other
person has said so . . . The minister of the Presby-
terian church I attend has been preaching a series
of sermons on the Ten Commandments. I have con-
tended with him that there is no room for command-
ments in God's service.
L. Dee Warren, Director of Publicity, U.C.M.S.,
222 Downey Ave., Indianapolis. The foreign divi-
sion of the U.C.M.S. announces the transfer of Dr.
and Mrs. George Earle Owen from the Argentine
Mission to the Philippine Mission. Dr. Owen was
born in Virginia, graduated from Bethany College,
received his M.A. from the University of Chicago
through the Disciples Divinity House, the B.D. from
Union Seminary in New York, and the educational
doctorate from Columbia University. Dr. Owen is
at present serving on the staff of A Crusade for a
Christian World until June 30, 1950.
Loivell Earnest Cantrell, 589 Tremont St., Boston,
160 THE SCROLL
Mass. I have just read the November Scroll with a
great deal of pleasure for the most part. I was
impressed with the article, "Persistent Loyalty" as
an up to date apology for the Disciples of Christ . . .
More and more I find myself appreciating my Dis-
ciple background. It is something to be proud of
when one confronts the highly sophisticated apathet-
ic kind of Christianity that is found in many New
England Congregational churches today. I certainly
can't agree with your lack of love for metaphysics
and theology. Neither can Albert Schweitzer whom
you seem to appreciate! ... I want to continue to
receive The Scroll. I also want to thank some one
for sending me the unpaid for copies I have received
this year. They have not gone unread.
(It would be interesting to have Mr, Cantrell, or
anyone else, show that Albert Schweitzer is appre-
ciative of theology! E.S.A.)
A. C. Garnett, University of Wisconsin. In an-
swer to the question. Does the typewriter have spir-
itual value? My answer to your question would be
as follows : Either the term "spiritual" in the ques-
tion given is meaningless, or there is a distinction
between spiritual and non-spiritual values. If such
a distinction is drawn, then the mere leisure and
absence of worry due to the typewriter could not
be classed as an intrinsic value, for it is merely
negative, presenting an opportunity for spiritual
expression or non-spiritual. So presenting an op-
portunity it might be classified as an instrumental
value, but whether instrumental to spiritual or non-
spiritual values would all depend on how the oppor-
tunity is used. Best of good wishes.
Emory Ross, 156 Fifth Ave., New York. Dr. and
Mrs. Albert Schweitzer put foot again on Lambarene
soil in Africa on Friday, November 18th. They have
written at once, even before unpacking their bags,
THE SCROLL 161
to express the deep gratitude in which so many of
their American friends, new and old, are held for
the various kinds of support which have been given
to their lives and work. Dr. Schweitzer has recently
required $3,000 for local needs of the hospital at
Lambarene. Friends have made it possible to send
this to him. At his request we are now ordering
$2,000 worth of drugs in this country.
Harvard's Way
E. S. Ames
Nothing has come to our desk concerning religion
that is more significant than the prospectus issued
recently by the President and Fellows of Harvard
University on "A New Center of Religious Learning
— at Harvard." A carefully appointed commission
has been studying the problem for three years, and
now invites suggestions from alumni and friends
of this greatest of American universities. The in-
quiry is based upon the conviction that a profound
crisis is upon our civilization. "The world has
achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without
conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and
ethical infants. Man is stumbling blindly through
a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious
secrets of life and death."
The crisis is moral and religious even more than
it is political, economic, or technological. Education
is not the answer, knowledge is not enough, and
morality alone is not enough. Some signs of hope
are that church membership is increasing faster
than the population, and that there is a steady growth
of the church unity movement. But there is need
for the study and teaching of religion at the uni-
versity level. State institutions are not permitted
162 THE SCROLL
to teach religion, and denominational schools lack
the resources and vision to adequately train the
ministers and scholarly teachers of religion needed.
There are less than a dozen schools of religion con-
nected with universities that are either non-sec-
tarian in constitution or inter-denominational in
practice. Those at Chicago, Harvard, and Yale,
with Union Seminary at Columbia are the type de-
sired. But Harvard admits that at the present time
it is not equipped to do its part toward the great
need felt.
Emphasis is given to the period when religious
philosophy — not theology — was represented by
Palmer, James, Royce, Santayana, Perry, Hocking
and Whitehead. That tradition in religious philqs-
ophy it is vitally important to continue. It is esti-
mated by the commissioners that the school of re-
ligion contemplated would require a staff of 21, and
endowment of approximately $6,000,000. "We be-
lieve that Harvard should continue to fulfill its own
heritage as the first institution to educate for the
ministry in this part of the world ; to carry out its
national responsibility as a great university; and
tO' accept a role or responsibility to Western Chris-
tendom, by aligning itself vitally and wholeheartedly
with the religious life of the community, the nation,
and the world. Surely Harvard is not indifferent
or unresponsive to the world's desperate need of
moral leadership and spiritual guidance."
I was happy to send my hearty approval of this
statesmanlike survey of Harvard's opportunity and
ability to make a magnificent contribution to vital
religion on a scale, and in a spirit, in keeping with
Harvard's Way in its effective leadership in so many
phases of learning and human life.
Also, I responded to the request for suggestions,
that I hoped the name of this great institution would
THE SCROLL 163
be, "The Harvard School of Religion," and not the
"theological" school, or the "divinity" school. I
have deep seated reasons for objecting to the word
theology and its derivatives. Theology belongs to
the era and to the state of mind that gave us "astrol-
ogy" and "alchemy" with "numerology" and other
terms that have become meaningless. "Philosophy
of Religion" stands to theology as astronomy to
astrology, and as chemistry to alchemy. The falla-
cies and foolishness of astrology are well- shown in
what Life Magazine for January 2, 1950, page 4,
reports as to an astrologer's prognostications con-
cerning Baby Shaw, first born of the 20th century !
Review by W. E. Garrison
CHRISTIAN CENTURY DECEMBER 28, 1949
Religion. By Edward Scribner Ames. Third
printing. John 0. Pyle, 8841 Leavitt St., Chicago 20,
$3.00. This very important study of the fundamental
characteristics and concepts of religion, and of its
place among other human interests, has been out
of print for several years. It was first published
(Henry Holt & Co.) in 1929. The present reprint is
from the original plates. Dr. Ames has the advan-
tage of viewing religion from two standpoints. When
the book was written he had been for nearly 30 years
the minister of a thriving and growing church and,
simultaneously for that entire time, a professor of
philosophy in the University of Chicago. Further,
his early teaching and researches in psychology and
the writing of his Psychology of Religious Experi-
ence had carried him also into the field of cultural
anthropology. His point of view is that of a non-
super naturalistic interpretation of man and the
cosmos. It is fairer to call it that than to call it either
naturalistic or humanistic. The author rejects the
164 THE SCROLL
concept of a two-story universe in which the natural
and the supernatural are sharply separated except
as the supernatural has occasionally broken through
into the world of natural law and science. But the
"natural" and the "human" are, for him, so rich
in spiritual significance and potentiality that the
connotation of those terms is not bounded by their
dictionary definitions. This does not mean that
there are no sharp issues between Ames' views and
those of most orthodox theologians. There are
plenty. Even those who differ with him radically
will be, or should be, glad to have this work in print
again, for there has been no better statement of the
position which it represents, none that includes such
an appreciation of the values of personal and insti-
tutional religion, and few with such charm of style.
Illness
(Written circa A.D. 842, by Po Chii-I, when he was
paralyzed)
Dear friends, there is no cause for so much
sympathy.
I shall certainly manage from time to time to
take my walks abroad.
All that matters is an active mind, what is the
use of feet?
By land one can ride in a carrying-chair; by
water, be rowed in a boat.
— From "Translations from the Chinese*'
hy Arthur Waley, puh. by Knopf.
Jacob H. Goldner, pastor of the Euclid Avenue
Christian Church in Cleveland from 1900 to 1945,
passed away suddenly on December 31, 1949. He
was 78, a graduate of Hiram, and was called to
Euclid Avenue after two years in the Disciples
House, Chicago. He was a loyal member of the
Campbell Institute. His was a great and fruitful
Ministry.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII FEBRUARY, 1950 No. 6*
The Times Are Ripe
E. S. Ames
In the south window of our breakfast room we
planted some bulbs in flower pots three weeks ago,
and now O'ut of what seemed just black earth
miracles are happening-. Within a week, from the
buried bulbs green sprouts appeared through the
black soil. Every morning we noticed with delight
that they had pushed upward through the night, and
yesterday, at a foot in height, the green stems of
the narcissus plant bore beautiful white flowers,
delicate, fragrant and spotless. Our hopes were ful-
filled, and new life radiated through the room. The
other bulbs are repeating the miracle of life.
Three hundred years ago there began a new move-
ment in the soil of human thought. It sprang from
seed sown centuries ago by the great teacher who
gave the parable of the Sower. From the tireless
processes of sowing and reaping, new growths
flowered and enriched the earth. Some seeds were
transplantd to the rich, virgin soil of this new conti-
nent of America. Eager souls watched for signs
of the awakening of the new ideas which might
spring from the transplanted stock. In the new
environment many striking developments appeared.
Old bodies, long confined to the same habitat, put
forth novel branches. Others burdened by dead and
tangled limbs, fell under the weight of confus-
ing winds of doctrine and the prunings of free
thought. The energy of a different climate, and
freedom from old restraints, contributed to unac-
customed forms of institutions and beliefs.
Thomas Campbell, and the husbandmen who
worked with him in the newly discovered vineyard.
I.asi iiKiiitli's issue slimild have lieen No. 5.
166 THE SCROLL
were thrilled with expectations of unprecedented
developments. Little congregations were budding
promises of a new order of religious life. They
sought to preserve and strengthen whatever was
essential to the growth of the plant that grew
from the parent seed, and to uproot and discard
whatever was alien or inimical to that growth. It
was not long until their faith was rewarded by the
sight of growing groups of happy men and women
conscious of unfettered freedom, in a free state
and in a free fellowship. There was no compulsion
in the faith they professed. It was the spontaneous
faith of love for Jesus Christ. The power and gen-
tleness of their faith made them one. That was the
flower they desired, and they believed it could be
cultivated in any group that would plant the seed
of it in their hearts and faithfully tend and care
for it.
That was their first great religious discovery.
No significant group had ever tried it before, at
least not in this modern world. In the ancient
world, under the impact of the warming sun that
shone upon them, multitudes felt themselves to be
brothers and comrades because they were brothers
and comrades of Christ. But the simplicity of
that faith, and the union that arose from it, was
lost because men did not fully trust it. Instead
they undertook to force conformity. They devised
pathways for thought, patterns for devotion, and
limits for imagination. Spontaneity was inhib-
ited. The child mind, with its freshness and
promise was suspect. Fiction and drama were
dangerous. A straight gate and a narrow way alone
could give safety and direction. The idea of a natu-
ral, happy love of Jesus as the unifying influence
among his devoted and isincere followers seemed
lax and divisive. To the conventionally orthodox
THE SCROLL 167
mind, it was necessary to have laws and rules
drawn from the highest authority to attain unity
and religious efficiency. If men were given free-
dom of thought in matters of citizenship, society
would lose order. That was the judgment the old
monarchical systems passed upon American de-
mocracy. It seemed to lack all structure because it
did not depend upon external authority and upon
severe punishment for transgression of that au-
thority. It was the same attitude in religion that
made adherents of the old denominations regard
the Disciples as a dangerous latitudinarian, or even
as an antinomian, group that could not hold togeth-
er without more rigid bonds of doctrine and dis-
cipline.
Not all Disciples clearly grasped the attitude of
Thomas Campbell, nor do they today. There was a
"rift" even in the mind of his son Alexander who,
at times, slipped into the old legalism from which
he so nearly freed himself. His answer to the fa-
mous "Lunenberg Letter" is the often quoted evi-
dence of his real emancipation. This answer should
be familiar to every Disciple, and especially to every
student for the ministry. It shows the resurgence
of the mind of Thomas Campbell. He saw that the
only basic and saving principle in the teaching of
Jesus is love, and love is not a doctrine but an
attitude.
The attempt to enforce unity is divisive. The per-
mission of differences is unifying. Differences
conscientiously held in a spirit of goodwill give
promise of growth. They do not portend dead uni-
formity. They are indications of active, searching
inquiry for light. Human spirits, like plants, seek
light, and the light brings flower and fruit in the
course of nature. In this process emerges a mar-
168 THE SCROLL
velous variety of beauty, in form and color, in
substance and vitality.
In our cooperative thinking these principles have
received new emphasis and clarity. Dean Blake-
more, in the April SCROLL, 1949, revealed an im-
portant difference between the Old Orthodoxy and
the New Fundamentalism. Both made faith in
Christ essential to membership in the Church, but
the former required no definition in doctrinal terms
of that faith, while the new fundamentalism did
demand that the candidate explain in what sense he
regarded Jesus as divine. Dean Blakemore says:
"Originally, as our founders recognized, the fellow-
ship of the Christian church was based upon per-
sonal loyalty to Jesus expressed in the simplest
terms. . . . During the early centuries of Christi-
anity, another basis of membership developed with-
in the churches and finally became universal. Church
membership was based upon conformity to a state-
ment of belief, a creed. The genius of the Camp-
bells and Stone lay in their recognition that this
procedure, which had become classical in Protes-
tantism, exactly reversed the original relationship
between fellowship and belief. They effected a
'Copernican Revolution,' and restored the primitive
way. ... If we will give primary allegiance to the
Christian fellowship and only secondary allegiance
to our own interpretations of doctrinal matters, we
can exist in Christian unity. . . . Doctrinal matters
can be fruitfully discussed only after the establish-
ment of Christian fellowship, and within the at-
mosphere which it affords. The original and con-
tinuing promise of this insight was Christian unity
and release from centuries of division arising out
of differing creeds and beliefs. This recognition
that the whole doctrinal apparatus of the church
THE SCROLL 169
belongs after the establishment of fellowship was
the thing that made us from the start a non-sec-
tarian body."
Another approach to an understanding of the non-
dogmatic position of the Disciples of Christ is set
forth in an interesting article by Dean A. T. De-
Groot of Texas Christian University, in the Chris-
tian-Evangelist of January 25, 1950. The subject
is, Slavery is a Matter of Opinion. There could
scarcely be a more crucial subject on which to make
a test question as to how much liberty of opinion
was allowed by the Disciples without breaking the
bonds of church membership. "The Disciples of
Christ were the only church people of large num-
bers in the United States who were not divided in
any formal way by the slavery issue and the Civil
War." They had at the time of the War, 829 churches
in the South and 1241 in the North. Their political
loyalties were strong in both camps. "Into the caul-
dron of growing bitterness between North and
South, Alexander Campbell repeatedly poured the
soothing slogan compounded of Scripture, historic
insight, and common sense. Slavery is a matter of
opinion," he asserted.
It is a curious fact that the Disciples came to
accept human slavery as a matter of opinion over
which they should not divide but at the same time
could not generally enough leave organ playing in
church in the realm of opinion, and thus prevent
the separation of the Churches of Christ (half a
million or more) from the Disciples of Christ (con-
tinuing with more than a million) . Here is a para-
dox too tragic to accept complacently !
The second half of Dr. DeGroot's article opens
problems of the gravest sort for the Disciples to-
day. He interprets the slogan about slavery being a
I
170 THE SCROLL
matter of opinion, if I understand him, that "ethics
is a matter of opinion in Christianity." He says,
"Is Pacifism, or atomic bombing of civilian popu-
lations, a matter of opinion? The answer is Yes.
Consecrated Christians are honestly divided on the
issue. The New Testament has no dogmatic teach-
ing about participation or non-participation in
atomic-age war. This being the case, pacifists have
no right to refuse fellowship to honest militarists,
and the latter equally may not disfellowship the
former. Is capitalism or socialism the Christian
economic program? The answer is a matter of
opinion. . . . The same answer must be given to
fundamental queries in methods of penology, segre-
gation of races, organization of labor, equal rights
for women, and other serious issues in our society."
Dr. DeGroot does not think this leaves us moral-
ly bankrupt or without guidance. But the applica-
tion of tolerance, and maintenance of church fel-
lowship in spite of differences is not easy. He says :
"We miust face the full implication of this historic
slogan. It would mean, for example, that should
■a man become convinced today that human slavery
is the will of God and should be reinstituted, his
opinion must be respected as far as fellowship in
the church is concerned. This is the necessary
chance that an open and changing and growing
society must take. The new claimant of slavery, how-
ever, himself must recognize the opinion status of
his belief — and be willing to take the consequences
under the law for his new belief. So it is with the
pacifist, the advanced economist, the feminist, and
all other cells on the growing edge of the plant that
we call Christian society."
Thoughtful readers will raise questions about
this position. One of them will likely be, If the Dis-
]
i
THE SCROLL 171
ciple position that slavery is an opinion "compound-
ed of Scripture, historic insight, and common
sense," is Scripture ever independent of historic
insight, and common sense? Is opinion, when care-
fully guarded by Scripture, historic insight, and
common sense, the ultimate authority? Is this the
principle to which the author refers in the last para-
graph of his most interesting article when he says :
"The glory of this principle is that, honestly re-
spected, it will make of the church the 'blessed
society' indeed, the goal of sober men's fond hopes,
a colony of heaven in the midst of earth and its flux.
This slogan (slavery is a matter of opinion) may
prove to be the most original of all that the Resto-
ration Movement has contributed tO' Christian
thought." This enthusiasm seems to mean that by
attaining this position, the Disciples of Christ have
reached a secure basis of union and irrefragible
fellowship. So be it!
There are two historic positions by which a valid
basis of union has been sought. One is that Christi-
anity may be kept free from concrete, specific
social problems. Let the church be the church is
its injunction. That seems to be what Benjamin
Franklin meant when he said, "One of the most
sublime evidences that Christianity is from God,
is found in the fact of its non-interfering spirit
with any of the secular institutions, civil govern-
ments and administrations of any country in the
world, whether good or bad." The other position
is that of "taking sides" but allowing that the other
side may be taken in good conscience without break-
ing fellowship. In this way the unity of forbear-
ance, patience, and much practical cooperation
may be maintained. Neither method is simple in
application but those who have advocated and fol-
lowed liberal social opinion have paid the higher
172 THE SCROLL
price in suffering ostracism, and misunderstanding.
This discussion leads eventually into the question
of truth and authority. The tendency has been in
practically all denominations to regard it essential
to set up standards of belief and conduct as absolute
and 'unchangeable. That has given rise to "heresies"
and divisions. The Disciples have been relatively
free from both of these blemishes on the church.
They have been "practical" and experimental peo-
ple. Progress has been achieved by an experi-
mental method, notably with reference to the organ,
missionary societies, education, church architec-
ture, social reforms, politics, economics, recreation,
marriage and divorce, church membership, and in-
terdenominational cooperation. They have sought
to be "reasonable" in these things, not on the basis
of abstract reason of some fixed authority, but
rather by means of a reasonableness of experience
and Christian good will. "By their fruits," acts of
this kind of reasonableness are known, more than
by logical demonstration in the usual sense of logic.
The Times Are Ripe for this kind of religion.
It is symbolized by the growth of flowers in the
window ledge, and in the garden and field. Think
of the miracles that have been wrought by this
method in the development by Burbank of the
chrysanthemums, by Charles Darwin, De Vries, and
Mendel, in their specialties! There are abundant
illustrations of the principle in child care, medicine,
psychology, in missionary work and religious edu-
cation. There are signs that the Disciples are com-
ing to clearer consciousness of their unique place
in the unfolding of a vital, reasonable, unifying, and
appealing, empirical interpretation of Christianity.
The Times Are Ripe for its reception, and it is
obligatory upon all who discern the signs of the
1
THE SCROLL 173
times to share in the processes that really make for
the growth of union in the hearts of all men. The
great need is not so much for numbers, or wealth,
as for understanding and a right spirit.
The Crisis Theology
W. M. Forrest, Cuckoo, Va.
"The harvest of a quiet eye" has brought me of
late a rich store. Such is part of the reward of
retirement after years of busy activity; a garner-
ing in of the fruits of other men's toil in fields
whereon one has spent no labor. Theology is a
field in which a life time of study and teaching of
matters religious has taken me for only scant and
occasional gleanings. Hence it seemed that some
time spent on the New^ Theology that has been re-
ceiving large attention especially since the latest
great war might be interesting. That is where "a
quiet eye" has been unobtrusively observing.
Picking up an amateur knowledge of what such
new theologians as Kark Barth, Emil Brunner and
Reinhold Niebuhr were doing with the teaching
of their distinguished forerunner S. A. Kierke-
gaard (1813 to 1855) was not difficult. It was not
astonishing to find that they were like all meta-
physical thinkers from the dawn of human history
in finding deep mystery, seemingly insoluble prob-
lems, and apparent paradoxes in the universe. Nor
was it strange that their most devoted studies and
honestly declared conclusions brought them into
conflict, not only with the teachings of the old
theology, but also with many of the findings of their
fellow travelers in the new paths they were all seek-
ing.
One refreshing thing soon apparent in the con-
flict between the champions of the neo-orthodoxy
174 THE SCROLL
and of the old order was the general courtesy and
judicial fairness with which they treated one an-
other. Gone were the bitterness and scurrility that
characterized, for instance, the controversy of the
early years of the Protestant Reformation. Martin
Luther and Sir Thomas More could bawl at their
opponents like London fish-wives, seeking to defend
the pure and shining truths of the gospel by plaster-
ing one another with the nauseous filth of the
gutter. There seems to be no disposition among
them to subject their opponents to the penalties
visited upon heretics in the Puritan colonies, nor to
revive the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, nor
kindle anew the fires that the great Oalvin was
content to have consume Servetus merely because
of a difference between them respecting the Trinity.
On both sides of the profound questions dealt
with by different schools of theology there are deep
convictions, and a willingness to "contend earnest-
ly for the faith." But as distinguished from the
temper of the ancients, and from the vituperation
of modern emotional champions of fundamentalism
there seems to have been a happy deliverance. True,
there is not perfection in this respect. Where is
there in human relations? Barth and B'runner not
only make charges against each other, though both
of the new school, they and others sometimes speak
in apparent anger of opposing thinkers. But the
new world of serious scholars has learned the way
of the Lord more perfectly than the contenders of
the old order knew it. John Stuart Mill, "On the
Liberty of Thought and Discussion" has stated with
profound wisdom the rules of proper controversy.
He concludes that noble treatise with words that
every Christian debater should observe, and adds:
"This is the real morality of public discussion ;
and if often violated, I am happy to think that
THE SCROLL 175
there are many controversialists who to a great
extent observe it, and a still greater number
who conscientiously strive toward it."
A second discovery made in my study of the new
theology was not so comforting. It seemed to hark
back to an ancient and hoary tenet of theology that
finds classical expression in the Genesis account of
the Fall of Man and the consequent universal
doctrine of original sin. Perhaps the biblical story
may be to them, or some of them, not history but
fable conveying a profound truth. But even as
treated by Niebuhr in his excellent "Faith and
History" (Scribner's 1949) he seems to over-em-
phasize the effects that both ancient and recent
heredity play in hum'an sin. Is there not in the
new theology generally a denial of the possibility
of normal human advance because of original sin?
Only by some such miracle as was to meet eternal-
ly condemned sinners at the mourner's bench, it
would seem that they could be snatched from doom
by the Holy Ghost. Despite all the inheritance of
our animal nature, and the all encompassing evil
of our environment is it not true that the will to
salvation can make possible its attainment. Or
are we doomed to perpetual failure if no individual
miracle comes in answer to our piteous crying to
God to relent?
Which leads to a third and closely related matter.
One of the characteristics of democratic revolutions
has been a firm belief in human perfectability. It
stands out prominently in the writings of Thomas
Jefferson and our whole school of the writers of
his period. Given a fair chance free from political
oppression, men were to advance higher and higher
towards perfection. With the marvelous develop-
ment of science and technology our scale of living
176 THE SCROLL
in our own democracy seemed to confirm that be-
lief. The Church as well as secular society held
that humanity was on the march spiritually as
materially. Day by day in many ways, if not in
every way, the world was getting better and better.
Human history would eventuate in a world wherein
dwelt righteousness. The kingdom of heaven was
on the way. If advancement seemed at times to be
going in a circle bringing it back to barbarian evil,
it was actually moving upon a spiral, mounting
ever higher and higher.
Then came total war not only sweeping away the
material advancement of millions of people, but
unleashing in a highly cultured race demonic savag-
ery that seemed to prove a delusion all the dreams
of perfectability. The chaos and despair resulting
plunged into a slough of pessimism the children of
light. Loudly has been proclaimed the death of
liberalism. All the dreams of spiritual and moral
attainment in the victorious march of man have
been supposed to vanish. That has led to an in-
tensifying of superstition, emotional religion,
notions of adventism, and apocalyptic cataclysms
that are never dead in the world. Its apostles hold,
and convince many supposedly intelligent people,
that salvation is not to come from the stable forms
of Christianity with their learning and power, but
from a sort of crazy fringe of minor sects whose zeal
and phrensy will bring to earth a divine conqueror
to destroy the hated liberals and lead the righteous
to glory.
There is nothing astonishing in all that so far
as the relatively unlearned are concerned. The amaz-
ing thing is that the highly intelligent advocates of
the new theology champion similar views. Read
Niebuhr's "Faith and History" and see. It is a
notable book, containing much truth, finely and
THE SCROLL 177
thoughtfully expressed. But it repudiates all hope
of a happy outcome of the course of history. It
walls man in with despair except as he is to give
up all effort of his own to escape the consequences
of the inherited disease of sin and be cured by the
miracle of grace.
That such teaching plays into the hands of all
opposers of an enlightened liberalism is unfortu-
nate. But, worse than that, it threatens to cut the
cord binding man to belief in human freedom of
the will and moral responsibility. Independent stu-
dents of the new theology have repeatedly called at-
tention to the relation of its teaching to ethics. Es-
pecially has H. D. Lewis, Professor of Philosophy,
University College of North Wales, dealt with it
admirably and succinctly in his, "Morals and the
New Theology" (Harper and Brothers). As the
"Manchester Guardian" puts it, "This is a power-
ful and closely reasoned attack on the ethical views
of some of the best known theologians of the day,
particularly Barth, Brunner and Niebuhr." If we
are to go back to the helplessness of the sinner as
stripped of all power of initiative both in good and
evil and therefore of all responsibility that could
really make him a sinner, we better leave our
new guides and return to the mourner's bench.
There remains now for notice the most extra-
ordinary feature of the neo-orthodoxy. It is the
revolt against reason, claiming the right to ignore
rational principles. Here one needs to tread softly
if not fully initiated into its method of procediire,
and more especially if one is like myself in being
only a novice in any system of theology whatever.
In all fairness it must be freely admitted that ration-
alism has often been a foe to faith, that reason
may exalt itself in vain-glorious pride against God,
178 THE SCROLL
and that even Paul, the most rational of all the
New Testament writers, registered a powerful pro-
test against the vaunted wisdom of his- day both
as manifested in pagan philosophy and in Christian
speculations. That, however, is far from justifying
the setting of faith and reason in irreconciling op-
position to each other, and claiming faith to be true
in proportion to its contradiction of reason. To
the extent that the Barthians challenge the com-
petence of reason to deal with faith they make un-
intelligible any system of theology whatever, since
none can be fashioned nor understood save by
rational study. It is something like the old saying,
"When Berkeley says there is no matter, then it
is no matter what he says."
This phase of the new theology has been so fairly
examined, so clearly stated, and so ably answered
in Harold DeWolf's, 'The Religious Revolt Against
Reason" (Harper Brothers 1949) that everyone
interested in the movement to any degree should
read it. In all the record of religious controversy
it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a
finer example of objective treatment of opponents
than Professor DeWolf's. With no rancor or biting
sarcasm, and almost a leaning over backwards in
stating the teachings from Kierkegaarde to Nie-
biihr, an example of fairness is displayed that would
be a reason for reading the book if there were none
other. As DeWolf's former teacher. Professor
Brightman, has said, "Your treatment to Soren
Kierkegaard is so objective as almost to convince
even me that he is right." The charges against rea-
son, reason's defense, objections to irrationalism,
and reason and faith are set forth in a series of
chapters thus designated. This gives a treatment,
both negative and positive, of the new movement
that it merits by reason of its devotion to its task,
THE SCROLL 179
and the large influence it is wielding in a world
desperately seeking guidance in its present crisis.
The statement I have made that neo-orthodoxy's
revolt against reason is the most extraordinary
thing about it, can best be justified by recognizing
the revolters as amongst the most highly educated
and the most keenly rational defenders of their po-
sition in the modern world. In theory they repudi-
ate reason as a means of finding God or faith in
him, and then they resort to reason to prove they
are right. Such repudiation is not new among the
religious who are illiterates in philosophy, theology,
science and history, as well as among the strictly
unlettered. But in the end, when Christianity ceases
to command "a reasonable service" however en-
thusiastic, or its devotees no longer can "give a
reason for the hope" that is theirs however emo-
tional their answer, or God's children no longer re-
spond to the call, "Come, let us reason together,"
humanity has reached an ultimate bankruptcy.
True, the perfectability of humanity may be over-
stressed ; true, the believers in an automatic
progress that would soon land all men in a Utopia
has met a rude shock ; true, that liberalism has been
overtaken by inherent faults ; true, that faith comes
by revelations to its seers. But the hope of a king-
dom of God on earth is still possible to thoie
who seek to "go on to perfection." And the faith
that God's great plan in history will be worked
out is a tenable belief. And we need but to seek
with all our powers of will and mind the God who
"has not left himself without witness" in every
generation. His revelation is always available to
man and nations according to their capacity to re-
ceive, and not dependent upon God's favoritism or
caprice, nor upon irrationality or sycophancy.
180 THE SCROLL
The new theology like the old has its virtues and
its faults. Let us "prove all things and hold fast
that w^hich is good. Ponder this last w^ord which is
De Wolf's, "Faith without reason is at best fanati-
cism and at worst insanity."
Edward McShane Waits
Perry Gresham, Detroit, Mich.
The library of Edward McShane Waits tells a
story of diverse interests and broad culture. His
easy friendship with the literati included such op-
posites as Plato and Irvin Cobb. Few men have
committed to memory as much worthy poetry. Vast
sections of Browning, Tennyson, Milton or Mat-
thew Arnold would appear in his public addresses
with such facile quotation that the President be-
came the incarnation of the literature he loved. His
phrasing had a poetic turn. His words lured the
imagination of his hearers to distant scenes, bright
landscapes, human concerns and moral ventures.
His salient success as President of a growing
college through its most difficult depression days
resulted largely from his character, his capacity for
friendship, and his inveterate purpose. When in-
come from endowments diminished alarmingly just
at the time when some other so'urces of revenue
vanished the stout integrity and self-sacrificing
attitude of the leader held the faculty together ard
kept the institution at a respectable academic level.
His friends among the leaders of business, industry,
church and agriculture generously supported the
recovery which came with surprising rapidity. In
the darkest hour when salaries were slashed ard
projects' were abandoned a frightened colleague
queried, "What shall we do?" The skipper made
brave answer in the lines of Tennyson,
THE SCROLL 181
" my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.
Though much is taken, much abides; and
though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are,
we are, . . .
One equal tem.per of heroic hearts.
Made weak by time ar.d fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield."
No wonder one of his most able faculty mem-
bers, Rebecca Smith, quoted a student as saying, "We
just took him. fcr granite."
He was a genius at companionship. Counsel from
his deans, professors, students or constituents was
always welcome. There was no ego involvement to
make him touchy. He never yielded to the defen-
siveness of insecurity or the pretense to om-
nisc'ence. He was equally at home with a Pan-
handle freshman or Julian Huxley who was a per-
sonal friend. He regaled his guests with engaging
conversation brightened with humor. He was de-
lightfiily detached and yet vitally concerned. He
could "see life steady and see it whcle."
The city of Fort Worth honored him as its out-
standing citizen and wrote his name in the city's
Bcok of Golden Deeds. His colleagues of the minis-
try honored him with high offices in the church and
cherished his genial presence at all the conventions.
His tall Texas tales made him a sensation at the
sports as-emblies and gridiron banquets. He fol-
lowed the athletic conquests of TCU from coast to
coast. He had the complete confidence of the men
of business and industry who gave guidance to
182 THE SCROLL
the fabulous economy of the Southwest. His fellow
educators held him in affectionate regard. He knew
how to give and receive friendship.
Stories of his high good humor and massive in-
tegrity will linger. The annals of the school to
which he gave his life are replete with references
to his pioneering. His brilliant English Professor
daughter renews his influence by speech, pen and
presence. Those of us who knew and loved him re-
flect his personality. The reasonable and practical
religion which he lived and taught has been given
to history and a myriad "lives made better by his
presence." By God's grace the excellent is the per-
manent !
Where Lincoln Looks
Arthur Azlein, Hyattsville, Md.
It was a hot, moist, late summer night in Wash-
ington, the nation's capital. A brief, but violent
thunder storm had crashed through the city, trying
every window, every door, and demanding homage
from every tree.
As I stepped from the doorway of my hotel and
looked up at the dark sky, silent flashes of lightning
spread their warning on the clouds. Were they
the rear guard of the passing storm, or the portents
of one yet to come? I could not tell. But the city
was chastened. Its feverish activities were tempo-
rarily subdued and it was cleansed. Its wet pave-
ments glistened under the street lamps.
I got into my car and rolled down the windows.
A drive in the damp night air would be refreshing.
I started the motor, turned on the' lights, and eased
away from the curb. I had no destination. I would
just ride for a little while down this broad, quiet
street and turn back when I felt like it.
J
THE SCROLL 183
But presently the street ended abruptly in one
of those curious, peculiarly Washingtonian traffic
circles that make such excellent depositories for
huge statuary and baffle the uninitiated motorist.
I remembered that someone had told me these
circles were planned to aid in the defense of the
city. Cannon pivoted in the center of the area could
command all the streets that converged upon this
hub. I grunted my disapproval of such an an-
achronism in the Atomic Age and stretched my neck
in an attempt to read the street markers set high
on the lamp posts. "Pennsylvania Avenue." This
would do as well as any other. Somewhere along
this broad avenue was the White House and beyond
that the Capitol. It might be interesting to see them
at night, freshly washed by the rain.
Traffic was returning to its normal volume after
the storm, and the tires of passing cars hissed on
the slippery street. The gongs of street cars sound-
ed their impatient warnings.
I came upon the White House suddenly. To my
surprise, the building was totally dark, the win-
dows naked and hollow. Then I remembered. The
White House was closed for repairs. The President
and his family were living in Blair House. (That
must have been the brightly lighted house I had
just passed and failed to recognize — the house
with the long canopy stretching from the curb to
the doorway, and uniformed guards standing by) .
I turned into the street along the east of the
White House and followed it down to the Elipse
Beyond, through the trees, was the flood-lighted
base of the Washington Monument set upon a rise
of ground. I drove toward it.
From the top of Washington Monument, I am
told, one can see to the farthest limits of the city
184 THE SCROLL
and its sprawling suburbs. One can see how huge
this great center of government has become, spill-
ing over its older boundaries and still expanding
rapidly. And one can see the three buildings that
symbolize the basic institutions of American govern-
ment: the Capitol, the White House, and the Su-
preme Court Building. Up there the scene is whole;
down here on the street the forest of buildings,
large and small — but all presumably subordinate
in importance — blocks and confuses the view.
I stopped the car and looked - eastward toward
the Capitol. It was not dark like the White House!
From dome to foundation it was flooded with light.
But it, too, was undergoing repairs. The faint out-
lines of scaffolding and derricks were visible above
the Senate Chamber .and the House. The Congress
of the United States was getting a new roof, new
ceilings !
I turned toward the west. There, beyond the
long reflecting pool stood the quiet Lincoln Me-
morial. I drove toward it. Amongst all these mon-
uments and symbols of a great nation, it is some-
times difficult to avoid seeing symbolism in even
the most prosaic things. And as I proceeded toward
the Memorial I could not dismiss the thought that
there was a special significance about the repair-
ing of the White House and the Capitol. A new
roof, new ceilings on Congress, but a complete
overhauling of the White House on stouter foun-
dations ! Was the nation pinning its hopes on a
stronger executive and a more limited Congress?
Was the rapid growth of the Capital the result of
the expansion of the legislative branch of the gov-
ernment, or the judicial, or the executive?
As I parked the car near the Memorial, I saw
the sharp flashes of lightning from a new storm
THE SCROLL 185
approaching- the city. At this season, I was told,
one must expect many sudden storms in Wash-
ington.
Behind the tall, fluted columns of the Memorial,
the giant statue of Lincoln was bathed in a serene,
quiet light. What would Lincoln think of this swollen
city, this troubled nation, if he could see them
now? What would he say to a people who strength-
ened the foundations of the White House and put a
new roof on the Capitol?
I looked up to the marble figure seated in the
flag draped chair. Above him the lightning grew
brighter as the storm drew nearer. And Lincoln
looked calmly, thoughtfully, hopefully toward the
Capitol.
People — Places — Events
"Disciples Poet-Laureate"
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Ind.
The time was yesterday — the place a restaurant
in Chicago Loop — the people were preachers and
wives — the event was the gathering of these
people to do honor to the poet-laureate of the Dis-
ciples of Christ. However, you cannot build a fence
around this distinguished gentleman for if a poll
should be taken across our land concerning the most
popular living poet the name of Thomas Curtis
Clark would stand at the top.
A New Year's Luncheon is an annual gathering-
of Disciples in Chicago but this year the occasion
had special significance because poet Clark had
promised to be present and read some of his poems.
His great humility and his busy career have made
him a hard man to line up for such an occasion.
He could always find a good reason for refusing
to be present if he thought the spotlight was to
186 THE SCROLL
be turned on him. Since he is now in semi-retire-
ment he finds a little more time for social functions.
Dr. Kenneth Bowen, master of ceremonies, in in-
troducing the speaker of the day stated that Mr.
Clark has been writing poems across many decades
and although during this time we have had two
world wars this poet has never written a pessi-
mistic poem. Previous to the presentation of the
speaker Mr. Bowen presented the poet's wife. Mrs.
Clark stated that when they were married in 1910
the officiating minister said to Mr. Clark, "Tom
your poetry writing days are over." Mrs. Clark
then gave the amazing story of the hundreds of
poems written and the many anthologies which her
husband has produced since 1910. This proves that
one minister was a false prophet but it also proves
that the gracious lady has been an inspiration and
co-partner in all these achievements.
In informal fashion Thomas Curtis Clark told of
his boyhood days when he disliked poetry — of those
years spent in Indiana University and the Uni-
versity of Chicago — of his experience as a teacher
of high school Latin — of his four months as a
singing evangelist — of his call from J. H. Garrison
to join the staff of the Christian Evangelist — and
of his more than a quarter of a century on the edi-
torial staff of the Christian Century.
It is Mr. Clark's conviction that good poetry not
only carries a message but the message sticks in
the mind much longer than the same message writ-
ten in prose. He facetiously explains that it was the
shortness of his poems that made them popular.
He says they have been used by the Christian
Century and other publications because the poems
were just the right length to fill a required space
in the paper. Even though their publication may
THE SCROLL 187
have been quickened by their brevity, many of us
know that these poems have lived because they con-
tained a vital message for mankind.
It is interesting to know that this poet's most
quoted poem was written during a cold winter when
the family was compelled to live in the kitchen for
several weeks. It was also a time when the poet
was in great mental stress due to the illness of
his father. It was at such a time that Thomas
Curtis Clark gave us "God's Dreams." During World
War I an airplane flew over the battle front of
Europe to drop on American soldiers copies of one
of Mr. Clark's poems. Another poem of his found
its way into Australian text books and created quite
a controversy among the newspapers and people
about the social implications of that poem.
Mr. Clark eschews the vario^us systems of theol-
ogy but thinks he perhaps has a theology all his
own. He called upon Dr. Charles Clayton Morri-
son to read one of his poems "The Prayer of Praise."
When Dr. Morrison had finished with the read-
ing no one had any doubt about the theology of
the poet. Not only every line but every word over-
flowed with the message of "The majesty and good-
ness of God." Dr Morrison's reading brought to a
fitting climax this delightful event.
Thomas Curtis Clark is the product of the manse.
He gives much credit for his success to his preacher
father and his 'preacher's-wife' mother. (His mother
is living and is far in her nineties.) While Tom
Clark would deny being a preacher yet where is there
a Disciple minister that has spoken to more hearts
than has our poet-laureate? Down through the years
to come his poems will go singing on their way and
our pathways will be made brighter by their singing.
God be praised for great souls like Thomas Curtis
Clark. v.
188 THE SCROLL
Harold Lunger Leaves Chicago
J. J. Van Boskirk
Harold L. Lunger, for eleven years minister of
the Austin Boulevard Christian Church, Oak Park,
will close his ministry there March 12 to take up
a new work with the First Christian Church of
Tucson, Arizona. His is the third longest ministry
on record in that church, being exceeded by that of
}* . E. Davison who served the congregation 15
years, and that of George A. Campbell who was
minister for 12 years.
The health of his family was cited as the prime
reason for the move. Mrs. Lunger has suffered
attacks of rheumatic fever, and recently the chil-
dren have shown susceptibility to it that led the
family doctor to advise that they seek a dry climate.
However, the Tucson church offers an opportu-
nity for significant service. The city is a thriving
winter resort and the church is regarded by some
brotherhood leaders as one of the most desirable.
Its newly dedicated building has been written up
in architectural journals as an outstanding example
of modern church architecture. It is only a few
blocks from the campus of the University of
Arizona.
During the ministry of the Lungers in the Chi-
cago area the church has made significant advance.
Receipts have more than doubled — from $8550 to
$21,573 per year. Cortributions to missions have
increased from $546 in 1938 to $4,659 in 1949. Other
achievements include the securing and use of the
latest audio-visual education equipment, emphasis
upon leadership training, the modernization of of-
fice equipment and procedures, the increase in mem-
ber-participation through the establishment of a
functional church board.
THE SCROLL 189
John Dewey at Ninety
On October 20, 1949, a distinguished company of
scholars and leaders in many spheres of life, and
of various nationalities, gathered in his presence,
at a dinner in the Commodore Hotel in New York,
to celebrate his ninetieth birthday, and the remark-
able achievements and influence of his long life.
The League for Industrial Democracy had charge
of the dinner as part of the three-day celebration
and has published a full account of that great event,
attended by 1,500 men and women, described as
"the most important dinner ever tendered to a pri-
vate individual in the United States." The program
of speeches was begun by presenting to Dr. Dewey
this message to him from President Truman: "Dear
Mr. Dewey : Blessed is the man who arrives at four
score and ten rich in the wisdom of experience and
the love of friends — and endowed with the uncon-
quered and unconquerable spirit of youth. To you
a happy birthday full of cheerful yesterdays and
confident tomorrows."
President Harold Taylor, toastmaster , declared
that the evening was being given over "to the cele-
bration of the human mind, and in honor of one of
the greatest of contemporary minds."
Presideyit Eisenhower, of Columbia, unable to be
present, was represented by former Acting Presi-
dent, F. D. Fackenthal, who said Professor Dewey,
during his service at Columbia from 1904 to date,
"brought the world to Columbia and carried Colum-
bia to the world."
Justice Felix Frankfurter, "Dewey's thinking is
too persuasive to be confined within a cult or to be
in the keeping of a possessive school of disciples."
John Huynes Holmes-, "Running over the Dewey
literature on my library shelves, I encounter his
190 THE SCROLL
famous book, entitled, A Common Faith, and am
reminded that this great thinker has written one of
the outstanding religious books of modern times.
So he belongs to religion as well as to philosophy
and education, and to none of these so much as to
the great field of public affairs."
David Dubinsky, Ladies Garment Workers' Union
(A.F.L.), "Our future is brighter, our thinking is
clearer, our movement is sounder, because we have
him in our midst."
Walter Reuther, President of United Automobile
Workers (C.LO.), "I bring the greetings of a lot of
working people whose lives have been enriched by
John Dewey ... In the troubled world in which we
live, men's minds are filled with doubts and their
hearts are heavy as they search for the answers as
to how they can organize a free society in which
men can achieve economic security and material
well-being without sacrificing any basic human
values."
Ralph Barton Perry, Professor Emeritus of Phi-
losophy, Harvard. "Between them James and Dewey
broke the spell exercised by the reigning philosophy
of the 19th Century, and liberated the minds of the
younger men who are now the older men . . . For
this we have to thank William James and John
Dewey — whose names I like to link together as the
prophets of the new freedom in American philos-
ophy. James died forty years ago. Dewey keeps
that spirit alive today . . . There is a peculiar satis-
faction in paying tribute to a man who does not ask
for it, and who has not already bestowed it on him-
self . . . Never was a man of like superiority more
free from the airs of superiority. He does not feel
obliged to live up to his reputation ; to be impressive,
witty, eloquent, or even interesting; he simply says
what he thinks. His character and his mind are
THE SCROLL 191
pervaded by a quality of complete sincerity."
Irivin Edman, Professor of Philosophy, Columbia.
"It still surprises some people that at the age of
seventy — when he was very young — John Dewey
should have written a big book on art. 'What is
going on here?' some people asked. They suspected
the answer, 'A pragmatist in a China shop.' . . . The
value of intelligence lies in rendering life less opaque,
dislocated and confused. Art is experience in ex-
celsis, imagination is life fully lived, and life fully
lived is individual creativeness such as art and the
experience of art illustrates."
William Heay^d Kilpatrick, Professor Emeritus of
Education, Teachers' College, ''Whence came
Dewey's greatness? Partly from native ability,
partly from his mother's fostering care, partly from
education at Vermont and Johns Hopkins, but
mainly from the response of his 'fundamental dispo-
sition' to the challenging situation of the world of
thought as he faced it."
Joy Elmer Morgan, Editor, Journal of National
Education Association: "John Dewey had a deep
appreciation of the American free public school and
its significance as the foundation of democracy. It
was his belief that what the wisest and best parent
desires for his own child, that must society want for
its own children."
Hu Shih, Former Chinese Ambassador to the U. S.
"We are grateful to you for having been our teacher,
the teacher of young China for forty years. You
have influenced the life and happiness of millions
of Chinese children in our schools."
Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India. "I
met Dr. Dewey for the first time two or three days
ago. But there are few Americans with whom I
am better acquainted and who have exercised so
much influence on my own thinking and, I suppose,
192 THE SCROLL
consequently on my action."
William Pepperell Montague, Professor of Philos-
ophy, Columbia and Barnard : **You have revitalized
philosophy by showing it as a vision of the basic
potentialities in human experience. You have show^n
that the world of nature is not alien to human nature
but the home and source of all human possibilities.
You have taught us the supreme importance of the
organized use of intelligence in reconstructing the
itutions of our common life so that the lives of
all of us may be enriched and fulfilled."
John Deiveij, from his response : "Of the various
kindly and generous, often over-generous, things
that have been said about my activities, on the occa-
sion of my ninetieth birthday, there is one thing in
particular I should be peculiarly happy to believe.
It is the statement of Alvin Johnson that I have
helped to liberate my fellow-human beings from
fear. For more than anything else, the fear that
has no recognized and well-thought-out ground is
what both holds us back and conducts us into aim-
less and spasmodic ways of action, personal and
collective. When we allow ourselves to be fear-rid-
den and permit it to dictate how we act, it is because
we have lost faith in our fellow-men — and that is the
unforgivable sin against the spirit of democracy.
Many years ago I read something written bj^ an
astute politician. He said that majority rule is not
the heart of democracy, but the processes by which
a given group having a specific kind of policies in
view becomes a majority. That saying has remained
with me ; in effect it embodies recognition that de-
mocracy is an educative process.
"The educational process is based upon faith in
human good sense and human good will as it mani-
fests itself in the long run when communication is
progressively liberated from bondage to prejudice
THE SCROLL 193
and ignorance. It constitutes a firm and continuous
reminder that the process of living together, when
it is emancipated from oppressions and suppressions,
becomes cr.e of increasing faith in the humaneness
of human beings ; so that it becomes a constant
growth of that kind of understanding of our rela-
tions to one another that expels fear, suspicion and
distrust ... I am happy to be able to believe that
the significance of this celebration consists not in
warming over of past years, even though they be
four-score and ten, but in dedication to the work
that lies ahead. The order of the day is, 'Forward
March'." ,
A message from Clement Attlee, Prime Minister
of Great Britain. "The impact of your writings
and teachings have reached thinking men and
women throughout the English-speaking world,
showing them the true meaning of democracy and
thereby strengthening their faith in the democratic
way of life."
A message from Henri Bonnet, Ambassador of
France to the U.S. "Many years ago John Dewey
gave voice to a prophetic warning when he said :
'Physical science has for the time being, far outrun
Psychical ... we have not gained a knowledge of
the conditions through which possible values be-
come actual in life, and so are still at the mercy of
habit and hence of force."
The John Dewey 90th Anniversary Fund has been
incorporated to raise $90,000 for presentation to Dr.
Dewey during his 90th year, for distribution to those
causes which he wishes to support. A sizeable por-
tion of this fund has already been raised. Checks
are being sent to the Fund, 9 Rockefeller Plaza,
New York 20, with the expectation that the whole
amount will be secured in 1950.
194 THE SCROLL
Notes
Yale Disciples of Christ is the title of an interest-
ing article in the Yale Divinity News for January,
written by Joseph M. Smith, who was stationed at
Wuhu from 1947 to 1949. He and his family are
now living at Mission House, Yale Divinity School,
and he is engaged in field work for the U.C.M.S.
The University of Wisconsin Press announces a
new book by Professor A. C. Garnett, on Freedom
and Planning in Australia. The price is $4.00 and
that indicates the book is of high "instrumental
value," especially just now in face of the impending
elections in Great Britain. "After a discussion of
the early history of Australia, Professor Garnett
examines and explains the working of those political
institutions for which Australia has become famous :
the system of industrial arbitration and conciliation,
the political Labor Movement and trade unions, the
special methods adopted to meet the depression of
the thirties, the policy of full employment, public
ownership of utilities, and other experiments in state
socialism."
In the South African Sentinel, P.O. Box 97, Jo-
hannesburg, Transvaal, Bousil Holt, the Editor, gives
interesting news of his missionary work. In a
recent article on David Lloyd George, he gives a
colorful account of the boy, David, in the local Na-
tional School, dominated by the Anglican Church.
The squire, the parson, and other local gentry were
present. David secretly bound all the other young-
sters to join in keeping silence when called upon to
answer the catechism questions. The schoolmaster
mustered his pupils, eager to display the results of
his teaching. He put the familiar questions. There
was no response. He commanded. He pleaded.
The youngsters stared, wooden-faced. At last he
THE SCROLL 195
called on them to join in repeating the Apostles'
Creed. His distress at their silence grew painful —
too painful at last for little William, the ring-leader's
young brother, a gentle, peace-loving scul who was
devoted to his master. His treble began to pipe the
familiar words. The spell was broken, and the
others took up the refrain. David was left alone
in defiant silence and in due course suffered a rebel's
penalty. But if the battle was lost the war was won,
and the practice of forcing Nonconformist children
to repeat the doctrines of the Establishment was
thereafter abandoned.
Elster M. Haile, 1800 Alden st., Belmont, Cali-
fornia. "Please find check for $3.00 as per request.
My main occupation is that of farmer in Texas
which requires much time for commuting between
the northern California address and our Texas farm
lands. It usually takes deep plowing to grow tall
plants, but I do most of this work by proxy and
remote control. Much of my deep thinking and tall
philosophical conclusions are the works of others,
too, which is a way of saying I find reading of The
Scroll quite beneficial."
J. Barbee Robertson, Alhambra, California. "It
was good to hear you again at Cincinnati. The pre-
ceding year was rewarding with its books by Garri-
son and DeGroot, and also West. While we regret
the loss of DeGroot from California, it was real jus-
tice to see his recognition by the call to the Graduate
School at T.C.U. Raymond and Betty Mills, mis-
sionaries to Asuncion, Paraguay, are members of the
Alhambra Church, Raymond's old Church in boy-
hood days. In February they leave us to return to
Asuncion. On January 18, we had a dinner honor-
ing them. We gave it some California glamour and
renamed the social center there, 'Fi-iendship House.'
Two hundred persons were at the dinner. Dr. Arthur
196 THE SCROLL
Braden was our guest speaker. The net amount for
the project was $3,540. This added to our previous
Crusade giving makes our total a few dollars over
$22,500."
Grace M. Lediard, Owen Sound, Ontario. "For
the past number of years, about ten, during which
time I was the editor of the Canadian Disciple, I
have been privileged to receive as exchange The
Scroll. I have greatly enjoyed and benefitted by
this little magazine and have no doubt that I have
received much the greater profit from the exchange,
for which courtesy I sincerely thank you. I have
found it necessary to give up this work and a new
editor has been appointed ... I am enclosing cheque
for $3.50 for which please send the paper to me
here. I know that the subscription price is $3.00
but believe there is exchange to be considered. You
will perhaps believe from this that The Scroll has
been a real pleasure to me and I want to continue
that pleasure for at least the current year."
Ben H. White, 2572 Maple Ave., Dallas, Texas.
"Thanks for The Scroll and the refreshing articles
each month. This is one of the few extra-curricular
periodicals that I am fortunate enough to read, and
I appreciate its continuous emphasis on scientifically
examining all our ideas and applying religious prin-
ciples to all O'ur investigations and vocations. My
best regards to all the Comrades."
Edward S. Jouett, Louisville, Kentucky. "I am
forgetful about subscription expirations and don't
know just how I stand with The Scroll, which I
have taken and enjoyed for many years, but am en-
closing check for $3.00 for a year's subscription.
If I happen to be in arrears please advise me and
I will gladly send a check to cover same. It is the
most unique, and one of the most attractive, of many
periodicals I take. In passing I would thank you for
your editorial, 'Persistent Loyalty' in the November
issue."
An old friend in California. "Just how long, do
you suppose, I should permit ycu to send The Scroll
without paying for it? Considering that I have really
read all of your own articles and a goodly proportion
of the others — although in general I seem to manage
to read so little — I should say that I owe the com-
pany a year's subscription anyhow. Please there-
fore find herewith enclosed $3.00 and thank you.
Your article *A Rainy Day' almost made me home-
sick. There is a quietness and sense of detachment
from the outside activities of this world created by
the gloom of a rainy day which we too seldom get
in this land of sunshine. Then, too, out here one
has to worry about the trees and the forest fires,
and the small creatures panting for life in this semi-
desert paradise. However, we did have a real rain
last week, a great blessing."
Monday, February 13, 1950
in Chicago
E. S. Ames
Snow came last night, silently, and covered the
city with a beautiful blanket of white, symbol of
what we would like to have our world be but isn't.
Now, this morning, nature has given us an extra
and special blessing of beauty. The temperature,
having moderated a bit, she has hung jewels on all
the trees and shrubs. With little shining pearls nad
diamonds she has decorated all the streets and by-
I ways and made a fairy land for our wonder. This is
a gorgeous reward, without money and without
price, for staying home in the winter months. This
is something California and Florida cannot afford,
whatever is paid for transportation, seaside resorts,
or the restless desire to escape inclement weather.
When some hard working friend salutes us on a cold
day and inquires with surprise why, in our blessed
retirement we are here and not in some far clime,
we only smile and say we like the variety which hard-
ens us and makes us feel at home. We grew up in
Iowa and saw snow over the fences and the ther-
mometer sometimes far below zero. But we survived
and now remember those days with a sense of old
pioneer life which make nostalgic dreams for those
who have lived through wide ranges of cold and
heat, storm-bound and summer-simmering extremes.
Good furnaces in winter, and cooling fans and Lake
breezes in July and August give the realization of
man's mastery of his environment. This is some-
thing to talk about and tell to the children. People
always make conversation out of the weather, but
how drab and routine the conversation becomes for
those who can only repeat the same observations day
after day under changeless skies and trees scarcely
shaken by the wind. Here the beauty-laden trees
sway in the breeze and make graceful obesiance to
the encompassing mysteries. Yesterday, Sunday,
was Lincoln's birthday, and this is another day given
us in loyal appreciation of him. A grand picture of
him from the bulky newspaper of yesterday says
more to our hearts than all else the reporters could
gather from all the marvelous stories of the chang-
ing scenes at home and abroad. Above it all Lin-
coln's face is so calm and strong. How comfort-
ing to believe that this human face is looked upon by
millions of citizens of this great land as the embodi-
ment and symbol of what gives meaning and hope
beyond the fears and confusion which beset man-
kind. A preacher recently touched the soul of it
all when he told the story of the little boy who was
afraid of the dark when his mother was putting him
to bed. She said to^ him, "But you know God is al-
ways with you." "Yes," he said, "but I want some-
one with a face."
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII MARCH, 1950 No. 7
"\n Essentials Unity, In Opinions
Liberty, In All Things Charity/'
Robert A. Thomas, St. Joseph, Mo.
This is a nice-sounding motto. It rolls off the
tongue pleasantly. It gives one a good feeling of
being liberal, tolerant, Christian. It is the essence
of democracy, and breathes of the democratic spirit
of freedom and toleration. All Christians believe
it. Everybody believes in loving the brethren, in
allowing for great freedom of opinion. The trouble
comes when the essentials are defined, and defined
they must be if the slogan is to have any real
meaning. Among the Disciples there were some
who used it to grant great liberty, and others who
used it with the idea that they had evidence of the
essentials and everybody would have to grant the
validity of the evidence.
Before 1832 when the Stone and Campbell move-
iments united at Lexington, Kentucky, there oc-
curred a process of getting acquainted and a time
of discovering the principles and ideas held in com-
mon. Both believed that Christ alone was the object
of faith, both rejected creeds as tests of fellowship,
and both insisted upon liberty of opinion on all
matters of doctrine that were not unmistakably
revealed. But considerable difficulty lay just there.
The "Christians" (Stone's group) held that baptism
was a matter about which there should be great
liberty. They argued that since different views of
baptism were held by persons who earnestly sought
to do the will of Christ as revealed in the New
Testament, the question must manifestly be one of
200 THE SCROLL
human interpretation of the divine commands, and
Stone repeatedly defended this position. He wrote
articles in which he insisted that the un-immersed
are Christian and that immersion, not being neces-
sary to salvation, was not necessary to church mem-
bership. His group, for the most part, acquiesced in
the Campbell group's demands for the rite of immer-
sion as the only method of baptism and church
membership. One cannot help but wish that Stone's
more tolerant and Christian view had become the
view of the new movement, nor can one help but
wonder how much different the history of our
people might have been had we not got lost in
arguments and endless debate© and sectarian con-
troversy over this matter. What a marvelous posi-
tion would now be ours in taking the lead in a united
Church of Christ. A more tolerant view of baptism
would have given a unity and cohesion to our move-
ment which it does not possess even yet. Its legal-
ism about baptism does not jibe with its attitudes
toward anything else. But what is important for us
to see here is that immediately at its beginning
there was a difference over the so-called "essentials"
of the new movement for the union of Christendom.
This difference continued and still continues.
That's what makes the slogan so nice-sounding, and
at the same time, so worthless. Isaac Errett wrote
in the Christian Standard for June 20, 1868, "Let
the bond of union among the baptized be Christian
character in place of orthodoxy — right doing in
place of exact thinking; and, outside of plain pre-
cepts, let all acknowledge the liberty of all, nor
seek to impose limitations on their brethren, other
than those of the law of love." Now, here is a fine
exposition of the slogan, but again weasel words,
unexplained, not defined, "outside of plain pre-
THE SCROLL 201
cepts," What one man regards as the plain pre-
cepts, another regards as not so plain. What one
man regards as essentials, others regard as matters
of opinion. The whole history of the Disciples of
Christ can be written around this problem of de-
fining the essentials. When we have divided (and
we did in spite of Lard's exclamation of joy!) it
has been over the question of what is essential.
Now, it must be remembered that this motto was
the motto of a group that had as its main business
the union of the divided Church of Christ. It really
is a statement of means. It should be considered
in connection with the idea of the restoration of
the essentials of primitive Christianity. Restora-
tion was not the end product sought by the early
reformers. They were not interested in restoration
per se. They were devoted to the conception of a
united church — one in Christ. They were opposed
to the divisions and strife of the denominational
groups within Christendom. They believed that
restoration of the essentials of the primitive church
would make possible the union of Christendom. I
heard Mr. Basil Holt describe this idea of restora-
tion one time as a tail on a kite. The Disciples
movement started off with a rush into the air, only
to be pulled back to earth again by a tail that was
too heavy. The whole conception of restoration has
been as ambiguous as the motto we are discussing.
The founders of our movement, and this includes
them all, believed that what was essential in the
earliest days of Christianity was still essential in
their time, and that these essentials could be found
if men would only study the records of the early
church in the New Testament. This sounds like a
simple process, and for them it was. They were
surprised and hurt when they discovered that most
202 THE SCROLL
of the folk of the "denominations" did not agree
with them as to the essentials in primitive Chris-
tianity.
In the second place, the founding fathers believed
that Christians are divided — not by the things that
make them Christian — but by their variant opinions
about doctrines and practices which neither make
them nor prevent them from being Christian —
"about things in which the kingdom of God does
not consist," as they put it. The historic position of
the Disciples of Christ rests on this distinction be-
tween faith and opinion. But even within the group
— to say nothing of its relation® to outsiders — there
have been differences in the application of these
insights and in the interpretation of their terms.
What are the essential and permanent elements in
primitive Christianity and in the practice of the
early church? To what extent do the churches of
the first century, in respect to what they did and
what they did not do, constitute a pattern to be
copied, a "blue-print" by which the church is to be
reconstructed? The Disciples have had every pos-
sible degree of strictness in the interpretation of
these questions and the answers given.
Let us back up a little to take a look at Thomas
Campbell's Declaration and Address, Dr. Douglas
Horton's address at the International Convention
Communion Service placed this document as one of
the greatest in the Christian union movement. He
said that it originated the will to unity now so
strong in the American Churches. Its assertion
of the sinfulness of division threw down the first
challenge to the consciences of his contemporaries.
There are three main emphases in the Declaration
and Address :
(1) Each man's right of private judgment in
THE SCROLL 203
the interpretation of Scripture; (2) a peaceable
unity will come among Christians with the universal
recognition of this right; (3) there must be an
exact conformity of the church to "the express letter
of the law" as laid down in the New Testament.
In the recent Garrison-DeGroot history it is pointed
out that these main emphases rested on three as-
sumptions; (1) that the Scripture is an authority
so absolute that the individual Christian's right of
private judgment is limited to his right to interpret
Scripture for himself wherever Scripture speaks and
requires interpretation; (2) that there is a "whole
form of doctrine, worship, discipline, and govern-
ment, expressly revealed and enjoined in the word
of God," and, (3) that this complete system is within
the "express letter of the law," which requires no
interpretation and to which the right of private
judgment is therefore not applicable.
In short, Thomas Campbell (and he was cer-
tainly the least legalistic of our founding fathers,
with the possible exception of Barton Stone) be-
lieved that it is possible to define a simple, evan-
gelical Christianity, with a definite body of doctrine
and a definite program of ordinances, worship, and
government for the church, all infallibly derived
from the infallible Scriptures and completely un-
contaminated by "human opinions." When it is
understood that all our early leaders, or practically
all of them, had just such a belief, then we may
understand what they meant when they said, "In
essentials lunity, in opinions liberty, in all things
charity."
M- It was easy enough to say that opinions should
never be made a test of fellowship and that only
belief in the revealed truth about Jesus Christ and
obedience to his commands should be the criterion,
but in actual practice it worked out that the Dis'-
204 THE SCROLL
ciples could not exclude human opinion from their
program of faith and practice any more than other
groups. Some of them announced that they had
read the Scriptures aright. They believed the church
policy and ordinances they set up were the essen-
tials— the unmistakable commands of Christ — and
that no element of human opinion entered into the
picture. From the point of view of modern his-
tory, and on the basis of our present understand-
ing of the Bible, it is apparent that they were
wrong. Fallible human judgment was present in
their thinking and in their interpretations of the
Book.
On the basis of what we know of the origin and
nature of the Scriptures the whole idea of restora-
tion becomes impossible. It is apparent that there
were the beginnings of a variety of forms of church
government at the time the New Testament was
coming into being, and that the New Testament
itself is the deposit of the early church, rather than
vice-versa.
The whole "proof-text method," so popular with
our early debaters and preachers, goes by the board.
It becomes apparent that some of the things we
have long considered essentials are not essentials
at all, and that the Disciples of Christ are not
assuming the place they might have in the modem
world because we are afraid to tackle this issue
boldly and move forward with a free religion and
a united front.
I am in agreement with the founding fathers in
that I believe that what was essential for the early
Christians is still essential for Christendom, and
I believe, with them, that the things which divide
Christians are not the things that make them Chris-
tians— ^they are "things about which the kingdom
THE SCROLL 205
of God does not consist." I do Tiot believe that it is
possible to define a simple Christianity with a defi-
nite body of doctrine and a definite program of
ordinances, worship and government from an in-
fallible Bible uncontaminated by "human opinions."
This slogan can have meaning for us today only
if we are definite in our understanding of the es*-
sentials of the faith, and admit that practically all
the matters of doctrine and theology and philosophy
and church policy are in the realm of opinion. Where
does this leave us? Is there anything essential,
and if so, what is it?
The greatest contribution of the Disciples of
Christ to the religious life of America is the con-
ception of a non-creedal fellowship — the unity of
Christendom on a non-creedal, non-doctrinal basis.
We have not done all we ought in the propagation
of this idea and sometimes we have been afraid
of its implications, but we have perhaps gone far-
ther than any other group in the right direction,
and we have had a considerable influence on the
religious world. It was the feeling of the early re-
formers that creeds caused division. Luther be-
lieved that "the Holy Spirit is the all-simplest
writer," and that it would be perfectly simple to
compile from the statements of Scriptures an au-
thoritative system of doctrine and polity upon which
all right-thinking men could easily agree. How
close this idea was to that of Thomas Campbell and
the early reformers! They came out at a different
place, and they didn't write their creed down, but
they had the same assumption. My point is that
the idea of bringing about the unity of Christendom
on the basis of a common creedal statement is a
mistaken notion. Creedal and doctrinal statements
create division rather than unity.
206 THE SCROLL
And the reason is simply that Christ means dif-
ferent things to different men. The Holy Spirit
speaks in different ways to different individuals —
depending on their past experiences, their full dedi-
cation, their mental and spiritual attainments. Our
forefathers recognized this to some degree and said
that if a creed said less than the Scriptures it said
too little; if it said more than the Scriptures it
said too much, so a man-made creed was useless
anyway. And just here I am anxious that the Dis-
ciples of Christ carry on. Our early preachers said
"No creed but Christ." This is still a common slogan
among us. The trouble is that we have failed to
come to agreement with regard to what is essential.
Some among us have insisted that "no creed but
Christ" means that Jesus was miraculously born of
a Virgin; performed untold miracles by the power
of God ; was resurrected in the body from the tomb ;
was, in fact, God himself on earth.
So far as I am concerned the one essential is
loyalty to Christ, allowing all sincere men complete
freedom in their interpretation of that phrase and
all individual churches freedom in their common
interpretations of it. It seems to me that this would
be carrying the Protestant Reformation to its logi-
cal conclusion and that it would be the true un-
folding of the historic plea of the Disciples of
Christ.
Personal creeds have been written and published
by individuals among us, but such personal creeds
have never been adopted by the church, and were
never expected to be so adopted. There have arisen
groups among us recently who are writing creeds
and attempting to get churches to adopt them, but
this is completely foreign to the history and tenets
of our Brotherhood. The freedom of a non-creedal
THE SCROLL 207
fellowship allows for varieties of opinions about
everything. It makes possible the creative work
of God among men because of the differences that
cause thought and tension — intellectual and spiritual
tension, I mean — not divisiveness. The main stream
of our movement has demonstrated that such a fel-
lowship is possible. Within any of our local churches
there are vast differences of theological opinion.
It would be impossible for most of you men to write
a creed which would be accepted by the people of
your churches. Among us here there are great dif-
ferences of opinion, I presume. Our personal state-
ments of faith would vary greatly. I do not believe
this is bad. I believe it is good. It gives us different
points of view. It provides nourishment for our
spiritual and intellectual lives. It makes us' do
some thirking and thus makes our religion our
own in a particular sort of way. It develops minds
in our young people which are critical of form for
form's sake, critical of ritual for the sake of ritual,
critical of half -thought-through and intellectually in-
defensible religious concepts. It develops honest
minds, used to grappling with the basic issues of
religion and the problems of life. It develops an
understanding of the real Jesus and of what loyalty
to him means, and makes every individual respon-
sible for his own decisions. This is the hard way,
but it is the only way to church unity. The Disciples
of Christ, at their best, have demonstrated that it
is possible within local churches and within larger
groups, and what is possible within our groups we
believe can come to pass throughout Christendom.
Unity can come in freedom and loyalty to Christ.
It we can understand this principle ourselves and
help to propagate it throughout Christendom it will
be our major contribution to the whole Church of
Christ.
208 THE SCROLL
The Old Jerusalem Church
F. W. BuRNHAM, Richmond, Va.
In studying the Sunday School lesson for Febru-
ary 19th, (Acts 15:1-35) a question has arisen in
my mind which had not troubled me before. It
relates to the basis for the decision reached by the
members of the Jerusalem Church about the matter
submitted to it by the church at Antioch.
As noted in the text discussion was had in which
Barnabas and Paul presented the liberal view and
practice of the Antioch church. They were opposed
by Jerusalem members who were Christians of Phar-
isee inheritance. After much questioning Peter re-
lated his experience at the home of Cornelius of
Caesarea and his own interpretation of that event.
Then James, the brother of Our Lord, gave his
opinion supported by reference to a passage from
the Old Testament. This seemed to sustain the posi-
tion taken by Peter and led to a compromise pro-
posal. After this comes the official document in
which it is asserted that "It seemed good to the
Holy Spirit and US," etc.
Now my perplexity is this. How does it come
that in the deliberations of this Jerusalem Church,
presided over by a brother of Jesus, a group in which
Jesus' mother was, or had been a member, when
attempting to reach a decision of major importance
to the further priogress of His gospel no reference
whatever was made to the teaching or the spiritual
attitude of Jesus Himself?
Of course I remember that, according to John
7:5, Jesus' own brethren did not, at first, believe
in his mission. But here is a church founded upon
His gospel after His resurrection, of which His
i
THE SCROLL 209
own brother is the reco^ized head ; but from which
His words and attitudes are excluded. Can it be
that thus early ecclesiastical supremacy has tri-
umphed ? Is this the attempt to set up an hereditary
Caliphate in the family of James ?
It was something like a third of a century before
the church seemed to consider it worth while to
collect memoirs of Jesus' sayings and acts, and
even then it was' not the church; but interested in-
dividuals who undertook that sublime mission —
one of them a gentile.
"It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and US."
Is that the pattern set by the Mother Church for
deciding the great issues of the Kingdom? If so,
should churches still settle matters of faith and
practice by the same process without regard to the
teaching of Jesus? It would seem that many de.
Are we right, or all wrong, in holding that Christ
Himself is the one and only head of the church
and that every major issue is referable to His teach-
ing and spirit? I'm not ready to surrender our
historic slogan "Back to Christ," but I'm puzzled
about the conduct of that Old Jerusalem Church,
with the Lord's brother at its head. Perhaps we
ought to give up the idea of the "Old Jerusalem
Church" being our ecclesiastical progenitor and rec-
ognize the fact that real Christianity originated in
Antioch, where the disciples were first called Chris-
tians.
Since the Church at Antioch was not founded by
any Apostle — Peter, James, or Paul — ^but by Chris-
tian laymen,, in accepting it as our "Mother Church"
we are delivered from any dogma of Apostolic
Succession.
210 THE SCROLL
Religion As Personal-Social Values
- W. W. Wasson, Christian College at the
University of Georgia
The growth and progress of any civilization could
very well be written in terms of what was conceived
to be the most abundant life. Nations have destroyed
and built, people have fought and loved, leaders have
prayed and worshipped in the everlasting search
for the highest and noblest life possible.
While the eternal quest for the abundant life has
had common features throughout its history, each
generation and each cultural milieu, however, has
interpreted its meaning and significance in terms
of its own problems and needs that well up within
its own ongoing experience. As each past generation
of every cultural tradition was at one time exist-
ing in the present, using the resources of its prede-
cessors and drawing upon the intelligence of its
contemporaries to further the good life, so we in
the present generation renew that continuous search
for the abundant life. We draw upon the funded
experience of the past as well as the creative forces
of the present.
In determining what is the good and abundant
life one must begin with the experience of living
people in interaction with a living, dynamic, chang-
ing world. When this is done several factors which
determine this kind of life must be considered. Each
of these factors should be thought of as interrelated
with all the other factors and not as independent,
mutually exclusive segments.
The fulfillment of man's basic drives and urges
such as hunger, thirst, and sex are one of the
determinants of the abundant life. Much of man's
life is given to satisfying these ever recurring urges.
I
THE SCROLL 211
His religion has often dealt primarly with these
functions. But does the total meaning of life con-
sist in finding satisfaction for these desires only?
Does man live by bread alone? Do not these func-
tions become significant and wholesome only as
they are related to other aspects of the total mean-
ing of the good and enriched life. It is when these
desires are placed in the larger framework of per-
sonal and social goods that one realizes that man
does not live by bread alone.
Another determinant of the abundant life is that
of the desire for recognition. From the very be-
ginnings of the development of the child on through
adulthood there is present the desire to be recognized
as a significant and important member of the group
and its activities. It is the wish for dignity, worth,
and status; it is the desire to be respected and
loved. The negative of this is a feeling of loneli-
ness and isolation; a feeling of not being wanted.
The urgency of this desire is oftentimes shown when
many, in order to gain "attention" or recognition,
will resort to various forms of anti-social behavior
or become members of some sensational, marginal
group. As one professor used to say, "He would
rather be damned than ignored !" Can the popularity
of dogs as pets over that of cats be accounted for
on the basis of their apparent willingness to recog-
nize their masters in a more receptive and ingratia-
ting manner? One would gather from the state-
ments of a number of modern theologians that the
worst sin of all is that of "pride." Is this not, how-
ever, a condemnation of the deep desire for recogni-
tion? The wish for recognition — a fulfillment of the
sense of worth and dignity — is fundamental to the
development of a wholesome, religious personality.
If this be sin, a more critical definition of sin seems
to be in order.
212 THE SCROLL
Closely connected with the desire for recogni-
tion is that of approval of others. Man does not
live in a vacuum. He seeks the approval of his
fellowmen; a great deal of his developing self is
an expression of what others think of him ; his life
is much concerned with the favorable reactions of
his comrades and associates; he avoids their dis-
approval. It is the exceptional case of the lover
continuing to woo the fair lady who shows' no in-
terest. Although we all have moments when we
suspect the solicitations of the "hail-well met" fellow
as insincere, there is, however, the feeling of being
"somebody" when met in such a responsive mood.
Another factor or determinant of the abundant
life is the desire for new experience. Normal living
is never an identical repetition of the same experi-
ence although the lives of many are similar to that
of an applicant for a teaching position in one of
the public schools. Asked by the superintendent if
she had had any experience, she replied, "Twenty
years," whereupon one who knew her quipped, "Yes,
the same experience for twenty years!"
New experiences may be found in many ways,
and not all new experiences are necessarily contribu-
tory to the enrichment of life. Do those experiences
in which one indulges in dangerous exploits, or
seeks the stimulation of alcohol and drugs contribute
as much to the abundant life as those in which one
might attempt to destroy the cause of diphtheria or
to alleviate the impoverished condition of workers;
or to create the conditions whereby all may have
the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happi-
ness? The experiences that would mean most to
an enriched and good life are those that are char-
acterized by significant challenge, vivid imagina-
tion, and creative action. One can find them in great
humanitarian causes or in the pursuit of knowledge;
THE SCROLL - 213
in the smell of a rose or in the clasp of a friend's
hand; in beholding the face of the Nazarene or in
Handel's "Messiah" ; in the preparation of an appe-
tizing meal or in building a house. New and crea-
tive experiences are as numerous and varied as life
lived in actuality and in imagination. No task is too
simple or cause too great that the inherent possi-
bilities of creative experience cannot be found.
Although the "warp and woof" of life is consti-
tuted largely of changing experience, the abundant
life cannot be one of a series of independent, atom-
istic, unattached experiences. There must be run-
ning through the entire mosaic of experience a sense
of stability or a feeling of security. To the philoso-
pher it might be the feeling of being "at home" in
the universe; to the religious mystic it is to experi-
ence the depth of "oneness" with the "Other"; to
the psychologist it could be the absence of frustra-
tion; to the sociologist it might be adjustment. To
mention these various concepts of religion, philoso-
phy, and the social sciences does not mean that they
are radically dissimilar in content; it means that
these are attempts to formulate the deep long-
ing and urge for security on the part of human
nature. A constituent part, then, of the abundant
life will be the relative fulfillment of the desire
for security.
Probably the most important determinant of the
good and abundant life is that of co-operative liv-
ing. The social and co-operative forces that bind
men together in common causes and ideals are com-
ing more and more to be seen as the creative and
truly enriching aspects of the abundant life. The
Darwinian concepts of "struggle for existence" and
"survival of the fittest" have undoubtedly been over
emphasized and misrepresented as to their influence
214 THE SCROLL
in the biological and social growth of the person.
The significance of these concepts to the history
and growth of Western civilization were possibly
exaggerated as man was more and more coming
out from under the autocratic political and religious
systems of the medieval period. The habit of think-
ing in term.® of the struggle for existence and the
survival of the fittest even among the students of
the biological sciences is giving way to the principle
of co-operation as the most important factor in
the survival of animal groups. Summing up the
modern point of view, one of the most distinguished
workers in this field, Warder C. Allee, writing in
Science in 1943, says: "After much consideration,
it is my mature conclusion, contrary to Herbert
Spencer, that the co-operative forces are biologically
the more important and vital ... If co-operation
had not been the stronger force, the more com-
plicated animals, whether arthropods or vertebrates,
could not have evolved from simpler ones, and there
would have been no men to worry each other with
their distressing and biologically foolish wars."
On the social level the desirability of co-operative
living is readily seen. Rather than selfish competi-
tion and egoistic assertiveness being the most im-
portant factors in the creation of the good life, it
appears that the factors of mutuality and co-opera-
tion have been the more decisive. Is it true that
civilization has shown greater progress when these
factors were operative? Are not what we call cul-
ture and civilization built on these activities? As a
matter of fact it is difficult to conceive of any ac-
tivity in the modern world that is not the result
of co-operation. The food that we eat daily is
brought to us and prepared through the combined
efforts of farmers, truckers, and storekeepers'. The
clothes we wear are the result of huge co-operative
THE SCROLL 215
enterprizes that extend geographically over thou-
sands of miles. The family is made possible by mu-
tually shared values. The church is a group of
individuals working in voluntary co-operation to
create the best life possible. Recreation is made
possible by conforming to the rules of the game
that have been agreed upon through shared discus-
sion and participation. Municipal, state, and na-
tional governments function at their best through
co-operative deliberation and action. The way of
life known as democracy is a co-operative affair of
individual freedom and responsibility in a shared
corporate society. The method of science, which
has done so much towards the advancement of the
abundant life, has not been the result of one per-
son's endeavor. It is the expression of the co-opera-
tive efforts of many men of varied backgro'unds who
have attempted to solve the riddles of the universe
and to make the earth a more habitable place.
M. F. Ashley Montagu, writing in a recent issue
of "The Saturday Review of Literature," has stated
the case for co-operation as the "law of life." I
mention some of his concluding remark's: "Co-
operation is the law of life for the group as for
the individual . , . Co-operative social behavior is . . .
as old as life itself, and the direction of evolution
has, in man, been increasingly directed toward the
fuller development of co-operative behavior. Co-
operative behavior clearly has great survival value.
When social behavior is not co-operative it is dis-
eased behavior."
The upshot of this discussion is that the ideal
experiences of the good and abundant life are
synonymous with the religious life. Those per-
sonal-social experiences which contribute to an en-
riched life are religious experiences. Religion is
therefore integral to the total meaning of life. It
216 THE SCROLL
is not an entity detached and independent of the
experiences of living people. It is as vibrant and
real as life lived at its best. Living in terms of the
highest values capable of being experienced is living
the religious life. It lives in deed® and not in years ;
in feelings and not in dead formula; in noble ac-
tions and not in words. It is concerned with the
primary sources and creative forces of life — food
and clothing, the dignity and worth of the individual,
challenging and imaginative causes, peace of mind,
a shared life lived in communion with the high
values of love and goodwill. These personal and
social values are religious values, and to live religi-
ously is to live in terms of the highest personal and
social goods.
From Samuel Guy Inman
Pondville Court, Bronxville, N. Y.
In sending greetings for 1950, please allow me to
enclose copy of our WORLDOVER Press Release
in its new form and ask your cooperation in this
non-profit effort to .improve reporting of interna-
tional news.
I have just returned from a quick trip to study,
on the ground, the problem of Internationalization
of Jerusalem, which was thrown into greater con-
fusion by the December 9th vote of the United Na-
tions. Nine days in Palestine, and two days each
in Paris, Rome and London, gave me an opportunity
to interview parties on all sides of the question,
which strangely enough, seems to involve not only
world religious, but world political, economic and
ideological struggles. Like the previous trip to Cen-
tral America in November at the invitation of the
Costa Rican government, the latter began on three
days' notice, meaning 20,000 miles travel across
THE SCROLL 217
America, Europe, and the Near East, with only a
brief time at home during Christmas.
The recent debates in Lake Success seem to reveal
primary interest in sustaining a dying British im-
perialism, and American advantage in its cold war
with the Soviet Union, a new Near-East zone of
influence for Russia, and a new sub-capital for the
Vatican.
My first and overwhelming impression was that
the Holy Places have become the football of inter-
national politics. I went to Jerusalem primarily
interested in the protection of the Holy Places. I
returned overwhelmingly interested in the people
for whom Our Lord lived and died, a people who,
even today, are among the most exploited and mis-
understood in the world. These people — Arabs and
Jews — seem to love and respect the Holy Places in
the same way that Christians do. The Moham-
medans have a record of protecting them for cen-
turies. The new State of Israel seems as completely
in favor of the protection of these places as is the
Archbishop of Canterbury or the Holy Father in
Rome.
The historic Holy City, which I entered every
morning for three weeks in 1928, with Bible and
Baedeker in hand, and reverently visited the sites
of Solomon's Temple, now the Mosque of Omar,
Herod's House, Church of the Ascension, and other
universally recognized holy places, plus the birth-
place of Jesus in Bethlehem, and the Jew's most
sacred place, the Wailing Wall, are all today Arab
territory, into which no Jew under any circum-
stances, is permitted to go. But this is a war meas-
ure, not a religious question.
From inquiries on the spot, I suggest: (1) No
solution will be permanent that is worked out on the
basis of world balance of power, rather than consid-
218 THE SCROLL
eration of actual situation among the inha/bitants
involved. (2) The present armistice between Israel
and Trans-Jordan must be changed into a permanent
peace treaty, which will settle pecuniary, territorial
and cultural problems — including complete free ac-
cess to the Holy Places. (3) Instead of forcibly
internationalizing all Jewish and Arab Jerusalem,
let the United Nations negotiate with Israel and
Trans- Jordan an agreement (which both govern-
ments declare they are willing to make) that a
U.N. body, with headquarters in Jerusalem, is au-
thorized to supervise the Holy Places. Such a Com-
mission housed in its own building could act as head-
quarters of the United Nations in the Near-East and
be a dominant influence in solving some of the
world's most difficult political, racial and religious
problems.
In London the Law Faculty of the University of
London entertained me at a luncheon, made me a
member of the London Institute of World Affairs
and invited me to contribute a volume in its series,
The Library of World Affairs. Before preparing
such a volume however, I hope to give major atten-
tion to a book interpreting the Mexican Social Rev-
olution, and redeeming other literary promises. With
cordial greetings and hoping to hear from you.
People - Places - Events
F. E. Davison
It was back in 1915. The place was New Haven,
Conn. The occasion was a celebration of the fact
that mid-term exams were over. The Griggs' and
the Davison s' started down town to take in a show.
On the way down we passed a Negro Baptist church
where a good friend of ours was pastor. A large
sign stated that revival meetings were in progress.
THE SCROLL 219
We decided that as students at Yale Divinity School
we needed religion worse than we needed enter-
tainment. We therefore entered.
The pastor, a Divinity student, was not conduct-
ing the revival. A few days later he explained to
us that the evangelist had been called in at the solici-
tation of some of the deacons. The evangelist was
tall, very dark, but not very handsome. He was
well groomed with a Prince Albert coat and detach-
able cuffs. The cuffs rattled properly and came down
half way over his extremely long fingers.
This preacher announced his subject as "Seven
Women Hanging on one Man's Coattail." His text
was in Isaiah where reference was made to the time
when seven women shall cleave to one man. He
said "Before I begin the discourse of the evenin'
I want to know whether or not dere am any sinners
in the house. If there are any sinners I want you
to come and sit in this front row where I can speak
at you directly. All you sinners come right on now.
That's right my sister you come and sit right here.
Now everybody's come what says they are sinners
does anybody know of any sinners here tonight?
If so, just point 'em right out — just point 'em right
out. Somebody's pointing at you brother come right
along and sit right here — somebody's pointin' at you
my sister. You come up here with the rest of the
sinners. Just point 'em right out wherever they
are. Of course, I don't have reference to our white
friends that are here. We glad to have dem with us."
During the course of his sermon which never
did get back to his text, he would stop and say to
each one on the front row: "Do you believe that
my brother — do you believe that my sister?" He
did this several times and finally he stopped, put
his thumbs in his vest pockets, leaned back, and with
220 THE SCROLL
a loud laugh said to the people on the front row:
"Bless your hearts youall's in the Kingdom right
now and don't know it. You have answered all the
questions I have axed you affirmatively — all excep-
tin' this boy here and he aint answered nothin no
time. Young man I'll ask you a few questions per-
sonally." He tried several questions on the lad -but
the boy made no response. It was then the evangelist
paused, reached in his coat-tail for his large silk
handkerchief, mopped his brow and then shouted:
"Brothers and sister I spent four long month down
in the city of New York a studyin and a specializin'
how to appeal to people with reason. I can appeal
to folk what's got reason but I cant appeal to no-
body what aint got no reason. But, I'll get him.
I'll git that there boy before I get out this town."
The evangelist then turned his attention to Mrs;
Brown who sat on the end of the front pew. He
said, "Now here is Mrs. Brown what's come to take
membership wid this church. She comes from —
let's see, Sister Brown, what church is it you've
been a member of?" To which Mrs. Brown replied:
"I aint no member of no church I come to join this
church." With great emotion the preacher said:
"I thought you was a member of a church. Brothers
and sisters, wherever you are in the house I want you
to look this way. If you are not settin where you
can see, just move over. I want youall to see a
good honest sister. Here is a good honest woman
who might have just slid right into this here Baptist
church without ever bein' baptized but she wouldn't
do it."
Sometime later the evangelist said, "Now we
want to invite youall back tomorrow night and the
concludin nights of this week. Tomorrow night I
will address you on the subject "A Heavenly Vision
Seen By A Mule."
THE SCROLL 221
The Trumpeter of a New World
Kenneth B. Bowen, Morgan Park, Chicago
It was back in 1934, while a student in the sum-
mer school of Union Theological Seminary in New
York, I called up Edwin Markham on Staten Island
to ask permission for a group of his admirers to
visit him. Quick as a flash he replied, — "Yes, come
right out — glad to see y^u !" Twenty-five of us made
the trip, and the poet met us at the door and gave
us this warm greeting: "Come in, ladies and gen-
tlemen, this is complete and unconditional sur-
render; the house is yours, make yourselves at
home." Mrs. Markham, whom he called "The Ma-
donna," was equally gracious as a hostess. During
the visit we sat in a circle on the floor while Mr.
Markham told us of his life, and how he wrote his
poems. To hear him repeat his own works is a memo-
ry that will go with all of us into eternity.
Our theme is, — "A conscript of the mighty
Dream." This is a paper on Edwin Markham who
wore the "Shoes of Happiness" through the "Gates
of Paradise" and belonged to:
"The company of souls supreme,
The conscripts of the mighty Dream."
In presenting this poet we are greatly indebted
to him personally, and even more to his biographer,
Dr. William L. Stidger, for source materials. With-
out any remorse of conscience, in a world of "real-
ists," I want to be numbered with those who give
thanks for:
"Souls sent to poise the shaken Earth,
And then called back to God again
To make Heaven possible for men."
If we regard Kipling as the poet of imperialism,
222 THE SCROLL
we must think of Markham as the singer of de-
mocracy.
In the first place, Edwin Markham was a trum-
peter of non-conformity. No matter how critics
may rate his poetry, and his literary contribution,
no one can deny that this poet was the impassioned
protagonist of a new world. During his whole life
he proved the validity of Emerson's words: "Who
so would be a man must be a non-conformist." He
who gives hostages to the status quo, and becomes
the mere echo of his master's voice, exchanges his
birthright of divinity for the rusty chains of slav-
ery. One of the "Rules For the Road" is, said Mark-
ham:
"Be strong,
Sing to your heart a battle song.
Though hidden foemen lie in wait.
Something is in you that can smile at Fate."
At all times a true non-conformist smiles at the
"slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."
When Edwin was a lad of seven, his father died,
but his mother kindled in her son's soul a flame of
non-conformity which a hostile world could never
extinguish. All the darkness in the universe can-
not put out the light of a single candle. In a one-
room country school house, he came under the in-
fluence of a "tall, gaunt-faced, Lincoln-like teacher"
whom he called "The Enchanter or Sorcerer of
Song." Of him the poet sang:
"He opened to us lyric doors
Of the deeper world that waits.
Throbbing behind our skies and shores.
Pulsing through lives and fates."
But no one can understand Edwin Markham's
THE SCROLL 223
background without mentioning his religion. His
mother belonged to an ultra non-conformist group
known then as "Campbellites," and now as "Dis-
ciples of Christ."
In a short poem called, "The Nail-torn God,"
Edwin Markham gives us a conception of deity and
of Christ that is truly breath-taking. In these
words, his cosmic and theological non-conformity
reaches a mighty climax:
"Here in life's chaos make no foolish -boast
That there is any God omnipotent,
Seated serenely in the firmament.
And looking down on men as on a host
Of grasshoppers blown on a windy coast.
Damned by disasters, maimed by mortal ill,
Yet who could end it with one blast of Will.
This God is all a man-created ghost.
But there is a God who struggles with the All,
And sounds across the worlds his danger-call.
He is the builder of roads, the breaker of bars,
The one forever hurling back the Curse —
The nail-torn Christus pressing toward the stars,
The Hero of the battling universe."
"The company of souls supreme,
The conscripts of the mighty Dream."
In the second place, Edwin Markham was a
trumpeter of social justice.
One April afternoon, about four o'clock, back
in 1886, Edwin Markham saw a copy of Millet's
picture, "The Man With the Hoe." At that time he
was thirty-four and for several years, he had been
reading on the question of social justice. The
picture was just the necessary match to the powder
which ignited the fire of genius. In an old black
224 THE SCROLL
note book he wrote these words :
"Bowed by the weight of centuries he leans
Upon his hoe and gazes on the ground,
The emptiness of ages in his face
And on his back the burden of the world."
In 1898, at the home of Mrs. William Crocker,
Oakland, California, Edwin Markham saw the
original picture of "The Man With the Hoe." Of that
experience he wrote: "The original of this great
painting enchanted me even more than the copy I
had seen thirteen years before. I sat for two hours
before it, lost to the world. The terror of its im-
port and the majesty of its ruin stunned my soul.
I went away from that place half in air and half
on the earth. I flew to my home rather than rode.
That Saturday afternoon, about five o'clock, just
before supper, I wrote the second verse of the
poem." Said John Drinkwater, "Genius is a wild
flower that blossoms in strange crannies."
Thus verse by verse, in a crescendo of dramatic
interest, the poem grew until these world-shaking
lines appeared:
"O Masters, lords and rulers in all lands.
How will the Future reckon with this Man?
How answer his brute question in that hour
When whirlwinds of rebellion shake all shores?
How will it be with kingdoms and with kings —
With those who shaped him to the thing he is —
When this dumb Terror shall rise to judge the
world
After the silence of the centuries?"
Before leaving this division of our paper, at
the risk of anti-climax, we wish to mention other
and shorter poems by Mr. Markham on social
justice. In his poem of four lines, "Even Scales,"
the poet points out that the curse of injustice
THE SCROLL 225
brings all, exploiter and exploited alike, to the
same cosmic fate:
'The robber is robbed by his riches,
The tyrant is dragged by his chains;
The schemer is snared by his cunning,
The slayer lies dead with the slain."
Truly, one end of a slaves chain is fastened to the
owner, and the two march to fate abreast, — either
to destruction or world brotherhood. What hap-
pened to Simon Legree was much worse than the
slavery of Uncle Tom. The universe is made on
the cosmic principle of "Even Scales" — with what
measure we mete it shall be measured unto us. Both
God and Christ, also, the universe, are always
against injustice and for justice.
In another quatrain, "The New Trinity," Edwin
Markham summarizes his slogan of life :
"Three things must man possess if his soul would
live
And know life's perfect good —
Three things would the all-supplying Father give,
Bread, Beauty, and Brotherhood."
To the "Hoe-man," at least, this New Trinity of
Bread, Beauty, and Brotherhood has, perhaps, a
much deeper meaning than the old trinity of The
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
In 1920, Mr. Markham wrote his poem, "Man-
Making." Far beyond most of his contemporaries,
he saw what this mechanized, machine age of mass
production was doing to people made in the image
of God. In these lines he sensed the drift toward
economic slavery:
"We are all blind until we see
That in the human plan
226 THE SCROLL
Nothing is worth the making if
It does not make the man.
Why build these cities glorious
If man unbuilded goes?
In vain we build the world, unless
The builder, also, grows."
In the third and last place, Edwin Markham was
a trumpeter of the eternal ecstasies. He carried in
his bosom the gift of the morning star. Up to this
point we have presented the poet, more or less, as a
Moses thundering laws on Mt. Sinai, or a non-con-
formist Amos calling for justice to roll down like
waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. No
matter what the risks of persecution may be, the
true prophet is wrathful when he sees the righteous
sold for silver and the needy for a pair of shoes.
Even Socrates was a gad-fly to sting his people
when they closed their eyes to the time-honored
principles of freedom and justice.
At the front of his biography of Edwin Mark-
ham, Dr. Stidger gives us a striking picture of the
poet, and beneath it a statement from this singer
of a new world: "Come, let us live the poetry we
sing." In every sense he did live the poetry he
sang, and few writers have had a finer sense of
Christology. "Genuine Christianity," said he, "is
the final religion, resting upon the impregnable
rock of the humanitarian principle. I became a
believer in the person and politics of Jesus. And
now I see in him the supreme Statesman and Law
giver of nations. His words are all in the logic
of the universe. They are the indices of the uni-
versal wisdom of the Father."
In a little poem of four lines — Markham is fa-
mous for his quatrains — "No self to serve," the mys-
tical influence of Jesus on every generation is strik-
THE SCROLL 227
ingly explained:
"Why does He make our hearts so strangely still,
Why stands He forth so stately and so tall?
Because He has no self to serve, no will
That does not seek the welfare of all."
As a true Disciple of Christ, following the lead
of Alexander Campbell and Barton W. Stone, Mr.
Markham was a man of the Book, memorizing the
gospels and The Sermon on the Mount, and he re-
jected all man-made creeds. In keeping with the
best theology of our people, the poet expressed his
religion in these familiar lines :
"Here is the truth in a little creed,
Enough for all the ways we go;
In Love is all the Law we need;
In Christ is all the God we know."
Not only did Markham see poetry in every work
of nature, he sensed the eternal ecstasies in the
whole cosmic order. Yes, in one bird's nest, near a
boy's window, he viewed that which made "God
glad" and the "World sweeter."
Even far greater, however, is the poem Edwin
Markham wrote about his son who discovered the
bird's nest, called "Child of My Heart":
"Strong child !
Song child !
Who can unravel
All your long travel
Out of the Mystery, birth after birth —
Out of the dim worlds deeper than Earth?
Mad thing!
Glad thing!
How will Life tame you
228 THE SCROLL
How will God name you?
All that I know is that you are to me
Wind over water, star on the sea.
Dear heart!
Near heart!
Long is the journey,
Hard is the tourney:
Would I could be by your side when you fall —
Would that my own heart could suffer it all."
But the poem Mr. Markham loved next to "The
Man With the Hoe," or, perhaps equally with it,
or even more, was "Lincoln, the Man of the People."
If the former was the high- water mark of his social
views, the latter represented the zenith of individu-
al values. Every time we mentioned Lincoln, dur-
ing our visit in his home, the poet's rugged face
seemed to light up with a wistful halo, closely akin
to the Shekinah face of Moses when he walked with
God on the mountain peak.
In much the same spirit as one would place a
nickel in a slot at the automat, a committee from
The Republican Club of New York, near the end
of 1899, asked Mr. Markham to write for them a
poem on Abraham Lincoln.
The "Babylonian feast" was held at Delmonico's,
and the plates were twenty-dollars a piece. What
an incongruous way to honor the "Rail splitter"
from Kentucky! The presiding officer for this
sumptuous occasion was Chauncey M. Depew who
sneered at the mere mention of the poem, "The
Man with the Hoe." However, at a late hour, after
they had absorbed much food and drink, Mr. Mark-
ham, dressed poorly, with the poverty of Lincoln,
his daily portion, was introduced. He arose and
read these words:
I
THE SCROLL 229
"Sprung from the West,
The strength of virgin forests braced his mind,
The hush of spacious prairies stilled his soul.
Up from log cabin to the Capitol,
One fire was on his spirit, one resolve —
To send the keen ax to the root of wrong,
Clearing a free way for the feet of God.
And evermore he burned to do his deed.
With the fine stroke and gesture of a king;
He built the rail-pile as he built the State,
Pouring his splendid strength through every blow.
The conscience of him testing every stroke.
To make his deed the measure of a man.
So came the Captain with the mighty heart;
And when the judgment thunders split the house
Wrenching the rafters from their ancient rest,
He held the ridge-poll up, and spiked again
The rafters of the Home. He held his place —
Held the long purpose like a growing tree —
Held on through blame and faltered not at praise
And when he fell in whirlwind, he went down
As when a lordly cedar, green with boughs,
Goes down with a great shout upon the hills.
And leaves a lonesome place against the sky."
This poem was the finest possible way to begin
the new century. The concluding figure of this pro-
duction has been called by Alfred Noyes, "The most
impressive climax in English poetry." Of this same
work the late Henry Van Dyke declared that "Ed-
win Markham's 'Lincoln' is the greatest poem ever
written on the immortal martyr, and the greatest
that will ever be written." As long as man lives
on this planet he will read, with a lump in his throat,
and sorrow in his heart, this last line, — "And leaves
a lonesome place against the sky."
Then he drew two circles, the Muse returned, and
230 THE SCROLL
he wrote his most famous quatrain, — "Out witted" :
"He drew a circle that shut me out —
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout,
But love and I had the wit to win;
We drew a circle that took him in."
When the poet reached the age of four score years
he brought out a volume of poetry called, "Eighty
songs at Eighty" — think of it — still singing at
eighty ! One of those lovely songs he called "Araby,"
and this is the way it goes:
"Oh, there is waiting for my heart
A fountain and a friend,
I'm off to-day for Araby,
Where all the rainbows end.
I'm up and off for Araby,
A-carrying my pack;
And all the stars of Heaven are in
The bundle on my back."
With all the "stars of heaven" on our back, let us
all travel the road to Araby "where all the rain-
bows end!"
Just now the whole world is confused, frustrated
and fearful of the future. Let us close this paper
on "The Trumpeter of a New World," "A Conscript
of the Mighty Dream," by using his poem on "The
Look Ahead" :
"I am done with the years that were, quits:
I am done with the dead and old,
They are mines worked out; I delved in their pits;
I have saved their grain of gold.
Now I turn to the future for wine and bread:
I have bidden the past adieu,
I laugh and lift hands to the years ahead :
'Come on: I am ready for you'!"
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII APRIL, 1950 No. 8
Nothing Is Necessary
E. S. Ames
Years ago I preached a sermon on this subject,
"Nothing Is Necessary." I still hear reverberations
from that speech, especially from my wife, who said
then and continues occasionally to say, "I think you
would not say that it is not necessary to have dinner
ready when you come home tired and hungry!" My
answer is that food is necessary to satisfy hunger,
but why is it necessary to satisfy hunger ? In order
to live, you will say. And why is it necessary to live?
Millions of people are dying of starvation in China,
and other parts of the world. If it is necessary for
them to live, why does the good God let them die?
We think things are necessary because we desire
them. We must have a car, a house, a spouse, an
income, friends, books, new clothes, power, and
praise. These are necessary because they would
make us happy, give us status among our neighbors,
and before our children. To have them is to live.
Not to have them is to be nothing, to be forgotten,
to suffer, to be lost. Even if we have all the creature
comforts, and knowledge, and goods to give to the
poor, we may be in despair for the lack of a clear
conscience or a heart of love. Without that one
thing a person may be empty and hollow, and sound
like a tinkling bell or a raucous cylinder of brass.
A question much discussed in these pages of late
is, what is essential. The dictionary says essential
means "indispensably necessary." But it does not
tell what is the end or object for which anything
is necessary. It is the Bible and not the dictionary
which gives the answer. The Bible makes life itself
the end for which certain means are necessary. Re-
232 THE SCROLL
ligion holds up to view the good life, for which faith,
repentance, forgiveness, charity, integrity, sincerity,
and other virtues are necessary. These are neces-
sary IF we want to realize this good life. If persons
do not care for this good life, or for any part of it,
in any relationship, then even these virtues are not
necessary. Nothing is necessary to such persons
because they do not care. If a man is thoroughly
careless as to whether he goes to jail, and to hell,
nothing is necessary to him !
Taking essentials as what are "indispensably
necessary," what are the essentials of religion?
Theoretically, all enlightened persons will agree that
the qualities that constitute a pure heart, a noble
soul, a righteous life, are necessary conditions to be
cultivated toward the high end sought. But in the
search for the means essential to success in this
quest, many secondary and unnecessary things have
been emphasized. The New Testament clearly reveals
the difficulties that arose for the early Christians
in making valid distinctions between essentials and
non-essentials. Some thought it was necessary to
avoid eating meat that had been offered to idols;
some thought it was necessary to observe certain
days and places of worship. Some thought circum-
cision a necessary rite, some believed ceremonial
washings, like baptism, necessary. Some held tith-
ing essential. Jewish Christians thought it essential
to believe in one Divinity, while Gentile Christians
considered it necessary to believe also in the Divinity
of Christ.
One thing that hinders the growth and spread of
reasonable Christianity is the confusion of what is
im'portant with what is necessary. It is quite human
to assume that what is important to me should be
equally important to others, and that what is op-
tional to me should be optional to others. It is
THE SCROLL 233
extremely difficult to avoid attaching estimates of
highest value to matters that are quite incidental,
such as manners, correctness of speech, table eti-
quette, family or racial connections, occupation,
financial status. College education is important but
not necessary to success or happiness. It may be
a detriment, a cause of snobbishness, a source of
deadly pride, an enemy of democracy, and a foe
of genuine religion.
One of the hardest lessons to learn in this life is
the great variety that exists within the good, the
wide range of differences of standards, of perform-
ance, of excellence, of aspiration, and of mastery.
There is no perfection in life or in religion. There
is only quest and striving and partial attainment.
There is bitter force in the idea that every person
has the defects of his qualities, the limitations of his
achievements. The sensitive artist or scholar may
lack the rough and ready ability to struggle with the
practical conditions of competition and preferment.
Popularity feeds conceit. Humility invites imposi-
tion by driving administrators. Power begets blind-
ness and vanity. The obverse of this fact just illus-
trated is that each quality brings its own compensa-
tions, rewards and satisfactions. There is no single
fixed pattern of success or failure. Our spiritual
profiles are as various as photographs of our
features.
What kind of unity is possible for such diverse
personalities? For one thing, it cannot be a union
stated in creedal uniformity without allowing for
individual interpretations. Since such varying in-
terpretations are sure to occur, it may be better to
acknowledge them at the outset, and emphasize
goodwill and a spirit of generous cooperation as the
essentials. Then the two enduring phrases of our
favorite slogan would be, "In opinions, liberty; in
234 THE SCROLL
all things, charity."
"Nothing- Is Necessary" in and for itself. Any-
thing becomes necessary only in relation to an end
desired. Uniformity in doctrine concerning the big
and the little things of religion is impossible. The
effort to attain union among Christians on a doc-
trinal basis has often caused divisions, and always
will. Such union tends to dictatorships, to man-
agerial power, to external superficial success in the
way of organization, numbers, and financial magni-
tudes. "Not by might, nor by power, but by my
spirit," saith the Lord. The kingdom of heaven
cannot be taken by violence. The meek shall inherit
the earth, strange as it sounds to us in our day!
The Christian Remnant in Japan
Wm. H. Erskine, Hyattsville, Md.
Our silence is now broken and people are asking
us to tell about Japan and the Christian work there,
since this is the time for the study of Japan in the
Missionary Circle. The Japanese and the American
propagandists had lied about Kagawa, the most
Christ like of the living Christians. This tender
and loving servant of Christ, was accused of recant-
ing, of turning his back on Christianity, at the same
time he was praying in prison, not for himself but
for peace. Allow me to quote a part of a poem as
translated by Mrs. Lois Erickson in her book, "Song
of the Dawn," Friendship Press :
You were bold and brave
In plundering,
Falter not now, but face
Your mightier task,
And build Japan again.
0 Youth of Sunrise Land,
Almighty God would use
THE SCROLL 235
This cruel war
To teach and train you ;
If you fail to learn
His lessons,
You will prove yourselves
Unworthy to be called
The sons of dawn.
Again Kagawa speaks of "The Living Christ" :
Why should we speak
Of "Christianity"
As though it were
Dead doctrine?
Jesus is not dead;
Still as of old,
1 He seeks His sheep.
I Children of Japan,
Dumb in defeat.
Struggling to live,
Wipe, wipe away your tears,
Look at the living Christ;
He stands
Here at your side.
Another great praying soul through the war is
Miss Utako Hayashi. Often the writer has intro-
duced her as the Jane Addams of Osaka on account
of her activities for Social Purity in Japan. A suc-
cessful teacher in a Christian school, was asked to
marry the widower of an orphanage. She refused
him but did agree to marry the orphanage, and took
the children under her care and with prayer and
suffering she built the exceptional orphanage in
Osaka. In her "Morning Prayers" :
I waken in the early dawn
And softly pray
That I may find and do the work
God has for me this day.
236 THE SCROLL
In her book, **A Song of Daily Life" :
Again today, Lord,
Let me write
In characters of sweat and tears
Words that will bring
Thy children to the light.
And faith and hope and love
Will be
The warp and woof
Of fabric gay
That I would weave for Thee
Today.
A great soul sent of God to the poor and outcast,
whom you should know as among the Christian rem-
nant, is Col. Yamamuro of the Salvation Army. Re-
jected by Christian groups because he was unpre-
possessing, unprepared, he goes out on the roof of
his house in a rain storm, and prays:
"0 God, I trust in Christ for salvation,
Baptize me with the pure water of heaven."
Graduated from Doshisha University and greatly
influenced by Pres. Joseph Niishima, and aided in his
education by the saint of the Disciples, Rev. Yoshida
who held off his own education. As great a soul
winner as Kagawa, and also writer of the Common
People's Gospel. In speaking of salvation in Christ,
he says:
His salvation comes
Not from man's wisdom
Nor the lore of books.
But to those born again.
Whose hearts are made anew,
Be they but toilers, traders,
Peasants, poorest of the poor.
The grace of God
Is never limited
THE SCROLL 237
Remembering that long ago
Jesus of Nazareth
Daily carved His wood,
[ And planed his long, hard boards.
So let us hold
His will for us
Deep in our hearts,
And labor on and on.
General Yamamuro has passed on to his reward,
but his wonderful daughter is carrying on, Miss
Tamiko Yamamuro, a woman in her forties with
the faith and zeal of her father. Cast into prison
she vt^rites, "War" :
And the heavy hand, of Thought Police
Upon our band.
Because we call ourselves an army
And proclaim that Christ is King ;
Our possessions seized.
Our papers searched;
Our soldiers persecuted ;
Leaders thrown in jail.
We prisoners
Smitten on one cheek,
Must turn the other —
Yet it gives us joy
To suffer thus for Christ.
In these dark days of weakness
I am comforted to know
Brave women long ago
Followed our Lord to Calvary,
While strong men fled.
And I remember Mary Magdalene
Who was first to greet Him
Li that Easter dawn!
238 THE SCROLL
And so I fixi my mind
Upon^the power of God.
Then hope comes back,
Hope for our own jailers
And this poor land
I love.
The prisoners of war on both sides learned the
Lord's Prayer by heart, with its great words, Our
Father, Thy Kingdom come. Give us this day our
daily bread. Forgive as we forgive. A REMNANT
PRAYS.
""Love Is Not a Doctrine,
But An Attitude''
Don Wilson Fein, Owensboro, Ky.
How important it is to understand the above
stated truth, can be realized only through experience.
Regardless of the words or phrases man may use to
define love, he can not define it adequately. The
poets' never ending lines on it, may stir its presence
within one's heart and soul, but cannot say just what
it is. The endless line of sermons preached about it,
has not been able to plant it in men's hearts. Nor
shall the world be assured of its reality in men's
lives until we experience it as an attitude.
If it were a doctrine and could be put into men's
lives by command or legislation, surely we would
have been living under its sway for many centuries
now. And who would not have it so. "Love the
Lord Thy God with all thy heart, mind, soul, and
strength; and thy neighbor as thyself." We hear
it. We say it. We do it not!
We say that God is Love. Love is of God. Be
ye rooted and grounded in Love. If it were possible
THE SCROLL 239
to teach man to love, then here are more teachings
and doctrines, that should accomplish this end. But
such is not the case. Again the command, "Love
God, because He first loved us." A further statement
•of doctrinal truth but still not sufficient to cause
man to love. Indeed Love is not a doctrine, but an
attitude.
One may teach doctrines, but attitudes must be
developed. It is only as one develops attitudes
through constant application of his knowledge
gained through experience that he can grow into
any measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
Herein, I believe, lies the whole crux of our mid-
century confusion : We are still trying to learn how
to love, as we learn how to "obey" the ten command-
ments. Whether our world grows into a "century
of hope" or declines into a "century of despair" will
rest solely upon the attitudes men have developed in
their lives, most important of which is this attitude
of love.
When one loves fellowman, he can not hate. He
can hate the act of his brother, but not the brother
himself. If one's attitude is to love all men, there is
no place then for hate which leads to envy, strife,
jealousy, war. Likewise on a personalized level,
the absence of such an attitude causes misunder-
standings, frictions, tensions, jealousies, and murder
(of the body, or of the spirit, and of times both) .
On my way down to the church Sunday morning,
I heard Dr. Ralph Sockman on The National Radio
Pulpit. He was discussing the "Marks of a Chris-
tian." The only mark I heard him speak of was
"Love." "By this shall all men know, ye are my dis-
ciples. That ye love one another." This was ertough
for me. If one bears the mark of Christian MLrove
which can be seen in his attitude toward life, then
he has "The Marks of a Christian" about him. The
240 THE SCROLL
love of which Jesus spoke was an attitude, not a
doctrine.
Dr. Albert Schweitzer is a noble example of what
can happen when love grows into an attitude of
life. I was privileged to see and hear him at The
University of Chicago Convocation this past summer
and it made me eager to secure his 'Thilosophy of
Civilization." I read it recently. Love as an atti-
tude is clearly revealed in his "reverence-for-life"
philosophy. Indeed, some might be led to feel he
carries such thought to an extreme. Yet, who could
command such an outlook into being? Who could
teach it as a doctrine ? How could one ever legislate,
so that man might thus learn to live? "Reverence-
for-life" philosophy grows when one bases his love
upon the fact we are here discussing — that it is an
attitude, not a doctrine!
Not long ago, a community called a young man
as Director for The Community Chest and Council.
He was aggressive and eager, but he was baffled
and retarded in his work by the indifference and lack
of vision among those with whom he worked. He
was finally dismissed. Disillusioned, and suffering
from a deep sense of failure, he made this statement,
"I only want them all to know, I do not hate them
for this act. I trust I shall leave the city with no
enemies, and with them realizing that I still love
them."
One cannot live this way, nor love this way, until
love is an attitude of life.
Thank you Dean Ames for pointing up this im-
portant fact. May you and others who have given
themselves to this sort of thinking about life, realize
there is a generation of "those who come after" who
are striving to maintain this belief: "Love is not
a doctrine, but an attitude."
THE SCROLL 241
An Epitome of Theology
Wm. F. Clarke, Duluth, Minn.
I am an octogenarian. Half a century ago I spent
six years studying in college classes with other young
men reading the Bible from the Greek and Hebrew
texts. Since then I have spent many years in public
education. But though that may help explain my
religious ideas it does not establish their truth. A
thing is not true because the Pope or some other per-
son has said so. Accordingly Paul's concept of the
origin of the Universe is not true because he set it
forth. But it is worth serious contemplation.
The origin and existence of a God is humanly in-
explicable. But equally inexplicable is the origin
and existence of the Universe without a God.
In his letter to the Ephesians Paul sets forth an
explanation for the origin of the Universe. Accord-
ing to him there were certain persons in the spirit
world out of harmony with God. To convince these
persons that He was both powerful and wise and
thereby win their adoration, God devised a great
project. He would create a great universe with man
its central figure. He would start man a weak and
ignorant creature and develop him into a being with
the characteristics of saintliness and blamelessness
in His sight. For the accomplishment of this pur-
pose He would constitute man and the universe in
such a way that man's life in the universe would
develop in him the characteristics of saintliness and
blamelessness in His sight. Thus life would become
for man a school of righteousness. Paul may have
derived this concept from the story of Job. Job
was a righteous man in God's sight and God is repre-
sented as calling Satan's attention to Job, apparently
in the hope that Satan would imitate Job and become
a friend of God's. This procedure is in line with
242 THE SCROLL
Paul's concept.
This concept of Paul's deserves more attention
than has been given it by those professing themselves
servants of God. Its adoption by theologians would
bring about profound changes in current church
dogmas. For example, currently there is wide-spread
insistence that God has prescribed for His service
a relatively few activities of no particular advantage
in normal life which are to be gone through with
at stated times in a certain prescribed way. Those
familiar with the ideas of Christ know that this is
what he denounced as hypocrisy. According to Paul
instead of a certain relatively few acts apart from
life, God has provided for man a life of infinite ac-
tivities, all of which are essential to his well-being
and all of which must be gone through with in a
certain way to insure this well-being. As a part of
man's education God arranged that man would have
to discover through his experience with life just how
to live life as God designed for it to be lived. It is
thus that man discovers God's will. And it is by
reverently and gratefully living in accord with this
will that man becomes righteous in God's sight.
Frank Garrett
Wallace R. Bacon, Ft. Smith, Ark.
Dr. Frank Garret died at his home near Harrison,
Arkansas, on March 8, 1950, apparently as the re-
sult of over exertion in fighting a fire that was
sweeping through his timber and threatening his
home. The funeral service was held at the Christian
Church in Harrison, Arkansas, at two o'clock, on
March 11, 1950. The pastor, L. L. Rudolph assisted,
and Wallace R. Bacon of Fort Smith, Arkansas, com-
mented on Dr. Garrett's life and work and spoke
of the Christian attitude toward life and the inci-
3
THE SCROLL 243
dent of death. His comments on Dr. Garrett's life
and work were as follows:
Frank Garrett was born at Camp Point, Illinois,
in 1868 and lived 82 years. He was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Silas Garrett. He graduated from Drake
University in 1896 and was a member of Drake's
Gamma chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. His Master's
degree was from Columbia University. In 1914
Drake conferred on him the honorary degree of
Doctor of Divinity.
Mr. Garrett married Miss Ethel Brown and they
went to China in 1896. To this union were born
two daughters and one son. After Mrs. Garrett's
death, Mr. Garrett married Verna Bryan Waugh
in 1914.
Frank Garrett's life was spent as a missionary
to China under the United Christian Missionary So-
ciety of the Disciples of Christ. He had a large part
in developing Christian communities in China.
Every phase of the mission program benefitted from
his life and service, but his special interest was in
the field of Evangelism and Education.
For seven years he taught in the Nanking Union
Theological Seminary and was its president. Many
Mission buildings were constructed under his per-
sonal supervision. These include seven mission
residences, three school buildings, two churches and
a large educational plant. He was one of the found-
ers of Nanking University and served as member
of its board of directors. He was a leader in many
cooperative Christian organizations. While carry-
ing a full load in the regular station program, he
also served as chairman of the Administrative Com-
mittee of the China Mission for thirteen years. He
was an indefatigable and eflficient worker both on the
field and when at home on furlough.
Frank Garrett was a great Christian gentleman.
244 THE SCROLL
His compassion for the needy was inclusive and
unlimited. His quiet courage was tremendous. His
joy, good cheer and understanding and hopefulness
were outstanding. The bulwark of his life and work
was his faith that God's will can be done.
In 1907 the Chinese government awarded him
an Imperial Medal for his service in famine relief.
It is not pleasant to work in the midst of typhus.
The Empress Dowager's government was moved by
the Christian compassion of a man who would turn
from his regular duties to minister to famine suffer-
ers of another race, and paid him this special tribute.
To me, one of the remarkable demonstrations of
his courage was the occasion in 1911 when alone
he rode out of the East Gate of the City of Nanking
into the face of revolutionary troops entrenched on
Purple Mountain and facilitated the surrender of
the city, without the holocaust of bombing and de-
struction. He put his own life in the greatest jeop-
ardy but thereby he saved life and property for hun-
dreds of thousands of persons inside the walls of
the city of Nanking.
He was an understanding person and his heart
went out to the men and particularly to the youth
of China. Because of his personal character and
service he was highly esteemed by the Chinese people
among whom he lived for so many years. He was
the senior missionary in the station at Nantung-
chow and every younger missionary who worked
there feels a great debt to Dr. Garrett for his under-
standing and counsel and guidance.
With all the exacting demands made upon him
as a missionary on the field, Dr. Garrett kept up on
his study and reading. He was informed and
thoughtful. And his ideas were as fresh as youth.
He kept informed on recent developments in China
and his confidence in the ability of the Chinese peo-
THE SCROLL 245
pie to achieve something constructive out of these
troublous times never wavered. This was evident in
his last conversation with me.
Upon his retirement from the mission field, Dr.
Garrett served as associate pastor of the Central
Christian Church at Denver, Colorado. Later he
moved to Miami, Florida, and while there was active
in the work of the church. Since coming to the
Harrison community he has been a benediction to
the churches in this area.
In a Great Tradition
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago
A Review of G. W. Allport, The Individual and
His Religion
Fifty years ago, Harvard's Professor of Psychol-
ogy, William James, turned his attention to the
varieties of religious experience. For nearly fifty
years his famous book succeeded in holding the re-
ligious mind of America open to the fact that re-
ligious experience is intensely personal and conse-
quently various in its expression. William James
broke the shackles of an age-long presumption that
uniformity of religious thought and expression is
the end to be sought in religious endeavor.
By the 1930s, James had been gone long enough
that a new mood of orthodoxy could afford to con-
sider his point of view ''old-fashioned," "subjec-
tive," and "anti-intellectual." The presumption once
again arose that vast uniformities of doctrine and
ritual, while not achievable in our own day perhaps,
were none the less the ends towards which the re-
ligious enterprise should work.
Now, once again. Harvard's Professor of Psy-
chology— this time it is Gordon Allpcrt — has written
a book about individual religion. Like James he has
nourished his mind upon the great classics of religion
246 THE SCROLL
as well as upon contemporary science and philos-
ophy. And once again the fundamental outlook of
James comes alive — the conclusions and sentiments
of mature personal religion are as various and as
unique as personality itself. This viewpoint is up-
held by the latest understandings of personality, and
stated with a charm that rivals that of James him-
self.
Once again the theme is the diversity of form that
subjective religion assumes. "Many different desires
may initiate the religious quest . . . Men show a
varying capacity ... to evolve a well differentiated
mature religious sentiment. There are many de-
grees in the comprehensiveness of this sentiment
. . . There are different styles of doubting, differert
apperceptions of symbols . . . There are innumerable
types of specific religious intentions. How the indi-
vidual justifies his faith is a variable matter, and
the certitude he achieves is his alone."
Here is no simplicist theory of the origins of the
religious quest, no finding its essential ground in a
"feeling of absolute dependence," or a "sense of
the holy," or in the "sense of security and longing,"
or "sex-repression," or "the unconscious." Subjective
religion, when well formed, is essentially simple, like
white light, but like it a composite into which have
been blended both organic and psychogenic drives,
individual temperament and the pursuit of rational
explanations, and a response to the surrounding
culture. When mature, this blend forms a religious
sentiment (both emotion and reason are in it) or
master motive which, despite its origin in more
elemental drives and ego-centricity, now takes pos-
session of them and becomes their control and guide.
In the life economy of the individual, the religious
sentiment differentiates into critical interests in
church, the divine, world brotherhood, good and
THE SCROLL 247
evil, social relationships, etc. By successive discrim-
ination and continuous reorganization maturity of
personal religion is achieved. The guidance of a
life by such a mature religious sentiment is con-
tir.uous and comprehensive, not sporadic and partial.
It is integrative in that it weaves the elements cf
personality together on behalf of ideal ends of life.
Finally, it is sure without being cock-sure, engender-
ing certitude without clamoring for certainty, dis-
covering that theoretical scepticism is not incom-
patible with practical absolutism. "To the gen-
uinely mature personality a full-faced view of reality
in its grimmest aspects is not incompatible with an
heuristic-commitment that has power to turn des-
peration into active purpose."
A chapter on ''Conscience and Mental Health" de-
scribes the transition from childhood's introjected
super-ego to maturity's conscience based on the
values affirmed by the religious sentiment. The
psychological understanding of integration is en-
lightened by the realization that the comprehensive-
ness of mature religious idealism is the best possible
agency for the maintenance of personal wholeness.
The role of the minister in contrast to both the psy-
chologist and the psychiatrist is indicated. Two
firal chapters on doubt and faith describe the varie-
ties of ways in which men do their doubting, and
validate their faith. Over and over again, Allport
underlines the energizing power of "the probable."
Certainty is not required for our deepest strivings.
We "believe" the "probable," and sometimes a low
degree of faith, such as we may now have in the
United Nations, being the only hope we can have,
is sufficient to win our backing with all O'ur might.
Among the modes of validation of faith are imme-
diate religious experience, convincing to oneself
though not as a rule to others, and pragmatic deci-
248 THE SCROLL
sions, choosing the more productive "option."
"From its early beginning to the end of the road
the religious quest of the individual is solitary. Lack-
ing as he must, tests of absolute certainty, his own
mode of validation is not necessarily convincing to
others. But it may be deeply convincing to him.
Though he is socially interdependent with others in
a thousand ways, yet no one else is able to provide
him with the faith he evolves, nor prescribe for him
his pact with the cosmos."
The intention of this review is not to argue with
certain specific points of Allport's presentation, nor
even with one of his major concepts — and there is
one which this reviewer feels is an erroneous con-
cept. At the moment, it is much more important to
call the attention of this book to every member of
the Campbell Institute. For it is a great book, in
a great tradition within which the editor of The
Scroll himself stands.
Jorge and Jorgelina
George Earle Owen, Ashtabula, Ohio
(Ttvo outstanding Argentine Disciples of
Christ leaders)
Jorge is the form for George and Jorgelina is the
way one says Georgina or Georgia in Spanish. This
is a biographical note on two of O'ur Argentine
friends, both of whom have visited this country,
Jorge Wenzel and Jorgelina Lozada. Both are
products of Disciples of Christ mission work and
both are members of the Villa Mitre (one of four
churches in Buenos Aires) Christian Church where
Mrs. Owen and I held our membership for five years.
Dr. Jorge Wenzel is a graduate of Colegio Ward,
one of the outstanding private schools in Argentina,
in which Methodists and Disciples of Christ coop-
erate. His law degree is from the University of
THE SCROLL 249
ia Plata. He is at present the Executive Secretary
of the Confederation of Evangelical Churches of
the River Plate region (Argentina, Paraguay and
Uruguay) : the expression of Christian fellowship
and cooperation, for nineteen Protestant Commu-
nions and their affiliated institutions, e.g., Semi-
naries, etc. He gives three-fourths of his time
(officially one-half) to the Confederation of
Churches and half time to a legal department of the
city of Buenos Aires (population 3,000,000). He
was the official delegate to the World Council of
Churches in Amsterdam. He is a distinguished
Christian layman, one of the vice presidents of the
World Convention of the Disciples of Christ. Keep
your eye on him.
He has been invited and should attend the sessions
of the World Sunday School Convention and the
World Council of Christian Education to be held
in Toronto, Canada, August 10-20. Needs on the
field being what they are the cost of the trip (approx-
imately $1,000) is too much to be provided by the
local budget. However, the importance of this gath-
ering to him and his work is great. If anyone would
like to help make his trip possible please write to
me at 2604 Walnut Blvd., Ashtabula, Ohio, before
June 30.
Jorgelina Lozada is one of the very few ordained
woman pastors in Latin America. She is one of the
prominent church leaders in Argentina. At the
great world missionary conference in Madras, India,
and at the World's Sunday School Convention in Rio
de Janeiro she was one of the delegates selected to
represent her own and sister Communions. She is
the pastor of the Villa Mitre Church which she has
developed from its infancy. This year marks her
twenty-fifth year in Christian service. Her kinder-
garten and health clinic, her counselling with the
250 THE SCROLL
people of the community are all a part of her splen-
did ministry. The Social Service department of the
city of Buenos Aires has recognized her social serv-
ice work in more than one way. She serves on the
Board and has taught in Union Theological Semi-
nary. She served for several years before Dr.
Wenzel as the Secretary of the Confederation of
Evangelical Churches. One of the high points of
her visit to the United States was her contact with
the Disciples House and Dr. Ames. She is endeavor-
ing to build a social center and community building
right next to the church and needs lots of help
financially. It takes so many more Argentine pesos
now to buy anything. The congregation's building
fund is worth just half what it was five years ago.
Miss Lozada was selected to attend the conference
on Life and Work of Women in the Church in
Geneva, Switzerland, sponsored by the World Coun-
cil of Churches and has come from there to Cuba,
where she is a member of the Curriculum Commit-
tee on Latin America. She is one of ten selected to
represent all of our Latin American Republics. She
will be at the World Sunday School Convention and
World Council of Christian Education to be held in
Toronto this August. She will be in the United
States from June 10 to July 22 working largely in
young people's conferences.
People — Places — Events
"Disciple Humorists I Have Known"
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
Recently I heard Halford Luccock give a series
of lectures on "Preaching" at Butler School of Re-
ligion. What a delightful humorist he is ! He uses
his humor to drive home his messages. Every-
body likes good humor. While Dr. Luccock was
speaking I saw sophisticated professors, eager stu-
THE SCROLL 251
dents, pastors and pastors' wives, conservatives and
liberals all enjoying the addresses and occasionally
bending double with laughter.
Halford Luccock is a Methodist and not a Disciple
but he started me thinking about humorists I have
known in our own brotherhood. Many of us try to
do a bit of "wise-cracking" now and then but the
list of Disciple humorists is not long. I am not try-
ing to find a match for Dr. Luccock. His like cannot
be found in all Protestantism.
As a boy I always went to church or the lecture
hall if I knew that A. W. Conner was to speak. I
was certain there would be good humor scattered
thru his message. He came to be known as ''The
Boy's Friend" and he did much for the boys of his
day. His wonderful sense of humor won the affec-
tion of thousands of boys and their parents.
At Terre Haute, Indiana, there lived a beloved
Disciple minister by the name of Oscar Kelly. He
was a popular speaker during the first two decades
of this century. Upon his approach many of his
friends would start singing "Has anybody here seen
Kelly?" He always had a humorous and cheerful
word for private conversation and public address.
Allen B. Philputt was a great humorist of another
sort. He was knov^n as a literary man and was a
close friend of James Whitcomb Riley. The only
time I ever met Mr. Riley, Dr. Philputt introduced
us. In a set address Dr. Philputt did not indulge in
much humor but in an informal speech he was a riot.
He was chief speaker at my church one day when
we were dedicating a new community hall. The
"Hustling Hundred," a men's organization of the
church had taken the lead in building this hall and
they were much in evidence on dedication day. When
Dr. Philputt arose to speak he said "After seeing
here what a "Hustling Hundred" can do I am going
252 THE SCROLL
back to my church and organize the "Thundering
Thousand."
Harry Pritchard was a rare story teller. Harry
so greatly enjoyed his own stories that it became
contagious with everyone around him. A few days
before his passing I sat by his bedside and he related
an experience which had come to him a few nights
before when he believed he had caught a glimpse
of the other side. We talked calmly and naturally
about immortality. However, before I left Harry
used some of his fast fading strength to tell me his
latest story.
Did you ever hear Harry Peters let loose in one
of his humorous addresses? If so, you would want
to list him among Disciple humorists. He was my
state "bishop" for several years and I have seen him
break strong tensions with an apt and humorous
story. His was a sort of an Abe Lincoln type of
humor and he carried it with him wherever he went.
It is doubtful if any person ever started more
people laughing than Clark Cummings. This great
soul could pass quickly from the role of a clown to
that of a philosopher or of a saint. I do not think
Clark used much humor in his addresses but I am
certain he should be listed among Disciple humor-
ists.
The above mentioned have had their names in-
scribed on the immortal tablets of the yesteryears.
It is much more difficult to name our living humor-
ists. At the risk of omitting some I rush in.
The hearty laugh of Fred Heifer is medicine for
body and soul. In the pulpit, Fred is clothed with
dignity and sweetness. Among his many friends he
is a "kidder" with a remarkable ability of making
his humor contagious. I attended a state conven-
tion last May where Fred was president. By the
end of the first day the whole convention caught his
spirit of friendly good humor.
THE SCROLL 253
Among our younger humorists, Perry Gresham
perhaps heads all the rest. Humor is scattered like
saving salt throughout his messages. On College
Night at the Cincinnati convention he kept that great
audience in the hollow of his hand. He did it not
alone by humor but by that rare ability of humor
plus brains.
Should a vote be taken among Disciples concerning
our greatest humorist I feel certain the crov^n vv^ould
go to Graham Frank. Graham is the best story
teller I ever heard. I had the pleasure of hearing the
original telling of the Mary Simpson story. Some
of the details of that story cannot be published but
most Scroll readers will know that it was the great-
est hoax ever experienced in Discipledom or in any
other religious body. When I heard Graham tell
that story he did not reveal that it was a hoax until
the very end. He took twenty or thirty minutes to
tell the story in a Denver hotel lobby. Some 25
preachers and secretaries gathered around and lis-
tened intently. Many who thought themselves
psycho-analysts broke in from time to time to give
their appraisal of Mary Simpson. When the climax
was reached a great howl went up and there were
some red faces among us would-be detectives.
A Time to Bark
Fred S. Nichols, Walton, Ky.
No more is freedom of speech the inalienable
right of man than is barking the inalienable right
of a dog. But freedom in each instance, as we well
know, is often abused. The freedom of bark, for
example, should be delimited by man's right to
sleep. Not only has a dog limited barking rights,
but as a watch dog it is his duty to bark. A good
watch dog, however, will have a timely sense of
barking. It was such timely sense that sent my
254 THE SCROLL
next door neighbor into ecstacies over his new dog,
which he had bought upon recommendation as a
watch dog of blue ribbon qualities. He climaxed
his summarization of the dog's virtues by saying,
"He never barks at the general, it is always at
the particular." There you have the superlative
mark of a good watch dog; and thereby hangs an
application.
During the progress of an annual revival, the
two preachers were at the home of a deacon for an
evening meal. It was just at the time when the
St. Louis Cardinals and the Brooklyn Dodgers were
battling it out at the close of the season for the
National League pennant. Naturally the table con-
versation turned to this contest. Said one of the
preachers, whose position, I admit, would not be
shared by large numbers of his area countrymen —
said he, "We who were born south of the Mason
and Dixon Line know why we are for the Cardi-
nals," as if it would be hard to guess the three
reasons to be Jackie Robinson, Campanella, and
Newcombe,
That night the sermon dealt largely with human
brotherhood, and all the wonders pertaining thereto.
Only to carry out the figure, it is fair to say the
barking was ineffective because it was a barking
at the general, with the preacher forgetting that
general barking that overlooks the particular, is apt
to be a tinkling cymbal.
Genuine prophets bark at the particular.
No one is ever crucified for barking at the general.
An Open Letter to
Dr. F. W. Burnham
By W. J. Lhamon, Columbia, Mo.
Dear Dr. Burnham: I notice your article in
THE SCROLL 255
The Scroll relative to the Old Jerusalem Church.
You say that you "Are puzzled about the conduct
of the Old Jerusalem Church, with the Lord's
brother at the head of it." And you "Wonder wheth-
er we should give it up as the progenitor of the
Church of Christ, and turn to Antioch, where "The
disciples were first called Christians."
Allow me the following suggestions. The Old
Mother Church was strictly a church of Jews. It
was tribal, petrified, — in short a cult. It had no
outreach toward the Gentile world. Such an insti-
tution tends more and more to become a fossil, en-
closing itself against all living things. That was
not what the world needed, and providentially two
things happened.
First: The Apostle Peter was spiritually (should
one say miraculously) led to the home of the Gentile
Nobleman Cornelius, to whom he preached, and
whom he baptized together (it seems) with his
household. Thus Cornelius the first Gentile Chris-
tian became the logical, fine and beautiful type of
Gentile membership in the Church — and that really
means world membership. When Peter made his
avowal (Acts 10-28) "You yourselves know that it
is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or to visit
one of another nation : but God hath shown me
that I should not call any man common or unclean,"
he gave utterance to a new, democratic, and world
view of humanity. It was revolutionary! And was
it not providential? There are times when,
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform."
The second thing that happehed, and that changed
the whole situation of the ecclesiastical conditions
of that day, including the Old Mother Church, was
256 THE SCROLL
the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Saul was a mem-
ber of that Old Mother Church. It was the Jewish
state church, and Saul was born in it just as he
was born a Jew. That was what made him so fierce
as an antagonist. Heresy was rebellion, and Stephen
(Acts Ch. 7,) had denied the national synagogue
faith, and therefore he should die. So Saul, the
born leader of the group, "held the clothes" of the
men who stoned Stephen to death. And he did it
"in all good conscience." It should be recalled that
much later in life when he as a Christian missionary
was on trial, he cried out before the Council,
"Brethren, I have lived before God in all good
conscience up to this day." (Acts 23-1.)
As a leading persecutor, "even to strange cities,"
Saul was on his way to Damascus with his retinue,
his bodyguard of camel drivers and their luggage
of food and other necessities for that tedious jo^rney
of a hundred and fifty miles over a rough and
mountainous road. Under these conditions says Dr.
Farrar in his "Life and Work of St. Paul," . . .
"Paul was forced to go up into the tribunal of his
own conscience, and set himself before himself."
Thus he pressed on under the high noon of the Syrian
sun, till he was smitten by a light more fierce and
terrible than that of the sun — a light that awoke
in him a new conscience, and made of him a "New
Man." So Saul the persecutor became Paul the
Apostle.
Was not this a miracle? It was a miracle in the
realm of the Spirit, above and beyond the realms of
matter, time and space. By this miracle Saul of
Tarsus forfeited his membership in the Old Jeru-
salem Church, and took his place of leadership
in the lasting church of the Gentile world. It was
an age of providential change. Even Paul, formerly
THE SCROLL 257
Saul and ardent defender of the faith, and search-
ing for heresy "from house to house," and loyal
to the ancient rite of circumcision, had come to the
place where he could say, as in his Galatian letter,
"Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision availeth
anything, but faith working through love." Indeed
the whole Galatian letter is a tremendous, and
revolutionary attack on the old Jewish regime. When
Paul was aroused in a great cause he was a great
fighter. And this made him the greatest figure in
the ancient world — aside from the great Master him-
self. And his stature has not diminished with time.
His letters live. Galatians, Romans, first and second
Corinthians, and others. His panegyric on Christian
LOVE lives. (1st. Cor. 13.) And He lives both in
our conscious and subconscious minds, since we can
hardly think in a great Christian way without lean-
ning on themes where He has gone before us. Canon
Farrar, after considering various hypotheses, possi-
ble and impossible, says, "One fact remains, the
conversion of St. Paul was in the highest sense of
the word a miracle, the spiritual consequences of
which have affected every subsequent age of man-
kind."
Dear Mr. Ames : I am offering you the above for
publication in The Scroll — if you find it worthy of
a place among your crowded pages. I trust that you
are well. You seem to keep going strong. I manage
to keep my feet under me and my head on me at
not far from 95, Deii gracia. But — "the sands of
life" are not running as freely as once they did.
Sooner or later we m^ust go "the way of all flesh,"
and I feel that I am ready when the Good Father
calls — not boasting : only thankful.
258 THE SCROLL
Mrs. 0. F. Jordan
Mrs. Ida Kinsey Jordan, wife of our beloved
pastor of the Park Ridge Community Church, on
the northwest side of Chicago, died January 29,
1950. She was eighteen when she went to India
with her aunt, Mrs. Ben N. Mitchell. After serving
six years as a missionary, she came home on fur-
lough, and entered Butler College for further edu-
cation. There she met Mr. Jordan, and they were
married at her parents' home in Portland, Indiana,
August 6, 1900. In churches in Rockford, Evanston,
and Park Ridge, Illinois, they had long and notable
pastorates, and have been wise and efficient partici-
pants in the organized work of the Disciples in Chi-
cago. She is survived by three sons and four grand-
children. She continued all her life active in club
work and missionary work with the women of the
churches and comm^unity. A great company of peo-
ple gathered in the Community Church in Park
Ridge on February 1, for the service in her memo-
ry. Dr. W. B. Blakemore, who was a student as-
sistant to Dr. Jordan while studying in the Disciples
Divinity House, preached the sermon and gave an
impressive interpretation of her spirit and work.
Among many other notable things, he said: "She
was a church woman in the best sense of the term
for she believed in the importance of organized re-
ligion. But one may be a churchwoman without be-
ing very religious. On the other hand her faith-
fulness was not primarily a matter of elaborate de-
votional life. She was as unimpressed by intricacy
in religion as she was by intricacy in any other
area of life. While active in the church she was
never overcome by busyness about it. While given
to regular worship she never made a parade of
THE SCROLL 259
faith. While suffusing her home with a Christian
character she never strained after rehgion nor
sought to impress the visitor with the fact that she
was devout. The maintenance of her faith did not
require extravagance as a support. On the contrary,
she had at all times an immediate sense of the pres-
ence and overarching care of God for all his children.
She was a Protestant in the fundamental sense of
the term in which all Christians are Protestants:
she witnessed for God, she spoke on his behalf, she
testified of him through her life."
Mrs. A. W. Fortune
Mrs. Fortune died on April 4. She would have
been 74 on April 12. She was a student in Hiram
College, and married Dr. Fortune in 1912. She
was a member of the Central Christian Church
in Lexington, and was active in the Church School
and missionary society. For 35 years she was a
member of the Board of the Kentucky Woman's
Missionary Society, and had served on the boards
of the Community Chest and the Travelers Aid
Society. She was one of the organizers of the
Woman's Club of Transylvania and the College
of the Bible. She was a member of the Daughters
of the American Revolution and the Women's
Christian Temperance Union. She is survived by a
son. Dr. Carl H. Fortune, a physician in Lexing-
ton, and by a daughter, Mrs. Jesse K. Lewis, wife
of a Lexington attorney. There are two grand-
children. Services were conducted in the Central
Church in Lexington by Leslie R. Smith, Hayes
Farish, and Stephen J. Corey.
While Dr. Fortune was a patient in Passavant
Hospital, in Chicago, for the very delicate and
serious operation on his eyes, she was constantly
2^0 THE SCROLL
by his side, hopeful and courageous through all
those trying weeks. One who saw her often mar-
velled at the spirit and cheerfulness with which
they faced the ordeal. It was clear in those dif-
ficult days what a strong and comforting com-
panion she had been to her gifted husband through
all the years of his many and fruitful activities.
The deepest sympathy of his comrades of the Camp-
bell Institute go- out to him, with their sincerest
admiration for his strength of spirit and unfalter-
ing trust during the years of his arduous labors,
and now in this crucial bereavement.
Notes
E. S. Ames
Robert Wilkerson sends us the first number of his
Church "Visitor" at Gurnee, 111. It is well done
and reports plans for new hymnals, and for an
electric organ.
Professor J. Clark Archer, after teaching 35 years
in the Yale School of Religion, will retire next June.
He has held an important place of leadership among
the Disciples, and in retirement we hope he will
be free to do still more. Men in retirement are sup-
posed to have much free time!
W. E. Gordon^, veteran missionary in India, is now
in Canada serving churches without pastors. His
address is 332 Bloor St. W., Toronto 5, Ont. He is
one of the great souls of our Disciple and Institute
fellowship.
Charles E. Sherinan writes from Atlanta. He is
Secretary for the southern area of the Y.M.C.A., and
travels throughout ten southwestern states. He was
recently in Nashville for religious emphasis week
at Fisk University, and at A and I College where
Wm. Fox is chaplain. His travels bring him contacts
with many other Y. men and with University of Chi-
THE SCROLL 261
cago men he knew when a student here. He men-
tions having lately seen J. Fred Miller, Woodrow
. Wasson, Dennis Savage, Parker Rossman, and Bob
Tesdell. "All DD House men are making good rec-
ords." "Your two articles (February Scroll) gave
me an inspiring lift. I particularly liked 'Monday,
February 13, in Chicago.' " I trust some persons in
California will note this who were apparently dis-
turbed by that iveather report from Chicago!
Edgar DeWitt Jones says he is all but through
with writing his book on the Yale Lectures on
Preaching. He is at Yale this month of April to
attend this year's series and to check up on the
manuscript of 90,000 words ! He will be ready for a
real vacation at Pentwater in the summer, we hope.
His son, Willis, and bride are to be there, too.
Owen Livengood sends his check for $3 for The
Scroll and calls it "the best brain fusser-up that
has come to my attention. Being soon at the 75th
milestone of my life, believe me, I need this fusser-up
for my fuzzy brain. It does the trick. This is my
50th year in the ministry. I'm on the retired list
but am quite busy in ad interim pastoral work. Wife
and I have very fine health, and we are enjoying to
the full our work. We are just now serving the Fire-
stone Park Church of Christ, Akron, Ohio. This
Church has just extended a call to Wm. F. Saye, at
present pastor of the Worcester (Mass.) Christian
Church. He will take over the work soon after
Easter. In the past few years we have served
churches in Akron, 0., Johnstown, Pa., Hamilton,
0., and Huntington, Indiana. My address now will
be 32 E. Wilbeth Rd., Akron 19, Ohio."
Hallie G. Gantz, President of the Yale Campbell
Club Fellowship sends word that Harry Baker
Adams, President of the Club, announces a special
262 THE SCROLL
dinner for Dr. and Mrs. Archer at the Danbury,
Connecticut, Church, Friday evening, May 5. All
Yale men are asked to contribute to a fund to pur-
chase a gift for that occasion, contributions to be
sent to George Oliver Taylor, 357 Downey Avenue,
Indianapolis 19, Indiana. Let all of us Yale men
have a part in this fine tribute. *
James Carty, now^ associated with Kring Allen
in the Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Church, writes that
"Bill" Alexander has gone to court to change his
name officially to Bill so that he could put it on
the ballot that way. "Once a guy named Rogers
changed his name to Will, so that people would think
he was the comedian and he got a lot of votes in
Oklahoma. So a law was passed that only the official
name could be used on the ballot." Readers of Life
Magazine must have noticed that Bill was riding
the elephant in a street parade, signifying his sud-
den conversion to the G.O.P. His chances of being
elected to the Senate are getting brighter, Carty
thinks. It is difficult for a monthly magazine like
The Scroll to keep up with the rapid developments
of an ambitious Disciple minister who takes to
politics in Oklahoma,
The notable celebration of the Centennial of
Hiram College has begun and will be continued
through Commencement. Many great names are on
the program, beginning with Chancellor Hutchins of
Chicago, and concluding with Governor Dewey of
New York.
The pamphlet on the Disciples of Christ, by E. S.
Ames, has been reprinted and is available in any
number at ten cents per copy to cover cost and
postage. Order through the office of the Disciples
Divinity House, 1156 East 57th St., Chicago.
It was gratifying to open the Christian Courier
for April and see the faces of so many pastors in
Dallas whom I know and to read of the success of
their churches. A personal visitation campaign was
conducted in all the 19 churches of Dallas before
Easter. Richard Jamies, of the Oak Cliff Church, re-
ceived 98 new members, with 48 more signing "de-
cision cards" indicating their purpose to join soon.
Dean Harrison, of the Rosemont Church, though just
now handicapped by meeting in a theatre until fall,
reports 99 decision cards signed. Wayne Selser, of
the Irving Church, Dallas County, says, "Our recent
Crusade meeting has been the most moving and pro-
foundly transforming experience in the life of this
Church." During the campaign which began Febru-
ary 26, 1457 were added to the 19 churches!
Mrs. Cromwell Cleveland writes that they are hav-
ing a busy time with the Church in Newport News,
Virginia. They had to have duplicate services on
Easter at 9 :30 and 11 :00, and had a Cantata at 5 :00.
She says, "Cromwell recently gave a sermon on,
'The Power of the Tongue' which should be delivered
in the Senate."
Miss Eva Jean Wrather, Nashville, Tenn., is keep-
ing up her long-time, keen interest in the biography
of Alexander Campbell. She hopes I may achieve
my "near-lifetime ambition of seeing AC in print"
E. S. Ames wishes to acknowledge the receipt of
many letters of congratulation on reaching his 80th
birthday on the 21st of this month of April. It
seems to him just another of those incredible things
that do actually happen. But the letters are very
real and warm and heartening. Thank you all, and
especially for the wishes for "many more."
Institute Program, July 24-28, 1950
Richard Pope, President
(Names marked by asterisks have not yet replied
to invitation to give papers. "Validity" is the key
word in each subject.)
Monday night "The Church"
Lloyd Channels and Lester Rickman*
Tuesday a.m "The Church in the City"
Tuesday afternoon "Preaching*'
Hunter Beckelhymer
"Baptism and the Lord's Supper" . W. J. Jarman
Tuesday evening — "Disciple Ideas". .Robert Thomas
"Disciple Organization" . W. Barnett Blakemore
Wednesday a.m.. ."The Church and Economic Life"
Wednesday afternoon "Liberalism"
Wm. L. Reese Jr.*
"The Ecumenical Enterprise" Harold Fey
Wednesday evening — "Religious Education" ....
T. T. Swearingen
"The Church on the Campus". J. Robert Moffett
Thursday a.m "The Institutional Chaplaincy"
Wm. R. Smith, Harold Elsam, Robert Preston
Thursday afternoon — "Church and State"
"Religious Values in Modern Culture"
Chris Garriott
(Annual Dinner at 6 p.m.)
Thursday evening "Presidential Address"
Richard Pope
The Annual Meeting will be concluded Thursday
evening with a Service of Communion in the Chapel
of the Holy Grail. J. J. Van Boskirk and Benjamin
Burns will preside.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLVII MAY, 1950 No. 9
At Eighty
E. S. Ames
The recognition of my 80th birthday by so many
friends came as a real surprise. Then it became clear
that the occasion of it was a letter sent from the
office of the Disciples Divinity House to the list of
students and to many readers of The Scroll. The
response to me from hundreds of persons, near and
far, moved me to many reflections, and deep ap-
preciation. One was that it is a mystery how so
many years could pass without my becoming aware
of them until eighty had accumulated. That is
one reward of a busy life. Attention has to be con-
centrated on the daily tasks, and every one knows
that time flows faster when occupied with interest-
ing and what seem important matters. Then, one
day, we are told that on a certain date 29,200 days
will have passed which count up to eighty years!
That announcement invites greetings, congratula-
tions, and comments. For days, the postman silent-
ly unburdens his pack at the door, wondering per-
haps what has happened here!
The messages are scanned and laid aside for a
quiet hour when they can be read and enjoyed.
All are friendly, many are affectionate, and some
narrate incidents of kindness, of help from letters,
of insight from sermons and books which have dis-
pelled some cloud or haze from religion's skies.
The great generosity a:!nd fine courtesy of the
human heart in times of such celebrations has sup-
pressed all qualifications, criticisms, and restraints,
and bathed the soul of the octogenarian in a fountain
of youth and zest. Realization of the exaggerations
that love may compass, and that gratitude may be-
266 THE SCROLL
get, cannot assert itself in the warm glow which
these greetings create. So I have taken them as
they came, without question or discount, letting the
joy of the moment be the beautiful truth. What a
wonderful experience that can be, in spite of dread-
ful danger of inflated conceit and deadly pride.
After all, the eightieth birthday comes only once,
and it will pass, and become a blessed memory, still
sweet, though chastened. My impulse has been to
write a real letter of appreciation to every indi-
vidual who has remembered me in this glorious
month of April, but I can only thank youi and say,
God bless you !
Many of these congratulatory letters have
thoughtfully and graciously included my wife. We
are almost the same age. In fact, she is eighty and I
am eighty, too! We have traveled along the same
path from the day we met, sixty-three years ago,
when she entered Drake University as a freshman.
I was then a sophomore. She was Mabel Van Meter,
of DeSoto, Iowa, the daughter of a miller who came
from a pioneer family from Indiana and Kentucky,
staunch Disciples. We took much the same courses,
though we happened to be in only one class togeth-
er, and that was in mathematics, analytical geom-
etry, in which she got a higher grade. We both
studied Greek, and for years read the Greek New
Testament. For graduate work, I went to Yale, and
she to Wellesley. We met occasionally on week-
ends in Boston! We were married at her home in
DeSoto, on the sixth anniversary of the day we
first met. We came to the University of Chicago
for the third year of my graduate work in philoso-
phy 1894-1895. We were fortunate to be present
when the Disciples Divinity House was organized
and were charter members of the Hyde Park
Church. Herbert L. Willett was the leader in both
THE SCROLL 267
the Church and House. For two years I did some
teaching in the University, and was the pastor
of the newly organized Church in Evanston for one
year. As an "instructor" in the Disciples House,
my chief task was to raise money to purchase the
land where the Church and House were later built.
In the autumn of 1897, I went to teach philosophy
in Butler College, where we spent three very happy
years. In the summer of that third year I was
invited to become minister of the Hyde Park Church
of Christ in Chicago, and accepted, remaining in
that relation for forty years. No connection with
the University of Chicago was then contemplated.
It was only gradually, through many years, and
through slow advancement, that a permanent two-
thirds time appointment was offered me. From the
point of view of the University, the work in the
Church was regarded as "outside" work and did not
contribute to my official rank as a teacher. Those
were lean, hard years financially, and I mention
them here to emphasize the unflagging devotion and
heroic labor of my wife through all those years. A
son. Van Meter, and three daughters, Damaris, Ade-
laide, and Polly were bom to us. The care of them,
and the house in which we still live devolved upon
her, with only the help of a cleaning woman two
days a week. I leave the rest to memory and imagi-
nation. How was it all possible ? Some of the answer
is understandable but much of it is incalculable.
All of us had good constitutions, good luck, good
friends, cheerful dispositions, good faith and good
courage. Facing some new and unexpected item in
the cost of living, my wife would say, "I don't"see
where we are coming out," and I would answer,
"Well, my Dear, we can't see where we have come
out!" What a blessing this companionship has been
and continues to be. How understanding my friends
268 THE SCROLL
are who emphasize, in their greetings, the im-
measurable debt I owe to this quiet, faithful, tal-
ented, comrade of all my dreams and labors.
The thoughts that crowd in upon the mind at
eighty are beyond expression. One is that age is
different when lived than when only contemplated.
For one thing, eighty is not so unique as formerly
it was. Medicine, hygiene, pure food, recreation,
elimination of fear and worry, have contributed to
longevity. Persons of eighty and more are no
longer so exceptional as to be curiosities. To be
ninety or a hundred is interesting but not miracu-
lous. John Dewey and Bernard Shaw, in their
tenth decade, are still writing and going forward.
Ministers, as a class, are the best risks of insur-
ance companies. They are blessed with poverty,
frugality, idealism, and friendly social groups.
Their sons achieve high rank in the learned profes-
sions, in positions of responsible leadership in busi-
ness and social enterprises, and in religion. It is
a tragic misfortune that churches are so short-
sighted about more adequate training for ministers,
and so quick to judge preachers "too old" at forty
or fifty. This is partly the effect of the dominance
of business methods and of the prevalent demand for
"salesmanship" and promotional work. "Campaigns"
and "crusades" call for that kind of leadership more
than for didactic and inspirational preaching,
touched by poetry and art.
One of my most vital interests continues to be
the Campbell Institute and its organ, the SCROLL.
Many of my friends do not understand why this
is so. But the Institute was organized fifty-four
years ago by a few young ministers and teachers
who were deeply interested in the new-world re-
ligious movement of the Disciples of Christ. It
was as free from old forms of religious thought and
THE SCROLL 269
ecclesiasticism and authority, as the experiment in
government in this country was free from imperial-
ism and feudalism. The Institute seeks to serve the
Disciples and the larger religious fellowship by
cooperating inj developing union, biblicism, and
ecumenicity through scholarship, discussion and
experimentation. Much has been achieved in these
directions in the last half century. The Disciples
are less individualistic and more collectivistic, but
there is a kind of individualism that needs to be
developed with collectivism. Church people must
draw closer together in fraternity and practical
good works, but they must also allow greater free-
dom of thought and personal independence. The
Institute, in its years of free fellowship, has de-
veloped both freedom ayid fellowship, and that is
the kind of growth which enriches and rewards all
who participate in it. It seems to me that this is
a profoundly worthy object for our united efforts,
and if vigorously and unitedly sought, will bring
us into increasing realization of our hopes for a
more vital, sane and satisfying religious life.
Philosophy As Process
Willis A. Parker, Asheville, N. C.
A report on Dewey's Reconstruction
A volume of essays, entitled "Creative Intelli-
gence" (if I can trust my memory) was printed
in 1908, as a testament of honor to William James,
upon his retirement from teaching at Harvard.
John Dewey was active in assembling the materials,
and contributed one essay thereto which brought
from James a letter, appreciative of the tribute,
and also of the quality of Dewey's thought, and
that of others recorded in the volume. The letter
is dated August 4, 1908, at Rye, Sussex, the home
270 THE SCROLL
of Henry James in England, and ends with the fol-
lowing exuberance: "that it" (the essay and the
volume) "is the philosophy of the future, I will
bet my life." (Letters of Wm. James, Vol. H, p.
310.)
James's "Pragmatism" had been published the
year before. It was supplemented by the essays to
produce the impact which all will remember who
were confused by it — as I was — or who were en-
lightened as were others better prepared in philoso-
phy.
The death of James in 1910 left to Dewey the
preeminence in the new orientation, which already
— despite certain differences — seemed assured, and
proper.
One who dissented from Dewey and adhered to
James — succeeding in some degree to his prestige
at Harvard, became mentor to me during my resi-
dence in Cambridge — so far as the James tradition
went. He helped me to distinguish two tendencies
in Pragmatism; and these he has pointed up in a
recent article in honor of Professor Dewey, in The
New Republic of October 17, 1949. I refer to Pro-
fessor Ralph Barton Perry, and cite his essay and
others in the same issue, that comprise the most im-
pressive tribute that I remember. I owe the honor
of this assignment, doubtless, to my reference to
that symposium in a recent letter to Dr. Ames.
My unfitness for this task could hardly be more
obvious. My career in teaching philosophy was
brief, ending in 1919, the year before the Recon-
struction was published. My acquaintance with
Professor Dewey was casual, and non-professional.
I know him as I did his great contemporary White-
head through his books and pervasive influence. My
debt to his ideas — chiefly in Ethics — is beyond esti-
mate. His "Influence of Darwin" was an illumina-
THE SCROLL 271
tion — as were also "Democracy in Education" and
"Experience and Nature." But as a practicing
sociologist for twenty years, Dewey's spirit was to
me that of "guide, philosopher and friend."
I venture one comment upon my earlier reference
to Professor James. Nothing in Dewey's- writing
indicates any ambition to be known as the philoso-
pher of the future. Rather, he appears to share the
opinion of Whitehead that philosophies are valid in
proportion to their adequacy to their own scene and
time.
L
The Reconstruction in (or of) Philosophy lives
up to its title. More even than did Pragmatism it
disconcerts the reader with its simple and direct
approach. Unlike the weighty Historians, Ueber-
weg, Windelband, or Weber, who begin with defi-
nitions, Dewey stages the scene of early man
fumbling his way toward the simplest secrets of
tribal survival in a manner to make the Seven Wise
Men and their Ionian disciples seem modern by
contrast. In its origins. Philosophy is not intellec-
tion but the fateful contest between reverence for
myth and respect for practical wisdom and de-
veloping social values. We may infer this to be
its perennial pattern and essence. Shall one trust
the insight or the omen? One catches the fish; the
other holds the tribe together. Which is better is
a debate, an ordeal, a quest for what is constant
and underneath all varying determinants the per-
sistent^earth, water, air, fire, space, number,
nous, — or the flux itself. Whatever the goal may be,
what is constant is the quest, the search, the process.
"Process," writes Dewey, . . . "the most revolution-
ary discovery yet made." (Cf. Introduction to New
Edition, xiii).
272 THE SCROLL
II.
What requires application is laborious ; but fancy
lightens art. To sharpen a tool is drudgery; to
decorate its handle is play. So art rates above and
precedes science, poetry prose, drama the factual
narrative. Decisive moments are magnified in
memory; heroes deified; natural forces personified
to create for life a background of transcendant
meaning. A kind of order in nature implemented
by signs and wonders, preempts the world of ob-
servation, elevates fiction above fact. Man becomes
humane by his slow escape from this enveloping
emotionalized aura of half-dreaming, achieving
coherent factual speech, skills, social ties, shelter,
loyalty to persons, places, routines, and derives
meaning from events in ordered sequence. (Text, pp.
1-13)
Two kinds of knowledge arise, distinguished as
knowing and knowing how. The first relates to
leisure, the latter labor. Theory rates above prac-
tice, privileged above common, by right of associa-
tion with the ancient, the venerable, which gives
laws to practice and acquired ways permitted by the
older mores, which in turn look backward to the
emotionalized authoritarian past.
It is by no means simple to make clear the func-
tions of myth and of opposing practical wisdom in
the long pre-philosophical or pre-scientific periods,
which were without the arts of writing or preserv-
ing. It is assumed that practical wisdom authenti-
cated itself suflficiently to stand-up-to and to com-
pel self-modification by what assumed the authori-
tarian role in early society. In such a time and
situation Greek philosophy had its origin. The two
fields were not clearly opposed; each was some of
the other. In fact Socrates was accused from two
directions, from one of being irreverent, from the
THE SCROLL 273
other of being too visionary to have his feet on
the ground. It seems he aimed at both the reform
of the myth by purifying and unifying the concept
of it and at making practice and utility conform
to intelligent functional use. He sought to reconcile
two divergent outlooks, one by those who denied all
unity and order, and the other by those who denied
variety and change. His aim was evidently to har-
monize two levels by having one motivate and so
govern the other.
In short, Socrates sought a Reconstruction in or
of Philosophy. The imminent decay of the Greek
States lent support to the ideas of contemplation
and escape. His own rejection and death furthered
that solution. Transcendental Idealism became the
pattern of Western thought for both Ancient and
Medieval mankind, secured first by becoming the
framework of the new Christian Religion, and
second, by having the institution for the propaga-
tion of that religion become wedded to the most pow-
erful authoritarian state. As Santayana observed,
"the dice were loaded" by events. Whitehead re-
marks the decline of Mathematics from Archimedes
to Copernicus. Justinian closed all doors of dissent
in his decree of 529. What ensued was mostly a
"climate of opinion" adverse to the empirical pur-
suit of knowledge — a term which Dewey defines as
"cultural habits that determine intellectual as well
as emotional and volitional attitudes." (Text, Int.
xix)
Experimentation and inquiry did not disappear
•but were subordinated, and lost prestige. Both
would revive as religious protest, as logical dissent,
and especially with mathematical revival by astrono-
my and optics, and the theory of "Celestial Revolu-
tions" by Copernicus, in 1543 A.D. the effect of
which upon every aspect of thought was revolu-
274 THE SCROLL
tionary and creative. Here as always, the function
of mathematics was two-fold : it was both deductive
and inductive, authoritarian and empirical, proceed-
ing from general to particulars and back again. Its
principles were long esteemed to be Universals, like
the Ideas; perhaps by most who employ them still
enjoy that distinction. But inventions within the
field such as algebra, new geometries, and the two
calculi were applied to observation, measurement,
and the experiments that overturned the authority
of presumption wherever employed. Modern Philos-
ophy would come slowly; but its heralds were just
around the corner.
III.
Modern Philosophy, usually dated from Francis
Bacon and Descartes, might be called another ef-
fort at Reconstruction. For all its frustrations, it
records the slow recession of its preponderantly
authoritarian form. Earlier empiricism survived
in it, and grew in importance, though rationalism
outweighed and long retarded it.
The concurrent emphasis upon deduction in
Mathematics by the great triad of Rationalist phil-
osophers Descartes, Spinoza and Leibniz, added to
the prestige of Newton and Galileo tended to over-
shadow the labors of these men themselves as em-
piricists, as well as the inventive achievements of
the less spectacular who half-doubted their own
successes while they wrought. Induction is tedious,
slow, and unsure.
There were other hindrances. Even Bacon's con-
tribution, owing to the excitements of the time was
as much romantic as practical. Travel, discovery,
and expectation of change do not suit the mood of
inquiry. Religion and Rationalism courted and re-
quired the mood of certainty. Even the Cartesian
doubt was short-lived, apologetic and timid.
THE SCROLL 275
In Britain, the empiricist movement began with
better prospect by reason of diminishing religious
restraints, as well as the prestige of Bacon, Harvey,
and the vindication of the Newtonian hypotheses.
B'ut one disability of historic empiricism was in-
herited, the presumption of inanimate nature,
which Hobbes espoused and labeled materialism.
Locke evaded the problem by assigning metaphysics
to Revelation, and Berkeley by denying matter's
existence. Hume by the same dogmatic error denied
the existence of mmcf-reducing ideas to impressions
of atoms, vortices, motion, solidity, opacity, resist-
ance and repellance, with no order, causal or neces-
sitous save co-incidence — his world was a "billiard-
ball" concept of independent entities, as presump-
tive as the Rationalism he rejected. Even worse,
for the latter provided an explanation of order, how-
ever dogmatic. While no world at all could be co-
herent comprised of units as arid, rigid and sterile
as the atoms which materialism conceived.
English experimental science had no choice there-
fore save to ignore Hume or to rely upon faith in
an order it could not prove ; unless a new approach
to the nature of the physical ivorld was made. And
for that, ideas long held in abeyance, but not yet
integrated, were at hand.
Aristotle had called units of living matter "or-
ganic," but they remained dualistic — and without
the telos, inert. Bruno and Leibniz had conceived of
units as "monads" which the latter called "window-
less" or unseeing, but responsive to the call of the
perfect. Both lacked immediacy, adaptation, plas-
ticity,— in short the inherent qualities of life and
growth. Mathematics would supply continuity, biol-
ogy fluidity and motion, and insight the conception
of possible experience by a world in process of be-
coming by gradations aware. What was "matter"
276 THE SCROLL
might be called a stream of being. What was alert
within it, might be called "the stream of consciotis-
ness" conditioning and being conditioned by its
mobile environment.
Consciousness arises by intercommunication be-
tween unit and environment, irritable protoplasm
responding to stimulus by reactive adjustment. Re-
peated stimuli develop reaction-patterns, or mean-
ings, which become the categories basic to all ex-
perience. In brief, experiences repeated become
Experience, which becomes conceptual and norma^
tive to later experiences. Experience becomes the
Reality whereof Reason was the presumption. The
generalization follows : Science is philosophy in the
making: and philosophy is science in its ever-
tvidening applications. (Text, Ch. IV. esp pp 87-88.)
The foregoing which is amplified elsewhere, in
the "Psychology," "The Influence of Darwin," "Ex-
perience and Nature," "Human Nature and Con-
duct" and in the "Ethics" of Dewey and Tufts, is
Dewey's synthesis and simplification of what this
writer esteems the most laborious effort at intel-
lection he has found; it is the critical ordeal of
Immanuel Kant.
IV.
As everyone knows, Kant solved the riddle of
"Order in Nature" in his original conception of
Experience — an inner world of phenomenal exist-
ence of which external nature provided the material
and understanding the order. Like all earlier philos-
ophy which affirmed the existence of order at all
he sundered matter and meaning apart, but joined
them partly and fitfully in the half -real inner world
of dialectic understanding, a deduction requiring,
in my text three hundred twenty-two pages. To re-
duce the latter as Dewey did to the limits of the
former paragraph was a good day's work!
THE SCROLL 277
My own guide and mentor in the same undertak-
ing was Josiah Royce. With what reverent defer-
ence toward the great Koenigsburg genius this
gentle master dissected the antinomies of time,
space, causality and necessity, by procedures often
more nebulous than the problems themselves, until
dimly a light shone in darkness — tho the darkness
comprehended not — such solutions as the infinity
complex, the continuum, and the like. Contradic-
tions between logic and metaphysics did appear ; as
did the justification of another realm of experience,
the Practical-so-called, wherein freedom would take
precedence over order. The Categories established
only "that experience is a construct, not a trans-
cript of the world" and that "reality involves both
the world and the individual experience thereof."
Here I am happy to have confirmation by Pro-
fessor Perry, for my judgment, that Dewey's epis-
temology is — for all his renunciation of the trans-
cendental mildly Kantian, and idealistic. His re-
nunciation of Kant seems complete except for the
a priori element; he appears to admit that while a
first stimulus is non-cognitive, for a second, the
first may be the conditioning required to give it
meaning. So remembered stimuli give unity to ex-
perience. Two cautions; a — 'priority to Dewey is
functional; and knowledge at any level is possible
only to an organism of germane competence. (For
Perry, see citation above) (For epistemology, see
Experience and Nature, and Logical Theory.) (Also
text Ch. IV and V, "reason derived from experience
is functional to all experience.")
Dewey owes to Darwin (see citation) the signifi-
cance of variation as the correlate of identity in
evolution, and hence the importance of "differ-
entia" in conception; also probability and relativity
of proof in scientific observation and logical defi-
278 THE SCROLL
nition. This insight is also authority for the cor-
relation of identity and change in social inheri-
tance. And this correlation led to the concept of
that farther-reaching insight of the "inheritance of
environment" which has lent such normative im-
pulse to social work.
Coincidences of outlook and method suggest also
a debt by Dewey to Auguste Comte, in two specific
ways. One is Positivism and its explanation of the
transcendental as outgrown rationalization. The
other is the social generalizations which led to the
concept of Culture as a growing and continuing mag-
nitude having spiritual significance: a defined ob-
jective for the religion of Humanism. Comte was
historically the first of that fellowship of humani-
tarians including Mill, Durkheim, Spencer, and
Lester Ward, whose generalizations led to the
founding of the science of Sociology, whereof Pro-
fessor Dewey has become by general recognition,
expositor and prophet. His late volume, "A Common
Faith" is his own outline of a self-realizing spiritual
order, which borrows from every earlier aspiration
and precedent.
One Mephistophelian, incorrigibly naturalistic
essay on Dewey's "Naturalistic Metaphysics" is by
his eminent contemporary Santayana, which com-
bines some fault-finding with high good humor.
(Journal of Phil. Dec. 3, 1925, XXII, pp 673-88.
Also in the author's "Obiter Scrip ta"). The critic
doubts that one can be both a naturalist and a
metaphysician. He analyzes "Experience and Na-
ture" calls the method 'immediacy' and hints at
Mysticism, which for some reason Western philoso-
phers resent. Thus I have, without malice, brought
from two of my masters at Harvard, two oblique
accusations against the subject of my sketch. But
how could such revered forms of philosophy as are
THE SCROLL 279
idealism and mysticism fail to be almost all-perva-
sive? And how could a mind so tolerant and under-
standing be deemed the most versatile and repre-
sentative of its time, and yet bear no trace of their
influence ?
Disciple Loyalty and Union
Benjamin F. Burns, Waukegan, III.
"The religious world today is very different from
what it was a century ago. Science has given us
a different conception of nature and of the uni-
verse. Biblical criticism has changed, for most of
us, our view of the Bible, making it not a less,
but a more valuable book for the student of re-
ligion. This increase in light is evident in every de-
partment of human knowledge. Is it possible that
all these changes do not require any readjustment
in the matter and method of a plea for unity in-
augurated more than a century ago?" (J. H. Gar-
rison "The Christian-Evangelist," April 11, 1929;
quote in Garrison and DeGroot, The Disciples of
Christ, St. Louis: Christian Board of Publication,
1948, p. 569.
J. H. Garrison's question after 21 years haunts
the Disciple quiz programs today. It is still unan-
swered. Time has added to the new scientific knowl-
edge and the Biblical criticism listed by Editor
Garrison, another change — compelling factor. It is
the ecumenical movement — ^the fervor for Christian
union arising among "the sects." Every preacher
and program chairman has mastered the pronuncia-
tion of "ecumenical" and is now mouthing it in
solemn tones reminiscent of those formerly reserved
for "home," "du - - uty," "mo-oo-ther," and THE
AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE. Is it possible that the
new ecumenical fervor does not require any read-
justment in the matter and method of a plea for
unity inaugurated more than a century ago?
280 THE SCROLL
Let's face it. The most active and effective preach-
ing of the plea for Christian union is being done by
"the sects" not by the "true faith." Architects of
the most widely circulated plans for Christian union
are non-Disciples. Churches uniting and pressing
for unions are not overwhelmingly our churches.
No longer are we the most eloquent pleaders for
Christian union; nor are we its planners. We are
the uncomfortable auditors of other pleas and plans.
We sit applauding with the finger tips "the ecu-
menical movement"; seconding "sotto voce" the
call for a meeting of union-interested churches ; and
reading with knit brows the proposals for federa-
tion, organic union, or congenial marriages among
the denominations.
Uncomfortable auditors are we because we have
to listen when there is even a whisper of union.
But what we hear about the shape of union is not
exactly what we have heard from our fathers.
Faced with specific proposals from large segments
of the Church of Christ on earth we find our loyalty
to what has been traditional among us tested.
At least four areas bother us. The first is the
necessity of a creed or minimal statement of faith
for cohesive fellowship. Have we not heard "no
creed but Christ" ? Second is the plan for ordination
or reordinaion or investiture of the clergy. Have
we not heard "no distinction between clergy and
laymen"? Third is the necessity of a representative
or delegated central authority for the efficient co-
operation of the individual groups. Have we not
heard "the autonomy of the local congregation"?
Fourth is the equal participation of non-immersed
believers in the union. Have we not heard "one
baptism — that is, immersion." (Note: the oversim-
plification so obvious here is an occupational disease
of preachers of which the writer hopes to be one.)
THE SCROLL 281
We can no longer stay spectators to growing
Christian union because we are caught uncomforta-
bly on the two hooks — ^belief in the necessity of
union and loyalty to Disciple tradition. Our tra-
dition has in it the demand for demonstrative action.
We have never been mere pleaders. Active exempli-
fication in preaching, church organization, and con-
gregational practices of the unity we espouse is
part of our tradition. We m^ust now practice the
unity we preach.
In our local churches can we demonstrate a
strongly-knit cohesive fellowship responsive in
loyalty to the total body of Christ and based not
on creed, theology, or statement of faith but on
simple loyalty to Jesus? Can we demonstrate a re-
sponsible laity sharing with a responsible clergy in
vital Christian worship, work, and witness so that
distinction is not desirable or realistic? Can we
demonstrate a functioning, efficient cooperation
among our churches without any representative
delegated authority and produce good works com-
mensurate with our resources and Christian re-
sponsibility? Can we demonstrate brotherhood
with all followers of Christ in one family and insist
on "in-law" status for the un-immersed?
Not only do we squirm under the demands of
these questions, we are uncomfortable about the
spirit of union. Disciple tradition is marked more
by a spirit than by a body of general ideas about
union. That spirit is one of simple evangelical
Christianity and it faces a liturgical, theological,
methodological constellation. That spirit is one of
Disciples — learners — open minded and reasonable
in the approach to problems and it faces fundamen-
talists, traditionalists, modernists. We are tem-
pered by modern thought and speak in today's sym-
bols in language and art; we face medieval and
282 THE SCROLL
ancient patterns and hear language of the past as
the pattern for union worship. We are practical,
flexible people demanding that our schemes and
organizations produce fruit or be changed; and we
face formalists, traditionalists whose ways of doing
have become confused with or congealed into mat-
ters of faith. We are unlimited unionists and will
not be content to stop short of complete and total
unity 5 we face "practical," and "limited" operators
in the field.
Fortunately our loyalty to the spirit of Disciple
tradition is more sorely tested within our brother-
hood than in the ecumenical movement. That means
we have room to demonstrate the spirit of union
we demand by working on material close at hand.
Can we demonstrate the spirit of union in our
churches so effectively that we will convert our own
Disciple brethren who have skipped the spirit and
settled for the stereotype of the plea? A stereotype
is cold lead in religion as it is in typography.
The 21 year old question of J. H. Garrison de-
mands an answer now ! The answer may not be giv-
en by commissions or committees. The answer must
be given by local churches renewing their procedures
and practices so that they may be demonstrative
witnesses of the sprit and shape of Christian union.
—DISCIPLE TRADITION AT ITS FINEST!
The Low Estate of Our Literature
A. T. DeGroot, Fort Worth, Texas
A religious body cannot long attract to its fel-
lowship representative leaders from the skilled oc-
cupations while it neglects one of its duties as the
voice of man at his best. The upward looking crea-
ture lives in a world lapart from the beast, no matter
how far or close their cousinship, and the chief ve-
THE SCROLL 283
hide that gives record and permanence to his con-
templation and awareness is the printed word. Song
and the drama add color and tone to the story, but
the fruit of the writing form is the surest test of the
creative life and promise resident in a social group.
The years in which a new society moves atremble
with the vividness and urgency of newly discovered
"truth," its gospel, may be excused for non-produc-
tivity in the arts of men. The fresh, green shoot
would betray its purpose should any of its life be
diverted to the fashioning of a woody stalk. But,
if the fellowship is not to be utterly out of this
world, if it is to serve the varied needs of many
people, it must prepare a diet for many tastes. If
the group elects to be only puritanical (and there
are periods when puritanism is much to be desired) ,
and to disappear when its chosen protest has be-
come so effective as to be no longer needed, atten-
tion should not be diverted to normal occupations.
But, if the company believes it has a message for
the ages, a program that will bring health to society
across the range of centuries and amid the flux of
our social flounderings, it is obliged to be judged
by certain outward marks of a responsible company.
High in the rank of benefits flowing from the
life of the church is its guidance for man in the
form of books. Not only from the privileged leisure
for thought accorded the minister have come ser-
mons in prose and more subtly in poetry, but also
under the tutelage of the blessed community men
and women have been led to assume leadership in
all the avenues of thought and skill native to the
race. Proudly the church has shown its concern for
the whole man, — in all his arts and labors. Christi-
anity has a just pride in its men of learning who
have also been sons of religious faith.
The Disciples have reached an age in their cor-
284 THE SCROLL
porate life when they will be judged, in some de-
gree, by the products that are expected of mature
minds in social groups. Such an estimate by others
is inescapable. If the religious body is a sober,
contributing portion of the whole, it will partici-
pate in all its cultural ideals.
Judged by their production of literature in the
major categories, the Disciples are in a low estate.
No one has risen to take the high position of Vachel
Lindsay, so fervently aji evangelical Protestant
and so clearly a genius in verse. Thomas Curtis
Clark gives them representation in poetry today,
but avoids the epic and other major forms. Some
lag, some lack hinders the poetic urge in their
ranks. There is a host of Disciples in California
today, as over against their numbers when Edwin
Markham struck off his lines, — but most of them
do not even know his name, his spirit, or his church
affinity.
In bulk (J. Breckenridge Ellis), popularity (Har-
old Bell Wright; Peter C. MacFarlane), and imagi-
nation (John Uri Lloyd; James Lane Allen) the Dis-
ciples sounded a small yawp in the world of novel-
ists. Few outside their ranks knew of D. R. Dun-
gan's On the Rock, the amazing numbers of which
set something of a publishing record in the field
of church forensics. Burris Jenkins has no pastor-
novelist followers. Where are our story tellers?
Only in children's literature, which is a growing
business, are Mabel Niedermeier and occasionally
others to be seen.
A direct responsibility devolves on a group
claiming maturity to give some guidance at least
in the field of religious thought. The Willett-Ames-
Morrison-Garrison quartet produced books read
outside the ranks of their brotherhood origin, and
saved them from obscurity. Abroad, Wm. Robin-
THE SCROLL 285
son has upheld their distinction alone. Important
contributing names in this area are F. D. Kersh-
ner, W. C. Bower, W. S. Athearn, and A. Campbell
Garnett. Will the spark be found in Charles F.
Kemp?
Edg-ar DeWitt Jones has reflected a steady light
in sermonic brilliance; Cynthia Pearl Maus is a
sensitive researcher in the worship arts; Margaret
Harmon Bro uses more than one medium. Who else
among Disciples can command ready publication
from major houses?
A newer avenue of public influence is the movie,
stage, and music field. Only a few names can be
added here. Hoagy Carmichael's creative work may
be the most important among Disciples in this field
for recent decades. The King's Men were the quar-
tet while at Chapman College, and have been busy
in radio without interruption. Ava Gardner attend-
ed Atlantic Christian College, Sally Rand attended
Christian College, Columbia, Missouri, — but per-
haps we had better hasten on. Burl Ives has claimed
in magazine interviews that he is a "Campbellite,"
but, when I asked him about it, he said, "They're
a kind of Methodist, aren't they?" Ronald Reagan
is easily Discipledom's number one screen star.
Gale Storm upholds the honor in the pulchritude
department. She and her husband Lee Bonnell are
among the most appreciated active members of the
Hollywood-Beverly Christian Church, However,
others do the writing for these people, whose art is
more graphic, interpretative, and only partly cre-
ative. No names have been cited here for music
or the stage.
The common cry of the world-be Disciple author
is "my pastoral duties (or teaching, or administer-
ing, etc.) make it utterly impossible for me to com-
mand the leisure to write." There is no such leisure.
286 THE SCROLL
One makes time for it; it emerges as the product
of a belief that printed words are important. The
anticipated end (even the probable collection of
rejection slips!) must hold room in the forefront
of the mind among first things. Only a wealthy and
very stable society can give leisure to precocious
units of the flock for the pursuit of pure artistry, —
and such a method is often disappointing in its out-
come.
However, the promising workmen can be encour-
aged. As educational institutions move away from
the daily threat of disaster, and stability ensues,
means can be found to aid the creative urge. Pub-
lishing houses responsive to brotherhood needs can
help, by giving more attention to this phase of larg-
er outreach. Individuals of moderate wealth can
help by means of publishing subsidies. Who knows?
— ^they might even have books dedicated to them!
The fact remains that, at the moment, the Dis-
ciples are in a low estate as concerns the use of
the printed page. Few imprints of major publish-
ing houses are seen below their members' names.
Perhaps, however, there are works in process which
will deliver them from this parlous condition. Who
knows ?
Are We An Irresponsible
Brotherhood?
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago
The most frequently affirmed definition regard-
ing the relation of district, state, and international
conventions to the churches of Disciples of Christ
is that these conventions are "purely advisory."
The conventions cannot speak for the churches, nor
THE SCROLL 287
for individual Disciples. Through them, like-mind-
ed Disciples can make resolutions which are then
publicized, and through them we do manage to carry-
on a considerable amount oi cooperative work.
Nevertheless, in the long run, nearly every Dis-
ciple of Christ rests back on the proposition that
"Nobody can speak for the Disciples of Christ as a
whole." Certainly, any Disciple would be very loathe
to admit that any organization or agency in the
"brotherhood" can speak for him. He wants to
speak for himself! In fact, when any group or in-
dividual amongst us seems to be indulging in the
presumption that it may represent the brotherhood
we are very prone to announce loudly to the public,
"Let any man who makes utterance about what the
Disciples stand for realize that he speaks only for
himself."
Why don't we face up to the corollaries of this
"advisory" attitude. I suggest that there are two
corollaries: 1. Nobody can talk to us. 2. Probably
we cannot talk to each other. These corollaries
might be restated in this form: The Disciples of
Christ are an irresponsible brotherhood because you
cannot get a response from the brotherhood as a
whole; you can get a response only from individual
Disciples."
Responsibility has two aspects. It contains first
the element of responsiveness. It contains secondly
the element of standing fast to the response made.
But how can anyone get a response regarding some
issue from "our brotherhood"? It is very dou-btful
that he can. An outsider may correspond with the
officials of the International Convention. But any
such correspondent should realize that he is deal-
ing with a "purely advisory" body. In other words,
the officials of the Convention can respond to an
inquiry, but there is question whether they can give
288 THE SCROLL
a represenative response for the brotherhood. If
the question is then asked, where can an outsider
get a representative response from the Disciples,
the answer is "Nowhere." As a brotherhood we
have not yet solved the problem of whom we shall
designate as our responsible representatives. The
attitude of the Disciples is not "No representation
without responsibility," it is "No representation
at all."
If the Disciples of Christ are a Christian brother-
hood we have a community of mind, a oneness of
purpose, and a shared core of Christian faith and
practice. If we have these, they are expressible,
though getting a commonly accepted expression of
them may prove difficult. Neverthless, the possi-
bility of such a shared expression is there and should
be sought out. Then as a brotherhood we should be
responsible for those expressions. This means on
the one hand that we stand by what we have said,
and on the other hand that any outsider can get an
answer to the question, "Where do the Disciples
stand?" At the present time, anyone who thrusts
this question at us must feel that his query lands
in the middle of a pile of feathers. He gets no firm
response and only stirs up a feathery flight of indi-
vidualistic opinions as each Disciple tries to state
where he stands. In this day and age, all sorts of
overtures and gestures are coming to our brother-
hood on behalf of a greater 'unity than we have
alone. If these overtures are to be encouraged we
must be able to respond to them when they are
made, and to respond to them in a practical way. It
is not practical nor expedient for the outsider not
to be able to carry on a responsible conversation with
some group of men who truly represent what we
Disciples believe about the deep things of the spirit.
Our inability to give a firm response must be
THE SCROLL 289
annoying to the outsider. But the further question
is whether it is not really very irritating to our-
selves. Do we really know who we are unless we
have discovered who may be regarded as our true
representatives. Personally, I am growing not
only a little weary, but a little ashamed of those
words, "purely advisory." We have made too much
of them, we have cherished them too fondly. Do
those words "purely advisory," and their corollary,
"No one can speak for me, no sir" mean some of
the following things : Do they mean that every far-
off Asiatic pleading for bread and the gospel has
to place his case before me individually ? Must every
churchman who wants to talk about Christian unity
come to me personally for a chat before I will unite
with him? Must every single good cause in the
world win my specific response as an individual,
and get the same kind of response from every other
Disciple (a million and a half of us), before the
Disciple brotherhood can respond? Such practical
procedures would be impossible. The implication
tied up in them is preposterous. If such is the case,
any outsider should come to the conclusion that
it is better to pass the Disciples by than to waste
time getting an answer from them.
"Purely advisory," and "No one can speak for me,
no sir" are more expressive of bad manners and dis-
courtesy than they are of the doctrine of the rights
of the individual conscience. One of the rights of
the individual conscience is certainly that it may be
represented by some one else when the work of
effecting reforms which an individual conscience
calls for requires representative procedures. As a
brotherhood we prize the procedures of direct de-
mocracy with respect to our internal operations.
But the efficiency of direct democracy is limited, and
it is most limited at the point of maintaining re-
290 THE SCROLL
lationships beyond our brotherhood. The proce-
dures of direct democracy tend to put us in a box
and isolate us when it comes to the area of extra-
Disciple activities.
The situation is not, actually, as bad as I have
painted it. De jwre we tend to legislate "purely
advisory" clauses. De facto we have more sense
than that. We are allowing our agencies and even
our conventions to operate in truly representative
ways. But our legislative procedure lags behind
our social reality. We are a brotherhood, and we
behave as such. But ideologically we preserve the
fiction of "No representation" and ever and anon
it rises to bedevil us and to weaken our Christian
witness in the world and our owni sense of solidarity.
How have we overcome, so far, the atomism that
is implied in our usual way of interpreting our-
selves ? It has come when we have had a wide-spread
tendency to bestow some element of representative
spokesmanship upon those few in O'ur midst who
know how to generalize our diverse responses into
a fundamental accord. Such men arise among us
from time to time. They are men who have thrown
aside the shibboleth "Only I can speak for myself,"
and have adopted as their inward rule: "When I
speak I must remember that I speak as a Disciple.
I must say that which truly represents my brethren
at their best. I must reflect our brotherhood in
every utterance." The first step of the way out
from responsibility is a general concern through-
out the brotherhood to speak representatively. This
means that our speech should seek always not mere^
ly to reflect the individual's particular concerns,
but the way in which he understands his concerns
to be related to our brotherhood life and purposes.
A brotherhood is not made up of individuals and
individual agencies. It is made up of these in
THE SCROLL 291
responsive relation to each other. This responsive-
ness cannot exist without adequate structural chan-
nels for communication. These the Disciples have
sadly lacked. However, in the present moment of
our history there are evidences that the situation
is being markedly improved. The International
Convention, by its reorganization has been given
a form which will enable it, if the churches so
choose, to be representative of us. If, as is pro-
posed, that Convention comes to be held bi-ennially,
while the Committee on Recommendations meets an-
nually for its deliberations, those discussions, built
up in their significance, may become the major
avenue for the sharing of our brotherhood ideas.
Thirdly, at the present time there is in existence a
Council of Agencies. It has been called into exist-
ence to do a specific piece of work. It has already
held one meeting. On that occasion, for the first
time in history, the executive heads of some eighty
agencies of our brotherhood were assembled to-
gether for the common consideration of the prob-
lems and goals. For the first time, the plans of
these groups were examined with an eye to co-ordi-
nating them. The meeting was therefore historic.
Although the Council of Agencies has not been
placed upon a permanent basis, the question that
arises is whether we can have a brotherhood pro-
gram unless there is a continuing process of dis-
cussion and integration of plans on the part of
our various service organizations.
The theme of the Centennial International Con-
vention was "One Hundred Years of Co-operation."
The theme emerging in the present year is "Beyond
Co-operation to Brotherhood." This theme is well
taken. Cooperation does not in and of itself imply
fundamental accord. Cooperation can come and go
on a purely expeditious basis. But brotherhood is
292 THE SCROLL
more profound. It designates a fundamental accord
at the base of things. But we will never know what
that brotherhood is unless we find ways of giving
its bases a representative and responsible expression
so that we may all measure ourselves against it, and
others can get an answer to the question, "Where
do the Disciples stand ?" No one is more aware than
am I of the dangers with which a frozen structure
threatens dynamic brotherhood. "Ecclesiasticism"
is still a word that brings me out fighting against
what it stands for. But no one is more aware also
that, unless a dynamic brotherhood can discover a
flexible and dynamic structure which will express
and preserve that brotherhood, it was not much
of a community to begin with. Personally, I am giv-
en to the proposition that "The Disciples are a
Christian brotherhood." I am therefore given also
to its corollary, "That brotherhood can work its
way through to structures and organizations that
will enhance and nourish its life and enable the
Disciples themselves, and others, to know who the
Disciples are and for what they stand."
People - Places - Events
"A DISCIPLE LAYMAN"
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Ind.
The time of the events to be described covers the
past quarter of a century. The place includes Oak
Park, Chicago, 111., Portland, Oregon and points
West. The person is a Disciple layman by the name
of Dr. Paul J. Raver, who now lives in Portland,
Oregon and commutes to Washington, D. C. Too
often great Christian laymen are unnoticed and un-
sung by the religious body of which they are a part.
When I first knew Paul Raver he was working
for the Chicago Street Railway Company and tak-
THE SCROLL 293
in night classes looking toward his Master's de-
gree. I saw him receive that degree following many
months of hard work. Soon he was appointed in-
structor on the faculty of Northwestern University
and also given an opportunity to work on his doc-
torate, in the field of economics. Many of us were
present a few years later, when the University
granted him the Ph.D. degree. O^ur pride was un-
bounded because we knew the untold hours of
struggle with language requirements and later with
a comprehensive thesis.
Dr. Raver not only became a full professor in
Northwestern, but he was also employed as coun-
selor by the Illinois Commerce Commission. While
serving in this capacity, he also served on innumer-
able committees and was at one time editor of two
important economic journals. So efficient did this
young man prove himself that the Governor of the
State appointed him head of the Illinois Commerce
Commission. While serving in this capacity he be-
came a pioneer leader in the important work of
Rural Electrification.
During all this time, Paul Raver was an enthusi-
astic layman in his local church, serving as deacon,
elder, finance chairman, and with Mrs. Raver as
sponsor for the young people's work. For at least
two years he was president of the Chicago Dis-
ciples Union grappling with the religious problems
of a great city.
To some of us at least, it was no surprise when
Dr. Raver was asked by the Secretary of Interior
to become the administrator of the Bonneville
Power Administration. That was some ten years
ago, and the achievements of that Power Adminis-
tration in the great Northwest read like a fairy
story. Despite almost vicious opposition by private
utility companies. Dr. Raver has gone forward win-
294 THE SCROLL
ning friends for public power and at the same
time rendering great service to several million
people. Recently, a number of communities sur-
rounding Portland have held significant celebra-
tions on which occasions Dr. Paul J. Raver was
the guest of honor, and received the plaudits of
business and professional men as well as the general
public. He is in constant demand throughout the
West for addresses before important groups, on
subjects within his field.
All these honors and his intimate acquaintance
with a host of our national leaders, has not changed
this Christian layman in the least. He is an elder
in the First Christian Church of Portland, and was
chairman of the pulpit committee that called Dr.
Myron C. Cole to the pastorate of that progressive
church.
The Disciples of Christ did well at Cincinnati to
elect this outstanding layman to serve as a member
of the executive committee of the International Con-
vention. He was also a delegate to the recent Detroit
Conference on "The Church and Economic Life."
It is doubtful if there is another layman among us
who has a better practical understanding of the
field of economics or one that could render more
service in such an important Christian conference.
Here is a churchman that is not carried away by
every new ideology that comes along, nor is he the
kind of business man who looks under his bed every
night to see if some one is there who is going to
disturb the status quo. The church of today should
say "Thank God" for sane, progressive, courageous,
consecrated laymen like Paul Raver.
Notes
Reuben Butchart, 27 Albany Avenue, Toronto
Dear Dr. Ames: Again The Scroll you unroll
THE SCROLL 295
with its piquant enquiries and stimulating answers,
in its April issue, 1950. Here are some 'reactions'
(American?) from a former reader lagging behind.
In spite of what you write, "Nothing is Necessary,"
I offer a few crumbs, which I am told are also bread.
On the Table of Contents I was almost alarmed
when I saw dear brother Lhamon was writing his
dear brother (and mine) Dr. F. W. Burnham. AN
OPEN LETTER. Just what could F. W. Burnham
have done now — and did it contain any reference
to OPEN LETTER TO COMMITTEE ON RE-
STUDY? Relieved to find that he is only puzzled
by the Old Jerusalem Church's real position. I
thought as a layman that our preachers had settled
that question long ago. Wonderful that a non-
agenarian can write with so much that is apposite
to the Truth and not opposite to it. I hope he is
able to add yet another contribution.
F, E. Davison's article on Disciple humor gets to
me readily. Page 251 and there is A. W. Conner
again speaking, after sixty years of silence. He
came to Toronto 'and taught the first layman's ex-
pansion class, unfolded with humor how to deal with
Boys and be one — literally our first Boy's Work man.
In his pulpit he strongly avowed that a man could
not hide his light behind a bushel, or a half-bushel
either. He knew the sizes of men. Another of his
gems was recounting at an American convention
where accommodation was scarce. He, a tall, thin
man, was put to sleep in the camp on three kitchen
chairs. In the morn when asked if he was "rested"
his reply was "Yes, in sections."
Yes, James Whitcomb Riley visited us, many dec-
ades ago. He won me completely by "Out to Old
Aunt Mary's" and when the corn is in the shock —
you know what I man. Meeting him afterwards I
felt he was the material out of which good amiable
296 THE SCROLL
Disciples are made.
As to who has told the best Disciple story I'm not
going to allow Dr. E. DeWitt Jones to be thrust off
the map easily. His classic on the invitation of the
various church bells is irrepressible. First, the
Episcopalian with its cathedral tone calls "Let us
worship"; then the Presbyterian bell peals "Come
to Our Church," and thus through the denomina-
tions, with rhythmical timing. Lastly, the little Dis-
ciple bell rings "Come and hear the truth." The
humor rings true.
But, listen to this, from away near the Atlantic
tides in Canada, and many years ago, and names
withheld and it, with other juicy passages of human
nature when half-touched by grace had to be left
out of our national religious history only recently
published. A certain maritime church was plagued
by the habit of a visiting Baptist brother who, Sun-
day after Sunday, roused the worshippers by his pub-
lic queries. This went on for so long that a band of
four men (c.f. Acts 23:14) bound themselves in a
pact that if Archie offended the next Sunday they
would carry him out of the sanctuary. Well, the next
Sunday he persisted in his questions to the elders;
the four then seized him. On the way out Archie ad-
dressed the folks, saying, "Our Lord was carried in
triumph through Jerusalem seated on an ass, but I
am borne of four." I read this in a reputable old
Christian magazine, published in Canada.
I wish to congratulate Bro. Ames on his 80th
birthday on April 21 — just two days from the bard
of Avon's natal day. I know a man in the Lord
who was 87 on April 22 last and still hoping for
more leisure time. May I conclude with Lizette
Woodworth Reese's "Old Age."
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLII JUNE, 1950 No. 10
The Run of Attention
E. S. Ames
Psychology is one of the most important subjects
for a minister to learn early and to cultivate as
long as life lasts. It is the key to the understand-
ing of people, and one's self. I do not mean
psychiatry, or psychoanalysis, though these are im-
portant in their place when based upon normal psy-
chology. It was mjy good fortune to teach elementary
psychology for many years and the psychology of
religion many more. William James is still, after
more than forty years since his death, about the
most interesting and illuminating writer in this
field. His small text-book, made as he says from his
large, two-volume work "with scissors and paste,"
has insight, wisdom, facts, humor, and unforgettable
illustrations. His philosophy is good, but his psy-
chology is better. "Attention" is one of the important
subjects he illuminates so well.
Preachers, teachers, and salesmen need to know
how to get and hold attention and direct it to good
use. The questions of 'free will', of leadership, and
of self-development, involve understanding and con-
trolling attention. A very fruitful phrase in the
vast literature of theoretical and applied psychology
is the one I have chosen to write about today. I pro-
pose to bring it home to practical matters. It is at
the heart of the phenomenon of "stimulus and re-
sponse" which plays so great a part in the condi-
tioning of individuals in the social process. But
caution is important here, not so much not to get
the cart before the horse, as to know whether either
one comes before the other. A moving organ, like
299 THE SCROLL
the hand or eye, creates both stimuli and responses
as it moves. A baby, exuberant in its spontaneity,
active in many directions, makes many contacts.
There is a tendency for the observer to simplify
the situation and to report events that seem to him
linear, but another observer may credit initiative
and radiation in a different order. There is as yet
no general agreement as to the priority of the hen
or the egg. Probably there never w^ill be, except by
definition.
It seems obvious to say that the run of attention
in an individual follows interest. In the complexity
of any person's life during one day, attention shifts
within a great variety of impulses, drives, and pos-
sibilities.
This is a beautiful June morning, with a gentle
breeze blowing through the trees and coming in the
open windows. I am seated at my typewriter and
wondering how to go on from the last page. My left
foot complains a little of the warmth of the old
slipper. So I kick it off. I remember that a glance
at the morning paper told me it will be hot and
go to 90 degrees today. If I do not finish this piece
and get some more copy for The Scroll in the one
delivery of mail within an hour or so I am sunk,
because we are getting ready to go to Pentwater
within a week. The printer has to have time to set
the type, correct the proof, and send the galleys back
to me to make up the dummy, and be sure all the
dots and commas are in place. If all these things are
not done correctly the searching eyes of some read-
ers will be offended and their attention will be di-
verted from important ideas. If the job is delayed,
it will spoil some of the pleasure of the first precious
days of vacation,. That would involve other members
of the family and lead to more complications. Any
moment the telephone or the door bell will ring and
THE SCROLL 300
break off this train of thought for an hour or a
whole day. So I must hurry, but that creates nervous-
ness and the kind of strain which tends to discom-
bobolate everything. Yet if certain people do not call
or come, some needed things will not get done and
troubles will pile up to ruin this quiet moment. How
can it be managed, the last letters be written, the
books packed, the errands done, the electrician, the
carpenter, the tin-smith, instructed and the bills
paid?
Bing! An idea popped in my own mind. It was a
phone call remembered. Why did it have to bob up
just then? But it was a call to be made for my wife,
and she was out of reach just then, and I had to take
the risk to everyone concerned to accept the doctor's
terms for an appointment at ten o'clock tomorrow
morning. The date is imperative, and I shall have
to go along. I tried to arrange that matter yester-
day, but he tells me that he is never in his office on
Wednesday. Thus there goes another precious morn-
ing hour. But if the little bell of memory had not
jingled in my head at that instant it would have
been just too bad ! Thus all of us mortals edge along
day by day and we have to do the best we can with
pressures from without and from within. The de-
mands upon attention seldom cease and can never
be met once for all till death!
Unfortunately many persons seldom escape these
numerous and mixed calls upon their attention. Even
in a well ordered society and family, individuals
scarcely move on the same schedules, and if graphs
were made of their day, there would be great vari-
ation. Periods of fatigue, and of intense application
to a task, succeed one another, or are broken off
irregularly. But in what we call "normal" condi-
tions, life has its rhythms, and the "run of attention"
is more dependable. One of the important things
301 THE SCROLL
of school is its schedule, its routine, providing- a
time and a place for selected activities. The routine
comes to have moral qualities, promptness, regular-
ity, a time to begin and a time to finish. Here is one
of the great lessons of life. It has to be learned,
either through the happy acceptance of the customs
of one's society, or through the order and discipline
required by teachers and parents. Even games have
rules, and we must give attention to these rules to
realize the fun in the play.
The run of attention in any particular person may
be said to show itself at different levels. A boy, or
man, may be so geared to professional baseball that
the first thing he looks for in the paper is the score
of his favorite team. He delights to talk about it,
feels his fortunes wax and wane with the record of
the team without any wagers laid. Every popular
sport receives this kind of devotion. But there are
people who never read the news of sports. Others
watch the stock market, and others, who never
travel, like to note the movements of ocean liners.
Politics, art, religion, money and love, are major cen-
ters of attention. Every normal person is supposed
to share in these matters but the depth and range
of response is amazing. It is possible to go to ex-
perts and get a reading of your mind which will
show the range of your attention in terms of sub-
jects and in terms of intensity. The schools, from
kindergarten to special graduate training, assess
the capacities and vocational fitness of their stu-
dents in various ways. Candidates for missionary
work are required to take examinations to show
and measure their aptitudes. These examinations
and tests may also indicate how individuals may be
educated and trained in the development and range
of attention for particular fields of ministerial work.
THE SCROLL 302
The inefficiency of scholarly men in "putting over"
their ideas with normally intelligent and responsive
persons is often lamentable and tragic. Is there a
correction for this?
There has developed in recent years a pastoral and
teaching evangelism which has broadened the appeal
for joining the church. It magnifies the greatness of
the church as the fellowship of sincere men and
women who seek to make the most of their own
lives, and to extend the influence of the noblest ideals
to their children and to their community. Such
churches cooperate through their educated members,
their teachers, members of the professions, social
workers, and devout souls, to make their fellow-
ship interesting, morally wholesome, and inspiring.
Religion may then fuse the best things of life into
powerful, rich and intelligent comradeship in the
name and service of Jesus Christ. The mission of
the church then takes on the inclusion of all that is
good, without concern for the old creeds and dogmas.
It becomes a "cell," a comradeship, an organization,
concerned with the inner depths of its own life but
aware that it is not isolated but is bound up with
all spiritual realities far and near, to realize through
Christian sympathy and enterprise a greater meas-
ure of the divine kingdom of love. What is most
needed in all churches is the realization that the
great realities of the religious life are within us
if we are devout believers, and that these realities
are within reach of all humble, sincere followers of
the spirit of Jesus Christ.
We are deeply enmeshed in a marvelous age of
machines and gadgets, and everyone is wondering
whither it is leading us. But the machines are docile
in the hands of those who know how to guide and
use them. Attention is running toward power,
through organization, and money, and military
303 THE SCROLL
might. But there are greater things than these —
intelligence, fellow feeling, sympathy, ancient wis-
dom of sound proverbs, and the undimmed vision
of noble souls whose gifts of faith and heroism of
devotion give us armor against despair and "failure
of nerve." Some day there will come a profound
awakening when mankind rejects the outward,
metallic, measure of the good, and finds the faith and
courage to follow the gleam of love and mercy. May-
be the greatest nation in the world is learning now
in what its own real greatness consists, and is in
training to find the path to genuine democracy and
Christ's Way.
Liberty and Union
W. E. Garrison, 7417 Kingston Ave., Chicago
Recently I was in Nashville, giving three lectures
on "The Quest and Conditions of a United Church,"
and I have passage engaged to go to England short-
ly to meet with the other members of Faith and
Order's "Theological Commission on the Church" at
Cambridge, August 15-23. In Nashville I was con-
sorting with Disciples, Methodists, Congregational-
ists. Southern Baptists and (as much as I could)
with members of the Churches of Christ. In Cam-
bridge my colleagues will be largely Anglican and
Continental theologians and ecclesiastics. The cen-
tral theme of discourse will be essentially the same
in both places.
What chance is there of forging any kind of link
between these extremes? It is a great act of faith
even to try, but I propose to keep trying. If the Nash-
ville audiences and the Cambridge commissioners
could meet together, it would open their eyes to the
difficulty of the problem of union, but also to the im-
portance of solving it, for each group would per-
THE SCROLL 304
ceive the Christian worth of the other. But they
would be even more puzzled than they are now about
how to bridge the ecclesiastical distance between
them. Can it be hoped that there can ever be found
any "basis for union" between Europe's high church-
men, state church men and stiff creed men (includ-
ing some in America who follow the European pat-
tern) and America's free church men, fierce defend-
ers of local church autonomy and ardent advocates
of a specific "New Testament model"?
The Churches of Christ are the largest "denomina-
tion" in Nashville. They have more members than
the Southern Baptists, Methodists or Disciples of
Christ. They have 72 churches in Nashville and its
county. Several of these are very large and most
of them are flourishing. Some have fine new build-
ings costing up to a quarter of a million dollars. If
I were picking a church to attend on the ground of
simple architectural beauty and good taste, I would
choose one of the new Churches of Christ that dot
the roadside along some of the highways leading
out of Nashville. Don't think of these people as
victims of a cultural lag. The Churches of Christ
are a going concern, at least in that community,
which is their capital and metropolis, and doubt-
less elsewhere. Their people are friendly, but the
churches do not fraternize with anybody. For ex-
ample, they will have nothing to do with the city
Council of Churches. They are waiting for every-
body else to come to their position — but waiting with
evangelistic energy.
These Churches of Christ will be much in my
mind while I am confering with Anglo-Catholics and
Continental Lutherans in Cambridge. I shall favor
no "terms of union" with the latter (if we should
get so far as to face that question, as we probably
shall not) which the former could not accept with-
305 THE SCROLL
out violating their consciences. Probably neither
group would, at least in my time, accept any terms
of union that I favor, but I think I know the terms
that they could accept without giving up anything
they cherish — except their separateness.
The solving principle is liberty within the church.
It took about 1800 years of Christian history to
achieve liberty as against the policy of compulsory
conformity, pressed by the church and enforced by
the state. When freedom of dissent and separation
was won, the denominational system inevitably ap-
peared, because the churches still held to the notion
that there must be conformity and uniformity in
each church, even if there could not be in the whole
nation. Religious liberty was only the liberty to
get out and start a new sect if one disagreed with
the tenets and procedures of the sect one was in.
That is what keeps the sects apart now. That is
what makes them sects. What is needed is liberty
within each church. When that is recognized,
churches can unite.
In my judgment, the churches can never unite on
any other terms, for differences of doctrine and
practice will not disappear. They have always existed
except when they were suppressed by authority
backed by force. The Inquisition was an essential in-
strument of the "medieval synthesis" and the "Cath-
olic unity." Neither the world nor the church will
any longer pay that price for any general unity of
conformity. But the churches still go on trying to
get the same kind of unity within their several com-
munions by the more humane method of screening
candidates and rejecting dissenters. That makes for
denominational solidarity, but it is an effective bar-
rier to Christian unity.
If, when, and as the church is ever united, there
THE SCROLL 306
will probably be as many kinds of Christians in the
world as there are now. Unity will not come by com-
promise or surrender, but by the realization that it
is not necessary to have a separate church for every
different kind of Christians.
This is what I was telling them in Nashville, in
much detail, and it is what I intend to tell them in
Cambridge. To most of the theologians and
ecclesiastics, it will seem fantastic. It will be hard
for them to believe that I really mean it. But I do.
I wouldn't mind being a member of a Great Church
in which some congregations practice the reserva-
tion of the sacrament and some sing gospel hymns
without an organ, if there were liberty in that same
church for the congregation of my choice to com-
mune by a simple breaking of bread and to worship
with the aid of Bach occasionally.
Down From the Mountain
Robert A. Thomas, St. Joseph, Mo.
The Gospel according to Mark may be divided into
two sections ; the first half tells of Jesus' mission and
the second tells of the story of tragedy. Following
the announcement of his intention to go up to Jeru-
salem, Jesus spent several days in the neighborhood
of Caesarea Philippi preparing for the coming trials.
At the end of that week occurred one of the most
striking and important events of his life — what we
have come to call the Transfiguration Experience.
The story is told by all of the evangelists except
John, and in Mark it is the beginning of the tragedy.
Jesus took three of his trusted disciples with him
up on a high mountain. Peter, the zealous one and
James and John, "The sons of thunder" — all three
enthusiastic followers of the Nazarene. Scholars
307 THE SCROLL
agree that it must have been Mount Hermon; for
that is the only high and isolated mountain in the
neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi. It is said that
the triple peaks of this great mountain dominate the
entire land — being visible as far south as Jerusalem.
It was toward evening that the four men approached
it, and Luke indicates that Jesus was going there
to pray. That would be in accord with all his habits.
The solitude and serenity of mountain scenery ap-
pealed deeply to him, and often when he would be
^lone he fled to the mountains as to a natural sanc-
tuary.
From time immemorial Hermon had been a sacred
mountain, not only to the Jew but to the Phoenicians
and the Greeks before them, and to the more primi-
tive groups who had preceded them. On its lower
slopes were many shrines and temples — sometimes
crowning rocky steeps, sometimes hidden in deep
ravines. It was not long before Jesus and his three
companions had made their way above the regions
of the shrines and temples and found for themselves
the quiet and solitude they sought. The fact that the
disciples were tired and "heavy with sleep" would
indicate that it was surely night-time by now with
the stars shining and perhaps the moon enveloping
all in its white glow. The three disciples wrapped
themselves in their cloaks and lay down to rest,
leaving Jesus alone. When they awoke sometime
later they saw Jesus in a new guise — transfigured
before them and his garments "glistening." In their
vision they seemed to see Moses and Elijah speak-
ing with him, the one representing the Law and the
other the Prophets. The talk was about Jesus' com-
ing exit from the earth and they, because of their
extraodinary experiences, understood that an ap-
parently shameful death was to be in reality a tri-
umphal victory over death.
THE SCROLL 308
Tradition had it that Moses and Elijah had each
had his exodus from the range of hills to the east
of the Jordan, and it was thought that their spirits
still haunted the hills. Small wonder, then, that
Peter and the others saw them with Jesus. Jesus'
vision of himself as the Messiah and his previous
announcements to the disciples about the necessity
of his suffering, brought visions to the disciples also.
Peter's imagination led him to propose that they
set up "three tabernacles" — one for Jesus, one for
Moses, and one for Elijah. Perhaps this suggestion
v/as prompted by the shrines and tabernacles which
were so common on the slopes of Hermon, though it
was apparently Peter's wish to prolong the delight-
ful experience as long as possible. He saw Jesus
as the successor of Moses, the great lawgiver, and
Elijah, the great prophet. Jesus was the long-awaited
Messiah — the "Anointed One" — who was to bring
in the Kingdom. With the aid of miracles like to
the deeds of Elijah, yea, even greater, he would ful-
fil the ancient dreams !
The first evangelist tells this story in such a way
that the previous insistence of Jesus that the Son
of Man would meet opposition, treachery and death
and that his disciples would suffer also, is softened
and turned into a message of triumph. The three
disciples that night saw the radiant glory of the
Son of Man in the presence of God. To them it was
an apocalyptic event of the highest order. It was
a sudden breaking forth of the glory of the New Age
for which they had long prayed. It gave them an
unprecedented sense of the dignity and glory of their
Lord. Possible regret over a difficult fate was lost
in glorious anticipation.
One finds a great variety of interpretations of
this event. It is apparent that no story, other than
the passion narrative was more important to the
309 THE SCROLL
early church. We should remember that the account
of the Transfiguration was told by the early preach-
ers again and again before it was ever written down
as one of the proofs of the Messiahship of Jesus.
No matter how we may regard it from the stand-
point of modern experience, it is evident that the
story has some basis in historical fact. The gospel
authors differ with regard to some of the details,
but for the most part there is substantial agree-
ment among the various accounts.
It is the author of the third Gospel who tells us
that the original purpose in going up to the moun-
tain was to pray. Jesus' mind had been pre-occupied
with the thought of the suffering and death awaiting
him in Jerusalem. His decision had been made, but
he needed assurance from God, and strength to face
the coming trials. In the Transfiguration Experi-
ence, whatever its nature, the need was met. We
are reminded of the later event in Gethsemane where
once again according to the records, Jesus was think-
ing about his death; heavenly beings were in at-
tendance, and the disciples were asleep. A moun-
tain in Galilee is the scene of the one; a garden in
Jerusalem is the scene of the other.
The conversations Jesus had with his disciples
after the Transfiguration, indicate that the experi-
ence impressed on his mind that suffering was in-
evitable but that this suffering would be the means
whereby the people would be led from the bondage
and servitude of sin into a life of liberty and free-
dom.
There are some who accept the accounts of this
experience of Jesus and the disciples quite literally
and materially. Others of us believe it to be largely
symbolic and embellished by the imaginations of
the early preachers and teachers, according to their
THE SCROLL 310
understanding- of the nature of Jesus and his rela-
tionship to Judaism, as well as influenced by their
understanding of the nature of the universe in which
they lived.
Whichever interpretation we make there are three
things which the story of the Transfiguration makes
clear : that prayer exercises a transfiguring influence
on life and character; that Jesus is the culmination
of the revelation of God ; and that moments of high
exaltation must be converted into a means of serv-
ing one's fellows.
A. The purpose of Jesus was to withdraw to a
place where he might meditate and pray. He did
that often. And whenever possible the withdrawal
was to the mountains where he might be above the
ordinary, outside the busyness, beyond the noise of
life and alone with God. Every account of such a
withdrawal indicates that he came back to his teach-
ing and ministry refreshed, renewed, transformed.
If Jesus found it necessary and advantageous in
the comparative quiet and peace of ancient Palestine
to withdraw a while for meditation, how much more
we who live constantly in the midst of excitement
and noise and hurry. Bombarded on every side by
the noise-makers of modern life trying to get us
to want more so we will buy more; caught in the
swift currents of community life which sweep all
in their way; jostling, pushing, running to and fro,
modern man needs peace and quiet for meditation
and prayer. Up in the "mountains" we may find
the detachment which will make possible a true
evaluation of life and so direct our purposes and
activities. Prayer is only prayer when it exercises
a transfiguring power. It doesn't change God; it
changes us.
Dr. Henry Wieman writes that prayer is "not
311 THE SCROLL
primarily operations of the throat causing vibra-
tions of the air to reach a superhuman ear and thus
inducing the superhuman mind back of that ear to
change its purposes. On the contrary, effective
prayer to God is essentially an attitude of personal-
ity. It is an attitude so adjusted to God that God
responds in such manner as to bring into existence
further goods that could not have been attained
without the prayers ... It is the attitude of appeal,
sensitivity, and self -commitment." It is our human,
creaturely endeavor to see things from the point of
view of God, or as Emerson said, "Prayer is the con-
templation of the facts of life from the highest point
of view." It always exercises a transfiguring influ-
ence on life and character.
B. Another important teaching of the transfigura-
tion experience is that Jesus is the culmination of
revelation. The Law and the Prophets, represented
symbolically by Moses and Elijah, were fulfilled by
Jesus. Nay, more, they were superceded by him.
Henceforth men were to concentrate their thought
on the message he gave rather than on the message
of the Law or the Prophets. The early Christians
had a difficult time learning this lesson. Our New
Testament records are replete with illustrations of
the problems incident on Christianity's breaking
with Judaism. But the old wineskins would not hold
the new wine! Christianity could not be confined
in the legalism of Judaism. It would not remain a
sect of Israel. The church at Jerusalem died. After
the destruction of 70 A.D. it is heard from no more.
The church in Europe lived, and largely because
the apostle Paul and others like him acted as propa-
gators of a universal religion, servants of a Master
whose teachings knew no bounds of time or place
or nation.
Our people have been right when they have in-
THE SCROLL 312
sisted on the supremacy of Jesus, when they have
said, "no creed, but Christ." They have been right
when they have spoken of "a new dispensation,"
and understood the message of the New Testament
to supercede that of the Old. But we have not gone
far enough. When we are ready to make Jesus our
touchstone — to make our judgments about every-
thing past and everything present according to his
teachings and his spirit, then we will have accepted
the fact that he is the culmination of the revelation
of God. And our way will certainly be brighter^ —
not easier, perhaps, but brighter.
C. A third lesson in the story of the transfigura-
tion is that the moments of high exaltation must be
converted into a means of serving one's fellows.
Sharp and sudden in the transition after the Trans-
figuration, "from the harmonies of heaven to the
discords of earth," as one writer has said. Peter
had thought it would be good to remain in the peace
of heavenly surroundings, but they must not. The
earth life and its troubles were calling. They must
come down from the mountain. And as they came
down the long slope of Hermon, they heard disturb-
ing sounds; the noise of a crowd, sharp voices,
scornful words. They came upon the disciples silent
and confused and heard the taunting of the scribes.
An excited man from the crowd threw himself be-
fore Jesus and cried out, "0 Master, I beseech thee
look upon my son, for he is my only child." And then
poured Out the pitiful tale of an epileptic boy, who, ac-
cording to the theory of the time, was possessed by
an evil spirit which threw him into fire and water.
"And I besought Thy disciples to cast it out and
they could not." Such a poor, spiteful, pitiful busi-
ness in contrast to the sweet vision of heavenly
things last night! Jesus asked, "How long has he
been thus?" And the father rephed, "He has been
313 THE SCROLL
so from a child. 0 Master, if thou canst do anything,
have compassion on us !" "Cannot you trust me more
than that?" And the father cried out with tears,
"Lord, I beheve, help thou mine unbelief!"
From the heavenly vision to the healing of an
epileptic boy! Down from the mountain to love and
serve, to bring lessons in humility and kindness,
to take the road to Calvary.
Here is the trouble with us. We are so ready
to follow Jesus up to the mountains, and so slow
to follow him down. We like our comfortable
churches, our lovely worship services, our beautiful
music, our cushioned pews. We enjoy the fellow-
ship and inspiration of our conventions, and we like
to count our blessings as a people. We ministers
love the great books and the quiet hours of medita-
tion and study, as well as the exhiliration of theolog-
ical disputations with our brethren. We love the
mountain-tops. We are always glad to follow Jesus
there. Our people like them too. They enjoy emo-
tional songs and emotional stories and the so-called
"spiritual" experiences. The popular religion is
"mountain-top" religion. And we have built taber-
nacles and shrines to keep Jesus there. But you
can't keep Jesus in a church. As George Buttrick
says, "Enshrine Him, ritualize Him, cloister Him as
you may, He will not stay only in the church." No,
he walks the meanest avenues of life and leaves be-
hind hope and strength. Wherever need is, there
He is.
If we could only follow Jesus down from the moun-
tain to the concerns of unhappy, distraught and
fearful men ! The condition of that father and that
epileptic boy is the condition of much of our world.
The contrast between what Jesus found at the foot
of the mountain and his experience on the summit,
is the contrast we must find, too. The moments of
r THE SCROLL 314
high exaltation have rio ultimate meaning unless
they are converted into a means of serving our fel-
lows.
What would happen if the church came down
from the mountain? One thing is certain: it would
be moved out of its complacency because it would
see the needs of men as it never has before. It
would suffer. Another thing is possible : it might
save the world. It might win the victory through
suffering and serving. For it would be following
Jesus, and his victory came through a cross.
A Toast to E. E. Stringfellow
A. D. Veatch, Drake University, May 16, 1950
I am the most unfortunate speaker on this oc-
casion in that my eyes and my voice are as old as
I am.
A thinker has no choice; he thinks as he has to
think. Facts and logic compel him. What is herein
written has been foreordained and inspired by facts
that have occurred during the past forty years or
more. I am not responsible for the fact that a young
hayseed by the name of Erwin Edward Stringfellow
gained the good graces of a county superintendent
and began teaching in the public schools of Iowa
at the early age of sixteen. Nor am I responsible
for the fact that this identical same lad later came
tc Drake University, shunning all snap courses of
study, and enrolled in the Latin and Greek classics,
and was shortly doing the drudgery of correcting
Greek test papers for Professor Kirk. Had he the
gumption, he might have saved himself infinite trou-
ble, but no, he must go on to learn Hebrew, and soon
found himself in a strange new world.
But perhaps we should be more serious. The noted
Samuel Johnson said that a maker of dictionaries
315 THE SCROLL
is a common drudge. Professor Stringfellow is pre-
eminently a linguist and a maker of books, and
therefore a drudge.
The Bible is an ancient book, written in the unsci-
entific ages of the world, and difficult for the modern
scientific mind to appreciate. It is an oriental book.
The logical and rhetorical processes of the East are
not those of the West, and to translate the New
Testament into a modern tongue Professor String-
fellow had to be expert in oriental and oxidental
cultures.
It is to be doubted whether a perfect translation
of the Bible into a modern language is a human pos-
sibility; and Professor Stringfellow would be the
last to claim that his translation of the New Testa-
ment is final. But while the Earth produces men
of intelligence, energy, and ideals, the supposedly
impossible will be attempted.
These are some of the reasons why President Har-
mon and the Board of Trustees are having more trou-
ble to find a young man to fill Professor String-
fellow's place than the Tibetans did to find a suc-
cessor to the Dalai Lama or the miners will have to
find another Lewis.
But Professor Stringfellow is more than a
linguist and a student of the Bible. He is an artis-
tic and scientific gardener. Of necessity, that good
health might continue and he attain some of the
ideals of his heart, he allotted to himself definite
hours of physical toil out in the open. He subdued
his portion of the earth, and made it more alluring
than the Garden of Eden.
"A worthy woman who can find : Her price is far
above that of rubles. The heart of her husband
trusteth in her, and she doeth him good, and not
evil, all the days of her life."
THE SCROLL 316
Mrs. Stringfellow is the mother of two sons and
two daughters ; she made for them and her husband
a lovely home; their tasks, their joys, and their sor-
rows were hers; she shared in the social activities
of the University, the church, and the community.
In addition to all this, when she perceived that
her husband was in need of a typist, she learned that
art and came to his side. None will ever know how
much of her life has gone into his literary work.
When the Professor went out into his garden of
delights, she followed him there ; and what a pleas-
ure to receive from her hands a box of the finest
berries grown in Iowa, clean, perfect, overflowing
the box; and to receive from the Professor twelve
ears of corn, fresh and wholesome as were ever
pressed between human teeth. They two formed a
joint stock company of equal shares.
Erwin and Myrtle: by your noble and upright
lives you have endeared yourselves to Drake Uni-
versity and her friends around the earth, to the
great brotherhood to which you belong, and to the
lovers of honesty, righteousness, and goodness
wherever your name may go.
And so tonight, I crown you with halos of glory;
and in the phraseology of the Latin poet Horace,
when speaking of his Lyrics, I declare that you have
erected monuments to your good names more en-
during than brass and higher than the regal sum-
mits of the Pyramids. A great part of you will
never die.
The Campbell Institute
Richard M. Pope, President
In the first line of a famous American poem Robert
Frost wrote "Something there is that doesn't love a
317 THE SCROLL
wall." I suppose that no one has exactly the same
idea about the Campbell Institute, but to me it is
an organization that doesn't love walls. It breaks
down the walls that divide Disciple ministers and
brings them together in such a way that they can
freely and easily discuss the problems and oppor-
tunities that confront them. It is no small thing to
be able to speak your mind honestly and openly,
to listen while others do the same, and to discuss
your differences and your agreements with your
brethren. Perhaps no institution has so many walls
around it, and in it as the Church, and no calling
has so many galling restrictions and restraints as
the Christian ministry. The Minister, most of all
when he does his work best, is a lonely figure. More
than anyone else he feels the tension between the
ideal and the actual. Yet there are very few places
where he can actually speak his mind, without caus-
ing misunderstanding, hurt feelings, and bewilder-
ment. Free men crave the rough and tumble of an
open forum where ideas can clash, and meetings
where currents of thought can flow without hin-
drance. A minister is always in the market for
new ideas, and he needs a place where old ones can
be taken out and over-hauled from time to time.
It would be foolish to say that the Campbell Insti-
tute fits the above description, or that this ideal
should exhaust its purposes. Even so, I do not know
any other organization among the Disciples that so
well fulfills the purpose of providing frank and open
discussion. It is true that "good fences make good
neighbors" yet there is "something that doesn't love
a wall," and I like to think that that something
among the Disciples is the Campbell Institute.
:THE SCROLL 318
Sartre's Existentialism
Van Meter Ames, University of Cincinnati
The long slow effort of man to understand his
world and himself, to establish decency and hap-
piness, has met with such severe defeats in our time
that the temptation of pessimism has arisen anew.
Existentialism is a new name for some very old
ways of feeling and for refusing to think rationally
or optimistically about the human situation. To be
pessimistic is to believe in value, to believe that some-
thing counts or would count. But the existentialist
is so shaken about the normal natural values that
what he comes to emphasize is nothing that any
ordinary mortal in his right mind would set his heart
upon. He aspires to a nameless dread identified
with a negation of all that would seem to count or
even to be: a void, a nothingness. The Christian
existentialist regards the realization of this abyss
as transitional to the experience of God's grace. But
Christians have not always believed God's grace to
be attainable by human effort or at all available to
most of mankind. And Sartre's existentialist move-
ment renounces belief in a God from whom grace
might be expected even for a few. At the same
time there is rejection of faith in reason or science.
An interesting fact is the extent to which the
atheistic existentialist sounds like some famous
Christians, except for leaving out God. In reading
Sartre we can hear Pascal (1623-1666) asking,
"What is man in the infinite?" He is equally in-
capable of understanding the nothing from which
he comes and the infinite in which he is swallowed
up. Man himself is a nullity, midway between
nothing and everything. Pascal strikes the note of
absurdity and of dread : "I am frightened and aston-
319 THE SCROLL
ished to find myself here rather than there ; because
there was no reason why here rather than there, why
at present rather than some other time !" Because we
cannot bear the thought of our dreadful state we
cheat ourselves with diversion.
Leopardi (1798-1837) is another forerunner. He
felt that only the mind's feeling of emptiness kept
it from being one with absolute non-existence. The
difference between the living and the dead is that
the dead do not feel their nothingness.
Schopenhauer (1788-1860) also expressed the
worthlessness of human life and its irrationality,
and said the only real salvation was the flight into
nothingness. He was disgusted with Hegel's ration-
alism and the whole idea that the world is governed
by purpose or wisdom. For Schopenhauer intel-
ligence is secondary to will and all activity is futile.
He was attracted by the ancient pessimism of the
Upanishads and he kept an image of Buddha in his
room.
Nietzsche (1844-1900) rejected quietism and ex-
ulted in the will. But he was equally opposed to the
rationalism of Hegel, because he felt it ruled out
the possibility of real becoming for individual life,
and omitted the problematic, dangerous character
of it which he gloried in as something absurd. He
hated the illusion that thinking can reach to the
abyss of being. He felt that everywhere on the
periphery of science man stares at the inexplicable.
He said : Logic can only coil round itself at these
limits and bite its own tail. What is needed is a new
tragic perception.
Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was like Nietzsche in
his subjective passionate way of writing. Kierke-
gaard also pitted the importance of the individual
self-conscious existence against abstract thought,
and refused to be a paragraph in Hegel's system.
THE SCROLL 320
He could not breathe except in a world of possibility
and freedom. For him existence is a subjectivity
and truth is subjective, partial, passionate, rather
than impartial and objective. He said: There is a
passionate dialogue between the individual and God.
Any existence is sin before God. Sin is irrational,
it cannot be thought. Yet the estrangement from
God is at the same time an approach to God, for
it is through sin that we enter upon religious or
authentic existence. But there can be no certainty.
We are not passionate about a sure thing but about
what is a risk, a constant danger. There can be
no proof or disproof about the things that matter.
There is continual anguish because we are always
in the presence of the unknowable, the insoluble.
Doubt persists in belief. Faith is a union of certi-
tude and incertitude.
Dostoyevsky (1821-1888) was equally torn by con-
tradiction, passion, anguish, in the face of ultimate
questions. If there is no God, is everything permis-
sible? as Ivan suggests in The Brothers Karamazov.
Ivan also argues the absurdity of belief in ,an all-
powerful and compassionate God, taking his stand
on the senselessness of the suffering of children.
Absurdity would seem to be the outcome, either with
or without God. And another existentialist idea
is stressed in the condemnation of the Grand In-
quisitors' condemnation of Christ for preaching free-
dom of choice.
Gide (1869- ) carries freedom of choice to
the absurd degree of the gratuitous act. An act is
not really free, not a genuine act unless it is entirely
unmotivated, unjustified and not to be explained.
This is the fascination of the Greek myths for Gide :
the great unreflective initiative of the demi-gods
and heroes. In Theseus he admires "the defiance
of rule, nature, morality, laws."
321 THE SCROLL
In Kafka (1883-1924) the absurd, the contradic-
tory, the gratuitous reach the proportions of a night-
mare. Even what seems to be most banal and com-
monplace becomes fantastic. It is the impossibility
of what happens, because it is contradictory, that
Sartre admires in Kafka, as in Dos Passos and
Faulkner. For, Sartre says, "beauty is a veiled con-
tradiction."
While the philosophical antecedents of existential-
ism are European, especially German, we should not
think of this movement as wholly foreign to us, for
the influence of American novelists has significantly
entered in. This is evident in the novels of Sartre,
and admitted in his essays. He admires the violence
and desperation of the characters in American
novels : breaking the conventions of life, uncovering
absurdity, and getting a second wind in the most
extreme situations, like the hunted Negro in Faulk-
ner's Light in August who realizes that when neither
religion nor pride nor anything can help him, then
he needs no help. But Sartre says: "What has
touched us in the Americans is not their cruelty
cr their pessimism. We have recognized in them
people overwhelmed, lost on too big a continent, as
we have been in history ; and who have tried without
tradition, with frontier equipment, to express their
stupor and their destitution in the midst of incom-
prehensible events. The success of Faulkner, of
Hemingway, of Dos Passos . . . brought the defense
reaction of [French] literature which, feeling threat-
ened because its techniques and myths no longer en-
abled it to face its situation in history, seized upon
foreign methods in order to fulfil its function in
new assumptions. Thus at the moment when we
faced the public, the circumstances required us to
break with our predecessors. They had preferred
literary idealism and presented events for us
THE SCROLL 322
through a privileged subjectivity. . . . They thought
to give at least an apparent justification to the fool-
ish enterprise of story-telling by constantly . . .
bringing in the existence of an author. We hoped
that our books would stand alone in the air and
that the words, instead of pointing back to the one
who traced them, would be forgotten, solitary, un-
noticed: toboggans dumping the readers into the
midst of a universe without witnesses; in short,
that our books should exist in the manner of things,
of plants, of happenings and not first of all as hu-
man products. We wanted to drive Providence out
of our works as we had driven it out of our world."
(In Sartre's essay on What Is Literature?)
That is to say that, in his art as in his philosophy,
Sartre wants to present as starkly as he can the
contrast between things which are just there and
man who finds himself a consciousness in their
midst. As there is no God, no scheme of justifica-
tion to soften this contrast in reality, so there should
be none in serious fiction : fiction which undertakes
to show what the human situation actually is. Exist-
ence precedes essence, the existentialist likes to say.
That means that existence precedes explanation and
can never be overtaken or covered by it. What
each man is, and the world for him, is not some-
thing that could be stated beforehand, because hu-
man existence never quite is nor can it be what it
was: it is always becoming. Each man determines
by his life, by what he does, what his essence or
nature will be, and that is never fixed so that it
can be pinned down. We are what we become and
we are always becoming as long as we are at all.
For Sartre this is unsatisfactory, to say the least.
For him the only thing that would satisfy men would
be to achieve the full and arrived status of the in-
human world, which he conceives to be perfectly
323 THE SCROLL
and completely what it is. He even argues that
temporality is human and subjective, introduced into
the world by our uneasiness and striving, and not
really there in the being we would like to unite with,
in that unconscious block there is no purpose, in-
tention or significance. Thus, if the end of fiction
is to approximate it, no author should be evident,
shaping it for his or any preference. Fiction should
be a toboggan dumping us unceremoniously into a
world not made for us, not suited to us, where we
should feel lost and abandoned. If we can be shocked
out of our conventional assumptions, perhaps
through despair and dread we can approach the
meaningless being in which our confused and dis-
appointing efforts might be lost.
But since being is all that really is, what separates
us from it is a kind of non-being, and because it is
nothing it cannot be crossed over. Thus the refusal
to be alienated is thwarted. Man cannot achieve
the density of a thing. He recognizes that he must
go forward, in disequilibrium, dissatisfied with him-
self, but striving to advance with an utterly free
will, accepting the responsibility, the guilt, the re-
morse of doing so, in search of value, in the effort
to create it. For there is none to start with, none
is given, and none will be given. It must be created
and achieved. But when man assumes this respon-
sibility he is filled with despair. The consolation,
such as it is in Sartre, is that somehow a truly hu-
man life begins beyond despair.
Since the only genuine value is to be found be-
yond despair, by man's own creative career, Sartre
rejects belief in God. He must reject God in order
to liberate man. As for Nietzsche, faith in man
requires the death of God. And even if God exist-
ed man would still have to choose and act for him-
THE SCROLL 324
self. The free act for Sartre is much like the gratui-
tous act for Gide. Thus, in The Flies, Orestes does
not kill Clytemnestra to avenge the murder of
Agamemnon so much as to assert his freedom to as-
sume the weight of guilt, without which he cannot
feel that he is fully a man. He defies Jupiter, the
god of flies and the dead, who appears as the creator
of men and things but not of the free will which
man must develop for himself. Orestes does not re-
gret his crime, because he craves the remorse it
brings. He does not pay for a misdeed through suf-
fering, but buys with crime the right to suffer. So
the flies, who are the furies, cannot frighten him
because the worst they can do is good for him.
Sartre maliciously insists that the ordinary per-
son, the bourgeois, cannot understand existentialism
without being converted. In his first novel Nausea
the hero is sickened by the humdrumness of
bourgeois life, and, in revulsion against it, feels
some hope for himself. So far as there is social
significance in Sartre it is in this sense of the un-
satisfactoriness of much modern life as it is lived.
But in his philosophical work it is life itself which
is bad, any life that has not been transmuted by
dread. The only way the non-existentialist reader
can give him credit for social balance and sanity
is to regard him as reacting violently against a per-
version, an impoverishment of life, under certain
conditions that might be altered. And sometimes
Sartre seemxS to take the position of the reformer
or the revolutionary, who finds man estranged and
alienated by his time and place. The expression "to
be alienated" was much used by Hegel. And Marx
spoke of the worker as alienated or estranged from
his work because it was not really his work or his
life. And so Sartre feels that a bourgeois is alienat-
ed if he likes his position and feels no longing to
325 THE SCROLL
change it, like Matthieu's brother Jacques in The Age
of Reason; although from the ordinary point of view
Jacques is adjusted and successful. But to be ad-
justed to the bourgeois life is to be alienated from
authentic existence. Thus Matthieu, the chief char-
acter in The Age of Reason and The Reprieve, in
being demoralized and drifting, is better off, because
this brings him to despair, the only gateway to real
living.
But after three or four volumes of fiction show-
ing what genuine living is not, we begin to wonder
whether the real thing is going to be revealed, and
whether it is possible for Sartre to go beyond de-
spair, even with unlimited freedom.
But freedom will scarcely help him to go beyond
despair, since freedom is what fills him with de-
spair. His is not a freedom of rational choice.
It is a horrible realization that there is no meaning
to guide man, no basis or reason for one action
rather than another. He is appalled by an ocean
of possibility upon which it is impossible to steer
a course. To become aware of freedom is in his
view to face the cancelling out of choice among
alternatives in an awful blankness. So man cannot
be at home in the world. He is a stranger there,
like K. in The Castle by Kafka, like Orestes in The
Flies of Sartre, and like the hero of the novel called
The Stranger by Camus.
A Literary Bequest
W. B. Blakemore
This volume Eternal Values in Religion by, J. B.
Pratt, has been published posthumously with an
appreciative introduction by Willard Sperry. It
constitutes James Bissett Pratt's final contribution
to the legacy of psychological study of religion.
While the whole book is good, the opening chapter
THE SCROLL 326
is a "must." Thirty years ago in The Religious Con-
sciousness, Pratt first distinguished between the
subjective and objective factors in worship. In his
first chapter "The Psychology of Religion" in his last
book he returns to this theme and evaluates all sorts
of Christian worship in the light of these concepts.
The weakness of the more Catholic and the more
Protestant forms are discussed. The positive signifi-
cance of preaching and of hymns as they occur in
Protestant usage is pointed out. The Protestant
lack of adequate symbols is discussed. Most inter-
esting, however, is Pratt's charge that the typical
Protestant service allows virtually no occasion for
truly individual prayer, and such prayer he believes
is necessary to the Christian. On this score, he
asserts that Roman Catholic mass, for all of its lack
of corporate activity, provides adequately for the
development through practice of true devotion by
individuals. More real prayer, he says goes on
during a mass, than during the typical Protestant
service. Perhaps we have failed to recognize, as
we might, the continuing value of the communion
service in Disciple practice as the opportunity for
truly individual, as well as truly corporate devotion.
Several years ago, in the interest of giving expres-
sion to "community" a number of our churches in-
troduced the practice of simultaneous partaking of
the elements. Pratt's line of thought suggests that
after the initial corporate aspects of the communion
service have taken place, the communicant should
be left alone to commune with God as he sees fit,
partaking of the elements in his hand at the moment
when he feels himself to be most truly in communion
by virtue of his own spiritual condition. It is truly
refreshing to come across this voice asserting the
significance of some degree of individuality within
the form of Christian communion.
327 THE SCROLL
The Annual Meeting, 1950
W. B. Blakemore, Secretary
The mid-century annual meeting of the Campbell
Institute affords an appropriate time for summary
and the projection of iadvancement plans. With this
fact in mind, the program committee for the meet-
ing, July 24 to 28, 1950 has arranged a program
whereby we can get some sense of where we stand
with respect to fundamental Christian issues. The
themes of addresses for the meeting will be the
Church, Preaching, Baptism and the Lord's Sup-
per, Disciple Ideas and Organization, Liberalism, Re-
ligious Education, Religious Values and Modern Cul-
ture, etc.
Our president, Mr. Richard Pope has promised
that his presidential address will present a strategy
for the Disciples of Christ. As indicated in the April,
1950, issue of The Scroll, "validity" is the key word
in each paper to be presented. In other words we
hope that the papers will enable us to summarize our
beliefs as of this year regarding the issues discussed.
"Validity" is a fairly strong term. In adopting it
the program committee did not intend that the term
should carry also the sense of finality, as if we were
in 1950 saying the last word upon the issues at hand.
The committee was thinking rather in terms of the
discernible values which give validity to institutions.
However, if the term "values" alone had been used,
the sense of summary which is implied in the term
"validity" might not have been apparent. The
program for this summer is, therefore, not to be
looked upon as a consummation of a cooperative
process of thought but as gathering together of per-
spectives and viewpoints from which we can move
into further cooperative discussion. Our aim will
be not only to discover where we stand, but where
THE SCROLL 328
we intend to go in the years ahead.
The committee has selected for its topic men who
are especially concerned with the areas assigned
to them. S. Marion Smith is a professor in the biblical
area. Mr. Lloyd Channels, one of the younger
ministers in our brotherhood, has been particularly
concerned in his ministry to the church at Flint,
Michigan, to deepen the sense of community and
discover the true basis for congregational life. Mr.
Hunter Beckelhymer of Kenton, Ohio, who will
speak on the validity of preaching, is well known
among his fellows for the sensitivity and depth of
his sermons. W. J. Jarman of Champaign, Illinois,
among younger preachers in the brotherhood, com-
bines unusual abilities of practical action and
theological concern. Robert Thomas needs no intro-
duction to readers of The Scroll who have had op-
portunity to see some of the materials in which he
has been thinking over our fundamental Disciple
ideas. Dr. W. L. Reese, Jr. of the faculty of Drake
University, is engaged in those long run contempla-
tions of philosophical issues for which his mind is
so adequately equipped. Those who are familiar
with the publication projects of which he is in-
volved have had a special opportunity to realize the
extent of his intellectual growth as he has taken
on his teaching duties. T. T. Swearingen is already
widely known in the brotherhood for his abilities
in the field of religious education and for his writ-
ings. J. Robert Moffatt is one of our younger
preachers who has already demonstrated his con-
structive powers in the opportunities for religion in
a University town, which he has found in his first
pastorate at Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mr. Chris
Garriott, who will speak on religious values in mod-
ern culture, has published several articles in this
329 THE SCROLL
area in the Christian Century. William R. Smith
is at present engaged in chaplaincy to juvenile de-
linquents in the Chicago area. Harold Elsam is on
the staff of the Hines General Hospital at Hines,
Illinois, and Robert Preston is a member of the
staff of the Veterans Hospital at Topeka, Kansas.
Institute Program, July 24-28, 1950
Richard Pope, President
Monday nigh1^-"The Validity of the Bible"
S. Marion Smith
"The Church" Lloyd Channels
Tuesday a.m "The Church in the City"
Tuesday p.m. — "Preaching" . . Hunter Beckelhymer
"Baptism and the Lord's Supper". .W. J. Jarman
Tuesday evening — "Disciple Ideas" . Robert Thomas
"Disciple Organization ... W. Bamett Blakemore
Wednesday a.m. . . "The Church and Economic Life"
Wednesday p.m. — "Liberalism". . .Wm. L. Reese Jr.
"The Ecumenical Enterprise"
Wednesday evening — "Religious Education" ....
T. T. Swearingen
"The Church on the Campus". .J. Robert Moffatt
Thursday a.m "The Institutional Chaplaincy"
Wm. R. Smith, Harold Elsam, Robert Preston
Thursday p.m. — "Religious Values in Modern
Culture" Chris Garriott
Christian Missions in a Post-Colonial World" . .
Garland Evans Hopkins
(Annual Dinner at 6 p.m.)
Thursday evening "Presidential Address"
The Annual Meeting M^ill be concluded Thursday
evening with a Service of Communion in the Chapel
of the Holy Grail. J. J. Van Boskirk and Benjamin
Burns will preside.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII SEPTEMBER, 1950 No. I
The Autumn Comes Again
E. S. Ames
The leaves are falling. They come drifting down
from the trees in our yard, gently and quietly in
the soft breeze, or scurrying in a strong wind as in
a race to rest upon the good earth after long hot
days and driving rains. They have given shade and
shelter, and are ready now to make a blaze of color
and a pillar of cloud against the sky for the garden-
er or boy who burns them. Why should we regard
these autumn days as "the saddest of the year"?
We might better see them as the loveliest. They have
greater variety of color. They bring banners of
gold and brown and red on the background of green
under skies of blue and grey.
It might be a relief to many persons to realize
that the sear and yellow leaf may be made the
symbol of life's richness and beauty. Certainly,
in a longer perspective, it is prophetic of growth
and of coming vitality. The autumn, like all other
phases of nature, gives back to us what our minds
and hearts most dwell upon. It may be only some
poet's fancy that has influenced us to allow yellow
leaves to awaken melancholy thoughts of decay and
death. And it may be wiser to say with the poet
Carruth, Each in His Own Tongue:
A haze on the far horizon.
The infinite, tender sky.
The ripe, rich tint of the cornfields,
And the wild geese sailing high, —
And all over upland and lowland
The charm of the goldenrod, —
Some of us call it Autumn,
And others call it God.
THE SCROLL
One of the very profitable books read during the
summer was that of my friend and fellow-philos-
jopher, Professor Overs treat, The Mature Mind. It
is one of the "best sellers," and is a substantial,
illuminating interpretation of every-day experi-
ences in all stages of human life from childhood to
old age. He shows that maturity is not just a
matter of years but is the fruit of insight, intelli-
gence and reflection. Maturity is not a gift of
endowment, or the result of routine education.
Too many college graduates are only beribboned
adolescents. Even the three years of training for
the professions of the ministry, law or medicine,
or any number of years for the doctorate do not
guarantee maturity. Too much of our "education"
is wooden, without breadth or vision.
A close friend who wanted to equip himself to
be as useful as possible in the ministry once wrote
me from the toil of his pursuit of the doctorate
in a great eastern theological school, "I must get
out and take a church to keep my soul alive!" He
rightly knew that as a minister and pastor he
would be in closer association with all classes and
conditions of men, women and youth. The years
.proved him right. Few ministers have been so
successful. He grew into a rich and fruitful life.
His words fed hungry multitudes, and returned
him honor and love.
Psychology is the key science of this century,
and its achievements are already revolutionary
with reference to human affairs. Psychology has
been preceded by physiology, biology, chemistry
and physics, and this has not been an accidental
or arbitrary order but an order involved in the
nature of the subject-matter itself. Psychology
delves into the depths of our consciousness of our
inmost being, and it is remaking our lives. "The
THE SCROLL
time clock of science has struck a new hour."
Within a half century the idea of psychological age
has become more important than chronological age
especially in reference to the most important and
conscious human affairs. Chronologically a person
may be an adult while psychologically a child. This
fact often has far reaching implications. In many
ways people are often not what they seem. There
is the possible paradox of adult adolescents, as when
a Congressman looks grown up but isn't. So a
judge, a professor, a successful business man, may
have an imposing appearance yet lack a really
mature personality.
The more balanced, flexible personality which
should come with maturity is a development under
various influences operating on the individual from
childhood. Psychologists and psychiatrists have made
real contributions to understanding this process.
The child manifests many tendencies, some of
which unrestrained and undirected, may lead to
peevishness, selfishness, cruelty, and anti-social
dispositions. Other impulses, under favorable con-
ditions, lead to generosity, cooperation, and friend-
liness beyond the narrow lines of family, class, na-
tionality, and race. Wholeness is a favorite word
with Overstreet, and it comes through numerous
"linkages" incident to growing awareness of social
relationships, and integration of various personal
functions.
One of the best chapters in this book deals with
the struggle for religious maturity. This struggle
has been burdened with primitive and childish
notions perpetuated by the arrested development
of influential individuals who carried through life
ideas and attitudes which their times accepted with
no criticism or rational dissent. The wars of re-
ligion and of the numerous sects within each re-
ligion have sprung from immature minds, often
THE SCROLL
shrewd and marvellously energetic. It is said of
Augustine whose doctrine of sin was "so flagrantly
a projection upon the whole human race of his own
uncontrollable lusts" that through the institutional
adoption of his doctrine Christianity was led to
hopelessness and complete distrust of the natural
man. Under this distrust, men had no independence
to challenge the taboos imposed upon their childish
minds. Modern psychological science is helping to
break these old taboos, and to further the self
respect and self reliance which Jesus taught. He
taught them freedom through love, and through
the kingdom of love which is within.
Scientific study, that is, the mature study of the
teaching of Jesus shows that he did not believe
in original sin. He proclaimed a gracious invitation
to all men to share in building a society of good
Samaritans, of devout Publicans, of Prodigal Sons
and Daughters, of rich men made poor through
charity, of good men made better by listening to the
meaning of the parables of the Talents, of the
Wise and Foolish Virgins, and of the House upon
a Rock.
Religious maturing implies continuing growth
through self criticism, scientific inquiry, the prac-
tice of forgiveness, of selfrespect, of optimistic
faith. Too much criticism of self and of others is
expressed in final terms of good or bad, rather than
in characterizations of tendencies and directions. A
teacher's correction of pupils to be effective re-
quires that the teacher have genuine sympathy for
the r^uo^'ls ; a minister's denurciation of some ways
of his flock will have little influence unless the
flock knows that he loves them. Wholesale denuncia-
tion of God and his world by a bitter atheist or mis-
anthrope is childish. Mature men make judgments
tempered by reasonable optimism and faith.
THE SCROLL
Looking
S. Marion Smith, Butler School of Religion,
President of the Institute
According- to the record in the Gospel of John,
two disciples of the Baptist were directed toward
Jesus by this suggestion : "Look, the Lamb of God."
They followed him and inquired, "Where are you
staying?" Jesus said to them, "Come and see."
It is interesting to speculate concerning the
opinion which would have been formed concerning
Jesus if these two men had not responded to his
suggestion that they make a first-hand investi-
gation. A great number of bitter dealings could be
eliminated from human relationships if we would
generally reserve judgment until we see the facts.
Nothing is any more avid in my mind than the atti-
tudes, into which I run many times a year, formed
out of false or inadequate information.
My earliest impressions of the Campbell Insti-
tute included a group of capable leaders and think-
ers, men committed to a great cause, men sensitive
to truth, men who were "looking" men, part of a
program that ever demanded alertness and a meet-
ing of new facts and situations. But, also, all these
men had "found"; they were not merely "seekers"
never finding or coming to a knowledge of the truth.
My personal experience with many of them over
many years has revealed to me that they were and
-Qre devoted to Christianity; to a great movement
within the church; to the Bible, "rightly handled";
and to the meeting of human needs.
In the Campbell Institute we are not called upon
to agree, but we are invited to have fellowship in
a faith and a quest. This fellowship through many
years has been happy and fruitful and it is our
hope that nothing will ever blunt our desire to be
alert.
THE SCROLL
"Looking- ahead" is one of the features of our
fellowship. This seems to me to be a feature of
Biblical religion. The religion of the Old Testament
had a forward look. It never felt itself to have at-
tained. The prophets were looking forward to a
better day making incisive observations and sug-
gestions which would rig^ht wrongs, heal wounds,
and establish justice. The New Testament has this
same forward look. Even though the earliest
Christians felt that they had something ultimate
in Jesus Christ, they continued to look, and much
of that look was forward.
Again, another feature of our fellowship is "look-
ing around." The ancient prophets wrote in histori-
cal situations which not only colored their pro-
nouncements but produced them. The Bible is a
living book because it deals with living situations.
Jesus taught in the light of the actual world around
him. He saw human need and met it. Paul's letters
reflect a mind that observed the existing social
and religious realities of the day.
The Institute's interest in at least a minimum
of education grows out of this desire to "look
about" and see what kind of a world it is in
which we live. A study of history, philosophy, the
natural and social sciences is essential to even a
partially true perspective of our world as it is. A
study of the other great religions of the world is
essential to honesty in evaluating our own faith.
Any intelligent and successful impingement of Chris-
tianity upon its environment will issue only out
of this impulse to "look around."
Then, we are equally interested in "looking with-
in." "What manner of man am I?" "Who and what
is this being called man?" Much encouragement has
been given to the study of psychology and an-
thropology because of a desire to know the answers
THE SCROLL
to these questions. An interest in the psychology
of religion arises when we wish to relate these
answers to the major emphases of our Christian
religion. The impetus given to modern Christianity
by Kant and Schleiermacher both reflect this "in-
ward" look, one to the moral nature of man, the
other to the inner feeling. ■
I suppose that the anxiety which arises in some
circles over all of this seemingly endless questing
is due to the fact that the rapproachment between
the results of all this "looking," and the traditional-
ly accepted articles of faith, is never quite satis-
factory. The human equation, imperfect and in-
complete experimentation, unauthenticated claims
of dogma account for much of this fear.
And one last suggestion — ^thls group is constant-
ly "looking up." No group of , men anywhere is
more conscious of man's dependence upon "an En-
vironment," a "Power," or a "Being," in which all
things consist, by which his welfare is determined,
and which "makes for righteousness." There may be
a difference in definition but. not in fact. A great
humility pervades anyone who recognizes his own
inadequacy and his great dependence. And yet,
with the Psalmist the uniqueness and great estate
of man make themselves felt upon us, and it is
this that continues to drive us on to attempted and
hoped for accomplishment, clear thinking, proper
evaluating and continual "looking." All this, as
Dr. Herbert Willett expressed to me in a personal
letter nearly twenty years ago, under the Lordship
of Jesus!
The Campbell Institute is as weak as the men
who make up its membership, but also just as
strong and vital. With humility, yet great con-
fidence, let us continue to "look."
THE SCROLL
The Annual Meeting
W. B. Blakemore, Recording Secretary
A total of sixty attended the Annual Meeting of
the Institute July 24 to 28, 1950, at the Disciples
House in Chicago. The papers presented afforded
an exceptional opportunity for discovering the mind
of the Institute at mid-century. Presented largely
by younger members, they revealed a firm convic-
tion that the validity of the formal aspects of the
Christian religion is to be found in their religious
effectiveness.
In terms of contrast, the papers by W. J. Jar-
man and W. L. Reese, Jr., set the central philosophi-
cal problem of the meeting, the nature of the object
of our religious devotion and the relation to that
object of the formal aspects of religion. Mr. Jar-
man, starting with an emphasis upon the objective
reality of God argued that the ordinances of Bap-
tism and the Lord's Supper must in some way be
appropriate to that reality. Mr. Reese, by a review
of Disciple thought, demonstrated that the increas-
ing tendency in our movement is to recognize all
aspects of religion as symbolic in nature ; the crucial
point in this latter position was raised when it
was asked in discussion if this symbolic character
applied also to Jesus and to God.
The high point of the meeting with respect to
practical affairs was undoubtedly the presidential
address of R. M. Pope, "A Strategy for Disciples."
Dean Pope insisted that we must beware of over-
simplified suggestions that the divisions which
hinder our brotherhood are to be explained in
terms of economic or social class difference, and
instead that the centre of the difficulty is a differ-
ence in culture that comes about by real loss of com-
munication between the parts. Dean Pope argued
THE SCROLL
that the road to brotherhood lies not in insisting
that our own point of view be understood, but that
we come to understand and appreciate the religious
significance of the point of view of other men. The
possibility of unity within the brotherhood requires
the creation of a new cultural apparatus — symbols,
ways of expression, etc. — through which we can
share in understanding each other.
Other papers were presented by S. Marion Smith,
Lloyd Channels, Hunter Beckelhymyer, Robert
Thomas, W. B. Blakemore, J. Robert Moffett and
Garland Hopkins. The scissions on the Church
in the City and the Church in Economic Life were
presented by those who studied in these five-week
seminars of the University of Chicago. A signifi-
cant review of chaplaincy ministries was presented
by Robert Preston, William R. Smith and Harold
Elsam. These men reported that some progress,
but not enough, is being made by the general minis-
try that these chaplaincy situations which are in-
creasing in our time, are not a temporary and
special part of the Christian ministry, but must be
looked upon as an essential and continuing branch
of the ministry.
Several of the papers presented at the meeting
will be published in The Scroll. Publication else-
where of other papers will be given notice in The
Scroll.
The order of the program of the Annual Meet-
ing was varied from former years in that the Com-
munion Service, condoicted this year by J. J. Van^
Boskirk and B. F. Burns came at the close instead
of the opening of the meetings.
The officers elected for 1950-51 were S. Marion
Smith, Indianapolis, President; Harold Lunger,
Tucson, Arizona, Vice President; Benjamin F.
Bums, Oak Park, Illinois, Treasurer; E. S. Ames,
10 THE SCROLL
Chicago, Editor of The Scroll; J. J. VanBoskirk,
Chicago, Membership Secretary; W. B. Blakemore,
Chicago, Recording Secretary.
In the business sessions there was considerable
discussion regarding the time of the Annual Meet-
ing. It was suggested that it would be fortunate if
the meetings could be held at a time when the en-
tire Disciple House facilities for rooming could
be at the disposal of the Institute. Those occasions
however, do not seem to be advantageous times for
the annual meeting. The Christmas vacation period
did not meet with the general favor. The Spring va-
cation usually coincides with the agency meetings
held in Indianapolis. The third week in June con-
flicts with too many conference and camp activities,
and the month of September while a free one at
the Disciples House is the period when ministers
are launching their new programs. After lengthy
discussion it seemed that the last week in July
remains the best date in the year. The reaction of
members to this matter of timing the meetings is
very much desired by the program committee of the
Institute and you are urged to write your own prefer-
ence to The Campbell Institute, 1156 East 57th
Street, Chicago, Illinois.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
It is August 1950 and the parson's vacation — a
fitting time to visit new places, hear new voices, re-
new old friendships and store up some new energy
for Fall tasks.
A week at Chautauqua, N. Y. is always an inspi-
ration but some weeks are better than others. To use
a term unknown to Scroll readers we hit the "jack-
pot" this summer. To sit at the feet of men like
THE SCROLL 11
Martin Neimoller of Germany; H. A. Overstreet of
"Mature Mind" fame; Dr. Cannon, editor of the
Christian Science Monitor; Dr. Carl Meneger, the
eminent psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Sheerer, the famous
preacher; and Dr. Eugene Beach, a dyed-in-the-wool
Disciple is a fuill menu in any man's language. Add
to that a half dozen symphony concerts, interesting
book reviews, and a theatrical production of the Eng-
lish play "Libel" and you certainly have a week-full.
On the way home from Chautauqua R. Melvyn
Thompson and I stopped for a brief visit with Dr.
Pearl Welshimer at Canton, Ohio. He took time out
to show us over the remodelled mammoth church
building that ministers to more than 6,000 members.
He inflated my ego by saying some nice things about
my book which he had on his shelves.
A few days in a cottage with my wife on the East
bank of Lake Michigan gave opportunity to view
sunsets and read books. What is more important it
gave me opportunity to get acquainted with the Lady
of The Manse. It is a good thing for a preacher to
realize that his greatest inspiration comes not from
the class room or the lecture platform but from the
mother of his children — ^the lady that sits across the
table from him three times a day (some days) .
A two weeks' trip to Southern California enabled
me to meet a brand new personality who gives great
promise for the future. His name is Gary Lee Jen-
sen and his mother happens to be our daughter. He
weighed in two weeks before my arrival at nine
poomds and one ounce but is already on his way to-
ward becoming the world's heavyweight champion.
His three year old brother. Tommy, will soon become
his trainer and teach him the fine arts of fisticuffs.
While on the West Coast I visited a couple of hours
with my long-time friend C. M. (Ted) Rodefer, a
laymen well known to Disciples. I stopped in Whit-
tier for ten minutes to beg bread from Rush Deskins
12 THE SCROLL
and saw his beautiful church. A telephone conver-
sation with Owen Kellison assured me that all goes
well at Champman College. One evening was spent
with Dr. and Mrs. Warner Muir and a glance at the
financial report of his great church on Wilshire
Boulevard showed that during 1949 the church gave
some $114,000.00 for Kingdom tasks. Warner is the
newly elected president of the Southern California
convention.
One Sunday I preached for the Peco Heights
Christian Church, Los Angeles where Dr. Merle Fish
Sr., is the pastor. The church is not large but alive
and full of the sprit. I am told that Merle Fish Jr.,
is doing an outstanding piece of work with the North
Hollywod church. Jimmy Fidler of Hollywood fame
is one of the leading laymen in that church.
A major portion of my time in the Los Angeles
territory was spent with Dr. and Mrs. Earl N.
Griggs. I ate their food, I slept in their bed, I rode in
their car, and I preached in their pulpit — Central
Christian of Pasadena. It is doubtful if there is a
church among us that has a higher type membership
and after listening to recordings of several of their
services I would add that it is doubtful if any church
hears more thoughtful or more thought provoking
sermons than the Pasadena church.
One memorable day and night was spent with the
Griggs' in a shack out in the open desert 75 miles
Northeast of Pasadena. Yes, it was hot during the
day but with the setting of the sun came cool and
refreshing breezes. A full moon painted a desert
picture never to be forgotten. Even after the moon
deserted us the stars came down to play with us as
we walked on the sands among the sage bushes and
the Joshua trees.
"Ain't vacations grand? Now off to work we go,
Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho!
THE SCROLL 13
Secrets of Longevity
W. J. Lhamon was 95, on September 16, 1950
Dear Dr. Ames :
This is to thank you for your letter of recent date.
It is highly appreciated as always. And your "sign-
ing off" phrase is especially appreciated. Namely,
"My love to you, Old Man."
You ask for the secret of my great age. That is
hard to say. But if it pleases you I will make a stag-
ger at it.
First. So far as I can discover I am by heredity
of the Pennsylvania Dutch tribe — a pretty tough set
physically if not otherwise. That was several gen-
erations ago, but it still seems to be "in the blood."
Secondly. I was especially careful about my an-
cestors. I took them in hand at a very early date. I
even began with my mother. She passed away on
the day after her ninety first birthday. Her father
lived into his nineties, and drove his buggy round
over the country on business trips. My father passed
away at seventy one. He was a most wise and Chris-
tian man, and he "foched me up in pretty stright
way."
Now back to my grandfather and great grand-
father. My selections in both cases turned out to be
both wise and well directed. Both went forward into
their nineties. So the much disputed question of
heredity has been decidedly in my favor "believe it
or not." This is my best on the heredity question.
Here however is another factor in the case. I have
always loved my work. I became a teacher at seven-
teen years of age in the one room school houses of
Ohio, and I liked it. I enjoyed the youngsters and
joined in their plays. Then very early I went into
the ministry, and enjoyed my audiences and the re-
sponses that I got from them — the psychic response
between the speaker and his hearers.
14 THE SCROLL
Then I have always loved to write in my humble
way. Instead of summer vacations I took one or two
of them to write my book under the title STUDIES
IN ACTS, or THE NEW TESTAMENT BOOK
OF BEGINNINGS. This work gave me something
of a reputation for scholarship (really more than I
deserved) so that when the trustees of the Bible
College of Missouri looked round for a dean their
eyes lighted on me. That put me again into the class
room, which again I enjoyed till I retired at 65 years
of age. Following that I went onto the lecture plat-
form of the circuit chautauquas during a number of
seasons, and once again I was a kind of pulpit man
with usually great popular audiences — AND EN-
JOYING THEM.
I think that when the machinery is well oiled with
pleasure and the cogs don't slip or grind, and the
mechanism as a whole runs in a fine, smooth gear, it
adds greatly to one's longevity.
And one more pertinent point. I never have been
a nicotine sponge in any way. That deadly drug
shortens the lives of its addicts by some five to ten
years. Nicotine is more deadly than strichnine,
and it is a habit forming drug. The reason its addicts
don't die sooner and faster is that they get relatively
little of it in their cigar and cigarette smoke.
This, my dear Ames is the best I can do in answer
to your query unless I should write a book, which
God forbid.
Yours fraternally,
W. J. Lhamon.
Dr. Lhamon is now "the grand old man" of the
Campbell Institute and is one of the most frequent
contributors to The Scroll. Another article by him
will appear in the next issue. His address is One
Ingleside Drive, Columbia, Missouri. Write to him.
E. S. A.
THE SCROLL 15
Religion in Berlin
[■ J OK'N Robert S ALA, Drake University
On paper Berlin is 85% Evangelical (Lutheran),
10% Catholic, and 5% what you will. In reality it is
as pagan as any metropolis, with only one article of
faith — a passionate love for the city itself. Not that
religion is scorned. Rather it is viewed as the hal-
lowed registry of birth, marriage, and death.
The churches are supported through taxation — a
four percent surcharge based on the net income tax,
to be exact. One's name goes on the church roll at
or near birth ; and it is quite a trick, bureaucratically
speaking, to get it removed from the roll later on. As
long as one's name is on the roll, the tax is paid to
the city, and the city turns it over to the diocese. Al-
most all Berliners pay the tax as a matter of course.
This sounds as if the churches should be in clover. In
reality they are near starvation, for a very large
portion of the church's living standard came from
income from properties. That was before the war.
Oddly enough, the Soviets have never taken any
drastic steps against the clerical order of things in
Berlin. The Communists raised no voice against the
church tax. Even more strangely, they have gone
along with the ancient Berlin practice of teaching
religion in the public schools. The new and progres-
sive Berlin school law of 1948, which was the last
major agreement of any kind between East and
West, provides for two hours of instruction weekly
in religion in the city schools. Children attend unless
parents request exemption. Some classes are taiught
by clerics who come in for the purpose. Others are
taught as an additional subject by teachers certified
by church authorities. The draft school law, later
approved by the Allies, was written by the Socialists,
and the Communists raised no objection to this
16 THE SCROLL
agreement. These classes are scheduled for the first
and last periods of the school day, however, and
there is a great deal of absence. For all practical
purposes, only the Evangelicals and Catholics profit
from this program. The small groups — Jews, Ad-
ventists, Christian Scientists, Freethinkers, and the
like — do not have enough children in any school to
form a class.
Many of Berlin's landmark churches were roughly
treated by the war. The great Dom on the Spree was
battered, and its beautiful dome is sheathed in scraps
of sheet metal to keep out the weather. It can be
restored ; but the Soviets, who must look at it every
time they have a big rally in the Lustgarten, seem to
be in no hurry to let anybody do the job. The Kaiser
Wilhelm Memorial Church, at the end of the Kur-
fiirstendamm, is a battered mass of rubble out of
which a jagged steeple bites the sky. The Soviets
took down the Pauluskirche — "structurally insecure"
— ^to the dismay of many Berliners. Many of the
smaller, more modern churches and chapels in the
suburbs were untouched.
The Evangelical clergy in Berlin were hard hit by
the de-nazification process. As a matter of fact,
there was a great deal of reluctance on the part of
the church authorities to carry out the sort of house-
cleaning that was needed. There were all kinds of
borderline cases. No doaibt many of the clergy had
re-examined their consciences and undergone a sin^
cere change of heart. This undoubtedly influenced
Bishop Dibelius to a reluctance to take purgative
steps. In the schools and the churches the standards
of political purity set by the American authorities
were especially strict, since these two institutions in-
fluence so directly the minds and hearts of the peo-
ple. After lengthy review and negotiation the Amer-
icans took a firm position, and dismissals followed.
No doubt some injustic was done in the process, al-
THE SCROLL 17
though any case was open to review at any time.
The Soviets were willing to approve programs of
religion provided they had no relationship in the
"here." No religious conference could be held in
Berlin until its program had been meticulo^usly scru-
tinized and approved by the four Allies. The Rus-
sians always refused to approve any topic which re-
motely touched on the application of religion to
everyday living. "That is not religion. That is
politics."
Both Evangelical Bishop Dibelius and Catholic
Cardinal Cou;nt von Preysing are men of great politi-
cal acumen, high courage, and profound determina-
tion. The Soviets are not trying to outfight them.
They are trying to outwait them.
Americans often ask whether the war affected
vitally the spiritual life of Germany. The answer, by
American religious patterns, would seem to be no.
There is no revival, no great awakening, no gift of
prophecy. Germans have long been too stunned, too
hungry, too much intent perforce on scrouging the
daily bread. Yet one senses a deep desire that life
shall somehow make sense spiritually, and there is
much preaching aimed at that. There is a quiet con-
tinuum of ghostly ministration. It might be argued
that in a disintegrating society the greatest work the
church can do is just to go on.
"\ Remember Danny''
Richard L. James, Dallas, Texas
While visiting in Hampton, Virginia recently, I
learned of the passing of Daniel Bartlett, for a gen-
eration, intimately associated with the life of the
Christian Church of that City. So closely was his life
connected with all affairs of church life, that it is
rather difficult to think of the church without re-
membering him.
18 THE SCROLL
Mr. Bartlett will be remembered for a number of
thing's in his church. No doubt, many will call to
mind the picture of a bald-headed, short, plump little
man shaking hands with every person who attended
church. He was not a member of the Welcome Com-
mittee, or the Ushers, but just circulated among the
brethren seeing that everyone was shown enough
interest to make small talk for a few minutes. His
jovial disposition and optimistic outlook were a tonic
for anyone seeking the refreshment which Christian
fellowship affords. No one appointed him to do these
things. He was genuinely interested in the persons
who came to his church.
The official life of that church may remember Dan-
iel Bartlett as the man who served for years (until
ill health prevented) as the sexton of the church.
His church was spotlessly clean and the temperature
was well regulated. Being church sexton was his
side-line. In addition to this work, he kept the gar-
dens and shrubs of a number of families. On week-
days his cleanly laundried overalls were a symbol of
industry. He lived in a simple, one room house which
he had built, and rode a bicycle about town. His
whistling could be heard several blocks away as he
rode down the streets and served as conversation on
many occasions when prefaced by the remark, "Here
comes Danny."
Danny (he was called by his first name by young
and old) will be remembered by a number of church-
goers as the man who loved flowers enough to raise
hundreds of Cana, Easter and Amarillis lilies for
the joy of displaying them on the pulpit of his
church. At Easter his church pulpit was a mass of
white lilies raised for that specific purpose. At
Christmas the red Amarillis likewise filled the pulpit
and overflowed onto the church aisles. My earliest
remembrance of palm trees was one Danny had
reared and kept near the marble baptistry in the
THE SCROLL 19
church.
A goodly number of men will remember boyhood
days' when Danny came on bicycle with a market-
basket loaded with knick-knacks as remembrance of
a birthday or other important events. During the
time it was my good fortune to be in his boy's class,
Danny never missed a birthday or Christmas with
his collection of remembrances. His baskets con-
tained fruit, nuts, candy, a toy, a book, some paper
and pencils. It seemed that he worked on the prin-
ciple that if he brought a sufficient variety of things
there would be something which was certain to be to
one's liking.
I remember Danny in all the above mentioned ac-
tivities, but I remember him most as one of the best
teachers of young boys I have encountered in church
life. Before the days when churches made much over
the idea of visual aids, Danny had his own system of
visual aids and rewards combined. He kept a siupply
of colored post card size pictures of nature scenes on
hand and every Sunday the boys would receive a card
for being present in his class. Though the cards were
given as a reward for attendance, there was some
way in which the lesson for the day was connected
with the picture. I am quite sure that my partiality
for red roses has something to do with one of these
pictures of an American Beauty rose which I re-
ceived at that time. Since those days there has been
a wonderful development in the use of a variety of
visual materials. He certainly would have been happy
in, using them to their fullest extent in connection
with his teaching.
I remember Danny's wholesome attitude toward
recreation in connection with his class. While some
I of the teachers of our church considered the task
ended when church started on Sunday, Danny used
every opportunity to be with the members of his
class. I made the "Good Confession" with a group of
20 THE SCROLL
boys of his class as we were sitting together. His pew
on which ten boys could sit with him was an integral
part of our church. But that was not the end of his
interest. Every Sunday afternoon there was a bi-
cycle hike. On my first hike with the group, I did not
have a bike of my own, so I rode on an improvised
seat with him. Later, when I had my own bicycle,
another boy inherited my place to ride with him.
There were few places in the county where we did
not go. In the summer, many of these trips ended up
at the swimming hole. But we were back at church
for the evening youth group meeting, for Danny was
also church sexton and had to be there to open up.
It is interesting to speculate upon what he could have
done with a gymnasium and a few other forms of
equipment. On the other hand, it was not the equip-
ment so much as the spirit of the man which counted
for so much with so little. Danny was not an out-
standing leader of boys. Many thought him rather
eccentric. However, he loved persons and used the
gifts with which he had been endowed to their full-
est extent.
I remember Danny as being loved by his boys.
Several of us would take our lunches during the
school recess period and go to his home to eat with
him. He lived near the school and his yard came to
be a gathering place for a few of us each day. When
he was there we spread our lunches on his table and
ate with him. When he was away we ate on his door-
step. He always had a very simple repast, but with
it would go the reading of some of his favorite poetry.
He had a sister who was a missionary in China and
frequently there would be the reading of some epi-
sode in her life as she had related it to him. His
actual travels probably ended with the two adjoining
counties, but his interests were world-wide as evi-
denced by his eagerness to talk about what his sister
was doing.
THE SCROLL 21
When Danny had a birthday, the superintendent
of the church school would always ask him to give a
recitation before the assembly. It most likely would
be one of the poems which the boys had heard him
repeating at the table while they ate together. Some-
times they knew the poem as well as he. In the years
when boys learn more through hero worship than
through logic, the things which Danny loved made
a great deal of difference upon his pupils. Some of
us came to an appreciation of God's world thro^ugh
Danny's cultivation of nature and a love for litera-
ture through his simple recitation of a famous poem.
I remember Danny as one who found a use in the
church for everything he knew how to do. He used
his "green thumb" to the glory and beauty of his
church. He used all available resources to interest
the group of boys entrusted to his teaching. He knew
that lives were more important than lectures; per-
sonality more than principles; Christ more than
creeds, and growth more than grades. I remember
that he believed that "the Sabbath was made for
man" and practiced it to the fullest. I remember
that Danny cared for each individual boy, remember-
ing each significant event in their lives. I remember
the eccentricities of the man, too, which remind me
that none of us are free from peculiarities.
Danny Bartlett reminds me of what God can do
through a life which is thoroughly consecrated to His
will. If God could use Danny to teach the things he
taught me, how much more could he do with a person
of greater abilities ! I am sure the key to his life was
his genuine interest in the persons he met. I remem-
ber Danny and am grateful that I had him as a
teacher. Now that he has gone, I sincerely hope the
present group of boys in his church will have one
who takes a like interest in them as I remember
about Danny.
22 THE SCROLL
A Responsible Brotherhood
W. E. Garrison, University of Chicago
I am rather shocked by Dr. Blakemore's argument
(in The Scroll for May) that the Disciples of Christ
ought to become a "responsible brotherhood" by tak-
ing on such a structure that they can make a firm
"response" to all sorts of inquiries as to "where they
stand" on various subjects. He says he is tired of
hearing it said that there is.no way of getting an of-
ficial declaration that all Disciples can be expected
to back up. Believe me, he might find himself getting
a good deal more "tired" of being in the position of
having to underwrite theological views and declara-
tions of attitude and policy that he does not be-
lieve in.
It is very true that the Anglicans, Lutherans and
others with whom we associate in ecumenical enter-
prises may be annoyed, and somewhat dismayed, by
the fact that it cannot be guaranteed that all Dis-
ciples will stand hitched to any question that may be
taken by their representatives or affirmed by vote in
their conventions. Accustomed as they are to de-
nominational solidarity, they have only the vaguest
inkling of what it means for a religious body (like
us) to have complete liberty of opinion and action
within itself. They have advanced only slightly be-
yond the stage of recognizing religious liberty as the
liberty to get out of a church if one does not agree
with its official pronouncements. That is the sec-
tarian principle. It is not the road to any sort of
unity that will not at once be cleft by fresh divisions.
Any church or "brotherhood" that is inordinately so-
licitous to let the world know exactly "where it
stands" on a wide variety of topics, is just another
sect playing the sectarian game under the old rules —
or perhaps under the new rules which make possible
THE SCROLL 23
intersectarian good will and cooperation but leave
every sect a solid unit still standing just where it has
always stood.
In his own mind, though not explicitly in his ar-
ticle— I am sure Dr. Blakemore distinguishes be-
tween those kinds of things concerning which he
wants the Disciples to be able to give firm and bind-
ing responses and those other kinds of things con-
cerning which he would resent any firm commit-
ments for the whole brotherhood. He doesn't want a
creed any more than I do. What he wants, I think,
is for the brotherhood to be able to form policies for
action with a reasonable assurance, within itself and
before the world, that the whole brotherhood will go
along. That certainly makes sense. There are scores
of matters of practical procedure in promotional,
missionary and benevolent activity concerning which
there are many diverse judgments that had better
be subordinated to a collective judgment formed by
some group to which the power of decision has been
given.
For example : Certain agencies devise a Crusade
and specify its objectives, and the Convention ap-
proves it as a whole. Perhaps some of these specified
objectives do not interest me and some items are
omitted that I think important. No matter, I say;
if that is what the brotherhood had decided on, by
the best consensus it can get, that's what I'm for. So
it is about a matter like cooperating with the Federal
Council, or joining the World Council of Churches.
If the brotherhood is for it, I'm for it. Or if our
missionary agency decides to carry on work in coun-
tries A, B, C and D, whereas I think A, C, X and Y
would be a better choice, I support the agency's pro-
gram and urge everyone else to do so, on the ground
that one program strongly supported is better than
a thousand different ones, even if some one of the
thousand (mine, of course) might be a wiser plan.
24 THE SCROLL
On things like these, the brotherhood should act as
a unit.
But the matters upon which the Disciples are
asked to make "response" and thus to assume what
Dr. Blakemore calls "responsibility" in the eyes of
the Christian world, are not generally of this kind.
They are theological questions. The Faith and Order
Commission and its Theological Commission on the
Church are asking such questions right now. They
would like to have an "official" statement on the
Nature of the Church. They would like, also, to have
the Disciples give an "official" respone to the Report
of Section I at Amsterdam. This covers a wide range
of theological issues. Of course they can't get such
official responses. There are wide theological dif-
ferences among Disciples. Would we have it other-
wise? Or do we want to give official status to one
scheme of theology while allowing others to exist
under its shadow? To ask such questions is to an-
swer them. When it comes to telling "where we
stand" on all these issues, the essence of our position
is that each of us stands where his judgment bids
him stand. We stand on that freedom.
This may be puzzling to our associates in the
World Council, but they will have to take us on those
terms or not at all. We can give them descriptive,
not normative, statements of the positions that are
most generally held by Disciples of Christ, for we
have our prevailing currents of opinion as well as
our simple basic principles. But unless we keep tell-
ing them — no matter how "tired" we get of saying it
— that we have no compulsory and official answers
to all the theological questions they keep raising, we
shall not be giving them the "response" that they
most need to hear. For actually, the most acute dan-
ger that the movement toward a United Church faces
is the one which is implicit in the effort (especially
in Faith and Order) to arrive at a doctrinal con-
f
THE SCROLL 25
sensus to be embodied in a symbol which, like the
Nicene Creed in its time, will tell the world exactly
where the whole Church stands on all moot questions
of theology and ecclesiology. Such a symbol would be
very neat — but very explosive.
Philosophy and Process
William Reese, Drake University
It has long been a personal conviction, brought
home to me once again by Willis Parker's excellent
article — "Philosophy as Process" — that we can have
Dewey and metaphysics at the same time; indeed,
that Dewey implies a certain kind of metaphysics
which takes one beyond his somewhat truncated sys-
tem. Parker is, I think, right that "process" becomes
the basic category; but what then is proc-
ess"? The concept immediately involves the no-
tions of "quality," "event," "relation," and most im-
portant, "duration." The importance of duration
means that the orientation of thought can no longer
be lashed to a cross-section analysis of reality but
must be directed to that lengthwise binding which
involves the past and the future. I mean merely that
every event involves future and past states as well
as a present state ; and emphasis on "process" brings
with it a need to concern oneself with the nature of
the future and the nature of the past, neither of
which is now open to observation; in this sense
Dewey's emphasis raises a metaphysical question.
To be very unphilosophic let us assert that the ad-
mission of revelation and of mystic insight as means
of gaining truth, as well as the positing of immater-
ial-yet-actual beings, have all been ways of blunting
the authority of the senses which reveals only a con-
crete reality. The religious needs led in a former day
to some formulation of the nature of the world which
would lend significance to man beyond the observed
26 THE SCROLL
rise and fall of the arc of life, which would preserve
the value of life beyond its inevitable decay. The
need is the same now as formerly, yet revelation,
mystic insight, and immaterial beings have not — in
the minds of many — answered this need with any
convincirg view of reality. The scientific view, with-
in its proper bounds, remains normative. But science
is concerned with description (how is the world in
this cross-section of its existence?), and prediction
(how will it be in its next cross-section?) ; religion is
concerned, I am convinced, with significance and
destiny. The striking difference between the two con-
cerns is that the first, science, emphasizes the cross-
section analysis, while the second, religion, empha-
sizes beccming: significance (what can I become?),
destiny (what will become of me? or more generally,
what will become of this or that bit of achieved sig-
nificance?) Science has its ultimate interest in fact;
religion has its ultimate interest in value.
If "process" is the modem category of explanation
it may well be that the concern of religion is not
antithetical to that of science. If "process" requires
notions of the nature of the past and future, as well
as a notion of present actuality, it may be that scien-
tific description and prediction subsum.e only one of
the basic notions of process, that of present actuality.
Even prediction is concerned with some present ac-
tuality; it is really asking: what will the next ac-
tuality be like?
Quite apart from the question of religious need it
seems inevitable that to explain process adequately
one must grant (1.) that every actuality has certain
possibilities relevant to it ; the future is to some ex-
tent pre-figured by what is possible, this event being
actual ; thus, a possible and abstract fringe fronts the
actual world (2.) that every actuality emerges from
certain antecedents; the present is to some extent
THE SCROLL 27
conditioned by the past, and the past must be deter-
minate; the past, while not concrete, is eternally
fixed — the qualitative totality of all that process has
thus far achieved. Certain of the general premises
requiring these conclusions include the view that
process is a movement from the indeterminate to the
determinate, and that time is not a quantitative suc-
cession of instants, but is rather a qualitative devel-
opment. It is not my present purpose to argue this
view cf process, but only to outline its main features.
And the view does have some adequacy with re-
spect to the religious notions of significance and des-
tiny. It presents a universe open to development; in
this sense it is "a cosmological theory of promise" ;
barring sheer coercion any situation contains possi-
bilities which may lead to greater significance. As to
destiny, every quality of one's life is preserved as
part of the determinate achievement of process ; not
only so, but, if the past aids in conditioning the pres-
ent, one's life will always be a factor in whatever
existence emerges in the future, however remote. It
is one's destiny to be eternal. It will have been ob-
served that this reasoning has led to a view close to
that of Whitehead ; the next step would be to suggest
that the possible is related to the primordial nature
of God, and the immortality of the past is related to
the consequent nature of God.
Rather than take this step suppose that the ques-
tion be raised whether or not this is an important
view of one's immortality. It is appropriate to note
that what constitutes my individuality as distinct
from yours is not so much bodily differences but
mental differences; my individuality is made up of
that cluster of ideas, impressions, loyalties, and be-
liefs which together signify my self. Individuality is
largely conceptual and abstract, and renders us
qualitatively distinct from each other. If now the
past contains all the qualitative distinctions of the
28 THE SCROLL
actual world I cannot see but what this view makes
us as immortal as any other proposed in history, as
well as explicating the common feeling that once the
arc of life has spent itself we will be subject to eter-
nal rest.
Of course, I am not arguing that Dewey would wel-
come these statements ; but I am insisting that "proc-
ess" as basic category requires some non-empirical
judgments; and that these judgments, extending the
notion of reality beyond the world of sense-experi-
ence, likewise extend the notion of reality in a man-
ner capable of affirming certain religious insights
without the need for contradictory entities and what
we once knew as "two-story" worlds.
We Preach Religious Liberty,
Not Religious Toleration
By W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois
It is religious liberty for which Modem Protes-
tantism stands, and not religious toleration. The dis-
tinction between the two should be kept clearly in
mind. Religious liberty and Religious toleration are
not synonymous terms, and any Protestant who al-
lows him to think that they mean the same thing may
discover, in dispute with some religious author-
itarian, that his confusion has lost him half the
battle against religious tyranny.
During its four hundred years, Protestantism has
adopted four successive attitudes towards the^exist-
ence of diversity within Christendom : universal au-
thoritarianism, national authoritarianism, tolerance,
and liberty. The first three of "these attitudes rest
upon authoritarian principles. Universal authoritar-
ianism was shortlived in Protestantism. It was an
initial hope, but never a realized one, that the Bible
might replace pope or council as a universal author-
THE SCROLL 29
ity by being accepted by all Christians in the same
way. Such an indisputable authority of the
Bible was never established. By its second
generation, Protestantism had modified itself into
a nationalistic authoritarianism. Recognizing the
inevitability of some religious differences, Europe
generally tried to adopt the theory that each political
unit should adopt the religion of its ruler. Within a
few years however, Protestants were at civil war in
mary lands in order to see whether the formula could
be reversed: in other words, to make the ruler sub-
mit to the religion of his subjects. After a century
of religious strife. Protestantism recognized that in
mcst instances the ruler could not enforce his re-
ligion upon all his subjects, nor could any single re-
ligious party win a total following in any nation. The
theory of religious toleration was then invented and
widely adopted.
The theory of religious tolerance is based in the
assertion that only the religion of the party in power
is true religion; all other religions are erroneous,
but are tolerated in order to avoid civil strife. This
toleration is looked upon as a compromise, and in all
European countries the "sectarians" were placed un-
der civil disabilities. In many countries of Europe to-
day, these civil disabilities persist; while they have
been modified from the harshness of two centuries
ago, they remain as an irritation, and a sign that for
most of European Christianity, the ideal situation is
still considered to be one in which all the people of
a ration accept the "established religion." The degree
of establishment differs from country to country,
and in most instances is now not more than a recog-
nition of one particular church as the "state church."
Eveoi in such circumstances, the inferiority of other
religious groups within that nation is maintained in
countless ways as they come into relation with the
state.
30 THE SCROLL
The theory of religious toleration is a modifica-
tion, for expeditious political reasons within the
framework of a fundamental authoritarianism.
From this standpoint, the free inquiry of the indi-
vidual soul for God is an evil, tolerated only on be-
half of civil peace. The theory was worked out in
the seventeenth century, and John Locke was one of
its formulators. Locke argued that it was impossible
anyway to convert a man against his will, and that
the state had best look upon the "sects" as tolerable
voluntary associations. While Locke would have been
more tolerant toward sectarians than the British gov-
ernment of his own day chose to be, he would none
the less have argued for some restrictions in the
religious area. John Locke had not moved on to the
fourth position which Protestantism later discov-
ered, and which has been largely an American con-
tribution to religious thought and practice. Locke,
in this area, was still essentially a medievalist. He
was not arguing for the right of the individual soul
to seek after God according to its own lights, but for
a particular way of maintaining the peace when both
true and false religion existed in the same nation.
When American colonial life began, the colonies
rapidly recapitulated the religious experience of
Europe and in various forms, for brief times, adopt-
ed both regional authoritarianism and toleratiDh,
But the idea of religious liberty was establishing it-
self, and became the accepted point of view by the
time of the enactment of the Federal Constitution.
While it has been the dominant point of view in
American Protestantism, it has not yet become the
dominant point of view in European Christianity,
nor in some American denominations with strong
European traditions.
The doctrine of religious liberty does not rest upon
the right of the state to grant religious freedom. It
rests upon an inalienable individual right to religious
THE SCROLL 31
freedom. This right the state dare not transgress be-
cause it has been granted to the individual by God.
The theory of religious toleration implies that the
state may grant or remove religious freedom as it
sees fit. The doctrine of religious liberty is that the
state dare not remove religious freedom and that
therefore, in this area, it has nothing to grant. In
terms of the theory of religious toleration, the indi-
vidual should not be free to seek his God ; he should
submit to the religious "authorities" as defined by
those who grant toleration. Since he will not sub-
mit, he is tolerated rather than attacked. From this
pcint of view, individual religious quests are tol-
erated only to preserve peace. From the standpoint
of religious liberty, individual religious quests are
of fundamental religious value. From the standpoint
of authoritarianism, toleration is granted pro tem-
poy^e and is rightfully subject to revocation by the
state. From the standpoint of modern Protestantism,
religious liberty is an eternal as well as a universal
right with respect to which the state has no jurisdic-
tion whatsoever. Religious freedom is one of the
four or five fundamental freedoms which no state
dare transgress, but which it must guarantee.
The modern Protestant must keep squarely in
mind that the religious liberty for which he fights
rests in the positive ground of the inalienable com-
petency of the human soul to discover the salvation
of God. The religious toleration which is granted by
some, rests in the negative ground that it is political-
ly expedient for the time being to be tolerant, but it
would be better if it were not necessary.
Unfortunately, the Protestant mind is so impre-
cise that all too often the man who truly believes in
religious liberty allows himself to be defined as one
who believes in toleration only. For instance, in the
area of race relations, there is a vast difference be-
tween racial tolerance and racial brotherhood. Racial
32 THE SCROLL
toleration implies that all races except one's own are
i inferior and are tolerated only because they are in
our midst. A further implication is that racial homo-
geneity would be much more satisfactory for the
world. Racial brotherhood, on the other hand, recog-
nizes the equality of all races before God the Father
of Mankind, believes that in the divine process racial
variety has some positive value, and welcomes all
races as brothers in the total community of man-
kind.
In the religious area, it is unfortunate that by
confusing tolerance and liberty, Protestants often
leave themselves open to a devastating attack by
Reman Catholics and other authoritarians. Upon
">iore than one occasion, I have seen Protestants be-
fuddled by the Roman way of arguing in this area.
The Roman Catholic begins with the major premise
that Protestants believe in religious toleration. He
then proceeds to demonstrate that tolerance is an
unideal and ulimately untenable position. He will
point out that there are all sorts of conditions and
practices in life that are evil and therefore intoler-
able. Tolerance, he insists, can never be a funda-
mental point of view. Therefore, he will wind up,
the religious toleration which Protestants esteem is
very shaky ground. The Protestant is often im-
pressed by the firmness of the Catholic, and by the
^.oral discrimination which seems to accompany his
assertion that in the long run he must be intolerant.
The Protestant is not usually won to the particular
authoritarianism that the Roman represents, but he
begins to feel a deep yearning for some authoritarian
ground of his own. In other words, the Roman has
sapped his morale for fighting for another man's
religious freedom and set him thirsting instead for
some authority to bolster himself.
What the Protestant should have done was to
agree with everything that the Roman has said about
the limitations of tolerance as a fundamental atti-
tude in life. But he should have stopped the Roman
Catholic at the major premise and insisted that the
Protestant position is not that of religious toleration
but of religious liberty. The argument must then
shift its ground from a consideration of the nature of
toleration to a consideration of the Roman's author-
itarian stand versus the Protestant assertion of the
competency of the individual soul. The issue then
becomes one of whether the Roman church, or any
other organization or group of men can rightfully
make their arrogant claims to possession of the en-
tire religious truth, or whether we mortals must in
all humility, persist beyond what we now know, each
one of us, in the serious work of personal responsibil-
ity for our religious thinking.
Toleration and religious liberty are two entirely
different conceptions. As Williard Sperry points out
in the preface to J. B. Pratt's Eternal Values in Re-
ligion (p. vi) „ "the whole idea of tolerance presup-
poses authoritarian premises." It denies the indi-
vidual's right to his own religious quest. Liberty as-
serts that the questing of man for God is a funda-
mental religious value, and for that we stand and
preach.
Mr. Benjamin F. Burns was installed as minister
of the Austin Boulevard Christian Church on Sep-
tember 10, 1950. We welcome him also as the new
bright hope of The Scroll, for he was elected Treas-
urer of the Institute at the July meeting. His first
gesture in this office is both a prophecy and a re-
minder that all members owe dues as of this date,
since the new fiscal year began July 1. He says:
Your dollars, I mean.
Must now start to roll
To pay for The Scroll
Or the last of it you have seen.
E. S. A.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII OCTOBER, 1950 No. 2
The Campbell Institute at the
International Convention
W. B. Blakemore, Secretary
Four midnight sessions of the Campbell Institute
were held during the International Convention at
Oklahoma City. The sessions were very well housed
in the Hall of Mirrors within the Convention Audi-
torium building. Unfortunately the length of the
evening sessions of the Convention prevented an
early convening of the midnight sessions, which
for the formal discussions had to be reduced to
about one hour. On the opening night of the Con-
vention, Tuesday, October 10, T. T. Swearingen of
Kansas City presented a plan for reorganization
of the brotherhood. The essence of the plan was a
simplification of structure with respect to the inte-
gration of state and national work allowing for the
autonomy of the various levels of local, state and
national work. The paper was well received and
written up at some length in the Daily Christian
Evangelist. There was very great interest shown
in the Wednesday evening session dealing with Euro-
pean and Ecumenical Christianity in 1950. Reports
were brought to this session by W. E. Garrison,
Chicago, A. T. DeGroot, Fort Worth, Perry J.
Gresham, Detroit, and Robert Tobias, Geneva,
Switzerland. The Thursday evening session was a
panel on the Chaplaincy lead by Ben F. Burns, Oak
Park, 111. Participants included Fred Heifer of
Baltimore, Roy Hulan, Hopkinsville, Ky., Theodore
Leen, Indianapolis, and J. W. Lineback, Washing-
ton, D. C. It was a most valuable session in clarify-
ing the procedures for ministerial students and men
35 THE SCROLL
in the active ministry relative to the chaplaincy.
The closing session was held on Friday evening.
After his major address in the Convention session,
Ihr. Luther Wesley Smith, Chief Executive of the
American Baptist Board of Publication and Edu-
cation carried on a discussion period. The Ameri-
can Baptist Board has in the past fourteen years
developed an aggressive program with respect to
Foundations, Colleges and Seminaries. Some of the
features of that program are especially important
for the Disciples of Christ. A fundamental distinc-
tion between these two brotherhoods and their pres-
ent attitude to higher education is that whereas
the Disciples still tend to feel that initiative and
responsibility for the schools should lie with those
institutions, among the Baptists concern for their
schools has come to be recognized as a fundamental
responsibility of the churches and church members.
The work of the Baptist Board is concerned not
only to elevate the level of training of the ministry,
but also to lift the general educational level of the
Baptist brotherhood as a whole. The chief feature
of this effort is an attempt to make higher educa-
tion available to increasing numbers of young peo^
pie.
A Strategy for the Disciples
(Excerpts from the Presidential Address of Richard
M. Pope, at the Anrnuil Meeting of the
Campbell Institute in July, 1950)
Democratic churches, like democratic nations, are
sorely tempted to rock along from year to year with-
out any long range plans that might energize their
forces and give direction to their struggles. But
I am convinced that once a democratic people are
aroused to danger, they can out-smart, out-plan, and
THE SCROLL 36
out-fight any kind of hierarchical organization in
which a few do the thinking for the many. The
collective intelligence of a people is greater than that
of any small group of individuals, no matter how
select. What I mean is that the free churches in
general, and our selves in particular, should formu-
late a general strategy, — not too complicated or in-
tricate, but simple and clearly stated, which every
loyal church-member can, understand and work for.
I propose a kind of strategy that would include
ecumenical and missionary concerns but a great deal
more besides. I propose for the Disciples of Christ,
as their goal for the foreseeable future, a classless
church.
To some, the idea of a class-less church as a goal
may seem offensive. It may smack too much of
Marxist dialectic for their taste. There are others
who would deny that we have classes in this coun-
try. But if, for instance, we were to describe the
typical Disciple layman, what would we say? Would
we describe him as a factory-worker of Slavic an-
cestry who likes beer and baseball and big fami-
lies? Or would we say that he is a graduate of
one of our great universities in the East, who reads
Fortune, the New Yorker, and the WaU Street
Journal, and dresses in tweeds and button-down
collars? Is he a share-cropper with 2 or 3 years
of schooling in a one-room country school, who
chews tobacco, and wears overalls? Or would we
describe him as, say, a small-town druggist who
grew up on a farm in Indiana, finished high school,
has two children, belongs to the American Legion
and the Lions Club, plays the trumpet in the town
band, and is proud of his bird dogs ? In recent years
he has made a lot of money. He wants a preacher
who is a good mixer, dresses neatly, who is safe,
middle-of-the-road, a good worker with the young
37 THE SCROLL
folks, and who will raise the social prestige of
his church — ^but not too high, and who is withal
religious, — ^but not too religious. Maybe I am not
describing the typical Disciple. Certain it is that
much can be said in his defense. I think I under-
stand him. I am even proud of him. He is the
backbone of our society. But the good society has
to have more than a backbone. It needs flesh and
blood, brains and sinew, hands and feet. And the
Apostle Paul says that the true church has to have
all kinds of people in it, people with a diversity
of gifts, — it is like the human body, and has many
parts, all of which are essential.
When one can walk into a Disciples church, and
not be surprised to hear the minister read the
Scriptures with an Italian accent, or to see at the
Communion table a banker offer the thanks for
the loaf, and a labor-leader give thanks for the
cup, and to note mechanics and lawyers, physicians
and carpenters, among the deacons, then we may
truly realize that we are no denomination, but a
Brotherhood. For the ecumenical church is one
where all kinds and conditions of men can learn
to understand one another more perfectly.
But as a matter of fact, that group of Christians
known as the Disciples of Christ are rather com-
pletely confined to Middle-class, Middle-western
folk of rural background, with their racial antece-
dents in northern Europe.
I know of course that the ideal class-less church,
where there is no respect of persons, where men
of all races and conditions may be brought together
in a deep and abiding fellowship can never be real-
ized this side of heaven, where we are told that
they shall gather from the East and the West to sit
down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But an
ideal is not something to reach, but to work towards.
And if we could keep this strategy before us, we
THE SCROLL 38
could make substantial progress. With the right
kind of leadership, and over a period of years,
some churches in our Brotherhood have already
realized, to a remarkable extent, the ideal of a
class-less church.
Now if we were seriously to try, as a people,
to follow this strategy in the future, it would
mean specifically that we cultivate a deliberate
concern for the laboring class, for the men and
women who work with their hands in field and facto-
ry. One can easily get the impression today that
the average Disciple church has for its working
strategy the ideal of becoming as thoroughly re-
spectable and middle-class as possible. If this be
so, then the strategy of working towards a class-
less church would involve a fundamental re-orienta-
tion in our life and work. Like the old time con-
version experience, whereas we are all going in
one direction now, we must turn and go in another.
I do not mean that we should repudiate people of
wealth and culture. But we already have the desire
to climl) in that direction, almost every preacher,
teacher, and layman has that in his bones. Without
losing our desire to save the souls of rich suburban-
ites, we ought to keep our eye on. the main chance,
the winning of the masses. If what nice people be-
lieve is religion, and religion is what nice people be-
lieve, it is as in Whitehead's description of the
Book of Proverbs, religion at low temperature. It
is not the kind of religion that is likely to save
civilization.
We were once a people of little education whose
main strength was rural. We still have a saving
remnant of farm people in our membership. This
element in our common life must be kept and
strengthened, as they provide a prime source of
renewal, both biologically and spiritually. Our
39 THE SCROLL
urban churches, year after year, receive trans-
fusions from this rural membership. But the great
tragedy of the Disciples in the twentieth century
is the way in which they have neglected their rural
constituency, on the one hand, and have dismally
failed, on the other, to reach in any effective way
the city proletariat. The basic reason and the blunt
truth is that we haven't really cared to include such
people in our fellowship. The great half-pagan
mass of people that makes up a kind of proletariat
in our culture, and our neglected rural constitu-
ency, can be reached and made a part of our life.
But the initiative must come from us, not them.
There are many concrete things that we might do
towards the realization of this strategy, and I
would like to sketch a few specific suggestions.
First, we will need Christian colleges that are
more democratic. Harvard has embarked upon an
endowment program that will enable them to bring
to their campus a cross-section of American youth.
President Conant visualizes the American universi-
ty campus as a place where boys from all levels of
American society may work, study and play togeth-
er. The campus would then be a melting pot, where
ability, regardless of background, could come into
its own. It is a noble vision. To accomplish this
our colleges generally, and especially our Christian
colleges will have to be less concerned about social
prestige, and more about social justice. Even more,
our churches will have to decide whether or not
they really want Christian colleges, whether they
will be willing to financially support a scholarship
endowment program that will enable them to give
the poor boy or girl an even break with youngsters
from well-to-do homes. It should be plain that if
our churches do not support our colleges they virtu-
ally force them to turn more and more to the middle
1
THE SCROLL 40
and upper classes for students and for money, thus
making the Christian college in America the
creature of wealth, privilege, and reaction. When
this happens, we should not be surprised if the
non-accredited Bible college begins to produce more
preachers than our accredited colleges.
Again our Seminaries must do everything in their
power to enlist students Vho will devote their
ministry to the rural or industrial church, and will
catch the vision of a class-less church. It is hard
to exaggerate either the difficulty or the importance
of the Seminaries in this strategy. The problem
is how to raise the educational standards of our
ministry, yet have a ministry that is not snobbish
and will endeavor to reach the working man. Poor-
ly educated men normally reach only poorly edu-
cated people. Only the well educated man is able
to reach both the ignorant and the learned. But
all too often his education has robbed him of "the
common touch." But it does not have to be this way.
Much depends upon the attitudes of the faculty in
our Seminaries and Colleges. If they can sincerely
honor and exalt, not the "big preachers" of the
"big churches," or the great scholars, so much as
the man or woman who can build churches that
are centers of reconciliation in their communities,
or who have been outstanding in rural or industrial
pastorates, they will do well. This is not as vision-
ary as it seems. It is a truism that youth responds
to challenge. And the best youth often respond to
the most difficult kind of challenge.
Another area in which we might combat the ex-
cessive veneration of bigness and wealth that af-
flicts us all is in our district, state, and national
conventions. Without going into detail, as it is not
in the province of this paper, it seems to me that
a delegate convention, on district, state, and nation-
41 THE SCROLL
al levels — ^the delegates made up of the pastor and
one lay delegate from each church, might help
to restore balance in our councils, and make the
smaller, and poorer elements feel their importance.
It would force the big church and the wealthy
church to court the favor of their smaller, poorer
brethren, instead of that condescending concern
that sometimes characterizes their relations.
Even more important, if we would work toward
the ideal of a classless church, necessity is laid
upon us to avoid a break with the Independent or
Conservative brethren among us, in every honor-
able way open to us. My experience has not been
extensive, but it has been intensive at times, and
I think I know how provincial, arrogant and dog-
matic such a group can be. But they are our peo-
ple. Some of them are our kith and kin. Some of
our best leadership of today has come out of this
kind of background, and no doubt this will be a
continuing phenomenon, if we can prevent another
split. It must be recognized that some of the lead-
ers of the "Independents" are genuine fanatics, and
as such will always be dangerous to the peace and
unity of the church. But I cannot believe that they
represent more than a minority of a minority.
And if as a whole this group may be characterized
as having zeal without knowledge, it could with
equal truth be said that the liberal, codperative
wing of our Brotherhood is tainted with a kind of
conventional respectability that has no depth. And
much of the tension, between the liberal and con-
servative in religion is more social than theologi-
cal. If we could solve the social problem we could
also solve much of the theological as well. Our in-
dependent churches, generally speaking, repi'esent
that segment of our Communion that is closest to
the man in shirt sleeves and overalls. We must
THE SCROLL 42
not allow ourselves to become hopelessly divided
from them. We need each other. We belong to
each other. I do not think that division is inevita-
ble, and at the risk of being labeled foolish, or
worse, I would propose that the Campbell Institute
play some part in a new attempt to understand and
appreciate the Independent point of view.
There is one thing further, it occurs to me, that
we can do in working towards a class-less church,
and that is to create a unified Board of Education,
perhaps located at St. Louis where it could work
side by side with the Christian Board of Poibli-
cation, and would plan a teaching and editorial
service that would serve every age group from the
cradle to the grave. A unified and coordinated Board
of Education could be a powerful force in carrying
out a strategy such as we have outlined in this
paper. A strong adult education program might be
especially significant in this respect. . . . A properly
led adult education program might become just as
important, if not more important, than worship,
as a means of breaking down barriers and creat-
ing fellowship and understanding among the people
of a congregation. The Southern Baptists, who
seem very successful in creating a loyalty to their
church that transcends class lines, seem to have a
very effective Sunday evening educational program
in their Baptist Training Union. It can be done.
In conclusion, then, I say again that our major
strategy in the last half of this century should be
to press towards the ideal of a class-less church,
and that in particular this will demand a new ap-
preciation of and concern for, the working class.
Over the long haul, in terms of centuries, the future
belongs with those who win and serve the com-
mon people. But for us it should be more than
a matter of human strategy. It should be a matter
of simple obedience to our Lord and Master.
43 THE SCROLL
What Do Bible Quizzes Reveal?
W. M. Forrest, Cuckoo, Virginia, i
In a recent article in the Christian Century ,
(September 13, 1950) Professor R. Frederick West,|
recently appointed to the faculty of Atlantic]
Christian College, Wilson, North Carolina, dis-i
cusses some findings in a test of the biblical knowl-^
edge of college students. When such tests began to j
be made in schools may not be definitely known. |
They were certainly frequent and widely published:
before this century began when I first noticed'
them. They have always followed definite patterns,;
and exposed ignorance, and led to common con-
clusions.
Usually they have consisted in questions sprung!
upon groups of students fairly representative ofi
our colleges, both Church supported, or State main-
tained. Such students, male and female, might be,
classed anywhere from freshmen to seniors, from;
average homes of Jewish, Catholic, and Protestant
affiliation. They were not at the time in college
classes in the Bible or religion, unless as beginners. \
The tests called for identification of individuals
prominent in Scripture such as kings, priests,;
prophets, apostles, or for telling where persons,:
places, and bodies of teaching are to be found in'
the Bible. Also the names and numbers of biblical
books, or groups of books, and their dates and
authorship might be requested, as well as certain ^
facts in the history of the making of our English i
versions. Quite popular was the giving of quo-
tations from great authors containing biblical al-i
lusions and asking the student to identify them. A i
few pupils made high scores, some revealed a ;
little knowledge, nearly all displayed general ig- :
norance.
THE SCROLL 44
As reported by Mr. West the test he cites con-
formed to the standard pattern except for the ap-
parent omission of identification of allusions. The
results also followed the usual groove. He reports
in detail on a group of eighty-three students, but
records some general conclusions drawn from ex-
amining nearly 2000 students over a period of years
in both church and non-church colleges. Summariz-
ing the questions and the results, and attempting
a classification, the following may be noted: Lo-
cation of persons or teaching. Seventy-two could
not name one book giving the Ten Commandments.
Not one of the 83 could name two books giving
the Commandments. No book recording "The Fall
of Man" could be indicated by 56. The Beatitudes
were assigned to the Old Testament by 34 and
credited to Paul by 23.
Facts of biblical history. Only nine could name
as many as three kings of Israel; some guessed
Abraham and Herod. Only a few could name one
prophet but many listed David and Solomon. The
"so-called forerunner of Jesus" could not be named
by 53, but both Moses and Buddha were listed.
Lack of information on the history of the make-
up of the Bible. Seventy were unable to give the
number of the books. Only two knew the mean-
ing of the words Bible, and Testament, and Apocry-
pha, although 55 knew the Koran was the Moham-
medan Bible. Tyndale's version was assigned to
600 B. C. and Wyclif's to 800 B.C.
The ignorance revealed about the book, general-
ly conceded to be the chief foundation stone in our
democracy, and the primary source of the Hebrew-
Christian heritage, so potent in western civilization,
shows a serious fault in our educational system,
both private and public, both Roman Catholic and
Protestant. But certain observations need to be
noted. First, it should be kept in mind that much
45 THE SCROLL
of the information sought in such tests is related
to rather unimportant facts. One might know the
correct answers to all those questions arid remain
abysmally ignorant of the essential spiritual value
of the Bible. They belong mostly to the things that
can be learned by rote in early childhood and
catechetically repeated for years without the small-
est influence upon character and conduct. "Who
was the first man?" "Who killed his brother?" "Who
was the oldest man?" "Who was the wisest man?"
"Who were cast into the burning, fiery, furnace?"
My grandmother learned from her mother long
lists like this. Someone may feel embarrassed by
missing the answers to such questions. The same
might be the case regarding the characters in
Mother Goose and Alice in Wonderland.
It is obviously not of the highest importance to
know the location in the Bible of the Ten Command-
ments, the Beatitudes, or the Lord's Prayer. Their
meaning is vastly more important than even a
knowledge of who was their author, while the thing
of supreme importance is to^relate one's life to them.
Nor should it be forgotten that a spirit of reverent
inquiry is essential to any worthwhile knowledge of
the Scriptures. There may be an amazing ability to
quote the Bible accurately as the absolute word of
God "from cover to cover" with a bondage to the
letter that will kill the spirit. To find the Ten
Commandments in Exodus and Deuteronomy is in-
teresting, to be able to quote them accurately is
to possess a handy bit of information. The first
commandment, however, can be best kept when
recognizing that the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ cannot be the jealous God who visits
the iniquity of the fathers upon their children to
the third and fourth generation, and commanded
the slaughter of the Canaanites, men, women, and
THE SCROLL 46
children. Finding the Lord's Prayer in Luke as well
as in Matthew, and also finding in both the Sermon
on the Mount might be a thrilling experience for
an earnest student. Who so largely expanded the
latter by collecting the many things in Matthew that
Luke has either left scattered or did not record at
all? Which of the settings of the prayer is the cor-
rect one? How did it pass from Luke's laconic form
to the liturgical version in Matthew? Moreover,
comparing the common text of it with the accurate
modern forms, who added to Matthew's version
the stately doxology ? And who put the second "ever"
in the doxology after that earlier addition. These
are not merely academic questions, since it is by a
recognition of such developmenits that the true
nature of the Bible may be realized and escape may
be found from the letter that kills.
Secondly, to the extent that the ignorance dis-
closed by the examinations is deplorable, where is
the blame to be placed? The college professors blame
the primary and secondary schools. Obviously most
of the factual knowledge demanded should be ac-
quired in. childhood where learning by rote is both
easy and lasting. There is little of such drilling
today even in the homes that are rated Christian.
But a high percentage of students quizzed are al-
ways like the eighty-three of whom only three dis-
claimed church and Sunday school relations. Sixty-
eight of them were from Protestant homes. Through
the half-century, and more, that such tests as this
have been freqoient an impressive improvement
in Sunday schools has been claimed. Physical equip-
ment, literature, graded classes, prepared teach-
ers, are common at vast expense. Yet so far as
recent tests show the biblical knowledge is at a
lower ebb than it was fifty years ago.
Furthermore, in many States the Bible has been
systematically taught to all public school children
47 THE SCROLL
whose parents have not objected to released time or
after-school classes for that purpose. For example
the present writer was able to get the approval of
the Virginia Board of Education for such courses
and they were accredited towards high school
graduation. After preparing the courses they were
taught once a week by accredited teachers, and
standard examinations were given which were sent
me for grading. From 1916 to 1939 when I retired
thousands of such papers were graded and the
great majority of the pupils passed. That story
has been repeated in many States. Today it is being
continued, frequently under the auspices of the
Council of Churches, beginning in primary schools.
Where are all those young people when, examina-
tions are set to test their scriptural knowledge
while in college? Has it all faded out? Or are the
tests so remote from valuable knowledge of the
Bible that the teaching has not touched it?
During the same half century Bible Chairs and
Departments of Religion have multiplied in State
supported colleges, or as extra-curricular schools
adjacent to the colleges for the benefit of the stu-
dents. Hundreds and thousands of young men and
women have taken such courses. Could they pass
the quizzes? Perhaps the professors of Bib. Lit.
heed the scriptural injunction to "be wise as ser-
pents." The tests are made before their students
take their courses. What would be the result if
the test given the eighty-three were suddenly pre-
sented to a like number who had passed the col-
lege courses after they had been out of college
as long as the eighty-three had been out of school?
That might prove embarrassing to professors as
well as students. Personally I am not sure that
my former students over a period of thirty-six years
teaching at the University of Virginia, although
THE SCROLL 48
included in the number there are eminent teachers
and bishops, could pass such an examination with
flying colors, when confronted by it without previ-
ous notice or a refresher course.
One such student when met a few years ago
assured me he remembered very well at least one
thing I said in a class lecture. Asked hopefully
what it was, it proved to be the story of what
happened many years before when I was a student
in J. W. McGarvey's Old Testament course. The
lesson dealt with Jehui, the furious driver in Israel's
history. To impress the student with the way bibli-
cal allusions get into general usage the professor
asked what he would say if he saw a modern furi-
ous driver. The young man hesitated and was urged
to say, whereupon the boy responded, "I'd say he
was driving like the devil." Well, I had never for-
gotten it, and my student was sure he never would.
There remains now the inquiry of why after a
half century of Bible teaching in Sunday schools,
public schools from primary to university, church
schools and colleges, tests of students put them
down as illiterates in biblical lore? Would that be
true if students of literature, history, science, phil-
osophy, were confronted with similar tests in those
disciplines? Take a high school graduate who had
a course in American history and studied it no
more until as a junior in college he was suddenly
confronted with an examination full of mostly in-
consequential details. Or take aj professor and
examine him on a course taken years earlier but
alien to his specialty. Or take me and ask me to
name and give the dates of the kings of Israel
and Judah, even though it was in my specialty.
Even people preparing quizzes may make slips.
Note the question, "Which book gives the fruits of
the Spirit?" A correct answer is, "No book of the
Bible." Paul in Galatians says, ". . . the fruit of
49 THE SCROLL
the Spirit is love, joy, peace," etc. Just as the fruit
of an orange tree is round, yellow, fragrant, juicy,
etc. That does not prove the professor is a biblical
illiterate. Nor did it prove anything of the kind
when an old gentleman who said he loved the
Psalms and had read and reread them all many
times was asked by a brash- young preacher whether
he had read the third verse of Psalm 117, and an-
swered yes. Many a person who has not "the root
of the matter" in him may by catch questions con-
fuse profound biblical scholars.
The world is now in a state where the important
truths of the Bible are desperately needed for the
guidance of individuals and nations. Whether the
Bible has 66 books, whether Christ coined the sec-
ond great commandment, whether Genesis is the
first book and Revelation the last, are matters of
fact that can be determined in a few minutes by
looking into the book. After all, there have been
times when those who knew most about the Bible
and taught it with the utmost zeal got little out of
it for themselves or the world. The Jewish scribes
would have been wonders at passing examinations
on the number of its books, on the location of
commandments, and even on the numbers of A's of
their alphabet, and every other letter, it contained ,*
on its longest and shortest, and middle book, the
middle passage and even the middle letter in the
Law, the Prophets, and the Other Writings, as
well as of the whole collection. But they killed the
prophets to whom they afterwards built monu-
ments. When suddenly their long sought Lord and
Messiah appeared among them they knew him not.
The law which was their chief study and delight
left them among the woeful who were so intent
on tithing mint, and dill, and cummin that for the
weightier matters of the law, justice and mercy
THE SCROLL 50
and faith, they had no time, straining out gnats
and swallowing camels, full of extortion and
rapacity.
It is not too much to believe and hope that the
thousands of Bible teachers and the myriads of
their students today are doing better. Madhouse
though the world may be, there are in it more
people struggling with deep yearning towards the
good life envisioned in- what the Bible means by
the kingdom, or rule of God, than ever before
in human history.
Mr. West in the closing part of his article con-
codes that modern students show a deep interest
in religion and the responsibilities it puts upon
man, He fully and ably recognizes the kind of Bible
study and Christian living the age demands. The
world is athrob with passionate hunger and longing
for brotherhood and freedom. The truth that makes
men free must be slowly learned, here a little and
there a little, and slowly built into character. He
who succeeds at teaching it and learning it may,
or may not, be a marvel at passing biblical exami-
nations. But if he has learned to do justly, to love
mercy, and to walk humbly with God, he may be
as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.
The Saga of St. Paul
W. J. Lhamon, Columbia, Mo.
The conversion of St. Paul was a turning point
in our human history. It was the capture of an
enemy, and the winning of an advocate; it vras
the turning of an imperial mind and will from a
career of destruction to a majestic work of salva-
tion. As Saul of Tarsus he had been a legalistic
Pharisee ; as Paul the apostle he became a Christian
saint. Among the creators of our human history
Paul ranks highest with one exception — our Savior.
51 THE SCROLL
His reach was a westward one, and its waves swept
down through the centuries till they came across
the Atlantic with the Pilgrims in their Mayflower,
and with the Puritans as they sang a solace to
their souls in the refrain, "Fairwell dear England."
As an author Paul was creative and revolution-
ary. He wrote half of the New Testament, which
means for us — and for the human race — a new
Bible. In his creative work he abandoned Judaism,
raceism, traditionalism, and Old Testament legalism.
Over against all this he cried, "For me to live is
Christ ; to die is gain." Circumcision was the crucial
test. It was a proud race distinction reaching back
through unaccounted centuries. As the Apostle to
the gentiles can Paul stand that test? Hear him!
"In Christ neither circumcision nor un-cir-
cumcision avails anything, but faith working
through love." (Galatians Ch. 5). His flight from
Mosaic legalism into Christo-centric freedom is
summed up in one grand climax — a rapturous shout!
For as many of you as have been baptized into
Christ have put on Cl^rist. There is neither Jew
nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there
is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in
Christ Jesus."
To repeat — Paul wrote half of the New Testa-
ment. His books cover his life and activities in
a biographical way, disclosing that a chain of
churches marked his pathway througjh Galatia,
western Anatolia, and far off Macedonia; thence
southward into Thessalonica, Berea, and Corinth.
A partial list of these churches reads as follows:
Iconium, Ahtioch, Lystra, Derbe, Thessalonica,
Berea, and Corinth. Thus he was "a patient and
singularly efficient builder of churches." As a
pastor he preached a year and six months in Cor-
inth. In Ephesus he was driven from the syna-
^THE SCROLL 52
I gogue. After three months he rented the hall of
Tyranus, and continued "arguing daily" for two
years, "so that all the residents of Asia heard the
word of the Lord, both Jews and Greeks." (Acts
19-10). By this act Paul "stepped out of the syna-
gogue into the world."
A portion of Paul's evenings were spent at the
loom earning his bread — perhaps accompanied by
Aquila and Priscilla. But he found time to go
from house to house visiting the sad and the sick,
and such as were in need of spiritual comfort. In
his pastorate "a great door, open and effectual was
granted to him," as he afterward said of his work
in Corinth. The list of his converts was large;
many of them were Jews, but there were also
gentiles. Never had he found so great an oppor-
tunity; but he had to say, "there are many adversa-
ries." He was destined to travel a hard road, but
no complaint shadowed his triumphant soul.
Paul abandoned the whole' system of Old Testa-
ment sacramentalism, and that was a death blow
to priestcraft, the craft that had made the high
priests Annas and Caiaphas the millionaires of that
day. No more peculation in doves and pigeons,
rams, lambs, and bullocks. It was by this system
that sins were atoned for — or carried away — dumb
animals bearing the burden of human sins. But
for Paul no more of this. On the contrary he cried.
"We are justified by faith; we have peace with
God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 6-5).
This is a fundamental teaching with, Paul. He con-
trasts it with the law, and comes back to it again
and again. For him no more atonement by sprin-
kling with the ashes of a red cow; no more salva-
tion by blessing and killing two goats — a work of
pure priestly invention. For him no more of the
great altar in Jerusalem with its four fires smoking
53 - THE SCROLL
continually with the burning bodies of rams, lambs,
and bullocks, plus a gallon of "fine flour as a meat
offering." For him, "the faith that works through
love."
From the day of his conversion till his death Paul
was an enraptured soul. The word rapture comes
from the Greek, and its first meaning is to sow —
to be stitched together — made fast, tied, devoted.
It was thus that Paul was tied to his objective; and
this objective was, "to know nothing but Christ, and
him crucified." (First Cor. 2-2) The enraptured
soul enjoys one feature of liberty, and is under one
feature of restraint. As to consistency he has wide
liberty, while as to restraint he must reach his
objective. Paul was an impassioned orator: his
thoughts rushed for expression with such rapture
that Festus mistook him for a mad man, and cried
out, "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning
has made thee mad." Paul's answer was quick and
sure. "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak
the words of truth and soberness." And then a
daring, rapturous appeal to the Roman ruler who
at that moment was Agrippa. "King Agrippa, be-
lievest thou the Prophets? I know that thou be-
lievest." But Agrippa treated this appeal with his
accustomed cynicism. "In short you exp«;t to make
me a Christian!" But Paul undaunted, in the in-
trepidity of his rapturous faith came back with a
prayer. "I would to God that not only youi but also
all who hear me this day were not only almost but
altogether such as I am except these bonds."
Paul's rapture appears in various ways, in his
joy, in his sorrow, in the rapidity and abandon of
his speech and his pen. As to his speech an ex-
ample has been given above. As to his pen note
the first chapter of Second Corinthians, in which
he plays on the word comfort, using it over and
THE SCROLL 54
over, his comfort, the comfort of God, comfort
and salvation in Christ, and comfort in affliction
even. Or note his rapturous thirteenth chapter of
first Corinthians — ^his unparalleled psalm of Chris-
tian love. Note again the third chapter of Second
Corinthians in which he plays on the word splen-
dour. Or again, note the eleventh chapter of Second
Corinthians in which he in self defense plays on
the word danger— danger from robbers, danger
from rivers, danger from Gentiles, dangers from
false brethren — and still others. These are but ex-
amples of his rapturous pen. That rapture of his
inner life is in every one of his letters. It is there
clear as the sun to the eye that has been trained
to see it.
Convention Resolutions:
A Case History
Royal Humbert, Eureka, Illinois
The Disciples of Christ in Illinois have been
passing resolutions on social issues at their state
convention more or less regularly for almost ninety
years. A survey of this group's expressions on
matters of social concern has historic significance
in the year nineteen hundred fifty. Illinois Dis-
ciples celebrated their centennial as a convention this
fall. A special program interpreting one hundred
years of co-operation was held at Jacksonville,
September 17-20.
The convention resolutions of a religious group
such as the Disciples of Illinois reflect more than
the social concerns of a single denomination. They
are a representative sample of opinion on social
issues in mid-West America. Students of religion
and society have noted that this religious move-
ment is as typically American in culture and prac-
55 THE SCROLL
tice as any of the churches in the United States.
The Disciples devetoped as a frontier people. They
were among the earlier of the denominations in the
state of Illinois. The first congregation of the Dis-
ciples in the state was founded in 1819, only seven
months after the admittance of Illinois into the
Union.
This American religious movement is committed
to the principle of the authority of the layman in
ecclesiastical matters. As a result, convention pro-
nouncements tend toward being kept within range
of majority opinion in order to secure approval
of a motion for acceptance from those in attendance
at sessions. Doubtless many voting in favor of
recommendations were too tired of speeches to pro-
long the agony by disagreeing with sentiments ex-
pressed in the statements. But regardless of mo-
tives for assent or dissent, a resolution once passed
becomes a moderately accurate reflection of public
opinion.
Our interest is to seek out trends on social issues
of major concern during the period of the past
eighty-six years. The sustained interests over
relatively long periods of time have been the issues
of (1) participation in war, (2) dealing with
alcohol, and (3) labor and economic crisis.
Attitudes Toward War
The question of what should be the Christian's
attitude toward participation in war was the first
concrete issue faced by the convention. There
have been some twenty-two resolutions oflTered on
this issue in eighty-six years. Nearly twice as
many of these pronouncements have been given in
the last twenty years as were offered during the
preceding sixty-five years.
Since 1863 the attitude toward political action
through the use of military power has gone through
three stages. At the time of the Civil War the atti-
THE SCROLL 56
tude was that of a rather uncritical acceptance of
the authority of the state as a religious duty. The
adjustment was made during the Spanish- Ameri-
can and First World wars by accepting the strug-
gle as a fight for the preservation of values. The
attitude toward the Second World war was that
of an isolationist pacifism forced finally to accept
the war as a kind of inescapable fate.
The Civil War was accepted by an almost unani-
mous vote, on the basis of the concept of author-
ity set out by the apostle Paul in Romans 13. The
action of the south was considered an armed re-
bellion subversive of the "divine injunctions" to
obey "irulers as legitimate and essential parts of
the divine revelation." Since Saint Paul taught that
"there is no power but of God" and that "the
powers that be are ordained of God," the rulers
had the right to put down armed rebellion through
the use of military power. The "soldiers in the
field" were engaged in an act of "defence" and
were "therefore entitled to our gratitude and sup-
port." Obedience to rulers as ordained of God was
held to involve the obligation to "constantly pray"
that Grod would "give to our chief magistrate and
all rulers, wisdom to enact and power to execute
such laws as will speedily bring to us enjojnnent
of a peace that God will deign to bless."
The next two wars were not interpreted as in-
volving any question of the relation of divine and
human authority. Military power was seen in these
struggles as a means for preserving certain values.
The Spanish-American war and the First World
war were seen as conflicts "in the interest of right-
eousness." Identical resolutions in 1914 and 1915 de-
plored the European war and commended all ef-
forts being made looking toward peace. When war
came, however, the memorial on the war which had
been prepared by the Federal Council of Churches
57 THE SCROLL
was accepted by the convention. This memorial
said that "since, in spite of every effort, war has
come, we are grateful that the ends to which we
are committed are such as we can approve." These
ends are summarized as the safeguarding of "the
right of all peoples, great and small alike, to live
their life in freedom and peace;: to resist and over-
come the forces that would prevent the union of
nations in a commonwealth of free peoples con-
scious of unity in the pursuit of ideal ends." An
amendment to this memorial, written for the con-
vention, concluded with these words, "we unquali-
fiedly endorse President Woodrow Wilson's utter-
ances and we pledge our unflinching support in the
task of making the world safe for a civilization
which can be democratic only as it is Christian."
During the years between the first and second
World wars, the convention supported such move-
ments as the Paris Peace Pact to outlaw war,
efforts to secure international disarmament, the
opposition to military training for civilians, and the
entrance of the United States into the League of
Nations. The investigation of the arms and muni-
tion industries under Senator Nye received "hearty
approval."
The years preceding America's entrance into the
Second World war witnessed the development of a
new perspective. The earlier feeling that war might
help conserve moral and spiritual values in a de-
mocracy was felt no longer. After 1936 we find
a period in which the dominant mid-western mood
of isolationism was combined with a mild form of
political pacifism.
From 1937 to 1941 the prevalent sentiment was
in favor of keeping America out of war. The mot-
to, "keep our country out of any war" was included
in several resolutions. This spirit was congenial
to the trend toward neutrality legislation. Though
THE SCROLL 58
the resolutions do not clearly indicate it, the neu-
trality legislation seems to have met with rather
widespread approval. However, a resolution from
the floor objecting to the trend in Congressional
policy looking toward repeal of the neutrality pro-
gram was not accepted due to the lack of unanimity
on the question.
By 1940, the negative program in favor of neu-
trality was augmented by a growing concern with
relief for civilians in the warring nations and an
interest in post-war reconstruction. Seemingly, in
order to maintain a spirit of neutrality and still
act in a situation where war was going on, it be-
came necessary to conserve the ideal of fellowship
by emphasizing relief while at the same time post-
poning realistic encounter with the immediate
political situation by focusing attention upon a
future beyond the war. The reasons given for ac-
cepting this futuristic neutrality perspective are
interesting. The assumption was that the nation
could still act as a responsible political power with-
out mobilizing military and economic power to re-
sist fascism. America, it was thought, could make
her best contribution by keeping out of war. As a
nation, the resolutions challenged us to act by
making adequate sacrifices to bring relief to
civilians abroad. In addition, the recommendations
suggest that we could create good-will by preparing
to re-build after the war. And by not emphasizing
huge military budgets we would not antagonize the
sensitive nations of Europe. This approach assumes
that moralistic ideals are an adequate substitute
foir political realism.
The basic issue assumed as crucial in these reso-
lutions was that of the dangers of capitulation to
the use of overt military force and the consequent
destructiveness of war. The evil to be resisted
was that of militarism and the violence of inter-
59 THE SCROLL
national conflict. The issue of fascism was never
even hinted at. The anti-Semitism and the racial
arrogance of the fascist apologists did not seem to
constitute any real threat comparable to that of the
evils of war.
Roland Bainton, in a study of the history of the
attitude of Christians toward war^, suggested that
a somewhat new attitude toward war appeared
during the last war. He characterized it as an at-
titude of critical and penitent participation. This
may have been the feeling of many during this
critical period. Biut the convention resolutions of
Illinois Disciples do not give voice to this attitude.
Instead, our participation in the war was. accepted
as a kind of inescapable fate, an "unnecessary
necessity." In 1939 it was affirmed that "in humil-
ity and penitence we acknowledge our share of
the world's sin and express our deep sorrow and
disappointment that the forces of religion have not
been able to prevent this great catastrophe." But
the actual meaning of participation in the war for
the Christian seems to have been to accept the in-
evitable and finish with it successfully, "praying
for those who are entrusted with the affairs of
government."
During the war there was a healthy, though
perhaps over accentuated, emphasis upon keeping
faith with the conscientious objectors. But the con-
vention itself was never committed to the pacifist
position officially. Nor did it state any basic rea-
son, or rationalizations (depending upon one's
point of view) why it accepted the mobilization of
military and economic power by American political
leadership for active participation in the Second
World war.
iBainton, R. H. "The Churchest and the War: Historical
Attitudes Toward Christian Participation," Social Action, Jan-
uary IS, 1945.
THE SCROLL 60
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison
Some twenty years ago it was my privilege to
introduce Marguerite Harmon Bro at a large and
important luncheon. In presenting this long-time
friend of mine, I spread it on quite thick. I told
of her illustrious father, Dr. A. D. Harmon, former
President of Transylvania University — her mother,
a talented teacher and lecturer — ^her learned hus-
band, who is now President of Frances Shimer Col-
lege— and her famous brother, who is the miracle-
working President of Drake Univeirsity. I then ex-
plained that the greatest distinction any of these
people had was the fact that they were related to
Marguerite Harmon Bro.
When Marguerite arose to speak she told in
dramatic fashion the story of the mother fly who
went out in search of food for her starving daugh-
ters. She said the mother fly found a piece of
bologna lying on top of a glass case at a butcher
shop. The mother fly at once filled her pockets and
then ate all she could hold herself. So happy was
the mother fly over her find that she just sat there
and sang, and sang. The butcher heard her sing-
ing, grabbed the fly swatter and wham! the fly
was dead. Mrs. Bro added, "The moral of this story
is — when you are full of bologna, keep your mouth
shut." It was the first time I or anyone present
had heard the story (I have heard it many times
since.) The crowd roared and cat-called until I was
compelled to get my handkerchief and run up the
white flag of surrender.
In 1933 the Davison family was entertained one
afternoon and evening by the Harmon's and the
Bro's at Cable, Wisconsin. Dr. and Mrs. Harmon
have their home there on the lake, and the Bro's
have their summer cottage next door. They were
61 THE SCROLL ;
perfect hosts because everybody did what they |
wanted to do and nobody interfered. Mrs, Bro was
under compulsion to meet a deadline with a maga- :
zine article. She spent the afternoon- pounding the \
typewriter while her two-year-old son spent most ,
of the time standing on the same chair and climb- ;
ing over his mother's back. Their ten-year-old '
daughter stopped playing a record of Kipling's \
"When Earth's Last Picture is Painted" long
enough to call downstairs, saying, "Mother, was
Kipling a realist?" As the evening shadows gath-
ered, we all found ourselves around a cheerful fire-
place in the Harmon home. The only thing that
was more cheerful than the blaze was the wisdom,
wit and humor of the Harmons and the Bros.
Why do I tell this story now? Because for the
last two days Mrs. Davison and I have had as our
summer guest "Sarah," who is Mrs. Bro's latest
brain child. The visit of this fascinating young lady
coming to us in book form has been the high spot of
our summer vacation. This book is so free from
Hollywood triangles, and yet so loaded with human
interest and realistic drama, that it should be on
the reading list of every American family.
The book moves in those dozen years leading
up to and through World War I. While centering
upon the life of Sarah, a talented musician, it
deals with the history, politics, customs, facts and
foibles of those transition years. Sarah knew what
it was to ride in the surrey and sleigh out on Grand-
pa Duncan's Nebraska farm, but also she knew
how to grace the Cadillac car of the Riveras. She
knew the peace and quiet of her Minnesota village
but was not unacquainted with the screech of the
New York subway and the roaring noise of the
battlefields of France. She loved music and a hand-
some young man, but you will need to read the
THE SCROLL 62
book to discover how she managed both.
The writing style is different. Again and again
as we read, we would stop to say, "Who but Mar-
guerite could say it that way?" Through the the-
ology and philosophy of Grandfather Vanderiet,
the author gives to the world her own deep faith,
her own social passion, and her own progressive
interpretation of religion. I know it is last year's
book but I just caught up with it. I don't suppose
it has made "best seller" rating, but I have read
best sellers that did not deserve to touch the hem
of "Sarah's" garment. The book sellers tell me
that Mrs. Bro has another novel coming off the
press next Fall. Many of us have read her books
of devotion and books of pyschology and books of
social import, and have profited by every page.
Some of us have heard her speak and have declared
her to be the best platform woman in America. If
the Lord lets me live another ten years I predict
that I will then be telling my grandchildren, "I
once had the privilege of introducing that great
novelist" — and it won't be bologna!
By the Finger of God
S. Vernon McCasland, University of Virginia
The above is the title of a new book of mine which
the Macmillan Company has recently accepted for
publication, at the same time taking an option on the
sequel to it, upon which I am now engaged. Tenta-
tively I am calling the next volume "The Messiah,"
but without giving a guarantee that its title will not
be changed before I am through with it. As the Bis-
hop who instructed me in the strait and narrow way
and ordained me to the ministry, the Editor of The
Scroll naturally feels concern whenever I begin to
break into print. "Does the above title," he asks,
"suggest a conservative or a progressive idea?" My
63 . THE SCROLL
arswer is, "Both!" The two volumes are a somewhat
exhaustive study of one aspect of the personality of
Jesus. For about thirty years several of the leading
New Testament scholars of the world have been tell-
ing us that Jesus did not consider himself the Mes-
siah. This is one of the important steps in the re-
pudiation of the historical trustworthiness of the
Gospels, The old German Bruno Bauer over a cen-
tury ago went so far in that direction as to deny that
Jesus ever lived. There was a certain amount of
logic in his position. A few others followed him. But
few would take him seriously any more. My book is
a study of Jesus as an exorcist from the point of view
of similar phenomena in other ancient and modern
cultures. It interprets demon possession as mental
illness and the study is based on the concepts of mod-
ern psychiatry. I believe that the book demonstrates
the essential integrity of these aspects of the Gospels.
Moreover, during the Persian period the Jews had
come to think of the Messiah as one who could com-
mand the demons ! !
To End All Parties!
Charles Clayton Morrison
In the Pulpit for August', 1950
I am all out for a new party in the church — a party
to end all parties! I would call it the "ecumenical"
party. It would transcend the factionalism that be-
devils Protestantism. It would transcend and em-
brace the "liberal," the "conservative," the "funda-
mentalists," the "neo-orthodox," and every other
party of evangelical Christians that narrows its fel-
lowship to those who pronounce its shibboleths. An
ecumenical Christian would be one whose fellowship
includes other evangelical Christians of all schools of
thought and who is able to work with them in the
same church for the advancement of the cause of
THE SCROLL ._ 64
Christ. An ecumenical minister would be one whose
uinderstanding' of Christ is so profound that he could
preach the gospel to people who hold views differing
from his own without breaking up the church. No
man with a party spirit can do this. He is likely to be
more eager to win people to his party than to Christ.
The ecumenical party would not put an end to our
differences. That would mean stagnation! But it
would put an end to the sinful breaking up of the
Christian fellowship into sectarian and fractional
huddles. In my early youth I was a conservative.
Then though still young, I wore the liberal badge. But
somewhere along the way I shed both these party
labels, and now I think of myself as a liberal, con-
servative, neo-orthodox, fundamentalist Christian !
"My word," youi say, "what a jumble of notions this
man's mind must be !" I assure you it is nothing of
the sort. I still have convictions ! And I like nothing
better than a chance to defend them! But I cringe
inwardly when anyone pins a party label on me.
And I am in good company. The Apostle Paul be-
longed to the ecumenical party. When he learned of
the budding sectarianism in the Corinthian church
he condemned it in the name of the ecumenical faith.
"All are yours," he said, "and you belong to Christ,
and Christ belongs to God."
Free Movies
E. S. Ames
I and my wife who is eighty <dso now, often walk
to the famous Midway, between five and six o'clock
in the evening, and sit on a park bench to view the
movies staged on the boulevards, on the lawns, in
the air, and in the heavens. There are pedestrians
with dogs, boys playing football, girls tense with
their game of hockey, mothers wheeling babies,
lovers strolling and making love as if unseen. On
65 THE SCROLL
the highway flow the streams of cars in opposite
directions on either side of the green basin. In tke
west the setting sun burnishes the whole sky with
beaut;^) and my wife often repeats the lines, Every
Evening ApollO' doth devise new apparelling for
western skies. As the twilight deepens, the stars
take their accustomed places shining through the
blue curtain that seems to hang over the immense
vastness of space. And last week the new moon
came a little later and a little larger each night,
shedding her soft, mellow light over our world,
while we, like the birds and myriads of natui*e*s
children, turned to our place of quiet rest. But for
a long time we could hear the speeding cars, with
their white lights ahead and their red lights aft,
vanishing into darkness and silence. Even the great
airplanes over head, surging out of mysterious dis-
tances with a threatening crescendo, passed through
the fainter pulses of vanishing vibrations into
oblivion. And all this grand movie is free!
The Treasurer Pages
At the well-attended midnight sessions at Okla-
homa City many of you expressed your deep appre-
ciation of The Scroll and The Institute. Some
of you translated that appreciation into three nego-
tiable cheers. Unfortunately two who most needed
the cheers were not present and are fiscally a little
deaf so that we need recruits for the cheering sec-
tion to make the Editor of The Scroll and the print-
er hear.
Let's give three cheers for the Institute :
Cheer for Sir Printer — patient, mute !
Cheer for Sir Editor — inspiring, astute!
Cheer for Sir Fiscal — elusive, brute!
Cheer$ Cheer$ Cheer$
Root$$ Root$$ Root$$
Let's give three cheers $$$ for the
Institute I
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII NOVEMBER, 1950 No. 3
Democracy in Action
E. S. Ames
Election Day is always a high day in a live de-
mocracy. November 7 was such a day in the United
States of America. In our precinct in Chicago, the
process of voting was highlighted by the use of
machines for balloting.
In our immediate neighborhood, the polling place
was in the school building, just a block from our
home. Herfetofore we have gone to the nearby Uni-
tarian Church House and voted by candlelight in a
private booth. This time my wife and I went to
the spacious school building about three in the after-
noon and signed up to vote, and were given numbers
for places in the long queue of people waiting their
turn to determine the fate of our country. It turned
out to be a kind of gala occasion. We had to be in
line about three hours, and no official provision was
made for chairs or seats of any kind. A lame man,
as well as a strong athlete, can get pretty tired stand-
ing in line for three hours. But a kind friend wel-
comed us in the gymnasium of the school building
where we were to vote, and insisted on getting chairs
for us on which we could sit and hitch along toward
the new voting machine just under the basket used
in basketball games.
There were four precincts to vote in that one room
and there are several hundred voters to each pre-
cinct. All day there were long lines waiting, and
the new machines were explained by little models
carried around in the crowd to teach individuals
how to do their duty. It was much simpler to pull
the lever on the whole ticket at once, and that led
to more "straight" tickets than usual. This gave
67 THE SCROLL
rise to the suspicion that the party leaders had
favored the use of the machines since people became
80 tired standing in line they would not take the time
and trouble to split their ticket. Some, because of
fatigue and previous engagements, after standing
in line an hour or two, concluded that one vote, more
or less, makes so little difference they had better
look after more pressing matters and let the voting
go. It is really remarkable that so many persons
held on till they could do their patriotic duty.
It was a very mixed and interesting crowd. There
were university professors, administrators, stu^
dents, janitors, clerks, authors, scientists, clergymen,
housewives, mechanics, fine ladies, rich and poor, old,
and young, brought to one common level, each per-
son counting for just one. Before the election, one
man might count for more than one by his influence,
station, or money, but on this day and in this place,
no one could count for more than one. That was
one big reason for the machine. In this respect,
it guarantees exact equality. There was some holi-
day mood in the crowd. Old friends chatted as they
found themselves united in an order, determined by
no merit, or achievement, or personal importance
except that of the time they had arrived on the scene.
It was a kind of judgment day which would test
individuals and democracy itself. How could the
persons in those long lines know the merits of the
candidates? Some were too young to know; some
were too old to remember. Some would vote their
family prejudices. Others had not so much as
prejudices to guide them. They did not care, while
others were tense with their sense of the impor-
tance of the officers to be elected and of the issues
to be decided.
While the main concern of the day was the exer-
cise of the franchise, it was obvious even to a casual
THE SCROLL 68
observer that the presence of so many people, of such
diverse backgrounds, education, wealth, made a
social agglomeration, which had a variety of effects
upon those who had but one thing to do in that
place. Mostly the dress, both of women and men,
was inconspicuous, work-a-day, sensible. But some
persons could not avoid bearing in their appearance
the marks of their occupation or profession. When
one is both a minister and a professor, as several of
the voters were that day, the garb worn may be
ambiguous. Indeed the spirit of true democracy is
fostered by encouraging individuals to feel free and
independent in expressing their will with respect
to the important issues of their social order. Not all
countries of the world have yet achieved this demo-
cratic procedure which allows each one to vote as
he wishes, without fear or favor, responsible only
to his own conscience. But this state of personal
freedom in judging the affairs of public interest and
welfare presupposes educational processes by which
every mature citizen ha^ the ability and information
to make up his own mind concerning the merits of
the questions and the personalities affected by his
vote. This is, of course, a large order, but it is the
ideal of democratic elections.
There have been signs of an unusual concern to
arouse a sense of the importance and urgency of
getting citizens to vote this year. It is the year in
which many senators and congressmen are elected.
This may lead to a balance of power more evenly
divided between the great parties, and there is likely
to be more careful and able consideration of the
issues at stake. There are two questions uppermost
in every appeal for votes this year. These are tax-
ation and internationalism. How much can the
United States produce? And how shall this country
use its great wealth? Already it has been made ap-
69 THE SCROLL
parent that the national resources are great enough
to carry a debt greater than the statesmen of a
few generations ago thought possible. Already a
real revolution in ideas of these matters has taken
place.
The question of the national wealth is inseparable
from the other question as to how ~ much can be
done by this country for or against other countries.
There is a natural disposition to cooperate with those
countries that also have some sympathy for demo-
cratic development, and powerful influences are at
*work to give extraordinary support to that interest.
There is also an unprecedented devotion of funds
and men in opposition to those countries and ideol-
ogies which oppose democracy. Of course this means
unimagined sacrifices for war against conceptions
subversive of human dignity and democratic values.
The complexity of our world is such at the present
time that these basic values that concern the peace
and welfare of all persons press upon us every day
and threaten the future of the whole race. This
tension in our common life is deeper and more awe-
some than it has ever been in the history of the
United States. It has brought bewildering confusion
into every aspect of life. It throws dark shadows
over all plans, personal and social, until despair
and pessimism are registered more widely than ever,
especially in this young and powerful land where
such sober, searching thoughts are unfamiliar and
immeasurably devastating. Perhaps there should
be patriotic music played as the voters wait their
tuirn, to keep them tuned to the high purpose of the
day. Or Lincoln's Gettysburg speech might be re-
peated to sound the depths of right minded citizen-
ship. That speech is beyond partisanship and so long
as its spirit prevails nothing sordid or selfish can
triumph in public life.
THE SCROLL 70
1
My own most vivid experience in politics came
when I was elected to the supremely important of-
fice in democratic society, that of Precinct Captain
cr Committeeman. Some readers may be tempted to
smile at this magnification of the office of precinct
committeeman, but after serving in it four years
in the second greatest city in this country, I realized
its importance. I served in this capacity one term
of two years after appointment under the old caucus
system. Then the direct primaries were established,
and I ran for the office "on my record" and was elect-
ed by the new process. That was forty years ago
when Charles E. Merriam was running for Alder-
man. After two terms in the Council he ran for
Mayor as an Independent. A specialist in Political
Science, and a Professor in the University of Chi-
cago, there was great enthusiasm in the university
community over the chance to elect an honest, tried
and tested alderman to the great cffice of Mayor.
So far as I know, no one criticized me for becoming
a precinct captain. Politics was idealistic in those
days and the election of a minister and a professor
to office was a good omen. His duty was to lead his
party at the ground level of democracy ^by getting
acquainted with all the voters of his precinct, in-
forming them of the issues of the campaign, and
making sure that they went to the polls and voted
on election day. The majority of the electorate for
which I was in some measure responsible was Re-
publican. It was important to see that all voters
came out to vote. We sat by the polls, crossed off
the names of those who voted, and sent messengers
to all who did not voluntarily appear. There were
forty precincts in our ward, and of course, forty
precinct committeemen, led by a suave and experi-
enced "ward boss." It was in the ward meetings that
I saw the inner workings of democratic action and
71 THE SCROLL
power. All those forty precinct captains except four
of us, were office holders, and made most of their
living by political jobs. They were in politics the
year round. The four of us who were not dependent
on the office were the danger spots for any "machine
politics," because we could give warning of ques-
tionable issues and have the support of some news-
papers for any criticism we might make. When
it was apparent that this important office led toward
the need of professional politicians, I decided to
withdraw from that line and concentrate on the low-
ly .callings of philosophy and religionj!
Reflections On the Convention
W. B. Blakemore
, The Oklahoma City convention was a particularly
pleasant one. The physical facilities were of the best.
The Municipal Auditorium is modern and com-
fortable in every respect. It is located immediately
adjacent to the business section of the city. It was
easy to get back and forth to the hotels and the
excellent restaurants of the city afforded exceeding-
ly good food for the times that registrants were not
attending the equally well-planned group dinners.
The weather was warm and summery, providing
an extra week of welcome sunshine for visitors from
the Northern States. The spirit of the Convention
was exceedingly harmonious. The distance towards
unity which our own brotherhood has travelled in
the quarter of a century was frequently remarked
by those who had attended the last convention held
in Oklahoma City. Even controversial issues were
handled in the best spirit on both sides. The Time
and Place Committee had a difficult decision in
making a choice for the 1953 convention between
Portland, Oregon and Tampa, Florida. The Com-
1
THE SCROJ^L 72
mittee after a tie vote within itself was able to bring
in a recommendation that the convention go to Port-
land ini 1953. On the convention floor a very strong
appeal on behalf of Tampa, Florida then arose, and a
too evenly divided house necessitated the return
of the problem to the Time and Place Committee.
A resolution commending the service of the rail-
roads to the ministry in the churches was presented.
The question was raised on the floor as to whether
such a resolutioni would not be looked upon by
certain political forces in Europe as evidence of
an economic dependence of the church upon the
railroads. This argument first brought a vote from
the Convention refusing the resolution. The next
day the Convention reversed itself, passed the resolu-
tion as an expression that should be made to the
railroad industry. The real question which seemed
to be involved in this situation is whether it is
necessary to constantly modify our own actions in
order to avoid the construction or misconstruction
which may be placed upon them by protagonists of
the socialistic point of view. The Convention in the
end evidently cared to* act in sincerity regardless
of the interpretation which might be put upon such
an action elsewhere. One of the most crucial resolu-
tions before the Convention was that whereby ad-
mission to the International Convention was sought
by the Christian Missionary Fellowship, a relatively
new organization! of a somewhat "independent type."
The Committee on Recommendations recommended
tfiat the Christian Missionary Fellowship be not
admitted and tliis recommendation was upheld on
the Convention floor. The strongest argument made
on the Convention floor against admitting the new
Fellowship pointed to their by-laws. Article I of
those by-laws assets that the Fellowship shall accept
the Christian program as presented in the New
73 THE SCROLL
Testament scriptures referring all matters of
doctrii^ to these writings for final decision. All of-
ficers and missionaries must subscribe to this doc-
trinal position during their relationship to the Fel-
lowship. The Second Article requires that each mis-
sionary and mission of the Fellowship shall be strict-
ly committed to the practice of closed membership.
It was argued that these two articles verge upon
the adoption of a creed which is certainly contrary
to Disciple procedures and tend to imply criticism
of other organizations now reporting to the Inter-
national Convention. The Christian Missionary Fel-
lowship was informed that refusal at this time diii
not mean that application could not be made at a
later date and that at a later date there would be
evidence on which to base the efficiency and sincerity
of the group. The Fellowship accepted the decision
in good spirit and assured the Convention that it
was most eager to have the attention of the brother-
hood upon it as it goes forward with its work. The
largest session of the convention was oni Thursday
evening. The meeting was addressed by Toychiko
Kagawa.
The one general criticism of the Convention was
that the evening sessions were too long. On each
evening, except the first, three major features were
included. On Thursday evening following Dr.
Kagawa's address came the recognition of mission-
aries; that in turn was followed by an address by
Mrs. • Leslie E. Swain of the Women's American
Baptist Foreign Missionary Society. The meeting
was not adjourned until at least 10:30. On Friday
evening a dramatic presentation by the NBA was
followed by am excellent concert by the Jarvis
College Choir. It was after 9 o'clock before Dr.
Luther Wesley Smith was called upon for his ad-
dress on Higher Education. On each of these eve-
THE SCROLL 74
nings two major featureis would have been ample.
The music of the Convention was of a high order,
particularly the special presentations. The Okla-
homa City Convention Choir with orchestra on the
opening evening was as fine a musical presentation
as the Disciples have ever enjoyed. It was a mag-
nificent thing to see a dozen of our colored brethren
in the great choir. Their presence there in a South-
ern city gave added force to the words : "As He died
to make men holy, let us die to make men free"
during the singing of the Battle Hymn of the Re-
public. The Phillips Uniiversity chorus and choir
made significant musical contributions to the as-
sembly and the appearance of the Jarvis College
choir provided another moving musical experience.
Revolt Against Authority
S. Morris Eames, University of Missouri
The occurrences of world wars, master depres-
sions, increasing capital-labor conflicts, intense
racial unrest, mounting human starvation, and dis-
rupted moral and religious precepts have put liberal-
ism on the defensive. Liberalism is blamed for
our failure to solve international conflicts, for the
breakdown of our domestic economic and social life,
for our unwillingness in education to dogmatize
certain specific principles into eternal authority,
and for our complacency ini the moral and religious
life. Furthermore, liberalism is accused of miscon-
struing the nature and destiny of man, of misin-
terpreting the scientific method, and of not recog-
nizing that fact and value are two different orders
or realms of experience.
Undoubtedly, liberalism is a vague and confusinif
term, an Idol of the Market Place, and one must be
careful how he defines it. Recognizing that others
may interpret it differently, I venture to say that
75 THE SCROLL
some of the distinguishing features of liberalism
are: 1) an aversion to dogmatic authority where
beliefs are not open to doubt, revision and reproof ;
2) a scepticism concerning any belief that cannot
be brought under the scrutiny of reason and ob-
servation or the empirical procedures of the scien-
tific method ; 3) a belief in the capacities and powers
of man to shape his life within limitations and to
create a world for himself that is compatible with
his nature and the nature of his environment; and
4) a recognition that social institutions, creeds,
and programs for living are man-made and that
with sufficient intelligence he can manage these
things for the good life.
I think it should be pointed out that liberalism
has undergone vast changes from its beginning.
Historically, liberalism is a theme with variations.
Certainly the liberalism of John Locke differs from
the liberalism of Adam Smith, and the views of
these men are very different from the views of
recent liberals such as John Dewey. In the main,
we say that there is liberalism old and new. The
older liberalism stressed individualism almost to
the exclusion of society, but the newer liberalism
sees the fallacy of "rugged" individualism and in-
terprets man in relation to the social matrix in
which he lives. The older liberalism stressed free-
dom at the expense of security, but the newer liber-
alism sees security as the bases for freedom, for
man is "free" to do many more acts when he is
"freed" from the constant gnaw of food, shelter
4nd clothing. The older liberalism believed in
"laissez-faire" for the state, but the newer liberal-
ism sees the state as one of the highest forms of
cooperation, a means by. which the collective group
gives the individual freedom and security, but does
not strangle his creative powers. I have mentioned
THE SCROLL 76
here some changes in political liberalism, but simi-
lar changes have taken place in the liberalism of
other areas of experience as well.
Space does not permit a fuller critique of liberal-
ism nor the rebuttals which may be framed to the
criticisms which have been brought against this
outlook. Herein I desire to limit the discussion
to one point, namely, that the alternative to the
liberal way is that of authoritarianism.
I think a far better analysis than that which the
critics of liberalism offer is the fact that the plight
of modem man or the catastrophe of modern so-
ciety can be laid at the door of a persistent authori-
tarianism which has come for the most part from
the middle ages and recurs in modem forms. One
can hardly say that all life in the present is evil
and that all evil is due to liberalism. In the age
of ascendancy of liberal views came a whole galaxy
of humane developments. The building of hospitals,
clinics, schools, tender care of the blind, the deaf,
the lame, the mentally disordered and deficient,
and the thousands of charitable institutions that
have arisen in our modem culture are expressions
of the humanitarian spirit. Long before the neo-
supematuralists began their tirade against liberal-
ism many people had already developed a social
sensitivity, an intense moral and prophetic aware-
ness, and a vision of what life could be with applied
intelligence. It is a one-sided analysis which over-
looks these pertinent achievements in modem life.
On the other hand, during the whole history of
liberalism theories and practices of authoritarian-
ism persisted and still persist. Some people in
the field of education, distrusting the democratic
process and the sharing of the mature in experi-
ence with the immature, want to give the students
something "definite" and "authoritative." The at-
77 THE SCROLL
tack on progressive education for its failure is not
really to the point at all, for the attack should
be made upon the schools which still persist with
the authoritarian methods. These are the schools
which have really failed in modem society. The
return tci authority in moral and religious life,
whether it be a return to some obscure moral law
or to some absolutistic principle reared above the
experience of man, is really the old problem of
the quest for certainty all over again. No better
examples of authoritarianism in politics can be
found than in fascism (Mussolini's type) and
National Socialism (Hitler's type) where the corn-
man man is viewed as not having sense enough
to make decisions on the policies of his corporate
life. The return to authority cuts across many
phases of contemporary culture, making the issue
a timely one and one on which liberals cannot take
a free and easy attitude.
The consequences of an authoritarian way of life
can be easily seen. The teacher and the parent us-
ing this method produce "puppets" with little abil-
ity to frame independent and constructive judg-
ments. The children mimic the answers they have
memorized and they go through the actions they
have had prescribed. New problems are ignored or
approached with closed minds. Mental conflicts
emerge, personality disorders abound, and more
social and moral problems are created. We do not
even know the extent to which mental institutions
are filled with personality cases resulting from
authoritarianism in childhood and later in absolutis-
tic religious preachings. When fear is linked with
authority, more disastrous effects can be noted.
The method of authoritarianism must be judged
by its consequences upon human personality, and no
better examples of this can be found than'whmt
THE SCROLL 78
fascism and national socialism did to the people of
Italy and Germany. We may view the whole histo-
ry of these movements as experiments that turned
out to be overwhelming in their brutal effects upon
the peoples concerned. Closer at home we may view
the effect of authoritarianism in business where the
"boss" tells the workers what to do or the labor
union official dictates the policies of the union. The
way of life wherein each person shares in the means
and the ends of living in all phases of our culture
is still a goal for which liberals must continue to
work.
The critics of liberalism, however, may correct
many of the abuses and neglects for which liberals
are to blame. Re-examining our attitudes and po-
sitions, we may correct our tendencies to be dog-
matic about our liberal views, the belligerent liberal
causing more harm than he realizes. Perhaps we
have been too free and easy with our approach,
not realizing that every belief and action in our
contemporary culture has had a history, a process
of development, which needs to be understood with
the best scientific psychology and sociology we
can obtain. Just as the old-time gospel preachers
implanted and sustained beliefs which have resulted
in harm to human growth, we must be just as skill-
ful in turning these beliefs about and in reinterpret-
ing life in more creative channels.
The orientation of a liberal mind is one of ad-
venture and experiment. The liberal uses the best
science he can obtain to live well and to give every
person an opportunity to grow. His ideals are not
static, but constantly they change to fit new needs.
He appreciates his traditional heritage, but he does
not worship it; he uses it to analyze, interpret,
and extend experience in the present life situation.
He is not radical, and thus fanatical, about the
79 THE SCROLL
new without reason; he is not conservative, and
thus devoted to the old because of tenacity. He seeks
to be intelligent, thus being creative. To him life
will always be as Walt Whitman put it:
"The untold want by life and land ne'er granted,
Now voyager sail thou, forth to seek and find."
Convention Resolutions: Alcohol
Royal Humbert, Eureka, Illinois
The social issue which has evoked the most sus-
tained response through the years has been the
problem of beverage alcohol and its effects. If
any resolutions dealing with matters of secular
morality were introduced at all, one opposing some
phase of the liquor traffic was almost certain to
be included. In seventy-six years a total of fifty-
one resolutions have been approved.
A singleness of purpose and unity of mind reveal
themselves in a comparison of the statements made
since 1873. Almost from the beginning the goal
had been some form of prohibition. No problem
of moral behavior has equalled in persistence and
zeal the desire to control the liquor traffic by law.
A convention recommendation in 1928 claimed that
"during the campaign for the adoption of a con-
stitutional amendment outlawing the liquor traffic
no body of people was more loyal" than the Dis-
ciples of Christ in Illinois. In 1916, John R. Gold-
en, then secretary of the state missionary society,
resigned to run as a candidate for governor on the
ticket of the Prohibition party. He came out fourth
in a field of five candidates. Twenty-five years be-
fore any indication of concern with the problem
of economic justice had emerged, the evils of the
consumption of alcohol had aroused an intense moral
indignation.
The development of a strategy to deal with the
THE SCROLL 80
problem of beverage alcohol has gone through four
stages in the past three-quarters of a century. Vari-
ous tactics have been used during this period to give
vent to the disgust felt toward alcoholic intemper-
ance. The consistent element in this changing
pattern of emphasis has been a loyalty to the prin-
ciple of political control through the use of law
and its coercive power.
The expression of loyalty to this principle began
with some twenty-five years of emphasis upon the
desirability of action to control the manufacture,
importation, and sale of liquor. From the begin-
ning the convention felt it a "duty to seek unity
of effort in all wise movements having as their
object" the promotion of the technique of pro-
hibition. This rather general commitment very soon
became more specific. By 1899 the convention af-
firmed that it would no longer give its "allegiance
to any political party that does not use all honor-
able means to eliminate" the evil of the liquor traffic.
It was the coming of the Anti-Saloon League
which channeled this growing consensus of opinion
into a concrete program for political action. At
various times for a period of thirty years, from
1899 until 1929, the League was endorsed for sup-
port by the churches. The League became a symbol
for two types of action. On the one hand, it stood
for a form of direct and dramatic action in meet-
ing obvious pathological conditions. During the
1920s the League spent nationally an average of
$550,000 per year in agitation, education, and in
political lobbying. On the other hand^ the League
also symbolized a sort of realized church unity
achieved in common secular action. Several resolu-
tions expressed the desire that, "we renew our fel-
lowship with the other churches of the state in the
Anti-Saloon League."
81 THE SCROLL
An intense religio-moral fervor entered into the
support of the Prohibition cause. In 1917 the
federal government ordered the distilleries "of
Peoria and thei nation generally" to close their doors.
That year was greeted as one which had known no
peer in the battle against demon rum. A resolution
declared, "The night is past. We have lived to see
the day dawn." The holiness felt in the conquest
of the whiskey business by legal control was ex-
pressed in these words, "Over the distilleries, which
at one time seemed unassailable, today we plant
the banner of Christ."
Though the crusade for legal control provoked
exalted attitudes akin to religious fervor, the rea-
sons given for the crusade had little if any basis
directly in Biblical or traditional ethics. The cru-
sade was considered almost entirely as a matter of
citizenship in the American state. Fundamental
reasons were given only once or twice. These reflect
the idea that the use of liquor is a form of slavery
and thus is "in direct conflict with the bill of
rights of the Constitution whose avowed purpose it
is to disenslave our citizens."
From 1918 to 1933 the eighteenth amendment was
in force. During these years convention resolutions
show that allegiance to the principle of political
control through the use of law and its coercive
power was never relaxed. A resolution of 1920
hints that the conviction ran deep. It was stated
that loyalty to the Volstead Act was an expression
of deeper loyalty to "the principle of moral law."
The practical expression of this conviction was in
voting only for political candidates endorsed by the
Anti-Saloon League. Allegiance to control by total
prohibition through law may be seen further in
the conviction that the failure of Prohibition was
due as much to inadequate enforcement as to unfair
THE SCROLL 82
newspaper propaganda which failed to give the law
a "fair deal." Improved enforcement under Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover was commended heartily by
the convention.
Since repeal the emphasis upon control has been
centered largely upon the necessity for developing
citizens with inner resources adequate to cope with
the temptation to drink. But the earlier tactic of
total control through political power has not died
out as a hope. Sometimes the twin emphases of
temperance education and prohibition have been
combined, as in 1935, when a resolution suggested
that we must look forward to a "program of edu-
cation which will lay the foundation that will wipe
out our licensed liquor traffic." Usually, however,
the feeling has predominated that scientific temper-
ance education should make its own contribution
and the method of legal control should focus on
making existing laws work until better ones can be
found. Since 1940 there have been several recom-
mendations supporting bills in Congress to prohibit
radio and television advertising of alcoholic bever-
ages. The need for developing inner resources to
cope with the problem was emphasized in 1948
by suggesting that the churches become more aware
of the services of Alcoholics Anonymous. In ad-
dition, the resolution suggested that the whole ques-
tion of alcoholism must be dealt with more realis-
tically and consider "the underlying forces and in^
dividual frustrations which give rise to or ag-
gravate the problem."
A Full and Busy Life
By Ethel Samuels, University of Cincinnati
The preachingest librarian for many miles around
is Dr. Edward A. Henry, chairman of the Board of
83 THE SCROLL
Elders at Cincinnati's Walnut Hills Christian
Church and University Librarian at the University
of Cincinnati.
There's hardly a church-gtoing Protestant in all
of Cincinnati who hasn't heard one of Dr. Henry's
sermons, and there are a good many who have seen
his weddings. An ordained minister, graduate of
the University of Chicago Divinity School, Dr.
Henry has for years been doing supply-preaching
in and around the city. Especially during the war,
when so many ministers left their pulpits for the
Army and Navy chaplaincy, Dr. Henry found him-
self being interim pastor, sometimes for several
months at a stretch.
He's still pinch-hitting, especially through the
summer months, replacing pastors on vacation, and
often during the rest of the year when ministers
are ill or out of town. Presbyterians, Evangelical
Reformeds, Baptists, Methodists, Universalists, Uni-
tarians, as well as Disciples — all have heard him
preach.
At the Walnut Hills Church, in addition to his
duties for the past 15 years or so as chairman
of the Board of Elders, for the past 20 years he
has been vice-chairman of the Official Board. For
17 years he taught a Sunday School class at the
church for young married people, but he had to
give that up during the war when supply-preachinig
became an almost steady duty.
At the University, Dr. Henry directs and corre-
lates the work of the main campus library and the
specialized libraries scattered throughout the cam-
pus. A total of 640,000 volumes are housed under
his care. It was he who first advocated the use
of micro-film in libraries, and it was his idea to
train librarians in a graduate school.
Widely recognized among librarians, he has the
THE SCROLL. 84
distinction of being elected to the Board of Directors
of the Midw€ist Inter-Library Corp., which is plan-
ning a $1,000,000 joint storage and loan center for
libraries in the Middle West to be located in Chi-
cago. He is a past president of the Ohio Library
Association and for several years was chairman of
the Committeei on Resources of the national Ameri-
can Library Association.
In addition to his library duties, Dr. Henry turns
professor several hoiurs each week, teaching a course
on biblical literature.
For the past 22 years he has been a member of
the Committee of Management for the Campus
YMCA, and he is faculty adviser for the 1950 Re-
ligious Emphasis Week program on the campus, an
inter-denominational week-long return to religion
among the students.
His interests take him bej^nd the church and
beyond the campus into the community. He is
serving his twenty-first year as a member of the
Board of Directors of the Cincinnati and Hamilton
County YMCA and his fourteenth year as recording
secretary of that Board. He is serving his seventh
year as member and third year as president of the
Board of Trustees of the City Gospel Mission, guid-
ing its policies, helping with fund raising and fi-
nancial management. He is a member of the Ad-
visory Committee of the Cincinnati chapter of the
American Bible Society and of a similar group for
the local unit of the National Conference of Chris-
tians and Jews.
Dr. Henry lectures before club groups and around
town on manuscripts, old books, and history of
printing and the alphabet, Saracen civilization. And
in his spare time he has deciphered a group of
very old Arabic inscriptions, made a study of early
newspapers in Kentucky during the period of 1786
85 TH^ SCROLL
to 1860, compiled a check list of editions of Horace
in larger libraries of America, edited two volumes
of the College and Reference Yearbook, and edited
five annual volumes of Doctoral Dissertations Ac-
cepted by American Universities.
When Dr. Henry finished his work at Hiram Col-
lege in 1900 and entered the University of Chicago
Divinity School, he planned to teach Hebrew and
Old Testament, but before he finished his school-
ing, (he received the B.D. from Chicago in 1907),
Hebrew had been dropped from the curriculum of
the colleges and even of most seminaries. Mean-
while, he had served as student librarian at the
Divinity School, and he stayed with library work
there, rising to acting director of the University
of Chicago Libraries before accepting his position
at Cincinnati in 1928.
Although he has the vigor and zest of a young
man, in the spring of 1951, on May 11, Dr. Henry
turns 70, which at the University of Cincinnati
means obligatory retirement. Just what he will do
at retirement, he isn't sure. Perhaps a pastorate
of his own. Or a visiting teaching job on another
campus. Or the two books which have been churn-
ing through his brain and need to be written. What-
ever he does, one thing is sure: Retirement for Dr.
Henry won't mean what it says. It will be just a
new phase in an already full and busy life.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison
The hum-drum of life is often lighted up by new
experiences. This Fall has not been without new
experiences to the writer. If new occasions teach
new duties then I shoiuld be a bit wiser.
Awakened from a sound sleep by a long distance
THE SCROLL 86
phone call one September night I was asked to be
a guest-leader at a National Teaching Mission in
Lafayette during the last week of October. Willing
to promise to do anything that was six weeks away
and anxious to get back to my bed I accepted the
invitation. I had hoped that it would mean a week
of vacation when I could catch up on my "readin,
ritin', and rithmetic" — fond hopes!
My assignment was to be guest-leader of the Fed-
erated Church of West Lafayette where Doyle Mul-
len and Arthur Anderson are co-pastors. This fed-
eration of the West Lafayette Baptist Church and
the West Lafayette Christian Church is only two
years did. Already the church has outgrown its
clothes and additional buildings are being planned.
No sooner had I arrived in West Lafayette and
was comfortably housed in the Mullen home than
I was told that guest leaders and pastors were ex-
pected to attend morning and afternoon seminars
and then each evening impart to the local congre-
gation all information learned during the day. One
of the most interesting features for the guest-leader
was to guide the church in a "Self-Study." By use
of questionnaires the leaders of each organization
of the church were required to score the organiza-
tion on various phases of its work. When the scores
were put on the local church chart it was easy to
see not only where the organization was strong but
also to compute the potentialities of that organiza-
tion yet unrealized. Furthermore, by cross-refer-
ence computing of all organizations of the church
an observer could see where the total church life
was strong also where the weak spots were.
The religious census was carefully prepared for
and quite successfully taken of the entire city. Most
preachers with any gray hairs have suffered many
things from many religious censuses. This was a bit
87 THE SCROLL
different and even though the census was takem on
Sunday afternoon every church had by Monday
night a large stack of cards indicating preference
for that church. Then followed two days of what
was called "Fellowship Cultivation" which tried to
set the pace for the church to follow up until all
people on the responsibility list had been visited
and invited to attend some organization meeting of
the church. The guest-leader aside from giving lead-
ership in these projects was also expected to give
a written report on his observation of the church
and make recommendation for program enlarge-
ment. This I did and quickly jumped in my car and
headed for home.
It was a privilege to preach at the dual services
of the Federated Church and to have fellowship
with its people during the week. One is impressed
by the high quality leadership of that church and
the readiness of the people to cooperate with every
plan. The co-pastors work with complete harmony
and a definite understanding of division in labors.
Another new experience came when I was invited
to give the Reformation Day address at the union
service in Kendallville, Ind. I have been on the
receiving end of Reformation Day addresses for
several years and have been rather critical of them.
This assignment had a tendency to quiet my criti-
cisms. I used as my subject "The New Reforma-
tion" and I tried to nail five theses on the door of
the present-day church. Apparently I did not m.ake
as great a stir as Martin Luther but nevertheless
the very next week after my speech the Pope felt
it necessary to issue a Papal Bull and declare a
new doctrine for the Roman church.
THE SCROLL 88
AspectsOf Social Psychology
Bif Ernest L. TALBert. {Privately Printed).
Review by Van Meter Ames
This selection of Professor Talbeirt's essays will
eniable his loyal students and friends to enjoy a
visit with him, and will make his wisdom available
to a wider circle, despite his retirement from the
U. of Cincinnati. He says these pieces are in his
ivory tower mood. They are not topical, but neither
are they withdrawn from reality. His social psy-
chology or philosophy, as summed up in the Fore-
word, is that men are not at the mercy of heredity
and conditioning, nor are their minds independent
of the environment. Their behavior is an inter-
action between what the world does to them and
their counter response.
In the first paper he holds that primitive and
civilized men have basically the same imagination
and intelligence. In the second he shows how read-
ing novels can broaden the mind. He holds that art
and science call upon the same creative powers,
though he adds that science is more objective and
cooperative. The third paper deals with Francis
Galton's view thai evolution has carried man to the
point where he can in part determine his own
future, and should see the religious duty of .apply-
ing science to racial and social problems. The fourth
essay is a psychological analysis of how St. Augus-
tine found emotional and moral as well as intel-
lectual balance; and suggests comparison with
Amiel, whose mind is the subject of the final study.
Amiel also disclosed himself in an introspective
document but, unlike the author of the Confessions,^
was unable to achieve integration by giving him-
self sufficiently to work or a cause, friendship or
love. So Amiel showed increasingly the symptoms
of failure.
89 THE SCROLL
Professor Talbert is able to reach the common
problems and responses of different kinds of men
as much by his own humanity as by erudition ; and
with a humor that is not devoid of tenderness or
irony.
About A Word
Robert Sala, Drake University
What a problem you threw at me when you asked
me to do something about the word "scrounge."
(See Sept. p. 17. "Scrouging" substituted.) I have
consulted not only my own wit but also the com-
bined verbal skill of several of my colleagues here.
The result is something less than satisfactory.
All are agreed, however, that there is no* ade-
quate synonym for the word. The best effort was
some such phrase as "to obtain by hook or crook"
or "to look high and low" for something. All of
this is very pale stuff, however. To scrounge im-
plies the application of imagination and a somewhat
dim moral sense to the obtaining of something
that for some reason seems highly useful to the one
who obtains it. There is a touch of the per aspera
ad astra, with the word astra especially apt, since
the process is often most effectively pursued under
cover of darkness. When the word is employed,
it is considered bad form to probe the question of
methods. The scrounger is as secretive about his
deviousness as the cook about her pet recipes.
The head of our Journalism Department gave
this answer. "There is no other word that does
the job. Why don't you suggest that the editor
put the word in quotes?"
That is the best I can do. I have a nagging sen-
sation that Rabelais would have found a good word
for it.
THE SCROLL 90
Notes
E. S. Ames
Ed. Henry. It is a pleasure to print an appraisal
and appreciation of Mr. Henry while he is still very
much alive. The Campbell Institute and The
Scroll owe him a great debt. He served as Secre-
tary several years in the days of our beginnings
and we must credit him with getting out the Bul-
letin which led to the publication of The Scroll.
He has always been active in the Church and has
served vital religion with reasonableness and en-
thusiasm. ''
Royal Humbert — Has done a valuable piece of
research on the history of resolutions passed by
the Illinois State Convention of Disciples in the
last hundred years. His third article, next month,
will tell about resolutions dealing with problems of
labor and economics. He is a Professor of Econom-
ics in Eureka College.
Books. During the summer yacation I read some
important books which I would be happy to share
with those who have not read them. Some were
books I bought, some were lent by friends. Here
is the list of the more important ones : Lead, Kindly
Light, by Vincent Sheean. This is a fascinating
story of Gandhi, and the mysticisms of India. The
Individual and His Religion, by Gordon W. Allport.
An emphasis on the individual aspects of religion
in contrast to the institutional and social. Reviewed
by Dean Blakemore in The Scroll last April. In-
credible Tale, by Gerald W. Johnson, being a review
of the American political scene in the last half centu>-
ry, with very favorable emphasis on the New Deal.
Meaning in History, by Karl Lowith. This work pre-
sents two contrasted views of history. One holds
that history gets •meaning and continuity only when
91 THE SCROLL
it is supematurally determined. The other claims
that man influences the course of history but is in-
competent to mold it to his will and is therefore
always subject to frustration. A third view might
be that the meaning of history is insoluble. Our
Religious Tradition, by Sterling P. Lamprecht, Pro-
fessor of Philosophy at Amherst, is a scholarly
work of 93 pages. It holds that Judaism, Catholi-
cism, and Protestantism pass from relatively primi-
tive stages through institutionalized forms to more
rationalized objectivity, much after the manner of
ancient Greek religions. "The obvious means of their
refinement is to infuse into them the insight of
Hellenism."
More Books. One of the hopeful signs of our
times is the number of great books at low prices
now offered on news stands. Science and the Mod-
em World, is by the great scientist and philosopher,
A. N. Whitehead. He answers the charge that sci-
ence is materialistic and secular. 35 cents. Recon-
struction in Philosophy by John Dewey. Chapter 2 is
given largely to PVancis Bacon, "who as a prophet
of new tendencies is an outstanding figure of the
world's intellectual life." Here are illuminating dis-
cussions of science, philosophy, logic, and reason.
Many to whom philosophy is a dark subject will find
common sense understanding here. 35 cents is the
price. The Scientific Attitude, by C. H. Wadding-
ton is a clarifying explanation of scientific pro-
cedure and its implication for religion and practical
life. 35 cents. Science and the Moral Life, by Max
Otto, is in the series of Mentor Books, In the in-
troduction to this volume Professor E. C. Linde-
man says: "Some philosophers speak only to other
professionals" . . . Max Otto, on th© contrary, speaks
directly to 'consumers.' AH this for 35 cents, the
four books for $1.40.
TfHE SCROLIi 92
Marvin 0. Smishury. He ia the mew President i«f
tiie International Convention of the Disciples which
is to be held in Ghicagro in 1952. He has been pastor
of the University Church in Des Moines, adjoining
Drake University, since 1939. He has been very
successful in gaining accessions to the church every
Sunday for years. This means constant scouting
for new members and tiie systematic use of various
methods of contacts and indoctrination. But it is
the warm heart and ardent, persuasive religious
zeal of the man which wins great numbers. When
this zeal is accompanied with sane and attractive
interpretations of the Bible and practical religion,
it has a strong appeal to the educated and the
thoughtful.
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Sarvis, 434 College St., Macon,
Ga. Mr. Sarvis retired last June from Wesleyan
University in Delaware, Ohio, where he has been
teaching Sociology for many years. It is difficult
to realize that he is seventy, and he scarcely knows
it himself since he is enjoying retirement so much,
and at the same time is in demand for teaching. He
is staying on a second year in Macon. He and Mrs.
Sarvis have marvelous energy, keep up with their
four children and many grandchildren from Florida
to California. Last summer they spent in Mexico
and Guatemala. It was in 1910 that the "Hyde
Park Church, Chicago," now University Church,
raised a fund to send the Sarvises to China to teach
Sociology in the University of Nanking, and do
cither things that Missionaries are supposed to do,
such as famine relief work, preaching, writing, etc.
All this and many other ta^s they did for fifteen
years, when they came back to teach at Hiram Col-
lege, and tiien at Ohio Wesleyan. It is a long, beau-
tiful story which they should make into a book be-
fore th«y are eighty I
93 THE SCROLL
Samuel Guy Imnan. One morning recently, Dr.
Inman telephoned me to join him and others at
luncheon, and I was to telephone again whether I
could arrange to meet him. Later, I could not reach
him at his hotel or anywhere. It was a great dis-
api)ointment to me because I like that man and
always want to hear from him about the excitement
he maintains for himself and others by moving
around in Latin America and other mysterious
places. I have some friends in those far lands and
distant cultures. If he has the good fortune to see
these lines I hope he will write an article for The
Scroll, explaining everything!
Ordination at the International Convention. Rob-
ert Thomas, Minister of the St. Joseph, Mo., Church
raises some questions as to the innovation of or-
daining ministers at the Convention. He fears that
it will appear to some that the Convention does it
rather than the local churches whose representa-
tives do the "laying on of hands." He also suggests
that the local Church gains by the ceremony being
held in the "home church" of the candidate. The
most serious charge is that at Oklahoma City the
questions were of a creedal type. Other questions:
Who decided what questions should be asked and
how they should be worded ? What would have hap-
pened if one of the candidates had answered "no"
to one of the questions?
R. E. Elmore. Mr. Elmore asks for a statement
giving the genesis, and purpose of the Campbell In-
stitute. The Institute was organized at the Nation-
al Convention in Springfield, Illinois, in 1896. There
were 14 charter members, and there are now about
600. The Scroll is the monthly publication (32
pages) of the Institute and is available to any one
interested. The purpose of the Institute, as the
original constitution specified, is to cultivate
THE SCROLL 94
"scholarship, fellowship, and the spiritual life." The
organization has never undertaken to locate minis-
ters, or teachers, or to elect officers of societies.
It is not a secret society, nor a propagandist agency.
Its meetings, writings, and records are open to
inspection. Officers are listed in The Scroll every
month. .
A Family Reunion. On November 12, the Ames
family succeeded in achieving a reunion of the par-
ents and four children. Adelaide Schade came home
for a visit after nearly four years in Copenhagen
where her husband is an artist. Damaris Schmitt
came from Alexandria, Virginia. Her husband,
Bemadotte E. Schmitt is a historian: in the State
Department. Van Meter is Professor of Philosophy
in the University of Cincinnati. Polly Scribner
Ames is an artist, living in New York, who has
been for two years in Europe, mostly in France.
She has been in Aix-em-Provence for several months,
and found it difficult to get home as soon as the
others. But she did get a sailing for the fourth of
November and arrived in New York on the tenth.
She flew to Chicago on the twelfth, and the reunion
occurred that afternoon and evening. A photograph
was taken at once as evidence that we did come
together ! But Adelaide and Van Meter had to leave
the next morning, Damaris on the thirteenth, and
Polly the day after Thanksgiving! But it was won-
derful and brought great happiness not only for the
day but for every day. The old home where they
all lived many years rang with their songs and
laughter and still we hear the echoes!
Word has jiist been received of the death of Mrs.
Gertrude Gary Sutcliffe. She was a wonderful
friend of the Disciples Divinity House, coming to
its aid after the House was built. She provided the
furni^ings, the Chapel, and about $750,000 of the
95 THE SCROLL
endowment. On account of illness she has been
cared for in Asheville, North Carolina, for the past
eight years. Furttier particulars will be given later.
Ed. Moeeley writes that he had two major chest
operations last May and June to provide for a
partial collapse of the right lung. He says he has
made excellent recovery and hopes to be up and
about again before too long. He adds, we take
courage at the turn toward cooperation at the But-
ler School of Religion. Dr. Shelton deserves real
credit for what he is doing there. In time this may
well become our outstanding seminary — aside from
the D.D.H. of course!
Where To Get a Sermon
Benjamin F. Burns
Where do you get a sermon when inspiration's
lamp, like a rebellious cigarette lighter, fails to
catch fire? Where do you get a sermon when that
barrel (yours plus The Ptipit), like Old Mother
Hubbard's cupboard, yields no bone? Where do you
get a sermon when The Word, like, seed on rocky
soil, falls on deaf ears?
Turn then, preacher, to the people. The people,
yes, they are unquenchable light ; they are the spirit's
bread and meatr they are "living Word." And out
of the intimate sharing of their lives, out of the
comingling of your life and theirs with God's will
flow eloquent preaching — compelling sermom
For what Robert Frost said about a poem is just
as surely true about a sermon:
"A poem is never a put-up job. It begins as a
lump in the throat, a sense of wrong, a homesick-
ness, a lovesickness."*
*Robert Frost quoted in Louis Untermeyar, From Another
World.
THE SCROLL 96
Honoring W. E. Garrison
Remarks of A. T. DeGroot in anrmal biisiness meet-
ing of DCHS, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,
October 13, 1950.
Mr. President: At the request of certain mem-
bers of the Society, I want to give expression to a
desire felt very generally within our membership.
It is our conviction that we enjoy high good fortune
in the monumental work and the long-time march of
service on the part of one of our members.
We are prompted to take some notice of this
sentiment and satisfaction just now because of two
anniversaries reached by this tireless worker dur-
ing recent weeks, one being his 76th birthday and
the other his 50th wedding anniversary. While I
have not yet mentioned the person's name, I con-
fess that these two achievements pretty well delimit
the eligible parties present, and all of you will know
that we refer to the current President of the DCHS,
Dr. W. E. Garrison.
There are several realms of work in which var-
ious persons will recognize his outstanding achieve-
ments. Some will recall (1) his great and growing
shelf of books, each marked by painstaking scholar-
ship. Others will remember (2) his perhaps un-
matched sheaf of penetrating reviews of books by
other writers, in which often the reviews are more
clear outlines and chastely classical expositions of
the contents than is true of the volume in question.
His (3) addresses on a rich variety of cultural
themes, his (4) competence as a musician, his (5)
skill as a sculptor, and the delightful recollections
we have of (6) his insight and humor shown as a
raconteur, are grounds others would assign for his
well established fame. In sum, his cultured bear-
ing as a gentleman in all circumstances has brouight
97 THE SCROLL
high regard to the entire brotherhood of churches
in which he serves.
We delight to honor and to felicitate this kind,
courteous, patient statesman of learning to whom
I owe so much in a personal way, our leading ser-
vant— Dr. Winfred Ernest Garrison — and ask that
this expression be spread upon our minutes. (Motion
made and carried.)
The Treasurer: "Eloquence"
To persuade you. Scroll reader, that our sub-
scription payments are vital to the life of this publi-
cation requires far more eloquence than I command.
Here then, is an eloquent reminder from O. F.
Jordan, part of a letter (WITH ENCLOSURE)
addressed to The Editor:
"The Campbell Institute is not just a sentiment
with me, but a real part of my life experience. When
I write my autobiography for my children, as I
hope to do some day, I shall speak of the courage
it gave me to withstand those who would muffle
free speech among us. It gave me guidance in the
jungle of new books and some of the most wonder-
ful friends any man ever had. There is a lot more
to tell, but this is enough to let you know why a man
who is a bit "Scotch" parts gladly with ten dollars.
It is an installment on a debt."
To which may be added those eloquent words of
Jesus: the last four words of Luke 10: 37, RSV;
and RSVP.
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VOL. XLIII DECEMBER, 1950 No. 4
The National Council of Churches
in the U.S.A.
E. S. Ames
Tlie Christian Century did a remarkably piece of
reporting in its issue of December 13 by giving such
extended and detailed information concerning the
organization of the Council in Cleveland, November
28 to December 1, 1950. It is referred to by its ar-
dent advocates as an epoch marking event in the
history of Christianity. To those not in close touch
with church movements in this country, and there
are too many such, the work of these four days
may seem hasty and drastic. But it must be re-
membered that there have been many preparations
through a long course of years toward this mo-
mentous achievement. The idea of Christian union
has been a growing hope in many groups for gener-
ations, and organizations like the Christian Associa-
tions, cooperative missions at home and round the
world, developed into great interdenominational
enterprises which have grown rapidly in recent
decades. The Federal Council of Churches was one
of the most successful in uniting the churches of
America and leading toward this latest accomplish-
ment. The International Council of Religious Edu-
cation even more quickly attained great proportions
and influence.
One of the most interesting phases of the National
Council relates to the place of Laymen in it. The
Women of the churches have successfully organized
themselves nationally into the United Council of
Church Women, and this has led to a similar organ-
ization for men, but the latter did not so smoothly
reach the same status. Business men are more alert
99 THE SCROLL
to the power and opportunity for effective associa-
tion than are labor and agricultural men. One
powerful, ultra-conservative business man, conserv-
ative on practically all public issues, created a situ-
ation in the conference at Cleveland which gives
an example and a warning of undesirable develop-
ments in what is intended to be a democratic and
piously religious institution. A powerful man of
money, with the most serious and genuine convic-
tions, may feel conscientiously obliged to work for
the promotion of measures which he thinks efficient,
though to others these measures may seem authori-
tarian and dangerously undemocratic. "The cooper-
ative church movement needs the support of all
Christians, the multi-millionaire as well as the wage
earner, but it must be on guard against giving the
impression of being too eager to cultivate the ap-
proval of the former."
Two-thirds of the members of American Protes-
tant denominations are united to form the National
Council. The 29 denominations have a combined
membership of over 31 million persons. The con-
stitution of the National Council indicates the real
unity and oneness which is intended. These are the
words of the preamble : "In the providence of God,
the time has come when it seems fitting more fully
to manifest the essential oneness of the Christian
churches of the United States of America in Jesus
Christ as their divine Lord and Savior, by the cre-
ation of an inclusive cooperative agency to continue
and extend the following general agencies of the
churches and to combine all their interests and
functions."
Each member denomination is allotted five mem-
bers on the National Council and also one for each
100,000 members. Each denomination elects its
representatives in its own way. The National Coun-
THE SCROLL 100
cil is our churches in their highest common effort
for mankind.
Obviously such a great body as the National Coun-
cil becomes requires a well devised organization
to enable it to care for all the interests and func-
tions which it includes. The National Council is
governed by a General Assembly meeting every two
years. The General Board meets every two months
and functions for the General Assembly when the
latter is not in session.
Then there are Divisions which are the function-
ing bodies under the General Assembly and General
Board. There are four of these Divisions, and they
deal with Education, Foreign Missions, Home Mis-
sions, Life and work.
The Departments bring the operations of the
National Council down to earth ! Joint Departments
deal with work of more than one Division, — Family
Life, Christian life service, stewardship, evangel-
ism, religious liberty and promotion of benevolence,
and missionary education.
There is a third kind of department, namely. The
Central Department of Services. These Central De-
partments and Services serve the Council as a
whole, the Divisions, the local and territorial co-
operative organizations (that means state, county,
and city councils of churches) and the agencies con-
stituent to the Council. There are Central Depart-
ments of Field Administration, of Publication and
Distribution, of Finance, and other appropriate
agencies (meaning Service Bureaus covering archi-
tecture, broadcasting, and films, church world
service, ecumenical relations, public relations, re-
search and survey, American churches overseas,
treasury and business management, and the work
formerly done by the General Commission on Chap-
lains.
101 THE SCROLL
E This is the organizational plan of the National
Council. It probably will employ the services of
800 to 1000 persons, clergy and laity. The report
admits this machinery is complicated and confusing,
but holds that there is every reason to expect it to
-work, and work well. It says experience may simpli-
fy it.
The report candidly relates that the question of
headquarters location brought the liveliest debate
and finally led to referring the location to a com-
mittee! Some wanted New York. Others argued
that it should be near the center of population of
this country. "The strength of the movement for a
location near the center of population surprised
everybody, including its advocates." This debate
was regarded as having large significance. It served
notice on the General Board that decisions may be
taken out of its hands and referred to the General
Assembly if necessary. It did more to create con-
fidence that the National Council is actually the
servant of the churches than anything that hap-
pened at Cleveland.
The report of the Christian Century was in every
sense timely. It was published with surprising dis-
patch, and competently furnished its readers a most
interesting and objective account of these mo-
mentous proceedings. It called attention tO' danger
spots, such as that of the rich layman who boldly
offered the influence of his "Lay Sponsors Commit-
tee" as a standing Committee of the new National
Council. Another danger it pointed out was that it
requires so much machinery to operate such a vast
society, "it may turn out to be nothing but ma-
chinery, an intricate Charlie Chaplin phantasma-
goria of wheels and gears grinding away supposed-
ly to the glory of God but actually to the employ-
ment of an army of organizational mechanics." A
THE SCROLL 102
penetrating question then is raised : Can the voice
of prophecy be kept alive in such a machine? The
answer to this question is that it is vital that the
voice of prophecy be kept alive ! As if a part of this
answer, and challenging most serious thought, is
this observation, "the best guarantee of a free faith
in a free society is a strong local church, complete-
ly sovereign, and close to the mind and heart of
the people."
Symposium on
The National Council of Churches
W. E. GARRISON:
The organization of the National Council of
Churches does not mean that American Protes-
tantism has turned a corner but that it has ad-
vanced another parasang along the road by which
it was already travelling. It is an agency, or a co-
ordination of agencies, for cooperation among the
churches. Aside from such gains in efficiency and
economy as may accrue from the merging of the
various agencies, this closer organization among
them should mean that each of them proceeds with
more awareness of its place in a program larger
than its own speciality. This should especially be
true of such organizations as the Foreign Missions
Conference, the Home Missions Council and the
-International Council of Religious Education. It is
highly important that the specialized operations of
each agency be carried on with a full consciousness
that each is a part of something larger than itself.
J. J. VAN BOSKIRK:
The formation of the National Council of Churches
of Christ in the USA carries to a new high the type of
Christian unity most compatible with Disciples ideals
and practice. It is a kind of unity which enables de-
103 THE SCROLL
nominations and individuals to cooperate in a pro-
gram of good works without prior allegiance to a
creed.
Shailer Mathews long ago pointed out that there
are two approaches to Christian unity: 1. The
catholic method which seeks to unify the churches
organically, and 2. the protestant method which ex-
alts cooperation through federations and councils
without respect to theology. Of course many protes-
tants believe in the catholic method; others, espe-
cially among the Disciples, are vaguely in favor of
anything called unity, without critical considera-
tion of method.
The World Council is a fusion of the "Faith and
Order" and "Life and Works" emphases. The
National Council has little of the faith and order
orientation. In fact, when a representative of a
strict Calvinist group moved to substitute the ex-
pression "Jesus is God" for "Jesus is Lord" in one
of the official statements of the Council, the matter
was referred to the committee to which such items
are consigned "for study."
Today Shailer Mathews sounds like the prophet
that he was when we read in his book "New Faith
for Old": "My experience has convinced me that
there is developing a genuine desire to carry for-
ward cooperatively the Christian task, but I see no
reason for asserting that God's unity implies ecclesi-
astical unity. Ancient issues which have separated
Protestants are sinking back into their true perspec-
tive. We are getting together by working together.
. . . Christian groups hiave learned to cooperate with-
out seeking to convert one another."
It is always easier to have a display of unity
on a national scale than on the local level, and the
true value of Cleveland remains to be seen. One
step in the right direction is the directive that the
THE SCROLL 104
headquarters shall be near the population center of
the nation. C'losely linked with this consideration
is the fact that too much of the direction of the Coun-
cil can come from the staff members of denomina-
tional agencies. These men cannot be by-passed,
but a greater responsibility should be put upon
parish ministers and laymen. It is the desire to be
near denominational headquarters that gives New
York a claim to the general offices of the Council.
Perhaps it should be added that denominations with
offices in New York were not the worst offenders
in this respect at Cleveland. I am indebted to an
Anglican staff member of the World Council for
this one : "If the ecumenical movement is ever going
to be like anything other than a stage army which
marches around and salutes itself in different po-
sitions it must enlist the parish minister and lay-
man to replace the professionals."
KENNETH BOWEN:
To my mind, the Constituting Convention at Cleve-
land was the most important religious meeting
ever held in North America. If the fine spirit of
ecumenicity manifested there, can take fire on the
"grass roots" level, there will be a great new day
for Protestantism.
The meeting was held at a dramatic moment in
history. Cleveland was in the throes of its worst
blizzard. Nearly one million people were paralyzed
by this natural catastrophe. The international situ-
ation was dark and ominous. We seemed to live one
hour at a time, hoping for the best, but spiritually
prepared for the worst. In a sense, we recaptured
the "first fine careless rapture" of the early church.
On the day that we arrived, the Cleveland Plains
Dealer carried a leading editorial on the theme of
105 THE SCROLL
"interdependence." Every news bulletin received
underscored this great word with ^ terrible urg-
ency. We were like people living on the edge of a
rumbling volcano. Every person present seemed to
be convinced that Communism and Secularism are
too strong for a divided church.
Over the platform, in large silver letters, were
(|ii these words : "This Nation Under God." The spirit
of Gettysburg was present ;, and, once more, Lincoln
seemed to "walk at midnight." Behind the altar,
were some fifty flags representing the various nations
of the earth. Above the altar was a large cross,
and once more Jesus seemed to be hanging on it. On
the altar was an open Bruce Rogers Bible, the most
beautiful ever produced in this nation, and one
of the four most important Bibles in existence. This
Holy Book now belongs to the National Council!
From coast to coast, from New England to Texas,
we Disciples of Christ were there in great numbers.
Ever since the days of our founding fathers we
have been conditioned for this adventure of Chris-
tian unity. The spirit of the late Pester Ainslie
brooded over all our deliberations. We were true
to our "plea" when we voted, as one of twenty-nine
brotherhoods, to merge our eight cooperating agen-
cies into The National Council of Churches, based
on Christ as our "Divine Lord and Savior."
This organization is not a communistic front,
it has behind it many of the leading business men of
our nation. It is not a super-church, but a voluntary
attempt to work together in making "the inhabited
earth" into "one household of faith." The press,
radio, and television were represented in amazing
numbers. When some thirty-two million church
people speak on the great issues of our day, the chan-
nels of information are wide open. Truly, the prayer
of our Lord for unity is coming true. At long last.
THE SCROLL 106
Protestantism is becoming "one flock, one shep-
herd." In the spirit of Sinai, and the Sermon on the
Mount, we announced to the whole world that, —
"This Nation Under God . . . shall not perish from
the earth!"
My Search For What Is Most
Worthwhile
CHRISTMAS GREETING
By George A. Coe,
688 Mayflower Rd., Claremont, Calif.
For what is "most" worthwhile. Many things are
worthwhile that are not "most." Life has introduced
me to a vast range and variety of agreeable experi-
ences that seem to be reasonable. I am not an as-
cetic. Nothing that I am about to say belittles the
daily round or the satisfaction of simply occupying
a place among my fellows. But I have discerned
what seem to be ultimate values — ultimate in the
sense that they are sufficient in and of themselves
to be reasonable motives for conduct. I desire to
identify and list such ultimates.
My interest in so doing was partly expressed in an
essay, "My Own Little Theater," nearly a quarter
century ago. It was printed in Religion in Transi-
tion, a book of composite authorship edited by Ver-
gilius Ferm (London, 1937). Other phases of my
search can be inferred from my intensive treatment
of personality in What Is Christian Education?
(New York, 1910.)
In these productions, and indeed from my stu-
dent days till now, my dominant ethical interest has
concerned the nature, the functions, and the setting
within the natural order qf the human personality.
107 THE SCROLL
From the first, however, my approach was less
through logical reflection than through decisions
made when I had occasion to choose among com-
peting values. This has involved the conscious ac-
ceptance of risks ; I have taken as valid some things
that as yet are beyond proof. I have enjoyed quot-
ing to myself Goethe's "I'm Anfang War Die That."
Nevertheless, in my youth I rather inconsistently
endeavored to express to myself the meaning of
my own personal selfhood by noting the isms that
I accepted and rejected. As my years advanced I
did so less and less. This does not signify a tend-
ency to go over to any of the cults of irrationalism,
but rather that no ism, whether it be philosophical
or theological, means me or you. In each of us
there is an overplus of all isms. It can be detected
even in the conduct of theologians and philosophers,
whatever be their views of the universe. Their
choices are not mere applications of what they re-
gard as proved or probable. Personality, in spite
of the fact that it is partly problematical and partly
subjected to hazards that it cannot endorse, goes
on asserting by the functions it performs that it
has in itself a validity that does not require proof.
I am far from assenting to any of the traditional
mystical philosophies which also affirm insights that
are beyond proof, but some activities of some mys-
tics do seem actually to leave all isms behind. A
specimen of such activities will be mentioned in a
later paragraph.
This overplus in myself I recognize in leanings
that are not the same as ideas or logical demands —
leanings that repeat themselves, not growing old,
time-worn, nor even commonplace. I take this to
indicate that something there in the direction to-
wards which I lean furnishes permanent support.
This permanent support is directly related to the
THE SCROLL 108
fact that personality is inherently interpersonal. I
never become a mere individual. My thoughts, my
desires, even my wilfulness are part expressions in
me of the groups, large and small — domestic, politi-
cal, economic, religious, etc. — within or among which
I have lived. In order to know myself, then, I must
look outward as well as inward, and my leanings
can be mine only when they are more than spurts
of arbitrariness. Indeed, I conduct myself most dis-
tinctly as a person, and my leanings have in them
the most of this element of apparent response, when
I am least arbitrary, least impetuous, most inclined
to pause and look around me.
I recognize personality in another by noting signs
that he not only has experiences, but also weighs
them. A person might be described generally as a
"confronter." When he is most himself he faces
around towards the society whence he derives his
culture; he faces round towards nature, whence his
every breath and heart-beat proceed; he faces
around towards the totality of being, which is called
the universe. A person is not a "yes-man." Not that
dissent is the core of personality, but that inquiry
is at the core.
I. A large part of the significance of personality
has come to light in great questioners who, unre-
strained and unafraid, look and see ; follow evidence
whithersoever it may lead; subordinate so-called
personal interest to the truth, and by cooperation
of mind with mind create science, which is democ-
racy of the intellect. I no more ascribe sainthood
to the man of science than I ascribe competent ques-
tion-asking to the saint. B'ut, in the victory of scien-
tific method over its opponents I perceive a great
jump in the recognizable value of a man.
II. The significance of personality comes to light
through philosophy also. I refer, not to anything
109 THE SCROLL
that philosophy establishes by logical processes, but
to the act of confronting the universe with questions
that one's own mind has competently wrought out.
This act illumines the inherent dignity of man, what-
ever be the answers at which the philosopher ar-
rives. I have witnessed the scrupulousness with
which two associations of scholars — one an associa-
tion of men of science, the other an association of
philosophers — guard the right to ask questions.
Each of the associations was aroused to a high pitch
by the treatment a member had suffered because
his conclusions were distasteful. But neither as-
sociation defended the conclusion nor the reasonings
of its member ; rather, each association defended the
right to ask questions. On other occasion, when
some professors in a great university had brought
criticism upon the university itself, I heard the
head of it say substantially this: "Some teachers
in the university of which I am the head hold ideas
and say things that I abominate, but they have a
right to think them and to say them!" Obviously,
the right here involved did not depend upon the cor-
rectness of a conclusion, but upon the inherent
worthwhileness of asking important questions.
Theology asks much the same questions as philos-
ophy, but after a fashion of its own. This fashion
concerns both the way of arriving at questions, and
the way of seeking answers for them. Both these
points can be illustrated by a conversation I had
some thirty or more years ago with one of the most
distinguished theologians of my generation. I re-
marked that his theology seemed tO' be substantial-
ly the same as a philosophy of religion. He hotly
maintained the contrary. He regarded theology as
a self-sustained unfolding of truth that already has
been grasped by one religion. Now, anyone who
strictly follows this pattern subjects himself to a
THE SCROLL 110
temptation to slight the context of the questions that
he asks. Here is an example : The non-Christian re-
ligions began to receive a reasonable amount of
attention in the theological seminaries, less than a
hundred years ago. In the next place, a mode of
inquiry that starts with an assumption that one
religion already has grasped the truth plants an
answer within what has the form of a question.
This I perceived when I was a young student of
theology. See Religion in Transition, 97.f.
Nevertheless, in theology, as in philosophy, the
worth and dignity of personality have stood out
in the act of inquiry. For increasingly theologians,
sometimes to their cost, treat this or that dogma
with freedom, and not a few theologians seem to
forget entirely the authoritarianism that gave their
occupation its name. Here is the very process of
self-realization and self-fulfilment. To no small
extent, moreover, the problems of the philosopher
have been set for him by the theologian, and what
holds philosophy to the grindstone is largely a kind
of religious longing. The main contribution to our
insight into the meaning of personality that comes
from these two related quarters comes directly from
the act of inquiry — ^the act of looking the universe
squarely in the face without cringing.
Do I actually hold that a procedure that may and
sometimes does lead to denial of the existence of
God can illumine the dignity and worth of man? I
do. Inquiry into ultimates is one of the things that
are most worthwhile. Religion speaks correctly of
faith in God, for in logic the matter is hypothetical,
as I have indicated in What Is Christian Edmca-
tion?, 288. If we are not hospitable to inquiry and
inquirers, hospitable also to all evidence against as
well as for, how can we say that we share Jesus*
unreserved belief in the worth, of a man ? Moreover,
Ill THE SCROLL
one might well ask whether we could reverence a
God who was averse to having us sturdily inquire
whether he exists — ^sturdily inquire, not as courtiers
■who must curry favor.
IIL In the next place, those among us who, by
research and invention, transmute some energy of
nature into power that can be controlled by persons
fcr ends that are determined by persons exhibit
another of the most worthwhile kinds of personal
action. Even "gadgets" do not deserve the con-
tempt in which some persons profess to hold them.
Ai? for the already achieved major controls of natu-
ral forces, particularly in the field of medicine,
wlio can contemplate them without such reverence
fox man as the Eighth Psalm puts into its great
anthem? Activities of human beings are transmut-
ing the very meaning of "nature." The occupations
of nature are shifting before our very eyes. Nature
do(3s the family washing; it produces hybrid com
and seedless oranges ; it manufactures "appliances" ;
it carries men and goods across continents and seas,
and through the stratosphere ; it whispers the news
in a closed room, and the whole world hears ; it mul-
tiplies beauty through new varieties of roses. In
the field of therapeutics the occupations of nature
today are of kinds undreamed of when the phrase
vis medicatrix naturae was coined, and they work
effects equally undreamed of then. These are speci-
mens only, a partial index of a vast mass of trans-
mutations of natural energy into usable power.
Moreover, the scientific imagination looks ex-
pectantly for immeasurably greater transmutations
than these. At all these points it is the human per-
sonality that bestows upon nature a new competence.
IV. In artists, likewise in the common enjoyment
of the fine arts, I glimpse another aspect of what
it is to be a person. When I have looked upon men,
THE SCROLL 112
women, and children of New York City's working
classes flowing in great streams through the galleries
of the Metropolitan Museum on some holiday, I have
lifted up my eyes towards the human personality
as such. There is much in the fine arts of which I
am unsure, though the art critic need not be. But
competency as a critic is not a prerequisite to per-
ceiving that the arts seem to add a new dimension
to personality. They open the eyes of the mind ; they
enlarge the scope of the emotions; they make the
world more interesting, and they make one's self
more interesting to oneself. Of course what happens
is that capacities already there are brought into
action and to notice. It is known that children
often experience esthetic glow and exaltation by
merely observing closely something in nature or
in man that is entirely ordinary. A similar experi-
ence is common among nature lovers, even those
who are. lovers also of scientific precision ; it occurs
among mathematicians and logicians who find beauty
in the abstract objects of their daily study. The
general failure of educational institutions to in-
troduce students to the beauty in mathematics is
one of the near-tragedies in education.
That such esthetic experience is more than a
species of enjoyment, even a kind of realization of
something deeply real in ourselves and in the uni-
verse about us, is an old doctrine. There is some-
thing in it. Out of mere fiddles there springs cham-
ber music!
V. In the religious prophet I perceive further
light upon my problem. Its ray are parallel to those
that radiate from the great questioners who have
been described. My main reason for naming the
prophet is not my admiration for sympathy, clarity
of moral insight, and courage, but the fact that he
r 113 THE SCROLL
promotes the decay of ethically uncritical piety.
This includes the exposure, as by the 8th Century
1 prophets of Israel, of ethically uncritical worship,
* and a summons to a more religious religion. Rare-
ly is the nature of this contribution to real living
I ; fully understood. Rdigion, of its very nature, re-
quires prophets. For the elan that religions display
at their outset lessens automatically and not im-
|j: properly until it is spent; whereupon, — ^improperly,
now — ^the forms, instrumentalities, and institutions
of religion offer themselves as religion. What
arouses the prophet is their lack of ethical sensitiv-
ity. He can recall religion to its better self only
by exposing and opposing the piety of his time
and his people. He has to be a troubler of Israel,
a disturber of the church. But in his personality,
• and in the tombs that ultimately are erected in his
honor, there is a glimmering of the truth that, if
we are to be adequately personal, we must not be
mere receptacles into which ultimate values are
poured ; we must ourselves be fountains of ultimate
values.
The prophet discredits particular kinds of con-
duct, not human nature. He is so far from doing
so that an everpresent implication of his message
is that human beings can right their own bad con-
duct. Prophetism has no affinity with the doctrine
of natural depravity; its affinity is with rigorous
inquiry, in our time with sociological inquiry. That
we come to ourselves partly by now and then re-
versing ourselves is a fact, however. Repentance
is a normal aspect of personal 'growth — repentance
in the ethical sense of renouncing and turning away,
I not in the sense of emotional eruption. It is a
privilege in which to rejoice just as a researcher
rejoices when he discovers and corrects an error
of his own.
THE SCROLL 114
I discussed this phase of my problem in The
Motives of Men (New York, 1928), 246-251, in a
manner that substantially represents my present
thinking. The sickness of today's civilization would
not have occurred if our culture had appreciated
the privilege of this kind of repentance. There has
been, and there is increasing a general clogging of
the ducts of self-criticism. By "the ducts of self-
criticism" I mean both inner processes of self-judg-
ment, and outward agencies that express and pro-
mote them, such as published organs of information
and appraisal.
VI. The qualities that we have found in men of
science, philosophers, theologians, inventors, artists
and religious prophets appear also in the great
strugglers for civil liberties, political rights, sex
equality, and full recognition of personality regard-
less of color, national origin, religion, and political
alignment. All these strugglers exalt personality.
In this drea a temptation arises that is parallel to
that of a parent who shrinks from the mental wean-
ing of a child. Just as many an affectionate parent
endeavors indefinitely to do and decide for his child
instead of making him competent to do and decide
for himself, many privileged individuals and groups
that are generously inclined towards other races and
classes undertake to do and decide for them instead
of promoting in them competency and determi-
nation to do and decide for themselves. In other
words, a fallacious superiority complex is nourished
by one's goodness ! Only by rising out of superiority
complexes can men and nations, demonstrate what
it is to be a person.
VII. Being a middle-class intellectual, I might
be expected to let these references to gifted person-
alities suffice as my index to what is most worth
while. But they are not a sufficient index. My at-
115 THE SCROLL
tention has been attracted to our prisons ever since
the first world war — increasingly attracted tO' them
because they increasingly immure persons who ac-
cept pain and ignominy rather than do disrespect
to themselves as persons. I refer to conscientious
objectors; to the "Hollywood Ten"; to eleven lead-
ers of the Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee ; to
Richard Morford, Executive Secretary of the Na-
tional Council of American-Soviet Friendship; to
others like these, and I do not forget that still
others, not yet in prison, have exhibited the same
determination to maintain the integrity of their per-
sonality. I do not here pass judgment upon the
social policies of any of these persons. But when I
behold men accepting this cost of living as self-,
respecting personalities, I stand in awe, and the
smoothness of my own career humbles me.
VIII. Is any light upon my problem to be dis-
cerned in what is sometimes called the "mass man" ?
"Your people, Sir, is a great beast," quofes Carl
Sandburg from an early American aristocrat {The
People, Yes, 28 f.).For years I have looked upon
the labor movement as expressing more fully than
anything else that is known to me what humanity
is like when it does not wear its Sunday clothes.
The labor movement below its surface is a mass
movement towards a mass affirmation that human
beings are persons. Over against all the crude con-
duct that bestrews the history of the labor' conflict
stands the indisputable fact that the movement is
towards the extension of culture in the good sense
of this term. The maintenance of the family ; the
education of children ; security against the degener-
ative influence of unemployment, and against the
preventable ills of sickness and old age ; leisure, and
participation in the determination of one's earthly
destiny — ^towards all these the workers have been
THE SCROLL 116
moving by virtue of powers within themselves.
Moreover, they have given noteworthy support to
universal education. The American Federation of
Labor has a remarkable record for support of en-
lightened, policies in our public schools. Though
the American labor movement has been disinclined
towards social philosophizing, it has all these charac-
teristics.
In parts of the world where social philosophy
plays a considerable part in the labor movement,
especially where the influence of Karl Marx is strong,
production tends to be conceived as a function of
society as a whole rather than as a function of
parts of society that are required or induced to
serve the whole. That every normal adult should be
a producer; that leisure classes are parasitic, and
that it is unmanly to belong to one of them; that
the production of ponderable goods and the produc-
tion of intellectual, scientific, and esthetic goods
are properly inseparable from each other ; that recre-
ation should be neither a flight from today's labor
nor a march towards tomorrow's labor, but a prima-
ry activity like the arts — these are developing
phases of this view of production. Within the whole
is an assumption that action as a person includes
a mechanical factor. And it really does, a western
tradition to the contrary notwithstanding. An act
of thinking or choosing, considered as an event and
not abstractly, includes motion-neural, glandular,
and muscular.
In these remarks about the labor movement I
have not been straying from my theme. Labor,
though it is regarded in Grenesis as a curse, has
been one of the main humanizing, civilizing, and
moralizing influences of all time. In what I have
described I perceive this influence approaching one
of its focal points. What is taken to be most worth-
117 THE SCROLL
while is undergoing a partial reversal in many,
many minds besides my own. To me it is obvious
that this reversal gears in with the truth that per-
sonality is inherently inter-personal; that un-
restricted questioning by the inter-personal
processes of science is an ultimate value; that
the flow of ultimate values is through unrestricted
revision of our valuations ; and that this self-in-
society which is a society-in-selves is itself a foun-
tainhead of ultimate values. This judgment of
mine is not dependent upon either the economic
theories of Marx or the political theories that his
most vocal followers are endeavoring to put into
practice. My conclusion is that among the things
that are worthwhile is the experience of being a
producer within an unrestricted fellowship of pro-
ducers. Making private profits out of the labor of
other men does not attain this level of valfte, and it
never can, whatever improvement in standards of
living it makes possible for any segment of the popu-
lation. Production for private profit treats as
separable in man what is inseparable. It is pro-
duction for mechanical ends, the adding of material
possessions to material possessions. This is hyper-
trophy of the mechanical phase of personality.
IX. Now I come to the sort of mysticism that I
have referred to as transcending all isms. A short
time ago, the American Friends Service Committee
presented to the USSR twenty-five thousand dollars'
worth of streptomycin, and the gift was accepted.
These Quakers were following what they call the
"inner light." Whatever the inner light may be or
not be, it led them beyond the darkness that en-
velopes the world today. . They emerged into the
light of unqualified goodwill or ethical love, out-
ward-acting as well as inwardly inspiring, free, un-
restrained by public opinion, custom, and fear.
THE SCROLL 118
These Americans conducted themselves as persons,
and they assumed that Russians are persons. There
is ground for a surmise that "they builded better
and they knew" in that their political ideas were
transcended and perhaps partly contradicted by
their magnificent conduct.
This going the whole length with respect, active
love, and drive towards community is what makes
Jesus irresistible. His thinking about nature, histo-
ry, and God is not irresistible, and of course theol-
ogies that are based upon it are not. But his love,
even for enemies, adds to the value of life what
nothing seems able to take away. When Paul says
that love never fails I take his meaning to be that
it never accepts any of its many defeats as final;
that it never surrenders any ground, however long
the full control of it may be delayed. The realiza-
tion of self in and through such love of others is
a realization of "the blessed community" of which
Royce and Jesus speak. It is to experience what
is most of all worthwhile.
X. There is a relation between ethical love and
conjugal love that determines one of the things
that are most worth while. Human mating is a
mating of persons. A person is not a bundle of
desires and aversions, but one who, having desires
and aversions, is capable, or can become capable
of supervising them. The supervision of them by
each of the mates in the interest of the personality
in both of them, and in the interest of other persons,
those yet to be bom included, can put sex interest
upon the highest plane of satisfaction, and even of
romance. On the other hand, desire to absorb an-
other individual, or willingness to be absorbed;
humoring or exalting one's own emotions or the
emotions of another ; making spot-bargain decisions
and trying to believe that they are for life — ^these
119 THE SCROLL
make for defeat of individual and social ends that
are of most worth.
This is not an expression of nostalgia for the
old ways. The old ways were the ways of sex in-
equality, autocratic rule in the family, concealment
of truth, and mis-education of the young. Now
that we have all this tO' undo, a portentous propor-
tion of our people are letting go the old ways with-
out seizing the dazzling opportunity that our fathers
missed seeing — the enrichment of affection at all
its stages by making it an expression of one's own
developing personality, and a help to personality
development in the other.
Imagined voices are asking whether communion
with God is not the most worthwhile of all things.
If this question refers to an experience that is sepa-
rable from or independent of what I have described
as most worthwhile, the answer is that I have had
no such separate or independent experience. My
upbringing and my immediate environment led me
to look for such individualistic divine communion,
and inner states that seemed to move in this direc-
tion were cultivated. But the reliable residue of
these procedures was confrontation by some of the
very same values that I have pointed out in this
essay. There was something about them that was
self-sustaining, as nothing else in the experience
was. A's I have said, my "leanings" remained fresh
and unendingly renewable. They became for me
the area in which the idea of God acquired its most
satisfactory meaning.
In "My Own Little Theater" {Religions in Transi-
tion, 92-97), I have related how the Darwinian
controversy started me in this conscious direction.
I judge that the most significant turning point in
my life, religiously considered, was this early turn-
ing away from dogmatic method to scientific
THE SCROLL 120
method. Devotion to truth ascertained by scientific
method became a feature of my personal religion.
As I review the "most worthwhiles" of the present
essay, I realize that in describing them I have al-
ready described my communion with God.
Of course the meaning of God has changed for
me, as it has changed for at least a large minority
of those who are recognized as religious. How could
the idea fail to become fluid when the e^tperienced
values that give meaning to life have grown fluid?
These values are "becomings," obviously so; they
are capable of going on from more to more, or
backward from less to less. They are reflected
backward towards origins and forward towards
destinies in any idea of the world order that we
can entertain. The world order is a kind to bring
forth these worthwhiles. It brings them forth with-
in, and partly by means of processes some of which
are otherwise valueless, and some of which inter-
fere with and defeat values. How deep within the
universe this contrast between values and non-
values goes is one of the ever-living questions. One
recent philosopher of religion expressed the idea that
God is the personality-producing force in the uni-
verse. Another philosopher of religion has taken
the totality of our highest social values as the con-
tent of the idea of the divine. The growth of values
is taken by another as the divine reality. Still
others conceive of the divine being as encounter-
ing and presumably wrestling with a "given" some-
what as we do, and at last the idea a growing
God has arrived. All these views, together with
views that contradict them, are to me of secondary
importance. The overwhelmingly important thing
is the performance of the distinctive functions of
personality. Here are all the things that are most
worth while.
121 THE SCROLL
Convention Resolutions:
A Case History
Royal Humbert, Eureka, III.
During the fifty years since 1899, the convention
of Illinois Disciples has passed fourteen resolutions
dealing with issues relating directly or indirectly
to the struggle for economic power. This is a small
number of statements compared with the rather
continuous flow of resolutions on the liquor prob-
lem. Perhaps the authors of a resolution in 1940
had this in mind when they expressed "deep peni-
tence for our neglect of the problem of economic
justice."
The few statements made on Christian responsi-
bility in an industrial society focus on two prob-
lems. These are (1) the role of labor, and, (2)
the working of America's capitalist economy. In
the midst of moderate variations of emphasis in
these areas, a common religious ideal tends to re-
appear. This ideal is for the church "to present
with renewed emphasis the ideals of Christ as a
remedy for the ills of our social, political and eco-
nomic life."
In the attempt to combine this religious ideal with
the realities of economic life an abundance of plati-
tudes emerge and few fundamental encounters with
basic social maladjustments take place. A tragic
contradiction is seen in this set of resolutions.
Where the "principles of Christ" are mentioned
most, the specific problems needing the guidance
of such principles are dealt with least. The con-
trast between the intensive concentration upon a
specific issue in the prohibition fight and the rather
innocuous generalities set out on the economic situ-
ation is rather glaring. This is probably a rather
THE SCROLL 122
typical blind spot in the outlook of churches loaded
with middle class attitudes and virtues.
From 1860 to 1890 an acute issue developed in
American life. It was that of the relation between
a rapidly rising national income and the laboring
man's share in this expanded wealth.^ During these
thirty years, national wealth increased from six-
teen billion dollars to seventy-eight and one half
billion dollars. This increase was distributed un-
evenly. Approximately three-tenths of one percent
of the population controlled more than one-half of
the wealth. During the 1870s real wages dropped
twenty five per cent. The American Industrial revo-
lution was creating wealth in amounts unheard of
before. Industrialization was also producing a
working class resentful of receiving only a poverty
share of this new wealth. Labor organization, which
had been a minority movement before 1860, began
to expand in membership. In the state of Illinois,
in the seven years from 1887 to 1893, there were
725 strikes affecting over eight thousand business
establishments. 3 By 1890 the American Federation
of labor had become the functioning symbol of the
working man's place in the struggle for economic
power within a capitalist economy.
What was the response which this situation
evoked in the mind of Illinois Disciples? Response
came only slowly. The" cultural lag between the
period of the beginnings of the issue raised by or-
ganized labor's emergence and the Disciples' recog-
nition of labor's demands as of concern to the
church was about thirty five years. One can hardly
say that this religious group "pioneered" in the
question of labor and equality rights in the eco-
2Yinger, J. M. "Religion In the Struggle for Power," 132.
^Bogart and Thompson, "The Industrial State," vol. 4,
The Centennial History of Illinois, 509.
123 THE SCROLL
nomic sphere. However, once labor had begun to
make an effective and responsible bid for recog-
nition as an organized body, a significant response
w^as made by the church.
In 1898, Samuel Gompers, first president of the
Federation of Labor, said: "My associates have
come to look upon the church and the ministry
as the apologists and the defenders of the wrong
commited against the interests of the working peo-
ple." A considerable number of the established sects
and churches had been opposed to what appeared
to be the irreligion and lack of respect for tradition
which characterized some phases of the new labor
movement.
A resolution, adopted unanimously at the Dis-
ciple convention in 1899, almost sounds like an at-
tempt to show organized labor that the truth in
Gompers' charge did not need to apply to all re-
ligious groups. The text is rather unique, since it
was the first declaration made concerning the
struggle for economic justice at the annual meet-
ing of Illinois Disciples.
"It is the sense of this convention that it
would be advisable for our ministers and
church officers throughout the state to invite
the accredited and creditable representatives
of organized labor to occupy our pulpit at
proper times, that we may hear of their needs
and that we may assure them of our Christian
interest in them. Moreover, that next year a
prominent place on our program be given to a
prominent representative of the labor interest
so that we may have a full and free discussion
of the great questions of labor and capital that
are now agitating our society."
This declaration initiated and expressed a trend
which lasted for about fifteen years. During this
THE SCROLL 124
time, the church was challenged at infrequent in-
tervals to make known a genuine interest and af-
filiation with the needs and aspirations of the work-
ing people. This theme set a pattern which, how-
ever, tended to fade out later. The realism of these
resolutions at the turn of the century consisted in
the fact that they were concerned with concrete
problems and avoided moralistic generalities. When,
for example, tension between workers and owners
developed into a major strike in the southern Illi-
nois coal mines, the convention of 1902 approved a
statement deploring the "loss of life, the suffering,
and the destruction of good-will" resulting from
the strike. In addition, the resolution condemned
"the action of the operators in refusing to submit
the question involved to arbitrators for settlement."
During the twenties and the thirties recommen-
dations frequently became motivated more by con-
cern for "principles" and less with the realities of
the struggle for power. Most of the statements dur-
ing these decades went little beyond affirmation of
the applicability of Jesus' principles directly to the
social situation. The problem of creating a political
and economic organization adequate to handle the
emergency is conspicuous by its absence. There
is no realistic encounter with the need to create
social mechanisms necessary in the achievement of
justice. One cannot escape the conclusion that a
basic wrestling with the problem of justice tended
to be dismissed by premature appeals to the prin-
ciples of Jesus and the good intentions of individu-
als. Twice during the thirties, however, the col-
lapse of the American and world economy was faced
directly.
At the beginning of the depression, the problem
of the stability of a capitalist economy forced itself
into prominence. The convention approved a
125 THE SCROLL
prophetic response to the crisis. The annual assem-
bly in 1931 declared that it should accept
"responsibility for the churches of our broth-
erhood to insist upon industrial and political
leaders, with the aid of Christian statesman-
ship, to challenge to its ultimate a social sys-
tem whose normal working has inevitably is-
sued in cyclic periods of poignant distress,
through the deprivation of labor to millions seek-
ing employment and starving in the presence
of vast stores of foodstuff."
The principles guaranteed in the Wagner Labor
Act of 1935 were accepted tardily some two years
after the act had become national law. A resolution
said that since the church believed in "no favori-
tism to class or group," the "right of labor to or-
ganize and bargain collectively" should be recog-
nized, adding that all disputes ought to be settled
"without violence." This may be interpreted as a
mere general endorsement of any principle of or-
ganization and bargaining. Or, as seems more like-
ly, it is a veiled acceptance of the National Labor
Relations Act which guaranteed to employees "the
right to self-organization," and to "bargain col-
lectively through representatives of their own
choosing."
During the past decade the convention has passed
no resolutions dealing with labor or the economic
situation. The Labor Act of 1935 apparently re-
ceived some degree of support. We do not know
what the attitude of the convention may be toward
the more recent labor legislation, the Taft-Hartley
act of 1947. Neither the problems which are sup-
posed to have given rise to the new act nor the
legislation itself have been mentioned. One can-
not judge as to whether this silence symbolizes that
the whole area of economic relations is becoming
THE SCROLL 126
the victim of complacency or whether a growing
maturity of experience is making a decision on such
matters less easy.
A recommendation passed by the convention in
194D suggests that some have felt the area of labor
and economic relations has been neglected. The
statement was made that the church membership
needed to be awakened in order to seek "to learn
the facts of our economic life." This emphasis upon
study of the facts was continued during the war,
without, however, committing the convention to any
point of view. During the nineteen-forties three
recommendations suggested that the individual
churches study the materials then available on "A
Just and Durable Peace." No data is available on
how many churches took advantage of the opportu-
nity to give serious thought to this material. The
lack of even a mildly prophetic series of pronounce-
ments on the issues of the post-war world would
make it appear that any effect the use of these
materials may have had was rather negligible. The
convention did endorse, however, the development
of the program looking toward the formation of the
United Nations. The denominational war-time serv-
ice fund received unanimous acceptance.
This raises the question of the relationship of Illi-
nois Disciples to the resources available in the
studies on the economic order made by the ecumeni-
cal conferences at Oxford in 1937 and at Amsterdam
in 1948. Has this religious brotherhood iii the mid-
dle west been affected to the extent of taking these
ecumenical studies seriously?
In 1949, a member of the committee on resolu-
tions for the state convention hammered out a rele-
vant and concise statement examining "accumula-
tions of property in the light of their social con-
sequences." This is one of the basic tasks which
127 THE SCROLL
Oxford said the churches need to do. The resolution
presented to the convention reflects something of
the "middle way" in economic relations set out at
both Oxford and Amsterdam. These ecumenical con-
ferences refused to be committed to either the fal-
lacies of communist economics or the promises of
traditional capitalist thought. The 1949 convention
resolution was presented but a vote was never
asked from those in attendance. This tactic was
accepted by the committee because some of the mem-
bers felt the recommendation would not reflect ac-
curately the opinion of the convention.
The tabled resolution of '49 "on the economic
order" points out the inequalities resulting from
a system "based upon private ownership of means
of life and organized for the production of private
profit." It suggests that the motivation resulting
from the struggle for profit corrupts "political
democracy, generates a secular view of man and
property, and precipitates a devastating cycle of
inflation, depression and war." These contradic-
tions of God's law of love and the essential unity of
man as His creature cannot longer be met, the reso-
lution suggests, by the church proclaiming merely
the virtue of charity. The church must also pro-
claim "the necessity of justice whereby the eco-
nomic and political institutions of man's life be-
come the instruments of God's purpose." The practi-
cal implication suggested to be drawn from this
perspective is to "commend the continuous growth
of economic democracy in the development of a
working compromise between free enterprise and
public ownership, through consumer cooperatives,
the larger sharing of profits and responsibilities
between labor and management, and all favorable
legislation consistent with Christian principles and
democratic processes."
iTHE SCROLL 128
Points of view worked out by democratic and
representative groups such as these at Oxford and
Amsterdam need to be taken seriously by Disciples.
For by their origin in history the Disciples are com-
mitted to the unity of the body of Christ. The offi-
cial reports of the views on economics and Christi-
anity published by the recent ecumenical assem-
blies represent a type of authority congenial to
churches related to the congregational tradition of
church government. These reports offer a practical
norm for guidance and conscientious self-criticism
without being considered infallible in the Roman
Catholic sense. The process of arriving at con-
clusions in the conferences was through democratic
discussion and the personnel in the discussion
groups represented a significant cross-section of the
inhabited areas of the globe.
The church in the world today is called to live
in the midst of the East-West conflict. Deeply in-
volved in this tension are the cultural perspectives
of capitalist and communist thought. The church
seeking to proclaim a gospel adequate for the times
cannot avoid coming to grips v^dth the issue stated
at Amsterdam.
"Communist ideology puts the emphasis
upon economic justice and promises that
freedom will follow automatically after
the completion of the revolution. Capital-
ism puts the emphasis upon freedom and
promises that justice will follow as a by-
product of free enterprise."^
The church cannot hope to remain neutral in re-
gard to the cultural perspectives in the East-West
conflict. An outlook on the issues implied in these
ideologies acceptable to Christianity has not
achieved adequate clarification among a large pro-
portion of Protestants. The fact that Illinois Disci-
ples, as one segment of Protestantism, have not as
129 THE SCROLL
yet developed any statement representing a con-
sensus of opinion on these issues may be one proof
of this lack of clarification. The Amsterdam report
on "the disorder of society" declared that "it is the
responsibility of Christians to seek new, creative
solutions which never allow either justice or free-
dom to destroy the other." This can hardly be real-
ized unless Christianity in mid-west America un-
derstands what justice and freedom mean in the
context of the present world situation.
4 Symposium, vol. Ill, the Amsterdam reports, "The Church
and the Disiorder of Society," 195
THE JANUARY SCROLL, 1951
The Symposium on the National Council will be
continued by Edgar DeWitt Jones, President M. E.
• Sadler, Hampton Adams, Benjamin F. Burns and
others. Contributions on this important subject are
solicited, and should reach the editor by the twelfth.
The Campbell Institute and The Scroll have the
greatest opportunity of their fifty years and more
of history at the present hour. Let us all help to
promote in our churches, in political matters, and
I \ in personal lives, understanding, sanity, and faith in
1 "what is most worthwhile."
Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year !
THE PASSING OF POETRY
The muse must be mute —
She does not inspire!
Or the old Institute.
Has no poets afire.
The treasurer's mail has in it no verse —
(In it, in fact, is no mail; which is worse.)
So write all ye poets, sing all ye bards.
Send me your poems and songs* by the yards.
And to guarantee fame everlasting and worthy
Send also three greenbacks — negotiable, earthy.
The Treasurer
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII JANUARY, 1951 No. 5
Symposium On The National
Council
E. S. Ames. Nothing in the total area of practical
religious life has awakened more hope of advance-
ment than the organization in Cleveland on the
first of last December of the National Council of
Churches. The report of this event in the Decem-
ber Scroll, based on the account given in the
Christian Century of December 13, 1950, should
be studied by all ministers and laymen. It is the
most complete achievement of Christian Union on
so large a scale that Christianity has ever seen.
It practically ignores theology as a basis of union,
and leaves theology to the peculiarities of such
groups as cultivate it. It recognizes the reality of
the Christian character and works of all who sin-
cerely seek to be Christians. This is a practical
plan of union for interdenominational work and
for any local church. The comments of so many
leading Disciples in the Scroll symposium express
this meaning of the National Council. We want
to extend this symposium by hearing from others.
Write your own impressions of the National Coun-
cil on a postal card or in a brief letter and send
promptly. Do not wait for special requests. Show
your interest by voluntary response. This is a
great, popular, democratic cause, dear to^ all true
Disciples, and one in which every loyal individual
should express himself. If you really believe in
Christian Union, speak now!
131 THE SCROLL
Riley B. Montgomery. The formation of the
National Council of Churches of Christ in the
U. S. A. is a long and courageous forward step
for the Protestant churches. However, it is pos-
sibly not a bolder step than the many steps which
led to it. In fact, it is a natural culmination of a
long process of cooperation. It is the consolidation,
of various cooperative work which had grown up
within Protestantism. The merging of these or-
ganizations into a larger and single body gives
emphasis to the growing spirit of unity and evi-
dence of an increasing confidence which Protestant
bodies have in each other.
Underlying this move is the tested experience in
fellowship that has led the denominations to feel
they have little or nothing distinctive to lose through
cooperation. On the positive side, there is clear
evidence of the recognition that an over-all stronger
Protestantism is to be achieved only through co-
operation. Likewise, that each denomination will
find itself more effective in its work against the evil
forces in society, if it works in the fellowship of
other bodies.
The birth of the Council is an encouraging
achievement when viewed from most any angle.
One thought that intrigues is that this larger co-
operative fellowship opens a door to new experiences
in thought and for the discovery of greater unity.
With the purpose and the will to stay together, to
work together, and to think together, over common
concerns, there will inevitably result a growing
together through understanding, appreciation, con-
sideration and agreement.
The National Council is purely a cooperative or-
ganization in purpose and goal. It does not seek
to achieve organic union among its constituent
member bodies. It will have interest in and good-
THE SCROLL 132
will for union mergers of any of its denominational
members. However, by its very nature and func-
tion it cannot give active leadership in this direc-
tion.
The Council has an intricate but sound organiza-
tional set-up with which to begin work. Experi-
ence will likely bring adjustments, modifications
and refinements that will increase its effectiveness.
There are a number of pressing and serious prob-
lems varying in nature and kind that face the new
Coiuncil now and which must be resolved as rapid-
ly as possible if it is to fulfill its great Christian
mission and responsibility. We have confidence
that the experience, the faith, the vision, the good-
will, and the consecration possessed by those who
have been designated to its leadership will direct
its course safely through all situations and lead
it courageously in serving Christ and humanity.
W. B. Blakemore. The large number of Disciples
who made their way to Cleveland seemed to feel
very much at home in the midst of this new enter-
prise in Christian Unity. They seemed to feel that
the concerns of the new National Council were
"their game," and that the new era in Protestant-
ism which was brought in would be "their day,"
not in the sense of theirs alone, but in fulfilling
much of what the Disciples have stood for during
a century and a half.
The principal value of the processional and pag-
eantry of the Constituting Convention was that
it conveyed the feeling that the participants were
at last beholding "the Church Visible." As Sam-
uel McCrae Cavert expressed it, the National Coun-
cil provides a vision of the church in its wholeness.
It is to be hoped that this character of the Cleve^
land meeting was conveyed in the radio, television,
news reels and news reports. While there were
133 THE SCROLL
only five hundred delegates in the convention, they
represented millions of church members. Differ-
ent delegates had been elected to the Convention
in different ways by their various communions,
but once there, the delegates all stood on an equal
footing. They represent a tremendous consensus
within American Christianity. Several times dur-
ing the Convention, as I watched the proceedings,
the thought came, "For the first time, I am seeing
the Church — not in its perfection perhaps, and not
yet complete — but the Church visible in propor-
tions many times greater than I have ever seen it
before."
Since the National Council represents the church
in its wholeness, it is also big. But it is not the
bigness that is fundamental or to be gloried in.
Just as it is not the bigness of the nation, but its
spirit and unity that are ultimately precious, so
it is with the National Council. Its comprehension
at last makes possible a sense of strategy for
American Protestantism as a whole. Many place
emphasis upon what this means for the external
relations of the churches, their influence upon poli-
tics and culture. Perhaps even more important is
what it can mean, under wise and intelligent leader-
ship for the inward strengthening of the churches.
Several times I heard the comment, "How can
all this be brought home to the grass roots?" This
question impresses me as platitudinous. In this
day of advanced means of communication and vis-
ual presentation, the question is no longer a techni-
cal one. It is only a moral question. The grass
roots will come to know the National Council if
those in the various denominations who are re-
sponsible have the will to carry the story to the
grass roots.
The decision of the United Lutheran Church in
THE SCROLL 134
America to join the National Council was a mat-
ter of great rejoicing before the Constituting Con-
vention got under way. As it proceeded the re-
joicing was heightened for the United Lutheran
Church made outstanding contributions in the
realm of personnel. The president of that body,
Dr. F. C. Fry, presided at the first plenary busi-
ness session. He managed that occasion with vigor,
precision, comprehensive understanding of what
was going on, and charm. On Thursday evening,
after a very short notice. Dr. Frederick Nolde gave
what most came to believe was the greatest address
of the Convention. He contributed to a disquieted
world words of realistic hope. This Lutheran Body
obviously brings to the forces of American Prot-
estantism an invaluable gift of moral and personal
power and is a most welcome addition.
Henry Noble Sherwood. The National Council of
Churches is a Protestant achievement. It marks
the high point in cooperation of more than 31,000,-
000 church people holding membership in twenty-
nine separate denominations and sponsoring eight
interdenominational agencies. When church or-
ganizations that carefully guard their identity, doc-
trine, and program enter an over-all agency, after
eight years of effort, a major event has taken place.
It is an achievement in cooperation. All the de-
nominations are as sacerdotal, as sacramental, and
as contentious for their ecclesiastical structure as
ever. In these matters they continue to go alone.
They have agreed to go together in a new func-
tional experience. The comradeship that will fol-
low this praiseworthy decision ultimately should
soften the points of friction in the body of Christ
and heal the sores of division that estrange its
members.
i
135 THE SCROLL
The National Council is such an achievement in
cooperation that Protestantism can now speak with
power. It can now pool the findings of its spe-
cialists on such matters as social welfare, racial
tension, religious education, economic problems
and international relations. Albert Bushnel Hart
used to tell us that the great newspaper had ceased
to be a voice and become a property. He stimu-
lates us to say that Protestantism by using the Na-
tional Council may become a voice, having been
weaned away from the defense of its doctrinal and
creedal properties at the breast of which it has
already fed too long.
We must not expect too much, too soon, from the
Council. It is only organizational machinery.
Neither the League nor the United Nations has
brought us peace. The Union that called our war-
ring states together to be a nation under God, after
a century and a half, has not given us ideal citizen-
ship. The Council can function only in terms of
its personnel. And this group will be unable to
set a program at variance with the officialdom of
the cooperating denominations. Were Amos here
he well might caution us about the externals of
brotherhood and demand now as he did centuries
ago that
. . . judgment run down as waters
And righteousness as a mighty stream.
This Hebrew prophet knew that social control in
terms of high religion must have its roots embedded
in just and righteous persons.
As the churches enter into this functional ex-
perience made possible by the National Council
let them bring along those qualities of life which
have brought mankind such blessings as family life,
contractual relations, and other tested civilizing
agencies. Then in patience, hope, and prayer they
THE SCROLL 136
can move along in keeping with the principle that
two can walk together when they are agreed.
George Walker Buckner, Jr. One heartening fea-
ture of the new form of interdenominational coop-
eration through the National Council of Churches
is its greater inclusiveness. The United Lutherans
are in the new body as regular members, whereas
they were a consultative member of the Federal
Council. Other Lutheran bodies also are members.
The Lutherans are a great force in the life and work
of American Protestantism and they belong in any
cooperative endeavor which aims at inclusiveness.
A weakness which remains is the absence of the
Southern Baptists who constitute such a prepon-
derent part of the strength of Protestantism in a
large section of the country.
Another observation is that in a broad sense the
National Council has taken its pattern not from
the experience of authoritative ecclesiastical bodies,
but from the principle of free association to which
Disciples have been committed. It is to be hoped
that the Council will be able to resist successfully
any attempts to limit it with restrictive creedal
statements.
W. M. Forrest. The National Council of Churches
in the U.S.A. in uniting in one organization 29 com-
munions and 8 interdenominational agencies has
done what our U.C.M.S. did for Disciple churches
and societies. There were lions in the way in both
cases : legal obstacles, fear of bureaucratic bigness,
theological theories, human recalcitrancy. Despite
all such, the spirit of Christ has shown the way to
limited action in a broad field of common endeavor.
"A wide door for effective work has opened." Of
course, "there are many adversaries." Let us thank
God and take courage.
137 THE SCROLL
It was interesting to note that the flurry over
deciding whether to refer to Jesus Christ as "Lord
and Savior" lor as "God and Savior" occasioned
mutterings among the Disciple delegates as carry-
ing theological hair-splitting too far. Long may
they mutter, -but not split off.
M. E. Sadler. It seems to me the major signifi-
cance of the newly constituted National Council of
Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. is that it keeps
before the religious world the idea and possibility
of cooperation and unity. If this idea can be kept
continuously before the people, Protestantism will
sometime achieve effective unity.
Economies in time, effort, resources and leader-
ship are achieved through the lorganization of the
Council.
The Council will become a more effective voice
for Protestantism than we have hitherto had in
the United States. It may be many years before
this voice becomes as effective as it should be, but
at least this is one more step in the right direction.
Of all people, the Disciples of Christ sho.uld re-
joice in these developing movements toward increas-
ingly effective unity and should use an ever larger
proportion of their resources for the work of these
cooperative agencies.
Edgar Dewitt Jones. I have had two letters from
you within three weeks, and I am very proud of
that fact. First of all let me thank you for your
letter and the clipping enclosed concerning the ar-
rival of a Bushmaster at the Chicago zoo. That
is an event! The next time I am in your city, if I
can possibly find the time, I want to go out and
take a look at his snakeship. He belongs to the
inner circle of the most highly venomous in the
snake world.
THE SCROLL 138
You ask me about the big meeting at Cleveland.
It impressed me greatly. In a way it seemed
epochal. It is the most practical Federation enter-
prise and covers the most ground our American
Protestantism has yet known. Twoi or three things
especially impressed me:
1. The large number of representatives of our
own Communion — over two hundred I should say.
Whatever our failings, anything that looks toward
unity captivates our imagination and inspires our
kyalty.
2. The event was full of color and impressive in
pageantry. It surpassed anything of the kind I
have witnessed through the years. The session at
which the Federal Council passed over into the Na-
tional Council was staged beautifully.
3. The most prophetic speech made, as I recall
it, was that of Bishop Ivan Lee Holt. He called
attention to the fact that while this was a glorious
milestone in Protestant co-operation, there was
something beyond it toward which we should strive,
namely, actual unity. I don't think he spoke more
than twenty minutes, and he was singularly effec-
tive.
Hampton Adams. I shall try to summarize my
convictions about the new National Council in the
following paragraphs.
The new National Council of the Churches of
Christ in the U.S.A. is an evidence of the vitality
of the ecumenical movement. It is not an experi-
ment. It is the outgrowth of the successful coop-
eration of the major denominations and eight well-
tested interdenominational agencies.
The new National Council reflects not only the
growing ecumenical spirit, but also the growing
conviction that the total program of the church
should be more closely related than it could be with
139 THE SCROLL
the former separate organizations.
There is no danger of this new Council, that is
composed of twenty-five Protestant denominations
and four Orthodox churches, becoming a super
church. That is safeguarded by the nature of the
organization. No church loses its identity. The
Council itself names no members. All members
are duly appointed by the member churches.
This new Council will give the churches of
America a stronger voice than they have had
before.
Benjamin F. Bums. The birth of the National
Council of Churches is the most significant advance
of the movement for Christian unity since the for-
mation of the World Council of Churches.
The Council represents an advance first because
it brings the spirit, the fruits, and the problems of
Christian unity lone step nearer their ultimate des-
tination— ^the local church.
The Council represents a significant advance be-
cause it is shirt-sleeve ecumenicity rather than text-
book ecumenicity. The new Council is chiefly a
working fellowship functioning in the major fields
of church life and work rather than a talking fel-
lowship floundering in the quagmires of church-
ology and theology.
The Council represents for Disciples of Christ
a significant advance because our participation in
it forces us to become a responsible body working
with others within a concrete united effort. We
can no longer point to the outstanding role of indi-
vidual Disciples in cooperative Christianity and
ask to be judged as a people on their labors. We
must now be judged as a Brotherhood — the fifth
largest in the Council and the most vocal champion
of Christian unity. That means we must produce
from the Brotherhood, resources personal, finan-
THE SCROLL 140
cial, and spiritual which represent faithfully our
hope "that they all may be one, that the world may
believe."
Arthur Azlein. The analogy between the National
Council iof Churches and the United Nations is rea-
sonably clear. Each has its General Assembly and
its "secretariat," and there are other more or less
obvious similarities. (Let us be thankful that the
National Council seems not to need a Security Coun-
cil, with or without veto!) But the analogy goes
deeper to a principle of structure which already
seems to be a fatal weakness in the U.N. and may
prove a handicap in the National Council.
The U.N. is based on "the principle of the sover-
eign equality of the member states"; the National
Council recognizes the principle of the "sovereign-
ty" of its member denominations. In the U.N.
this principle means, among other things, that the
ultimate loyalty of the citizens of each member
state belongs to that state, not to the U.N. Al-
though the Preamble to the Charter of the United
Nations begins, "We the peoples . . . ," it concludes,
"Accordingly, our respective Governments . . ."
A publication of the U.N. declares, "The United
Nations cannot of itself fail or succeed; its future
depends on how effectively the peoples, through
their governments, use it as an instrument to pro-
mote peace . . ." In other words, the success of the
U.N. depends upon a large scale transfer of sover-
eignty, i.e., loyalty, from member states to the U.N.
This transfer of loyalty has not been and is not
being accomplished. The principle of the sover-
eignty of the member states not only does not en-
courage it, but actually prohibits it.
In the National Council, th^ principle of the
sovereignty of each member denomination means
141 THE SCROLL
that the ultimate loyalty of an individual Christian
belongs to his denomination rather than to the
Council. Thus, we can paraphrase the U.N.'s state-
ment: "The National Council cannot of itself fail
or succeed; its future depends on how effectively
Christian people, through their denominations, use
it as an instrument to promote" their common pur-
poses. The success of the National Council de-
pends upoin a large scale transfer of loyalty, i.e.,
sovereignty, from denominations to the Council.
And since such a transfer is likely to have a direct
effect upon such mundane things as denominational
promotional organizations, jobs, investments and,
to a certain extent, denominatidnal solidarity, it
will face considerable hurdles. Nevertheless, the
hurdles must be leaped, for the effectiveness of this
further venture in Christian unity ' will be deter-
mined by the measure of Christians' loyalty to it. I
say "must be leaped," for I believe "that although
the Church of Christ lupon earth must necessarily
exist in particular and distinct societies, locally
separate one from another, yet there ought toi be
no schisms, no uncharitable divisions among them,"
and the alternative to the National Council is un-
charitable divisions more uncharitable.
John Harms. American Protestantism is moving
toward organic unity via the highway of functional
unity. That is the real meaning of Cleveland.
The lOirganization of the NCCC will give the idea
of functional unity a tremendous impetus and there-
fore marks the longest struggle step yet taken by
the denominations toward unity.
For the first time the denominations have a com-
plete laboratory in which they can face together
the practical ongoing problems of unity. Out of
this laboratory will come a higher degree of func-
tional unity, and it will develop much more rapidly
THE SCROLL 142
in the new council than it could have done through
eight separate independent interdenominational or-
ganizations.
Many peOiple look upon the cooperative organiza-
tions, city, state, national and world-wide as transi-
tional in character, and in a sense they are correct.
But the conciliar principle at the heart of their
structure will almost certainly be the most distinc-
tive characteristic of whatever organic unification
takes place in Protestantism in the future.
The Disciples should look upon the new National
Council as the 20th Century counterpart of Thomas
Campbell's Christian Association of Washington.
The Council is an advance projection on the na-
tional level of the Christian Unity idea as advocat-
ed by the Campbells and the movement which they
launched back in 1809. Neither the little associa-
tion of 1809 nor the Council of 1950 is a full ex-
pression of Christian Unity, but both were func-
tional in character and both marked a significant
step toward that goal.
Stephen J. Corey. I rejoice in the new Council
of Churches. It is a great accomplishment in co-
operation and understanding. What a change since
we dared to organize the International Missionary
Council in 1919, when the wounds of World War I
were deep! Now our people (Disciples) will have
to greatly quicken our pace to keep in hailing distance
with the Christian Unity movements of the times!
I
143 THE SCROLL
The American Mind I
E. S. Ames
This is the title of a new book, dated 1950, printed
by the Yale Press, written by Henry Steele Com-
mager, professor of History in Columbia University.
The subtitle is, "An Interpretation of American
Thought and Character Since the 1880's," contain-
ing 443 pages and costing five dollars. Such a big
and expensive book is difficult for ministers tO' buy,
and hard for them to read. To read it requires con-
centration in quiet hours, an open and unharried
mind, and a quick sense of humor. But it will pay
good interest on the investment for years to come.
It is really lively and fascinating, and is all about
ourselves, about our ways, our magic country, our
homes, schools, churches, politics, culture, careless-
ness, waste, love and labor. But it is not the kind of
history that records dates, battles, statistics and de-
tails. These things find their place in the movement
and meaning of a living story full of vital events
and crucial destinies.
The history of the American people before 1880
shows the effect of the new continent upon their
spirit. The spaciousness of their surroundings regis-
tered itself in their outlook and undertakings. They
were stimulated to mobility, independence, enter-
prise and optimism. "Progress was not to the Ameri-
can a philosophical idea but a commonplace of ex-
perience." He lived in the future. He saw in every
barefoot boy a future president or millionaire. His
familiarity with great distances made them seem
trifles. The immigrant no sooner breathes our air
than he dreams of schemes he would not have thought
of in his own country. He met hardship with forti-
tude, industry, shrewdness and luck. Shiftlessness
was a vice. Quantitative valuation was common.
THE SCROLL 144
What is a particular man worth, required a bank
report. Education, democracy, and war yielded to
numbers. There was pleasure in sheer size — ^Great
Lakes, Niagara, the Mississippi River, Texas. The
American was intensely practical. Theories and ab-
stract speculations disturbed him. Benjamin Frank-
lin was his great man. Mechanical solutions were
sought. Hence the cotton gin, steamboat, harvester,
sewing machine, telegraph, typewriter and number-
less other inventions. Even his religion was practi-
cal rather than devout. Salvation was by works.
Sundays he was troubled by a suspicion of sin but
by no racking sense of evil. He did not believe in
the Devil. Denominations multiplied as organiza-
tions rather than as dogmas. The average Ameri-
can could not distinguish between Methodist and
Presbyterian theologies. His two most original
religions were Mormonism and Christian Science,
and their significant aspects were practical. Like-
wise in politics. No party whose appeal was intel-
lectual got his support. He had greater political
maturity than the Englishman, German or French-
man, for his maturity in democratic ways was old-
er than theirs. His political instruments were as in-
genious as his mechanical contrivances, for instance,
his federal system and his Declaration of Inde-
pendence.
Even "Culture" should be useful. He wanted
poetry he could recite, music he could sing, paint-
ing that told a story, education that prepared for
life. Manners were flexible and careless. They ad-
vertised a classless society. Etiquette books were
numerous but they failed to establish uniformity in
social conduct. "Yet Americans had a passion for
titles. Honorary colonels littered the landscape even
outside Kentucky." Such titles were easily avail-
able and equally useless. They were an expression
145 THE SCROLL
of carelessness and good humor. There was a
rugged, lunfinished quality in his culture. He had
little pride in a finished job. Railways and houses
had to be rebuilt every few years. He came to be-
lieve in the unfinished nature of the universe.
Habits of waste were tolerated. More damage was
done in a century than nature could repair in a
thousand years, evidenced in forests, soil, coal, oil
and gas.
As the American had created his church and his
state, he took it for granted that he could create
all lesser institutions. Romantic and sentimental,
especially on the Fourth of July and Decoration
Day, an inexhaustible fund of humor accompanied
such optimism and carelessness from Benjamin
Franklin to Mark Twain, American philosophy car-
ried the systems of puritanism, rationalism, and
idealism, but here also a "certain carelessness" ob-
tained. The names of Jefferson, Emerson, and
James, were honored but their ideas were embraced
without rigorous inquiry, and held lightly. Calvin-
ism was never formally repudiated, but important
features of it, like the depravity of man, were not
believed. "Alas, he was hard up for villains."
In the nineties, great changes took place in
American life. That decade was a watershed be-
tween two eras. Before 1890 an agricultural mode
of life had been dominant for centuries. After that
date an urban society arose which involved new
ways of life and brought radical changes in popu-
lation, in the growth of cities, in social institutions,
in technologies, in politics, morals and science. The
emancipation of women, smaller families, women
in industry, in business and politics, knowledge of
contraceptives, birth control, new freedom, and the
consciousness of their numbers and power in school
and church, gave them a new importance in this
THE SCROLL 146
democratic society. The eld, familiar universe of
philosophy, morals and religion was disintegrat-
ing. Traditional philosophy was challenged by the
new doctrines of Evolution, Physics, and Biology.
Within a decade came great leaders in these natural
sciences and in the social sciences. James, Veblen,
G. Stanley Hall, Dewey, Henry Adams, Josiah Royce,
furthered the process of coming of age, by tem-
pering the traditional optimism with scepticism and
doubt.
The transition from the 19th to the 20th centu-
ry was made in a period of great depression and
confusion. Hard times, drouth, strikes, and panic
created issues that held attention for fifty years.
The problems and moods generated by these changes
were registered in the national literature. There
were marked changes in Journalism. The New
York Times and the Hearst papers appeared and
showed the best and the worst developments in re-
porting and interpreting the news. The Ladies
Home Journal combined qualities of the old and
the new eras under the notable influence of Edward
Bok and G. H. Lorimer. "The impact of Darwin
on religion was shattering, and on philosophy,
revolutionary." "Evolution banished the absolute,
supplanted special design, challenged not only the
Scriptural story of creation but creation itself, and
revealed man not as the product of beneficent pur-
pose but of a process of natural selection that, by
defying the interposition of the Deity, confounded
the concept of omnipotence. Yet it was a blow to
Man rather than to God who, in any event, was
better able to bear it, for if it relegated God to a
dim first cause, it toppled man from his exalted
position as the end and purpose of creation, the
crown of Nature and the image of God, and classi-
fied him prosaically with the anthropoids."
147 THE SCROLL
The author g-ives critical surveys of the great
periods of literature which developed under the
changes in outlook in the first half of the century.
Determinism had its expression in Jack London,
Theodore Dreiser, and in the subjectivism and
romanticism of James Branch Cabell, which Cabell
shared with Santayana. A chapter is given to The
Cult of the Irrational, which includes discussions
of Freud, Proust, and Aldous Huxley, Hemingway,
and O'Neill. "Of all the impulses that animated
men, the sexual was the most powerful, and the
new school of literature was drenched in sex." An-
other chapter is given to The Traditionalists, Edith
Wharton, Ellen Glasgow, Willa Cather and Edward
Arlington Robinson. "It is significant that the most
profound of American poets of the twentieth centu-
ry should have been so preoccupied, obsessed even,
with failure, frustration, desolation, and death . . .
content with a mournful faith in some glimmering
ideal of truth whose very nature must mock and
elude us forever."
There is an illuminating chapter, the ninth, on
Religious Thought and Practice. The strange fact
of professed adherence to religious doctrines which
are conspicuously neglected in daily life stands out
in these luminous pages. "For three hundred years
Calvinism had taught the depravity of man without
any perceptible effect on the cheerfulness, kindli-
ness, or optimism of Americans." Unitarianism and
Universalism were rigorous and logical in their dis-
sent from Calvinism, yet theirs were the only well
established churches whose membership declined
during the twentieth century. Religion prospered
while theology went bankrupt. "Religion became in-
creasingly a social activity rather than a spiritual
experience." Union for practical interests rapidly
developed under able leadership since "there were
no intellectual or social differences between Baptists,
Methodists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, Disciples and
others, save those of the local mores."
THE SCROLL 148
Religion of College Teachers
Henry Noble Sherwood, Louisville, Ky.
One percent of the teachers in Protestant church
related colleges are atheists. Of the three atheists
one is a church member and another regards him-
self as a Christian. Ninety-five percent of all col-
lege teachers are churchmembers. One-half of this
group carry special responsibility in their churches.
These findings are true of 440 teachers who reported
their theistic concepts.
Dr. R. H. Edwin Espy of Yale University has
assembled these facts and many others in a study
of "The Religion of College Teachers." This study,
sponsored by the National Protestant Council on
Higher Education, is now in process of publication
in book form by the Association Press. Dr. Espy
obtained his information by sending a question-
naire to faculty members of seventy-three institu-
tions of higher learning representing twenty-nine
denominations. The institutions were well dis-
tributed as to geography, size and other criteria. All
were four year undergraduate colleges. The ques-
tionnaires went to teachers of English, physics and
sociology-economics. No teacher of religion received
one. The questionnaires returned and used in the
study numbered 440.
The faculty members reporting (they are related
to 34 denominations) generally regard themselves
as conventionally religious. This is evident because
only
14 percent reject the Bible as religiously author-
ative ;
13 percent do not regard prayer as necessary to
the Christian life;
14 percent do not believe every one is in need of
divine salvation through Christ;
149 THE SCROLL
36 percent do not believe church membership is
necessary as a part of Christian life; and
56 percent do believe church membership is neces-
sary as a part of Christian life ; and
73 percent believe that "what makes a Christian
is neither his intellectual acceptance of cer-
tain ideas nor his conformity to a certain rule,
but his possession of a certain spirit and his
participation in a certain life." In other words
they do not identify the Christian life vdth
institutional or doctrinal expressions.
Where did these faculty members get their re-
ligious concepts? Largely from the period of their
adolescence. Of these college teachers 58 percent re-
ported that their religious views were determined
before they went to college. Their denominational
background, they held, was a significant influence
in determining their beliefs and practices. Teach-
ers with conservative religioius concepts found de-
nominational affiliation more influential in this
matter than teachers with liberal concepts. The
latter reoognizie academic influence as also im-
portant in shaping their beliefs.
When it came to the elaboration of basic beliefs
of these 440 teachers in terms of educational in-
sights and methods 34 percent thought their college
training did it, 27 percent gave the graduate school
the credit for it, 24 percent found it in their experi-
ence after completing graduate work. This data
reinforces what students of religious education have
long told us; namely, that basic religious patterns
are formed in early years. What comes later in
academic life or in vocational experience, for the
most part, will modify or enrich viewpoints already
held rather than bring about a fundamental change
in intellectual concepts. In evaluating the influ-
ence of the graduate school these teachers reported
THE SCROLL 150
that study in the department of education or re-
ligion did more than study in any other department
to modify previously held beliefs.
What caused these faculty members to become
teachers in church related colleges? For the most
of them the appeal of teaching itself and the special
attraction of working with college students. Half
of this group of teachers believe teaching in a
church related college is a strategic Christian vo-
cation. The major influence in their vocational de-
cision was that of their own college professor. Their
minister or other religious leader was an influence
in the decision of less than one tenth of the teach-
ers reporting.
What complaint about their work do these teach-
ers have ? They complain about three things : the
handicaps lof the institution they serve due to lack
of financial support; understaffed faculty and ad-
ministration; lack of opportunity for self-improve-
ment. It is apparent that these three things are
only one — the financial limitation of the college.
With added income the staff could be enlarged, extra-
curricular duties could be more widely spread, and
teachers could have time for research and for im-
proving themselves through reading, meditation and
other refreshments of the spirit.
This study, covering only 440 faculty members,
must be very nearly true in its findings for the entire
body of church related college teachers. The sam-
pling process used by Dr. Espy was set up to secure
information about them all. The study, therefore,
gives conditions prevailing in around 1,000 colleges,
served by approximately one-half the college teach-
ers of the nation, and attended by about one-half
of the students of the country. In book form the
study is a 600 page report.
From this pre-publication statement it can be seen
1.51 THE SCROLL
that the recruitment and preparation of college
teachers is a major problem of the church colleges.
Since the basic pattern of religious belief and
practice is formed in early life before youth enter
college the church related colleges and the churches
must work closely with one another on the solution
of this problem. Ministers of today are more in-
terested in the church college than those of yester-
day when the present teachers were in secondary
school or in college. Those responsible for the ad-
ministration of the church college understand the
advantage of cooperation with the churches more
than their immediate predecessors. Leaders in
both college and church know that we can not find
the solution of contemporary national and interna-
tional problems without advancement in the moral
and spiritual thinking not only of those in politi-
cal authority but also of those who make up the
electorate.
Moreover, having recruited the teacher, he must
be properly prepared for his work. The training
program must bring together religion and educa-
tion; it must integrate Christian faith with educa-
tional philosophy and practice; it must insist that
high religion is essential to complete living. It
follows that the church college has a responsibility
for shaping the social order in terms of justice.
To meet this responsibility its teachers must be
sensitive to those issues in society not only bearing
on their special fields of teaching but also touching
life in its entirety. To obtain teachers prepared to
meet this challenge may mean a thorough-going re-
vision of graduate study and teaching, and a change
in the outlook of those responsible for the program
of graduate institutions.
Finally, without a supporting word, church colleges
must find relief for any financial embarrassment.
THE SCROLL 152
'"Religion in Alabama in the 1860V'
Richard L. James, Dallas, Texas
In general, religion in Alabama followed the
same trends that it did in other southern states
during the 1860's. Southern church leaders had
rationalized their pro-slavery position until it had
become a religious conviction and previous to politi-
cal secession, many of the churches had gone on
record as favoring separation from the abolition
groiups. A group of Methodists assembled at Craw-
ford, Alabama, advocated secession from The
Methodist Episcopal Church if Bishop Andrew
were deposed from his episcopal functions. This
action was followed by other Methodist Episcopal
groups throughout Alabama. In 1844, the Alabama
Baptist State Convention resolved not to send money
to the national agencies until they were assured by
an "explicit avowal that slaveholders are eligible,
and entitled equally with non-slaveholders," to the
privileges of membership in these organizations.
The Protestant Episcopal Church divided over con-
ditions arising from political secession rather than
issues involved in slavery. Presbyterians, however,
were greatly agitated over the question of slavery
and men like the Rev. James Bannister and the
Rev. Fred A. Ross gave strong arguments in favor
of the southern position. The Cumberland Presby-
terians, The Christians, The Disciples of Christ,
The Roman Catholics, and the Lutherans took very
little active part in the controversial side of the
slavery question in Alabama. The majority of the
churches in Alabama were in thorough accord with
this action so that when the split in the national
organizations occurred, it received hearty support.
When political secession occurred, the majority
153 THE SCROLL
of the Protestant churches of Alabama, through
their state organizations, pledged their support to
the Cionfederacy, although numerous congregations
remained loyal to the Union. Alabama ministers
invoked God's blessing upon the Confederate lead-
ers in opposing the "tyranny of northern radicals."
The opinion in Alabama churches was not unani-
mous in favor of church divisions, just as the
opinion was not unanimous throughout the state in
favor of political secession. At the beginning of
the political secession movement there was a great
deal iof pro-union sympathy in north Alabama which
favored a separation from south Alabama and the
formation of a loyal state. Likewise, throughout
the northern section there were numerous congre-
gations which opposed separation from the north-
ern church organizations and political secession
from the Union.
However, the majority was in favor of both church
division and political secession and the ministers
of Alabama became an important factor in support-
ing the "Southern Cause." Churches were urged
by their ministers to support the Confederacy and
many of the ministers organized the men of their
congregations into companies and marched off with
them to war, some ministers serving as officers,
others as chaplains or private soldiers. Alabama is
reported to have furnished 40,000 men to the Con-
federate armies. This exodus of the men from the
local communities to the camps and battle fields
had a devastating effect upon local churches. Mis-
sionary organizations gave their attention to the
necessity of caring for the religious welfare of the
soldiers and those ministers who had not volun-
teered as chaplains in the armies, were asked to
serve for short periods of time in conducting re-
ligious work in the camps and hospitals. The
THE SCROLL 154
Huntsville Democrat, The Tuscaloosa Observer, and
The Southern Observer, and other Alabama papers,
carried vivid accounts of the battles; praised God
for the victories and invoked his mercy in defeat.
Near the close of the vi^ar, the churches kept the
people in the spirit of hopefulness when their social
and political order was falling to pieces. The large
number of casualties caused by the war left a heavy
burden upon the state charity organizations in
caring for the widows and orphans. When the state
could no longer care for them, the churches formed
societies to aid in the work. The Methodist Orphan's
Home of East Alabama, The Orphan's Home of The
Synod of Alabama, The Preacher's Aid Society of
The Montgomery Conferences of the Methodist
Episcopal Church South, and other similar organ-
izations, some of which are still in existence, had
their origin in this period of need during and im-
mediately following the war.
The Methodists, Presbyterians, Baptists, and
Congregationalists sent missionaries and teachers
intO' Alabama to work among the negroes and
among the whites who remained "loyal" in their
sympathies. The American Missionary Association
established nine schools and supported forty-four
teachers in this state. More than a hundred thou-
sand copies of the Bible lor New Testament were
distributed to the Confederate armies during the
war by the American Bible Society. These were
distributed through agencies of the Southern
churches or local organizations of the American
Bible Society. During the war, however, Alabama
ceased contributing tO' the American Bible Society
until 1866, when relations between it and the local
societies were renewed.
Considerable animosity was exhibited between
northern missionaries in the South and the south-
155 THE SCROLL
em church leaders. The southern white churches
accused the missionaries of creating resentment of
whites on the part of negroes, and the northern
missionaries complained of the harsh treatment they
received from the native white people. After the
war, the Protestant Episcopal Church experienced
difficulty over the use of the prayer for those "in
civil authority," and ministers of other denomi-
nations also came into conflict with the military
authorities on the same issue. Several Alabama
ministers refused, for a long time, to take the
amnesty oath and offer a prayer for the President
of the United States and were forced to cease
preaching until they reconsidered and decided to
comply with the regulation.
A large number of the soldiers who had been
stationed in Alabama during the period of the mili-
tary government, remained there and secured politi-
cal positions when their military commissions ex-
pired. Sumter and Perry counties were especially
troubled with the soldiers entering politics. All the
offices of Perry County were filled by the soldiers
of the 8th Wisconsin Regiment which originally
had been sent there for garrison duty. Some of these
men did not have qualifications for holding such
positions and greatly misused their power.
Through the influence of the "scalawags" and
"carpetbaggers," a few negroes also entered the
political field. In counties like Dallas and Autauga
where the negroes were predominant in numbers,
they succeeded in gaining control of a number of
prominent positions. In 1869, one negro was elect-
ed to the Senate and thirteen to the House of Repre-
sentatives of Alabama.
Activities of such groups as the Knights of the
White Camelia and the Ku Klux Klan were to sup-
press the activities of "carpetbaggers," "scala-
THE SCROLL 156
wag-s," and negroes in the politics of the state, and
they were particularly hostile to negro churches in
which religion and politics were mingled. A. S.
Lakin, a missionary of the Methodist Episcopal
Church, reported that he personally knew of 332
cases in which negroes and whites were punished
by masked groups. In thirty-nine of these cases,
the punishment resulted in the death of the victim.
When the leadership of these secret organizations
was conferred upon persons of unworthy character,
there were many outrages committed upon northern
whites and the negroes.
The majority of the slaves remained loyal to
their masters until the close of the war and a few
even served in the Confederate armies. Others,
however fled to the concentration camps of the
Union armies, where they would be safe from the
control of their masters. There were two such
"contraband camps" in Alabama and the work of
the Presbyterians in conducting schools in these
camps was a valuable piece of service. After the
war one of these schools was reorganized and main-
tained at Miller's Ferry, Alabama. Some of the
runaway slaves were used in the Union Armies.
The free negroes were divided in their allegiances:
some offered their services to the state and others
joined the Federal armies whenever the opportu-
nity appeared.
At the close of the war there was a general
wave of church founding on the part of the newly
freed negroes. The right to separate himself from
a church controlled by white men and establish his
own form of worship was considered one test of a
negro's freedom. Some divisions were accomplished
under a friendly and cooperative arrangement where-
by the mutual benefit of both whites and blacks
was advanced. Such was the case of the First Bap-
157 THE SCROLL
tist Church of Montgomery where the white mem-
bers in cooperation with the colored members con-
tributed the building for the latter. Biut in many-
cases the break was accompanied by resentment
and antagonism to the detriment of both groups.
The Civil War entirely changed the status of both
the white men and the negro. The status of the
"poor whites" was greatly enhanced by the free-
dom of the slaves, while' the plantation owners
were faced with the problem of running their
plantations on hired labor. Outstanding problems
confronting Alabama in 1870 were: 1, an adjust-
ment in race relations upon the basis of freedom
for both races; 2, a remodelling of the educational
systems that the poor as well as the wealthy could
receive educational advantages; 3, the formation of
a new system of labor and different wage scale;
4, economic rehabilitation of both the plantation
owner and the ex-slave.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
"Who is the speaker at this session?" I asked for
it was my first International Convention and I had
not yet learned how to read a convention program.
"Some young man from Cincinnati," came the re-
ply. Since I knew Cincinnati was the center of or-
thodoxy and I was taking subscriptions for a
journal published there I decided to stay for the
session.
When the young man was presented it was ex-
plained that he had recently been called to be Broth-
er McLean's associate in the Foreign Christian
Missionary Society. In my favorite journal I had
read some uncomplimentary remarks about Broth-
er McLean and the Foreign Society. However, I
THE SCROLL 158
decided to stay and spy out the heresy of this
young man whose name had been announced as
Stephen J. Corey.
The speaker was not only young but he was tall,
dark and handsome. Before he opened his mouth
he had me in the hollow of his hand. He spcke on
world problems and the need of Christian Missions.
His kind and appealing voice plus knowledge of
his subject soon had me sitting with opened-mouthed
wonder. His great soul and missionary passion so
thrilled me that had they passed the hat for Foreign
Missions I would have put in my remaining five
dollars and gone without food for the rest of the
Pittsburg convention.
Forty years have now passed but Steve Corey
has grown sweeter as the years have rolled by.
He and I were on the same program a year or so
ago at the Florida convention in Jacksonville. I
guess he is a bit older than when I first heard him
but at each of his devotional talks I could still
see and hear the man who so greatly influenced
my life four decades before.
Coming back from Europe on the Berengaria in
1935 I asked Dr. Corey if he could give me a few
minutes to talk over my president's address for the
Illinois State Convention. Instead of a few minutes
he gave me two or three hours and helped pick
many of the burrs out of that address. He was one
of a few friends with whom I went over my presi-
dent's address for the Cincinnati convention. Again
he gave encouragement and many helpful sugges-
tions ad thus proved himself a friend indeed.
While Dr. Corey was president of the United
Christian Missionary Society I became a member
of the Board of Trustees and had a chance to see
the untold hours and agonizing prayer that went
into his work as an executive. Three times he has
159 THE SCROLL
tried to retire but each time a job shows up that
demands his time and leadership.
When the true history of the Disciples is written
I suppose Dr. Corey will be listed as a missionary
executive, a college president, a church leader, and
many other titles. For many of us whoi have looked
to him for shepherding care he will always be
thought of as a "Saint." When we start naming our
churches after saints I want to be pastor of St.
Stephen's Church.
January 1951
Willis Parker, Asheville, N. C.
Each 'New Year' is the season to subsume
All tasks unfinished — all regrets review- —
All vows we've broken, and the same renew.
All — is the token, once each year assume
The scope and temper of The Absolute
Toward the unspoiled future: plant for fruit
We failed to gather from each earlier tree
That bloomed, but withered in futility.
Now is the time to pay debts overdue:
To speak just words unspoken — if kind fate
Has spared us guilt of speaking them too late.
Now is the time for singing songs unsung
In praise of heroes: hanging rogues unhung!
It is the time to act, or aye regret it:
Deserving Heaven: to be it is to get it.
THE SCROLL 160
Foundation Stones
A. C. Brooks, Indianapolis, Ind.
Dr. George A. Crane says the foundation stones
of our nation are God, The U. S. Constitution, The
Free Enterprise System, and this Republic. Many
people point up the evidences of our greatness such
as the numerous gadgets and labor-saving devices
which our inventive genius has produced. It is the
contention of some that the U. S. is unique in that
material goods and prosperity are made available
to the common man which is true in no other nation
in the world as it is here. It must be admitted that
this is not something to be brushed aside as having
no merit. If this is God's world and if He is its
Sovereign Ruler and we are His stewards, then
physical progress, expansion, prosperity, and power
are germane in registering a phase of our great-
ness.
One of the common errors of preachers and re-
ligious leaders is to brand all wealthy men and large
business corporations as demonic and evil, and yet
those same branders spend much of their time try-
ing to get their hands on the very wealth they con-
demn. Wealth is not of itself evil. It is not neces-
sarily evil to make money. The acquiring and use
of wealth determine character, Jesus insisted that
a man's life does not consist in the abundance of
things which he possesses, but He never said it
was evil to possess. Personal and corporate in-
creases in material prosperity accentuate the need
for honesty, moral rectitude, and integrity of char-
acter. God's basic requirement of a steward is that
he be found faithful, and it is required of a five-
talented steward that he be five times as faithful
as the one-talented stew^ard.
All true Americans are justly proud of our
161 THE SCROLL
achievements. Our progress in science, technology,
prosperity, and power are perhaps unparalleled in
history. What is the secret of this phenomenal ex-
pansion? There are numerous opinions, but none
more stimulating than that of Senator Elmer D.
Thomas of Utah, who, in his book. This Nation
Under God, shows the significant part the Christian
religion has played in the life and progress of this
nation. His thesis may be summarized in three
parts ;
First, religious men and women have defied ma-
terialism, the divine rights of special groups to rule
other groups, and they have supported the brother-
hood and mutual responsibilities of man.
Second, backed by faith and religion, weaker
sides have won against stronger sides in their
struggle, and these victories are the real history
of the United States.
Third, this government of ours is set up for an
ultimate purpose even greater and more important
than those current purposes for which America
apparently exists today. The American people must
never think that this land is ours in the sense that
we can mutilate and shamefully use it and live
thoughtlessly as though we do not respect America's
meaning and destiny.
Mr. Thomas not lonly shows what religion has
done but what it must continue to do in the hearts
of men. He is a strong exponent of self government
but says self government is impossible unless you
believe in something wordless and wonderful about
man in the universe. In tracing the influence of
religion in American life he points out that the
United States was the first nation on earth to fully
recognize the dignity, rights, and privileges of each
individual, and to protect the individual's rights to
freedom and religion. It was the first nation to
deny that any person or body of people possesses a
divine right to rule over any other person or body
of people. He believes that "there must be faith
without proof and hope beyond reason and love
above advantage, or mankind will indeed perish."
The great ideals and the good things in our
American life- are products of a vital faith in God.
In George Washington's first inaugural address
April 30, 1789, he said, "No people can be bound
to acknowledge and adore the Invisible Hand which
conducts the affairs of men more than those of
the United States. Every step by which they have
advanced to the character of an independent nation
seems to have been distinguished by som-e token of
providential agency."
John Tyler said in his annual message to Con-
gress on December 5, 1843, "If any people ever
had cause to render up thanks to the Supreme Be-
ing for parental care and attention extended to
them in all the trials and difficulties to which they
have been from time to time exposed we certainly
are that people. From the first settlement of our
forefathers . . . the superintendence of an over-
ruling Providence has been plainly visible."
President MiUard FiUmore, in his annual message
ix) Congress December 2, 1850, concluded his
message by expressing "thanks to the Great Ruler
of Nations for the multiplied blessings which He
has graciously bestowed upon us. . . . Our liberties,
religious and civil, have been maintained, the foun-
dations of knowledge have all been kept open, and
means of happiness widely spread and generally
enjoyed greater than have fallen to the lot of any
other nation."
Abraham Lincoln issued a proclamation March
30, 1863, in which he said, "Those nations only
are blessed whose God is the Lord . . . We have
been the recipients of the choicest bounties of
Heaven; we have grown in numbers, wealth and
power as no other nation has ever grown."
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII FEBRUARY, 1951 No. 6
A Fireside Chat
E. S. Ames
I want to talk very informally tonight about us, —
meaning The Scroll and our readers. Maybe we
would all understand everything better if all the of-
ficers of the Campbell Institute had expressed them-
selves more freely. As editor I may have been too re-
served, too proper, too cautious. For twenty-five
years and more I have edited The Scroll and have
enjioyed doing it for the members of the Campbell
Institute, and other readers around the world, and
for posterity. The half century since the Institute
was organized (1896) has been epoch making for re-
ligion as well as for all cultural interests. The bound
volumes of The Scroll, on the shelves of private li-
braries, and among the periodicals in college reading
rooms, bear witness to significant changes taking
place in religious thought. The writings have been
those of educated men, not of partisans or sectarians.
The Institute was organized by the first generation
of Disciple men who went from their colleges to
the great universities and their schools of religion
to prepare more adequately for the ministry. In
1896, there were less than a hundred such students
in all the universities of the land. Since then the
number has steadily increased. The Institute has
invited all ministers and teachers and laymen inter-
ested, to join and cooperate in contributing their
wisdom and suggestions to the furtherance of the
three ends we seek to serve — comradeship, exchange
of ideas, and Christian union.
This year has been particularly difficult for THE
Scroll. Printing costs went up sharply last fall, and
then the mails were delayed by railroad strikes, while
164 THE SCROLL
impending war, and higher taxes, and the call of
ministers to the chaplaincy slowed down remittances
of dues. Our good treasurer, Ben Burns, has been
doing all he could against these odds to pay the
printer. If all members and subscribers paid their
three dollars a year promptly, things would work
more smoothly, and every one would be happier,
especially the editor. The editor feels responsible be-
cause he was elected by the Fellows, without salary
and without rewards of any kind except an oc-
casional word of appreciation by some old friend.
More personal letters to the editor, 5722 Kimbark
avenue, Chicago, would help. He likes applesauce of
all kinds, with items of news !
The editor knows that he could raise money
enough to support The Scroll in a larger format,
and to circulate it among a more numerous circle of
readers, but he thinks the dues of members and the
subscriptions at three dollars per year should amply
pay the costs. The ten numbers of The Scroll each
year (July and August are its vacation months),
run up to 320 pages, and that is the equivalent of a
good sized book! It would also be possible to secure
profitable advertising, but we prefer to keep away
from the temptations to become too big and too
prosperous. The following letter from one who has
served his time as editor of The Scroll is the kind
that renews faith in our youthful dream and gives
bone and sinew to those who carry the load.
My dear Ames : "It is bad enough to do the work
of editing The Scroll for all of us fellows without
worrying about paying the bills with the fifty cent
dollars which we have been sending you lately. I
am glad you told me about a deficit with the printer
for I want to do something about it. Please use the
enclosed ten dollars . . . tell a hundred of the "old
boys" about the situation. I am sure your work is
THE SCROLL 165
appreciated enough that they will help. The Camp-
bell Institute is not just a sentiment with me, but a
real part of my life experience. When I write my
autobiography for my children, as I hope to do some
day, I shall speak of the courage the Institute gave
me to withstand those that would muffle free speech
among us. It gave me guidance in the jungle of new
books, and gave me some of the most wonderful
friends any man ever had. There is a lot more to
tell, but this is enough to let you know why a man
who is a bit 'Scotch* parts gladly with ten dollars.
It is an installment on a debt."
The Cmnpbell Institute is not just a sentiment with
me, but a real part of my life experience. Scores of
men will join with Pastor Jordan in that declaration.
That is the spirit which has given strength to the
Institute and enabled it to outlive the misrepresenta-
tion and the opposition of critics and defamers.
Some day the story will be written of the beginnings
and the development of this organization, its spirit,
its leaders, and the long list of the members who
carried it along singing their marching song of
freedom and aspiring faith.
It is natural and most gratifying that men of the
Institute should write as they do in The Scroll Sym-
posium in support of the National Council of Church-
es. Many of them were present when the consum-
mation was atained in Cleveland last December. They
feel that what was there achieved in pagentry and
prayer is in principle what every local church should
labor to become, a fellowship of earnest Christian
people conscious of essential oneness in practical re-
ligious devotion, sharing in a common task of inter-
preting the religion of Jesus effectively in every
country K)f the world, by every means that money and
organization can devise in keeping with the spirit of
Christ. One of the great merits of the Council is that
166 THE SCROLL
it allows freedom and independence in the constitu-
ent bodies which make for tolerance and enrichment
and growth for all who cooperate.
Fortunately those most concerned to promote the
Council of Churches realize that it presents problems
to be solved in its onward way. There is always the
danger that some of the limitations and foibles of
human nature may get in the way of progress. But
the encouraging thing is that these limitations are
no longer viewed as fixed obstacles to improvement.
When the old notion of sin as inherent in human
nature and subject to control kdt elimination only
by miracles of conversion or supernatural power
there seemed to be no understandable method by
which the good could be achieved. But this problem
has been subjected to careful religious and scientific
inquiry until now there are systematic efforts being
made to see in unspoiled childhood the qualities
which can be developed into maturity without so
much of the conflict and tragic tension of traditional
religion. It is a growing hope among psychologists
and sociologists that ways may be found to enable
society to outgrow war, gross forms of selfishness,
and to cultivate happier community living in the
smallest and the largest groups of persons. A pamph-
let from the Harvard Research Center in Creative
Altruism announces "that the main task of the
Center is to study the chief properties and functions
of creative, altruistic love and, especially to investi-
gate and invent eflficient techniques for the creative
altruization of persons and groups, or find efficient
ways for the production, accumulation, and circula-
tion of creative love in the human universe."
THE SCROLL 167
Economics and Christian Ethics
By Harold E. Fey
Part of an address given at the Disciples Divinity House,
Chicago, March 1, 1951.
When we Disciples of Christ humbly take our
place by the side of other evangelical Christians, we
are confronted by the problem of translating the
Christian faith into the forms of workingday be-
havior which are possible in the modern economic
order. Our biggest ethical problem is how to make
the kind of daily work we have to do a Christian
vocation. The Christian is committed to give his
life to Christ, but he is forced, generally against his
will, to give the major part of his life to serving a
machine. Sometimes the two are not antithetical, but
that happens when a man can clearly see how his
work, inconspicuous as it is, definitely serves human
need. Generally the only need a man feels he serves
is his own need for sufficient income to support his
family, and perhaps his employer's need for sufficient
income to support his race horses in the style to
which they are accustomed.
An ethical orientation to making daily work a
Christian vocation ought to include the following
considerations, :among others. 1. Every worker is
entitled to respect as a child of God and as a co-
worker with him in the ministry of creation. To the
extent of the worker's abilities and capacities, he
is entitled to express his own sense of divine calling
in his daily labor. He should have a share, either
directly or through representation, in the decisions
which affect his welfare and the use of the fruits
of his labors. The church should recognize the sacred-
ness of the high calling of men and women who
do their work as unto the Lord, providing that work
is constructive and is done with a sense of dedication.
2. Since men can be co-creators with God, their
168 THE SCROLL
duty and right to employment should be recognized
by society. Workers are entiled tO! a living wage
which will support a family living in wholesome sur-
roundings and give sufficient leisure for participation
in religious and civic activities. Hours and con-
ditions of labor should be such as to give the worker
full lopportunity to contribute his best service to God
and his fellows in his labor and yet to conserve his
health and make it possible for him to participate
in the life of his family and community.
3. Right fellowship between man and man being
a condition of man's fellowship with God, every
economic arrangement that frustrates or restricts
peaceful and creative relationships between people
should be modified. This applies to relationships
within unions as well as between workers and man-
agement ; between the workers of different countries
as well as those of different races or occupations. The
right of labor or the professions or any other groups
to organize and bargain collectively should be rec-
ognized in practice and in law, but the right of the
community and nation to be protected from the
paralysis of their essential functions by strikes must
also be recognized. No Christian can permit himself
to be separated from his fellows by conceptions of
class war, or the dictatorship of one class over others
or the segregation of jobs along racial lines. And
none can relinquish his responsibility as a minister
of reconciliation, no matter what the conflict or what
his station in life.
4. Regardless of race or class, every child and
youth should have opportunities for education suit-
able for the full development of his particular ca-
pacities. Every adult should also have opportunities
to develop hitherto latent or undiscovered capacities.
The church can play a much greater role in develop-
ing these capacities, particularly among older people.
THE SCROLL 169
who are often capable of entering into a new and
useful life after they are retired from regular em-
ployment. It is the particular responsibility of the
church to unlock the capacities which have been
locked up because of spiritual attitudes which blights
ed creative possibilities.
5. Persons disabled from economic activity by
sickness or age should not be economically penalized
on this account, but should be cared for by their
families, their churches, their former employers and
the community, with special effort being made to
find new if restricted means by which they can con-
tinue their creative identification with Grod and their
fellows.
6. "The resources of the earth should be recog-
nized as gifts of God to the whole human race and be
used with due and balanced consideration for the
needs of the present and future generations," as the
Oxford World Conference of Churches said.
7. We should recognize that production is a social
process which implies that distribution should also
be social. This means that no person is without re-
sponsibility to share and to account for the wealth
which may come to him. Payment of taxes and other
compulsory forms of sharing ought to be sanctified
by the second mile of voluntary sharing of all surplus
above honestly audited needs. The function of the
church as a week by week prompter of this process
is a very important part of its responsibility.
The fact that this prompting has been going on
year after year in the churches of this country helps
to account not only for the 4 billion a year which is
given voluntarily for religion and education and be-
nevolence in this country (60% by incomes under
$3,000, 80% under $5,000) but also for a public
opinion which sanctioned since the war the American
gift of $40 billions to people in other countries. Even
170 THE SCROLL
more important, it helps to account for certain quali-
ties in the American character for which we have no
reason to apologize. This is a part of the distinctively
Christian heritage of this land. What has often been
called the Christian communism of the early church
was nothing miore than giving in response to the
faith that it is the duty of Christians to share in love
what they have.
How can a Christian live ethically in relation to
the economic order? (1) Only by seeking first the
kingdom of God, not by seeking first to fill his barns
lor to swell his profits. (2) By making sure that in
any relationship or bargain, he gives more than he
receives in one way or another. (3) By leading in his
relations with those with whom he works, "a life
worthy of the calling with which he has been called,
with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, for-
bearing one another in love, eager to maintain the
lunity of the Spirit in the bonds of peace." (4) By
developing the priesthood or mutual ministry of
believers by professions, trades, special economic and
social interests into specialized ministries, standing
within the churches, yet offering a Christian fellow-
ship and concern which channel the spirit of God.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison
To stand in the pulpit of Christian Temple in
Baltimore is like standing on holy ground. It was
there that Peter Ainslee of sainted memory min-
istered for so many years. It was there that my long-
time friend H. C. Armstrong gave many years of
faithful service. It is there that Fred Heifer now
ministers with such effectiveness and leads the
church forward in a great new venture. Recently it
was my privilege to preach in that pulpit on Sunday
THE SCROLL 171
morning and that same evening address a mass meet-
ing of Baltimore Disciples from the same rostrum.
It is the story of the "Great New Venture" that
I want to tell in these few paragraphs. Around
Christian Temple there is much of sacred history
and delightful tradition. In the congregation there
are a number of people who have lived through most
of this history and helped in the building of Christian
Temple. Elders Barnette and Lane are two of those
people. One would naturally expect such men to op-
pose any new project that looked toward leaving
these sacred surroundings. However, these two
elders are both in the forefront of the church's new
venture.
No doubt by the time this gets into print (if it
does) the congregation of Christian Temple will have
moved out and turned over the building they love to
one of our aggressive Negro churches. The Temple
congregation will meet for several months in a hall
some four or five miles from the present location.
They have purchased a beautiful 12 acre wooded
tract as the site for their new church. They hope
soon to break ground for the first unit of the new
Christian Temple. Pastor and people are determined
to carry over into the new location much of the
worthy traditions of the past.
The stalwart soldier who has led in these past
several years of careful planning and money raising
activities, is none other than Dr. Frederick W.
Heifer. His good spirit keeps everyone bouyant and
hopeful — his deep consecration challenges all to seek
spiritual undergirding for the venture — ^and his keen
vision produces dreams of beauty and abiding reality.
Disciples who have inherited an ecumenical mind
inspired by the teachings and practice of Peter
Ainslee should not only watch this venture with in-
terest, but should pray for its success and give it
172 THE SCROLL
financial assistance. The new Christian Temple could
well be made a Brotherhood shrine to which Disciples
make periodic pilgrimages to bide awhile in the
atmosphere of an inclusive Christian faith.
If I were asked to write the words of a plaque in
the new church honoring past and present pastors,
I would borrow the words of Edwin Markham and
write :
He drew a circle
To shut me out
Heretic, rebel,
A thing to flout.
But love and I
Had the wit to win
We drew a circle
That took him in.
The Validity of Preaching*
Hunter Beckelhymer, Kenton, Ohio
The fact that we feel called upon to reaffirm the
validity of preaching indicates that there may be
reasons for doubting it. And there are. It was the
dean of American preachers whO', only half jokingly,
once likened preaching to leaning out of a fifth
story window with a dropper full of eye medicine,
hoping to hit someone who needed it in the right
place when he was looking in the right direction. It
is not as bad as that, of course, but the difficulty of
getting a healing word to those who need it, when
they need it, is a great one. And we may seriously
question whether we do it with any frequency.
St. Anthony was a Franciscan monk. Legend has
it that, like the founder of his order, St. Anthony too
preached to God's wild creatures. But instead of
birds, he chose fish for his congregation. Comment-
*A paper read at the annual meeting of the Campbell Insti-
tute, 1950.
THE SCROLL 173
ing on this incident, a poet has written :
"The sermon now ended,
Each turned and descended.
The pikes went on stealing, ;
The eels went on eeling.
Much delighted were they,
But preferred the old way.
Delighted congregations who prefer the old way is
certainly a discouragement that all preachers know.
There is another discouragement, too, that has
plagued preachers ever since the night when the
apostle Paul preached too long in a stuffy third story
room in Troas. (Acts 20:7-9). But thanks to the
modern pioneers of pedagogy this humiliating phe-
nomenon has lost some of its sting. I have read
recently that the French language has been success-
fully taught to a student by playing French records
through a tiny speaker attached to her pillow by
night. Perhaps old deacon Snoringham has absorbed
miore of the gospel than we had supposed, these many
years.
It is easy to become disheartened — even cynical —
about the preaching role in our ministries. The ser-
mon seems a frail weapon with which to attack the
massive evils of the common life. Such force as we
can pack into it often seems to have been dissipated
upon the inertia, complacency, and superficiality of
many of those who heard it. The temptation, there-
fore, is to strive for the spectacular, or the entertain-
ing, or the pleasant hodge-podge of anecdote. "Mind
you, let Action have its share!" says the cynical
theater manager to the sensitive poet in the prologue
to Goethe's Faust :
"Mind you, let Action have its share !
They come to watch, but they prefer to stare.
If you will only spin off all you can.
So that the wondering crowds gape with delight,
174 THE SCROLL
The goal will virtually be in sight,
And you will be a popular man.
The masses by mass alone an author swings,
Each one eventually selects his fare ;
- He who brings much, something to many brings,
Then each one leaves contented with his share.
If giving a piece, give it in pieces now!
Such hash I'm sure you can prepare ;
Easy to give, it's easily invented ;
Why bother with a whole, when what's presented,
The public will pick to pieces anyhow !"
The preacher has often said as much to himself.
And yet, after he has expressed his misgivings,
and indulged his doubts, the preacher knows that for
his task his best is not good enough, and his utmost
is too little. For before him weekly are fifty or five
hundred who pay him the compliment of their
presence, and confront him with the challenge of
their attention. They are there not because of public
opinion, but rather in spite of it. In most localities,
the canons of respectability may encourage a man
to be a Church member, but they do not encourage
him to attend. So every congregation is a part of a
small minority in its community — a sort of remnant
of the most concerned.
At no other hour of the week is it likely that their
minds are so receptive to divine influences. For they
have sung and prayed together. They have broken
the bread and drunk the cup of remembrance. They
have shared such beauty, symbolism, and sacred
associations as the sanctuary affords. The competi-
tive spirit and def ensiveness of discussion and argu-
ment is not there. And for half an hour the preacher
has such a privilege as no man is equal to. It is mot
the importance of what he is doing that the preacher
can doubt, but rather his fitnes to do it. The validity
of preaching — of course ! But why is it valid.
THE SCROLL 175
Preaching is valid, in the first place, because it
is valid to remind. I say "remind" because miost of
those who hear us are already aware of the truths
that we afRrm. They have heard them many times,
and partially confirmed them from time to time in
their own experiences. The preacher reminds, then,
not by dreary repetition, but by illuminating, as
freshly and as timely as he can, the great constants
of life.
We live in a dependable universe. In it, man can
choose among numerous courses of actiion, but he
cannot choose where a given course will take him
if he elects to follow it. The Creator has determined
that. Man can build a house on sand if he likes, but
he can't make it stick. He can fashion elaborate struc-
tures of evil if he chooses, but he can't make them
stay glued. Conversely, man can choose among
numerous goals, but to reach one he must take a
course that leads there. And God has determined
those too. Men have often chosen peace, but they
have yet to reach it by a course of mutual intimida-
tion.
The universe abounds in such predictables. It
lays upon those who would flourish in it some abiding
imperatives, moral as well as mechanical. It is the
prophets and saints who have seen these imperatives
most clearly, and have stated them each in the
manner of his day. History illustrates them; bi-
ographies bear them witness. By them each of us
reaps either results or consequences. And of them
each of us needs reminding.
I know that it profiteth a man nothing to gain
the world and lose his soul. But I need to be reminded.
I know that by hoarding life we lose it, and by in-
vesting it in the Kingdom we find it. But I need
to be reminded. I know that the meek shall inherit
the earth, that without love I am a sounding brass
176 THE SCROLL
or tinkling cymbal, that truth makes men free. But
of all these I need to be reminded — reminded in
terms which are familiar and by references to ex-
periences that I understand.
A common criterion of the validity of preaching
has been its effectiveness in producing "changed
lives." But what of unchanged lives? What of those
good Christians in every congregation who have gone
through the worst life can do to a person without a
change for the worse? What of those who have suf-
fered the "slings and arrows of an outrageous for-
tune" and have not gone to pieces? The widow un-
afraid, the combat veteran unembittered, the spinster
unhardened, the public servant uncorrupted, the
newly-rich unpretentious, the invalid unscarred by
self-pity — surely these unchanged lives also testify
in some measure to the validity K)f preaching that
reminds.
In his introduction to the book by the Norwegian
author, George Brochman, entitled * "Humanity and
Happiness," Lewis Mumford writes, "Each genera-
tion lives, as it were, by the platitudes and often
brings itself close to suicide by its originalities."
Then he adds, "But each generation, likewise, must
discover these funded truths for itself, as if for
the first time." Preaching is valid if it helps this
generation discover keenly, vividly, intimately, the
truths it already knows.
Preachings is valid, furthermore, becaiise it is valid
to sow good seed. That is, to sow seeds of sug-
gestion in the minds of men. For some of it falls
on good ground and brings forth fruit forty, sixty,
or a hundredfold. In fact, Jesus likened the King-
dom's coming to the growing lof mustard seed. And
again he likened it to corn planted and growing,
we know not how — first the blade, then the ear, then
* Viking Press
THE SCROLL 177
the full corn in the ear. So the preacher has the
opportunity not only of reminding men of what they
know, but of planting and cultivating new germinal
insight.
The power of ideas is not to be underestimated
any more than the power of seeds is. Just as a
growing seed will sometimes split a boulder, sio
growing ideas from time to time have destroyed
some of civilization's monolithic institutions and cus-
toms. Carlyle, it is said, once sat listening to some
common talk about the ineffectiveness of ideas.
Then when a pause came he remarked, "Gentlemen,
there was once a man called Rousseau. He wrote a
book which was nothing but ideas. People laughed
at it. But the skins of those who laughed went to
bind the second edition of the book."
Douglas Steere has observed that between men
and their institutions and customs there always
exists what he calls the "cord of consent." This cord
of consent or appproval may be tacit, passive, un-
critical, perhaps even unconscious. But it is always
there. When something takes place in the hearts
and minds of men that severs or weakens this oord
of consent, the institution or custom supported by it
withers and dies. And then in time new institutional
expressions develop, nourished in turn by the newly
constituted cord of consent. Thurman Arnold, com-
menting on the organized violations of the 18th
amendment has bluntly commented that when people
want something done, the apparatus will develop
to do it for them. Emerson, however, has put it more
lyrically and positively:
"Let man serve law for man;
Live for friendship, live for love.
For truth and harmony's behoof ;
The state may follow how it can,
As Ol3nnpus follows Jove.
178 THE SCROLL
Call it what you will — ^the cord of consent, the
climate of opinion — it is the area in which impor-
tant things happen. It is the liveliest battlefied in
the world. And it is the one ion which the preacher
is best equipped to fight. There is something patheti-
cally humorous in the Communists working fever-
ishly to spread the idea that ideas don't matter. Any
group of determinists, be they economic determin-
ists like the Communists, or theological, or sociologi-
cal who seek to oust reason from its role in human
affairs, to the degree that they succeed cut the
ground from under their own arguments. Ideas do
matter. Belief matters ! Faith matters ! The whole
outlook with which man confronts his environment
matters ! For as a man thinketh in his heart, so is
he. It is valid to sow seeds in human minds and
hearts. "The state may follow how it can, as Olym-
pus follows Jove."
Moreover, preaching is valid becaiose it is valid to
interpret — to clarify. I am profoundly suspicious
of the ineffable. I seriously question whether a per-
son comprehends a thing until he comprehends it in
terms of words, concepts, metaphors or myth. Of
course no words or myth are ever perfect to con-
tain a truth. But any words or concepts or meta-
phors are either relatively adequate or inadequate —
relatively illuminating or misleading. It is the
preacher's opportunity to put such truth as he sees
into articulate, recallable, communicable form. Un-
less he does this for his congregation his sermon
does not clarify an idea, it merely elongates it.
What, other than this, did Jesus do when he spake
in parables. The prodigal son coming to himself
and turning back to a father who had never ceased
to love him, the good shepherd leaving the ninety
and nine safely in the fold to seek the hundredth
that had strayed, the ungrateful servant forgetting
THE SCROLL 179
in his role as creditor the mercy his master had
shown him as a debtor, the three stewards each
with his talents to use in his master's service — no
wonder the people heard him gladly.
It is the peculiar genius of Harry Emerson Fos-
dick to communicate truth so vividly and yet so
simply that we feel he is saying just what we had
been wanting to say. Actually he is helping us to
comprehend truths for the first time. We don't
really grasp an idea until we can say it. And often
we can't say it until we have heard it said, or
conceptualized.
"Are you a part of the problem or a part of
the answer?" Dr. Fosdick asks in one of his ser-
mons. And the frustrating fuzzyness of the "social
gospel" becomes as sharp as a lance in our minds.
By a single question he makes the social dimension
of lOur faith no longer a vaguely guilty conscience
and a bewildered good will, but rather a factor in
every personal decision. Alan Watts speaks of the
"playfulness of God — a colossal gaiety in the heart
of the universe." And the prodigal extravagances
of nature blaze with a new meaning. Harry Over-
street writes of the "linkage theory of maturity"
— that is, that one matures by progressively deeper
involvement in his environment. He becomes linked
to the past by learning, to the present by responsi-
bility and liability, to his fellows by empathy, to
God by faith. And the meaning of growth becomes
observable and measurable. In fact the whole recent
concept of maturity versus immaturity is a tre-
mendously helpful key to human behavior. These
thinkers have done superbly what it is the preach-
er's opportunity to do regularly. They have clari-
fied commionplace experiences by interpreting them.
By putting them into words, concepts, and meta-
phor, they have made truths that we never really
comprehended seem familiar friends.
180 THE SCROLL
In his little book *"Nervous Disorders and
Character," John G. McKensie cites with approval
Dr. Renyard West's contention that "most mental
illnesses are rooted in misconceptions." Professor
McKensie warns that it is of course an oversimpli-
fication to think of psychotherapy simply as remov-
ing intellectual misconceptions. But he adds, "there
is a very great deal of truth in Dr. West's con-
tention. Misconceptions regarding God, ethical de-
mands, and human nature undoubtedly play a large
part in neurotic trouble." Insofar as the preacher
can help persons to comprehend the natural, social,
and spiritual worlds in which they live he is minis-
tering to them at a point of critical need.
Whittier's best known hymn includes this stanza :
0 Sabbath rest by Galilee,
O calm of hills above.
Where Jesus knelt to share with thee
The silence of eternity
Interpreted by love.
Eternity means not only infinite time. It is the
master frame of reference, the realm of ultimate
meaning. It intrudes upon men's consciousness
when they lay loved ones away, but not then alone.
It confronts man whenever he pushes to the limits
of human knowledge, and then asks "why?". It con-
fronts him when he probes to the core of matter
and finds nothing material. It confronts him when
he ponders the spectacle of humans using their in-
telligence and hard won skills to destroy each other
and themselves. It confronts him when he seeks
to reconcile the evil he can't escape with the God
he can't deny. It confronts him in moral decisions
he is afraid to make and can't postpone.
But eternity is silent. No unmistakable voice from
•Macmillan
THE SCROLL 181
its depths answers the questions it imposes. Jesus
faced eternity, often. In Gethsemane he faced it in
all of its stark chill, and again on the cross. And
he interpreted it — interpreted it by love. "Father,
not my will but thine be done." "Father, forgive
them for they know not what they do." To many,
eternity is an uncommunicative abyss. To Jesus,
who interpreted it by love, it was his Heavenly
Father. The minister of Jesus Christ falls short
of his opportunity if he be not an "interpreter of
eternity" to those who face it.
But above all, preaching is valid becatcse it is
valid to worship. More than all else, men need a
real awareness of God. Awareness of God, not as a
permissible hypothesis but as the most important
factor in every human situation. Awareness of
God, not as a "that which" but as their Heavenly
Father. *Dr. Sockman recalls that Professor Johns-
ton Ross of Union Seminary used to stress that "the
primary purpose of every sermon, as well as of
the worship service, is to make men aware of God."
For, he said, if they could feel the divine presence,
most of their problems would assume a different
aspect. Then Sockman adds, "Seeing God imparts
a strength to find solutions and thus renders un-
necessary so many specific pulpit prescriptions."
I believe that. At their best, sermion and worship
service are one. Together they can make God seem
as real as He is. Worship should make the wor-
shipper listen. Listening should make the listener
worship. Together they can make men aware of
their Father in Heaven. Anthropomorphism, I
think, is by no means the low point in men's con-
ceptions of God. A more sophisticated terminology
may really conceal a lower religious awareness. In
making just this point, C. S. Lewis tells of class-
*The Higher Happiness — Cokesbury
182 THE SCROLL
room conversations with some of his students at
Oxford. He asked them to give their definitions of
God. One girl, who had apparently completed the
course Philosophy la, replied that "God was Per-
fect Substance." When Lewis asked her what her
definition suggested to her, she stammered with
some embarrassment that it suggested a sort of
massive tapioca pudding. To make matters worse,
she didn't like tapioca pudding.
Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father,
and it suflficeth us. Jesus saith unto him. Have
I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not
known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen
the Father. It was in the words and deeds of Jesus
that his first followers saw God more clearly than
ever before. And it is in the same presence that
moderns can find Him most satisfying. "Sir, we
would see Jesus," said some Greeks to Philip in
Jerusalem. And later, scripture tells us, when an-
other seeker approached Philip, Philip "opened his
mouth . . . and preached unto him Jesus." When
the modern preacher meets that cry with that re-
sponse, he is ministering to men at the point of
their deepest need.
Somewhere in one of his books Walter Horton
tells of seeing the stage production of Drinkwater's
"Lincoln." As he watched Lincoln suffering with
the nation he was trying to preserve, as he ob-
served Lincoln's tenderness, compassion, and love
rise above the tides of hatred, brutality, and venge-
ance that threatened to wash him down. When he
saw Lincoln steer the steadfast course of reconcilia-
tion on seas of ruthless passion. Dr. Horton said
that a feeling of religious certainty and aflfirmation
surged through him as seldom before or since. And
he was at worship. He said to himself, "This is it."
This is God at work. This is the vast tenderness
THE SCROLL 183
at the heart of the universe suffering to victory-
through the waywardness and sin of men. This is
how God redeems His world.
We preach one greater than Lincoln. And those
who see him see the Father. Those who know his
mind know the mind of the Father. Those who feel
his love know the love of God. Those who serve
him serve the Father. And those who are drawn
to his feet kneel at the feet of God Himself.
Dr. C. F. Wishart, former minister of Second
Presbyterian Church in Chicago, and now Presi-
dent-Emeritus of Wooster College tells this story.
A college class held their first reunion on the twen-
ty-fifth anniversary of their graduation. There
were the usual happy greetings and reminiscences
as old half forgotten friendships were renewed.
One classmate, however, was recognized by no one,
for the years had not been kind to him and his
appearance had changed much more than in most
of them. The stranger refused to identify himself
despite the embarrassed feelers of his friends. Fi-
nally he called out, "All right, son, come in," and
from an adjoining room a young man of eighteen
lor twenty years came into the group. The class-
mates looked at the boy, and gasped. Then turning
to the stranger they said, "Bill, why, it's Bill. We
would never have known you," and all of the other
happy greetings that come when old friends reunite.
"You see," said Dr. Wishart, "they recognized
the father in the face of the son." Preaching is valid
when it helps men recognize the Father in the face
lof the Son.
Symposium
T. Hassell Bowen. Certainly the Disciples, who
have inherited the ecumenical passion of their
founding fathers, should be the first to greet with
enthusiasm the National Council of Churches as the
184 THE SCROLL
long-delayed, though only partial fulfillment of the
Disciple visiion of the united church. Even though
the Disciples would have preferred as the doctrinal
basis of the Council the more Biblical idea of "Jesus
Christ as Lord and Savior" to the more theological
and exclusive conception of "Jesus Christ as Grod
and Savior," the Disciple delegates v^isely did not
make this a divisive issue. Satisfaction should be
realized in the fact that churches with such diverse
traditions and theological persuasions found it possi-
ble to unite on the basis of such a theological mini-
mum. Hence, it is now incumbent on all loyal Dis-
ciples to' become creative and cooperative partici-
pants in the fellowship and work of the National
Council of Churches. In this manner our Brother-
hood will give concrete evidence of their desire
to practice the unity they have so eloquently advo-
cated for more than a century.
Charles B. Barr. The formation of the National
Council of Churches is indeed a great step forward
along the road to Christian unity by uniting Chris-
tians about their common tasks. It is not a super-
church, uniting Christians by theological uniform-
ity or the coercion of ecclesiastical pressures. It is
an agency of churches, designed to hold before
Christians great needs. The spirit of Christ will
move to meet these needs without regard to the
denominational affiliation of the house in which the
Spirit is resident.
Some of us at Cleveland felt that the constitu-
tional provision that at least half of the represen-
tatives of a member communion be nominated by
the boards and agencies of the communion made
:the representation less democratic than it should
have been. Perhaps, though, nominees of the agen-
cies will be more sensitive to the proper and ef-
ficient functioning of an agency.
THE SCROLL 185
A. C. Brooks. The announcements about the for-
mation of the National Council of Churches
aroused widespread interest and concern among
Christian leaders across denominational boundary-
lines, but particularly among Disciples of Christ,
who have preached Christian union for so long.
Many of us looked forward to the Cleveland meet-
ing, and some were disappointed that funerals and
other engagements prevented our attendance at this
history-making convocation. The new Council
journal has just come to my desk, and it fulfills
many of the high expectations we had for the
Council. We are assured that the Council will make
a distinct contribution to the growing ecumenical
spirit in America and elsewhere. It is our prayer
that this may be realized. If we could have more
significant achievements like this and stop the di-
visions which continue to invade the ranks of Chris-
tendom we would help the prayer of Jesus that "they
may all be one" to be realized. This would be
genuine Christian progress.
A. T. DeGroot. The formation of the National
Council of Churches is a cause for much rejoicing,
but is not the new thing that must come for a true
forward step in church union. Effective federation
on a national scale is 43 years old, and is a blessed
achievement, for which the N.C.C. is the capstone
in America. But, as the Archbishop of Canterbury
said in his Cambridge sermon of 1946, "We do
not desire a federation: that does not restore the
circulation" (he had likened denominations to
barriers in the bloodstream of the body of Christ) .
The Conference on Church Union (Cincinnati, 1951)
holds the pattern for real progress in church unity.
The N.C.C. is John the Baptist.
H. Gavin. The brief commentaries by twelve
Disciple leaders printed in the January SCROLL
186 THE SCROLL
form a heartening display of the reasons for rejoic-
ing in the achievement of the Cleveland Constitut-
ing Convention. Though not without very sobering
reservations, reminders, and warnings, the writers
all hail a major event in the annals of American
Protestantism and a coming day of challenge and
hope.
In these considered words of men of experience
and learning, one finds some answers to the question
which many laymen are asking: What will the
Council with all its intricate ordering and its able,
devoted leaders signify to the 31,000,000 assorted
members of churches in whose name distinguished -
churchmen have been speaking radiant words ? More \
specifically, for this brief proposed glance at too
large a question, how far will the new creation stir
the minds and hearts of some ten million of these
laymen who belong to locally independent religious
societies? We members of such groups know too
well how strong is the habit of dwelling in our own
problems and routines, with only vague and usually
sentimental contemplation of the wider horizons
and far-flung influences of a world-embracing
Church. Attending to the dates on lour own calen-
dars with whatever zeal in spending our resources,
we are scarcely conscious of the greatness of our
own traditions, and not even mildly informed of
other great traditions.
Suppose lone goes through the twenty-five or thir-
ty (count 'em!) points made by the contributors to
The Scroll symposium seeking especially opinions
or intuitions that may be clues to the "inward
strengthening" and the outgo of power which several
of the writers envision as outcomes of the new
emergence of cooperation. There is space for bare
mention of three or four perspectives which seem
to promise growing solidarity and deeper mutual
THE SCROLL 187
concern within the free and not-united congrega-
tions.
There is first the matter of bringing home to the
"grass roots" the drama of the great merger itself,
expressed so far most effectively in the "pageantry"
which the delegates at Cleveland found very moving
. . . "For the first time I am seeing the Church — not
in its perfection perhaps and not yet complete —
but the Church visible in proportions many times
greater than I have ever seen it before." There will
be other occasions no doubt for great staging and
symbolism. Everyone who has come home filled
with new appreciations from an inspiring assembly
of congenial spirits has felt the inadequacy of any
attempt to communicate the experience. But we
have now some fine technical instruments to aid
this business of reporting — ^television, radio, films.
We may hope that a very special effort will be made
to transmit new visions to the people.
Again, the enterprises in which the denomina-
tions will work together in the National Council's
many agencies are of the kind that now draw men
of good will together from many walks of life. The
delegates, members of commissions, conferences,
etc., will find themselves joining forces with those
of differing creeds in ways that discount the creedal
differences, "In such enterprises Protestantism can
now speak with power. It can now pool the findings
of its specialists in such matters as social welfare,
racial tensions, religious education, economic prob-
lems, international relations." Conclusions and pro*-
nouncements will undoubtedly attract wider atten-
tion and carry greater weight with the public, both
lay and secular.
Ohio State Journal — Sometimes it seems that in-
dependent action and home rule in the broadest sense
are being lost in the shuffle in a day when the trend
188 THE SCROLL
is increasingly toward organization of individuals
into groups, and the groups into super-groups, for
the purpose of accomplishing some end.
Meeting in Columbus this week is a branch of
an organization which is meeting this problem
nicely. It is the Division of Christian Education of
the National Council of Churches of Christ in the
U. S. A.
The National Council is an organization of 29
Protestant denominations numbering over 31,000,000
people. Yet its spokesmen are scrupulously careful
never to let it be said the Council "speaks for
31,000,000 people," and scrupulously careful to let
it be known the opinion of any one of the 29-member
communions is not necessarily its view, nor is its
voice necessarily that of a given member.
Yet the Council affords the advantages of col-
lective action to its Baptist, Lutheran, Methodist,
Presbyterian, Episcopalian, Congregationalist and
other members without interfering with their
special doctrines.
This can be done because there are basic Chris-
tian beliefs which are held by all, and the Council
restricts itself to finding means to swell the potency
of these beliefs in the world's affairs. Further, it
can exchange data and information and make studies
in fields — such as missions — which present common
problems to all denominations.
Certainly there is a need for strengthening the
overall influence of the churches with regard to
today's hectic affairs. It is laudable that the Na-
tional Council's members have found a way to do
this without sacrificing the individuality which is
also needed in our society.
Richard James. "Division among Christians is a
horrid evil, fraught with many evils. It is anti-
Christian, as it destroys the visible unity of the
THE SCROLL 189
body of Christ ; as if he were divided against him-
self, including and excommunicating a part of him-
self ... in a word, it is productive of confusion,
and of every evil work." So wrote Thomas Camp-
bell in The Declaration and Address in 1809 and
delivered it to the meeting held at Buffalo, August
17. Campbell's heart would be made glad today to
read of the progress which his propositions were
making among the denominations of our time. Many
communions have actually combined their work in
recent years. In almost every state of our union
there is some type of activity by which Christians
of various faiths may work together on common
causes. The most significant happening in the past
few years is the organization of the National Council
of the Churches of Christ in the U. S. A. To date
there are twenty-nine denominations working to-
gether in this organization. This council will help
us all get a better view of the American church and
to cooperate in the task of Christianizing our land.
Brady Brown, St. Joseph, Mo. Space will not allow
me to express in full my appreciation for
the trip to Columbus, Ohio, where I attended
the Christian Education Division of the National
Council of Churches. It will suffice to say,
however, that this was grand inspiration and edu-
cation for me! I met with several thousand leaders
of Christian education who came from all parts
of the U. S. and Canada. There were plenary ses-
sions where we met together to hear our greatest
leaders, but there were also smaller divisions such
as leaders of youth, adult, and of children. It seems
to me our Christian Education program of our
nation is stronger. I felt there was a greater im-
pact this year than last. The theme this year was
"United for a Ministry of Teaching."
190 THE SCROLL
Professor W. C. Bower, Lexington, Ky. Every
Disciple must find great satisfaction in the con-
summation of the organization of the National
Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. The
accomplished purpose is in direct accord with the
genius and tradition of the Disciples of Christ. While
it does not accomplish the organic union of all Chris-
tendom, it is a long step in that direction. It is in
fact a functional unity on a non-theological basis
of the major part of American Protestantism around
common purposes and common practical concerns.
This also is in accord with the best in Disciple tradi-
tions.
Parker Rossman, 222 Downey Ave., Indianapolis.
As one contemplates the new National Council of
Churches, one is impressed by the fact that the
World Council, the National Council, state and local
council of churches, are the most significant phases
of the Church Union Movement in our time. Their
existence now raises for us a new and most pressing
question: Are these councils to be dead ends along
the road to union? Are they to be merely large ma-
chines for cooperation which in time become ends
in themselves ? Or are they to be the method through
which churches come to know one another and love
one another and learn to know and love Christ more
together? If the latter is the case then we shall find
union through the councils and not around them.
We need a philosophy of cooperation, obviously,
for we have not yet learned really how to work to-
gether in these organizations. But we must move
beyond cooperation. There is to ecumenicity a sig-
nificance that is deeper and richer than is implied by
the term cooperation. When one cooperates he with-
holds a part of himself and cooperates only in areas
that do not conflict with his sovereignty. But the
union for which Christ prayed is a union in which
THE SCROLL 191
all would give up everything to Him.
When the Student Christian Movements federated
for the first time five years ago some of the move-
ments— the Lutherans and others — entered the fed-
eration with great hesistancy and suspicion. They
were uncertain that they could cooperate, they were
uncertain to what it would lead. And the hesitation
was not just on the part of conservative groups,
some of the most liberal groups wondered why in
the world they were getting mixed up with the con-
servative, almost fundamentalist, groups. It has
been interesting therefore to watch the growing
confidence that has resulted from work together,
association together and most important from com-
ing to know one another as Christians. A most im-
portant factor in this has been the way in which our
National Student Council has given the first and
foremost part of its time at each lof its annual meet-
ings to a retreat where we came to know each other,
where we searched the scriptures together and
prayed together. After such an experience as that
when we came to points of impossible diificulty,
when we knew we were not going to be able to agree
at all we could still say in the spirit of Amsterdam :
"We intend to stay together even though we cannot
agree at all on this most difficult point."
Actually this philosophy of working in a council,
the matter of making councils function is to me
a thing no more complicated than being a Christian.
In fact it is merely applying Christian ways of work-
ing to the machinery of councils. We cannot have
forced marriages of churches. It is foolish to talk
about wedding ceremonies until there has been a
long and happy period of courtship, of coming to
know one another most intimately, and when such
a courtship matures then marriage may become in-
evitable. When such union becomes inevitable, I am
192 THE SCROLL
in favor of it — even with the Baptists. And mean-
while I am certainly in favor of the courtship, which
basically must be a great expansion of what Ben
Burns has called "Shirt Sleeve Ecumenicity."
Annual Meeting of Campbell
Institute
July 23, 24, and 25, 1951, in the Disciples Divinity
House in Chicago will occur the annual meeting of
the Campbell Institute. Professor S. Marion Smith,
of the Butler School lof Religion, is the President of
the Institute, and has taken his office seriously, and
vigorously. That is his way. He will have an ex-
cellent program and will instill new interest and
aggressiveness in the members. He taught New
Testament in Phillips University for several years
but always with open eyes upon developments in his
field. He had done work at the University of Chi-
cago as vacations and lother opportunities made it
possible until he won a fellowship in the Depart-
ment of New Testament. Then he came to Chicago
for a year, carried on the exacting work of a Fellow,
preached every Sunday for the North Side Chris-
tian Church, and cared for his wife and five chil-
dren at the same time. Some lone asked me whether
Smith had "executive ability." I said, "look at that
year's record." If that does not reveal executive abil-
ity, nothing would!
He is enthusiastic about the Campbell Institute.
He does not seem to know that there ever was any
danger connected with membership in this order of
inquiring spirits, or in the high place of leadership
among them. He has chosen for the general topic
of next summer's meeting, "Preacher and Seminary
Face Their Task." This is a good year for this sub-
ject. Edgar DeWitt Jones has just published
THE SCROLL 193
through Harpers a notable book on, "The Royalty
of the Pulpit." It is the history of the Lyman Beecher
Lectures on preaching given at Yale since 1872. In
this issue of The Scroll is a notable paper on "The
Validity of Preaching" by Paul Hunter Beckelhymer.
A glimpse at the other side of the question, for spice,
may be seen in the article in the recent Pulpit, by
John R. Scotford, under the title, No More Great
Preachers !
The membership of the Institute will also be in-
creased under the new administration of Marion
Smith.
Response to Treasurer's Lament
In a recent Scroll the treasurer lamented that
the muse was mute because he had not received
those verses which have been characteristic of the
dues-paying members of the Institute for many
years. His lament brought in a number of dues
payments but only one printable poem. We print
it below as an encouragement tO' you to send in your
verse and also as an encouragement to you to send
in your dues and subscription payment. The rather
startling reminder which you received with your
last copy of The Scroll is evidence that we are
making an effort to clear up our K)bligations incurred
in the printing of The Scroll and we trust that
every member will take upon himself the responsi-
bility of replying. It makes all of our lives much
more enjoyable if you will send along some notes
with your $3.00 indicating your interest in the In-
stitute or your appreciation of the work of the editor
and his company. It makes the treasurer's life hap-
pier if you will send in good poetry like this but,
for heaven's sake, please forget the Latin. I was
educated without benefit lof classical studies. If
194 THE SCROLL
there are some translators in The Scroll mem-
bership, please, please send a translation of the last
line of Mr. Osborn's contribution along with $3.00
to the treasurer of The Scroll. Mr. Sharpe's prose
contribution is for the benefit lof non-poets.
Since
Burns
Yearns
For returns.
Here's Osborn's!
Eheu poetica exanima est!
— G. Edwin Osbom
I see by the September Scroll that you are "It"
for the next decade or two, for gathering the fuel to
keep the home fires burning for the "printer" of
The Scroll if that much pressed functionary still
has the breath of life in him.
Though the heavens fall and the earth cave in,
this organ of religious life and light must keep on
functioning !
I have been sending iron men for a long, long
time to keep The Scroll coming — even sometimes
when we knew only by faith that it would ever
come again. Just now my faith is strong that it
will keep on vigorously for a long time to come. I
can read but little, but I manage to read The
Scroll — every line of it.
Enclosed my 3 bucks or iron men for current
year's dues ! Good luck !
— Charles M. Sharpe
THE SCROLL
\0L. XLIII MARCH, 1951 No. 7
Notes
E. S. Ames
The new Year Book lists among the deceased min-
isters the following who were members and friends
:f the Campbell Institute: W, Garnet Alcorn, Bo-
gard. Mo. ; Clark Walker Cummings, St. Louis ; 0. R.
Deihl, Chicago ; J. Arthur Dillinger, Grant City,
Mo. ; Stephen E. Fisher, Urbana, 111. ; J. H. Goldner,
Cleveland, 0. ; R. W. Hoffman, Springfield, Mo. ; A.
LeRoy Huff, Monmouth, 111. ; Robert C. Lemon,
Irving Park Church, Chicago ; William Oeschger,
Rensselaer, Ind. ; Milo J. Smith, Berkeley, California ;
J. J. Turner, Hiran, Ohio; Edward McShane Waits,
Fort Worth, Texas ; Clifford S. Weaver, McKinney,
Texas; Frank Garrett, Nanking, China.
Cromwell C. Cleveland, Newport News, Virginia,
sends us a well arranged and mimeographed direc-
tory and guide to the church in that substantial city.
It shows careful planning and organization in all
departments and types of work. There is an inter-
esting page on, "What your Secretary does." Twenty-
five activities and duties are listed which are vital
to the eflficiency cf a church. Important among these
are "keeps church rolls up-to-date," "makes finan-
cial report to Treasurer each Monday," "sends out
financial statements and letters." This church has
a membership of 558, of which 479 is resident and
79 non-resident. The current expense budget is
$11,254, and the total budget is $17,254. Congratula-
tions !
John Cyrus in Omaha, Charles Phillips in Des-
Moines, and Robert Smudski in Meadville, Pa., are
new pastors of Unitarian Churches. We Disciples
who stay around the home base wonder what these
196 THE SCROLL
men think of the new National Council of Churches,
organized in Cleveland last January. It happens
that all of these men did their graduate work in
the Disciples Divinity House and we know them to
be fine fellows. What attracts men with this back-
ground to Unitarian pulpits? Why do Unitarian
churches invite men from such training into their
pulpits? Such questions arise in considering the
significance and possibilities of the functional union
which the Council cultivates.
Our oldest-youngest member of the Institute, at
ninety-five, is concerned that the often abused snake
family be given its rightful place in biblical history
and in evolutionary history! W. J. Lhamon is al-
ways surprising!
A card from W. E. Garrison, mailed in Havana,
Cuba, March 12, says : We had a few busy days of
speech-makirg and visiting in Dallas, Fort Worth,
and Houston, a day of sight-seeing in New Orleans,
and then flew over to Havana yesterday evening.
The weather is mid-summer, and we like it. This
evening we go to Kingston, Jamaica — about a two
hours flight. We both send best regards."
Roy O'Brien, after a short but successful pastorate
at Palo Alto, California, ha& resigned to become a
chaplain with the Veterans' Administration in the
Veteran's Hospital in Palo Alto. Roy O'Brien is
one of the most gifted of our Disciple ministers in
this country, and we trust he will continue to make
contributions by his pen for our quickening and
guidance.
It is an accomplished event of real significance
when a Disciple minister reaches his thirtieth year
in the successful service of one pastorate. Hayes
Farish has achieved that distinction in the Woodland
Church, Lexington, Kentucky, and the congregation
celebrated the day by presenting a gift of $660
THE SCROLL 197
toward the completion of their Crusade Fund of
more than $11,000. Only a small balance remains
to be met.
Years ago at a large convention of Disciples, I
heard Hugh McLellan preach a sermon. The ser-
mon was carefully prepared, delivered with ease
and power, in the tone and manner of an accom-
plished incisive thinker. I have not seen or heard
him since that day, but I have urged him to write
and speak his telling message to reach beyond his
church in Winchester, Kentucky. It is too bad that
he is not more widely known and appreciated. He
is one preacher who is appreciated in his own coun-
try. The Kentucky Christian says, "Dr. McLellan
is recognized as one of the outstanding pulpit men
of the Brotherhood and has spent 55 years preach-
ing in Disciple churches." We trust his health may
improve and that he may yet give us a volume of
his pithy sermons.
Sterling W. Brown of New York gave us a flying
visit one evening last week. He told me of the good
fortune that has come to the National Council of
Christians and Jews. A recent cash gift of a million
dollars will provide a building for the Council
close by the new building of the United Nations.
It is a good omen that far seeing representatives
of Judaism, Roman Catholicism, and Protestantism
are vigorously seeking to understand each other
and to cultivate practical methods to increase tol-
erance and brotherhood in the world. Mr. Brown
has been appointed to represent the State Depart-
ment of this country for three months in the near
future in Germany where he has spent more than
two years in educational and social work in re-
covery work. As evidence that he still believes in
the Campbell Institute, he made a gift like Pastor
Jordan's toward the new age!
198 THE SCROLL
The members of the Campbell Institute are pub-
lishing books faster than The Scroll can get them
adequately reviewed. McCasland has written about,
The Finger of God, Curtis Jones about Being Your
Best, and Edgar De Witt Jones about The Royalty
of the Pulpit. There are other books by our men
that have gone so long and so well without the
help of a review in The Scroll, that we hesitate
to offer our comments at this late day.
Speaking of these books leads to an exhortation
which all should heed. It is that every member of
the Institute, and every friend of the cause, should
remember that contributions to these pages are
always welcome. This publication is a cooperative
enterprise, ar.d members should not wait for a
personal invitation to write for it. The editor is
just a copy and proof reader among his brethren,
a kind of voluntary Printer's Devil ! !
Pres. S. Marion Smith announces that the annual
meeting for 1951 will be held in the Disciples Di-
vinity House July 23, 24, and 25. Pleasant weather
is predicted !
A Letter From Mrs. A!bin Bro
Valentine's Day, 1951
USIS, American Embassy,
Djakarta, Indonesia
Dear Friends,
As I sit and watch the western monsoon, wind,
big wind and more wind, bending the motherly palms
and fatherly pines in parental solicitude over the
trembling banana and avacado trees, I figure I
might as well take my pen in hand. This is a sunny
day, good for a neighborly chat; last week we had
terrific rains and our roof leaked in ten places and
the tile skipped around merrily. However, we who
live only one family to a house, can move away from
THE SCROLL 199
the wet spots. Most dwellings in Java house many
families and the persnickety Americans have to sit
in hotels and cool their heels month after month
because there is a law that people cannot be dislodged
from their dwelling place, no matter who has bought
the house, unless the occupants are offered another
house just as good. The population of Djakarta and
Bandung has quadrupled since the war. Albin was
lucky to find this five-roomed house in Bandung's
most beautiful suburb, Bandung being only a hun-
dred miles — half an hour by air — from Djakarta.
Cool here, too; we sleep under blankets. Week ends
Albin leaves the sticky heat of Djakarta and comes
here and we entertain madly almost the clock
around; there are so many who need to know the
inside of an ordinary American home. And if I do
say it as shouldn't, our long living-dining-room
with its many bookshelves, made from packing boxes,
is about the homiest place I've seen. When we came
our garden was a tangle of marigold and cosmos
much higher than my head and completely impene-
trable so that we had to cut everything to the ground
and start over, but flowers and bushes grow over-
night here and we will soon have a gay place. We
must have twenty pines in our yard with papayas,
limes, bamboo and some immense banyan trees
nearby.
This whole city is beautiful; miles of attractive
houses, each with its flower boxes and garden; the
wealthy Indonesians and the thrifty Dutch keep
things spruce. Sudden steep hillsides are terraced
with tiny rice fields; the city is really cupped in a
high valley and rimmed by blue and lavender moun-
tains, one of the near mountains being a live volcano
over which watchmen preside, taking a daily reckon-
ing of the height of the spurt of the lava. But all
across and around the city are the little kompoons
200 THE SCROLL
or native villages where, since the Dutch have lost
supervision, the poor Indonesians live in stark pov-
erty. Nevertheless there is a fair public health serv-
ice with decreasing typhoid. Although the Dutch —
as patriotic citizens continually point out — did take
hundreds of millions of dollars out of Indonesia and
left the people, after 300 years, 80% illiterate, still
all the education does not come in schools and the
poorest people are bath conscious. To be sure they
bathe in the same open ditches and narrow canals
which are used for clothes washing and public toilets,
but the water runs swiftly, directly toward the nu-
merous small rice fields.
The need of schools is almost the first problem in
this country; thousands and thousands wanting to
go to school but not enough teachers nor buildings.
Part of Albin's job is selecting a few teachers and
advanced students to go to the USA for varying
periods of training. If you could hear the enthusiasm
with which they return ! Recently we Tiad as dinner
guest a man fresh back from three months in the US
and his regard for the open-minded, open-handed,
diligent, exuberant way of life is worth more than
years of talk on our part. Always, however, there
is one blight on the bloom of regard for American
democracy; the color barrier. If America could do
away with color discrimination, I now think — after
having visited eight Far Eastern countries and hav-
ing previously lived for six years in China — we could
save one-fourth the world's peoples for democracy,
thereby putting the quietus on Russia's expansion
and allowing our sons to live to a ripe old age in-
stead of becoming bullet stops. This is no figure of
speech but a practical actuality. Every instance of
color discrimination finds a ready sounding board
among these sensitive proud peoples.
In Bandung, as in all the other cities of Indonesia,
THE SCROLL 201
there is a large Chinese population ; the Chinese are
the business men, the prosperous citizens, the bal-
ance of power. Bandung is the oommunist head-
quarters, although their sizable embassy is of course
in Djakarta. The other day I was gaily exercising
my fluent Chinese in a grocery when the proprietor's
son began giving me a pep talk about the Red gov-
ernment in China. A sight-seeing party of promi-
nent women is now being arranged for a trip to
Peking. And officially we do not have one American
working in this city, either among the university
students or the general population. If we had half
a dozen Americans, two or three of them young and
forthright like Son-Andy, I'd wager that the attitude
of this important city could be changed in a year.
And the first three months of the year would have
to go onto language study, which same absorbs a
lot of my time. Andy has a gift for friendship and
people will speak out to a young chap as they won't
to older, more official representatives of democracy.
I think he is worth a regiment of soldiers ; meaning
that he may save the necessity for the regiment later.
The Dutch have left this country by the thousands
since the War and more are going to Australia and
New Zealand all the time. They say that Java was
a heaven on earth before the movement for inde-
pendence; no doubt it was — ^for the Dutch! The
Indonesian government has taken over so rapidly
that there is a consequent breakdown in law enforce-
ment; the road to Djakarta in only now beginning
to be safe.
Yesterday the former premier asked us to take
his twelve year old son, who is bright as a gold
button and talks good English, to live with us and
educate. Just like that. I wish we had room and
a better set-up ;i it is tempting. There is not one
single first-rate boarding school for Indonesian
202 THE SCROLL
children. Albin ought to be quadruplets. It makes
me ill to think what the price of one atom bomb could
do here.
For all the fact that we are absorbed in the job at
hand, there is no doubt but that we lead a double
life, half our minds in Korea. A triple life, really,
for certainly one's concerns and joys abide with the
home-folks. And then there are the places we vis-
ited on our way out here. Just a few days, at most
a week, in Japan, Formosa, Honkong, Indo-China,
Siam, the Philippines, Singapore, but in each place
we met such alert and vigorous nationals that we
could have moved in happily.
Snakes!
W. J. Lhamon, Columbia,, Mo.
I am sending you something quite new, as I judge,
for your pages in The Scroll. It is truly a biblical
theme, so your more orthodox readers need not be
disturbed by it. Of course the Campbell Institute
people are familiar with the "rib story" as it is
humorously called in proof that woman is simply
a "side issue." However a lady friend of mine in-
sists that the snake (serpent) was really befriending
Mother Eve when he directed her to the Tree of
Knowledge, and that for that good deed he got the
worst of the deal, and was condemned to travel "on
his belly" the rest of his days. How he travelled
previously one can only guess. However, he took to
his divine destiny with seeming zeal and good sense.
And he has been sticking to it for a long while,
probably for some thousands of evolutionary years.
History has it that in ancient Egypt there wasn't
a beast or a bug, or any other living thing but was
an object of worship. So the snake god must have
had his rightful place among the Egyptian gods
with their human bodies capped with cows heads,
and sheep heads, etc. There must have been in
THE SCROLL 203
Egypt a human body crowned with a coiled snake's
body, his head high — as it must have been when he
tried to befriend Mother Eve by introducing her to
the tree of wisdom. Gen. Ch. 3. Indeed our Savior,
in his proverbial way recognized the snake's wisdom
when he exhorted his disciples, saying, "I send
you forth as sheep among wolves. Be ye therefore
wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Mat. 10-16.
Indeed he is wise in several ways. Rather than
"pick a quarrel" he virtually "turns the other cheek"
and runs away. He fights only in self defense, like
most of the rest of our animal friends, and "brithers,"
as Robert Burns would say.
He has some unusual personal habits. When his
coat gets dusty or muddy in his earthen den, or too
old and badly worn he slits it longitudinally along
each side, and dextrously slips out of it; thus he
suddenly appears with a brand new coat — ^and no
thanks to the tailor. Also he plays a great role in
supporting "the balance of nature." He devours
mice, gophers, grasshoppers, frogs, and even other
smaller reptiles. . . Some snakes can be tamed so
far as to be harmless, and even friendly. One can
roll them up and carry them in his side pocket for
display to his admiring friends. There are but a
few of his tribe that are dangerous, such as the
viper of India, and the rattler of our own country.
But they can be rendered harmless under the hyp-
notism, or the surgery of professional "snake
charmers."
This leads to an interesting fact here in our own
land. Every two years the Moqui Indians of Arizona
hold their "snake dance." It is the culmination of
their nine days of secret rites. They dance till they
drop on their knees, and seize the snakes with their
teeth. In their dance they finally throw the snakes
from their mouths, and then indulge in a general
204 THE SCROLL
scramble to recover them — till finally they release
them into the brush or the jungle.
There is much more of a defensive kind to be said
for the much dreaded, and too often abused snake
family. However in this short essay I have tried to
give him his rightful place both in our biblical litera-
ture, and so far as we know in evolutionary history.
He is surely "one of God's creatures," as we say, and
surely also he is deserving of his rights. I rise to
his defense.
Sketch of Reformer Zwingli
Robert A. Thomas, St. Joseph, Mo.
The reason for the modern lack of interest in
Zwingli is that five years after he died there began
at Geneva the memorable career of John Calvin.
To him and not to Zwingli the Reformed Church
looks back. From him and not from the earlier
founder the Reformed people now date their exist-
ence. (See biography of Huldreich Zwingli by S. M.
Jackson.)
In connection with the Reformation two Swiss
cities became especially prominent. The first was
Zurich under the leadership of Zwingli, and then
Geneva under the masterful authority of John Cal-
vin. Zurich was on the through route of travel and
trade and exposed to German influence.
The pope perraiitted certain things to happen in
Switzerland which he did not stand for anywhere
else because of the fact that he was so dependent
on the mercenaries of the country for his army.
Half his palace guard came from Zurich. He em-
ployed thousands of men from this country to fight
his battles. Other governments also bid for the
services of the legions from Switzerland and the
mercenary business was a source of revenue of
great inportance. The Great Council insisted on re-
ports from the nunneries and cloisters within its
THE SCROLL 205
territory. It required the clergy to make reports and
come up to certain standards. In effect, it took over
the control of ecclesiastical matters from Rome. And
all this -before the Reformation was even thought of.
Huldreich Zwingli was born the first of January,
1484, at Wildhaus, the highest village in the Toggen-
burg Valley. He was the third in a large family of
eight sons and 2 daughters. His father was the
headman of the commune (chief magistrate and
farmer), and his uncle, Bartholomew Zwingli, was
the parish priest. Huldreich's education was super-
intended by his uncle, who became Dean of Wesen
in 1487, and took the small boy with him to his
new sphere of work. Zwingli was sent to school in
Wesen where he made such rapid progress that his
uncle soon discovered that his nephew was a pre-
cocious boy, and deserved a fine education. One au-
thor remarks that it was the providence of God that
put the child in the keeping of his uncle, for Bar-
tholomew was something of a scholar with progres-
sive ideas. It was due to the positive influence of
this uncle that Zwingli was kept out of a monastery,
to which he was invited because of his musical talent.
In free Switzerland, the connecting-link between
Italy and North Germany, the Humanistic studies
had early taken root and had given rise to a decided
ecclesiastical liberality, which had great influence
on Zwingli's early culture. At Berne his teacher was
Henrich Wolfin, the talented founder of the classical
schools in Switzerland. It was while he was at Berne
that the Dominican monks tried to enroll him in
their order. In 1499, at the age of 15, Zwingli went
to the University of Vienna where he was well
schooled in all Humanist accomplishments such as
modern Latin prose and poetry. Then he returned
to Basel where he had as teacher the courageous
theologian, Thomas Wittenbach who ventured openly
206 THE SCROLL
to preach that the whole system of indulgences was
a delusion and that Christ alone had paid the ransom
for the sins of mankind. Wittenbach exercised so
powerful an influence over Zwingli that while at
Basel he resolved to devote himself entirely to the-
ology. In 1504 he received his A.B. degree, and in
1506 his Masters. The time spent in these Humanist
schools resulted in his coming to early manhood a
cultured Humanist and not a monk or a hide-bound
scholastic or a fanatical ignoramus.
But Zwingli's real education began when he be-
came the Parish Priest at Glarus in 1506. For ten
years this important charge made it necessary for
him to really exert himself, and his scholarly am-
bition incited him to diligent use of every oppor-
tunity to increase his learning. During all these
years he was absorbed in a study of the history
of his native land, music, and classical studies. Learn-
ing Greek enabled him to go to the sources of much
information which in more or less imperfect form
had been brought to his attention in Latin transla-
tions. Being Humanist, he sought the company of
Humanists, and so his contempt for medieval teach-
ing was increased. Part of this time he spent in
Italy with the mercenary troops from Glarus (as
chaplain) and his contact with the church there un-
dermined his belief in its authority. It was while
he was at Glarus that he discovered Erasmus, and
under the instruction of this prince of the Humanists
he came to common-sense views in theology and some
knowledge of monastic arrogance and ignorance.
Erasmus led him to a contempt for the whole scholas-
tic system of theology, and to the idea that the true
Christian philosophy is found in the moral teachings
of Jesus and Paul. Immediately on publication of
Erasmus' Greek New Testament Zwingli began to
study it and saw how far the "unchanging" church
had strayed from the Church of New Testament
times.
THE SCROLL 207
Impressed on a visit with the advantages in the
way of study at Einsiedeln, he applied for a position
there and was successful. From 1516-1518 Zwingli
was curate of the abbey there, which at the time was
in the hands of a free-thinker. Strange to say, the
place itself, with its wonder-working image in St.
Meinrad's cell, was the center of the worst sort of
superstition. It was known as the great pilgrimage-
resort of Switzerlard. Here Zwingli came to know
at first hand superstition, idol-worship, relic-worship,
saint-worship and the abuse of indulgences. And
here fcr the first time he began to preach the gos-
pel— steadily advancing toward the Reform position.
There are many who believe he had already reached
that Reformation position and thus anticipated
Luther.
When the position of Peoples' Priest became va-
cant in the Great Minster in Zurich, Zwingli was
immediately a candidate. His friends worked hard
for his election to the pest, and were successful, so
that in December of 1518 Zwingli became chief
preacher in perhaps the most important city in
Switzerland. He came to this post a broad-minded,
highly educated independent, thoughtful, determined
man, turned in the direction of ecclesiastical free-
dom. In Zurich he played from the beginning an
important part in the life of the town and in the
progress of the whole Reformation movement. The
Scriptures became of more and more account to him
and the Church Fathers and Schoolmen less and less.
Almost his first act was to inform the chapter that
he intended to begin a preaching program in which
he would expound the Scriptures, book by book,
chapter by chapter, beginning with Matthew (which
was favored by the Humanists because it includes
the Sermon on the Mount) , continuing through Acts,
Galatians, First and Second Timothy and so on. By
208 THE SCROLL
1525 he had preached through the whole New Testa-
ment, but long before that the Reformation had been
established.
Zwingli was a man of stalwart frame, above mid-
dle height, of a ruddy countenance and pleasing
expression. He made a good impression on specta-
tors, and when he spoke he soon showed that he
was an orator who oould enchain the attention. The
preaching was fresh, full of new ideas, and the
preacher's fame spread rapidly. Crowds of people
thronged the Great Minster. Not only the town
people, but the country people listened to him with
delight, and for their benefit he preached every
Friday in the market-place — taking the Psalms for
continuous exposition.
Perhaps the subject which first introduced the
Reformation into Zurich was that of tithes. Zwingli
declared that they were not of divine authority, and
their payment should be voluntary. No wonder
oposition developed ! This struck at the heart of ec-
clesiastical revenue and the support of the cathedral.
The next step was the simplication of the breviary
as used in the Great Minster. This began in the
Spring of 1520, and was accomplished with nothing
more serious than a resolution passed by the Small
Council against "novelties and human invention"
aimed at him, but in such general terms that nothing
practical happened.
The more definite move came in 1522 during Lent,
when a number of Zwingli's disciples decided to take
seriously what he had been saying and publicly ate
meat during the Lenten Fasts. They were immedi-
ately called before the city Council, justified their
acts on the grounds of Zwingli's preaching, and he
came to their defense. The Council dealt leniently
with the offenders and the Bishop of Constance, in
whose territory Zurich belonged, let fire a blast con-
THE SCROLL 209
demning the Council and calling everyone concerned
to task. So it was that in August Zwingli issued the
first of his serious works, called the Archeteles
(meaning 'The Beginning of the End") which was
a defense against the Bishop's charges. He wanted,
at one blow, to win spiritual freedcm, and in this
work exposed the unbiblical and anti-biblical nature
of the exclusive claims and post-New Testament
doctrines and practices of the Roman Church,
In the Spring of 1523 the first of several public
disputations was held before the Great Council of
the City. Its occasion was the charges which had
been leveled against Zwingli and he persuaded the
Council to call the disputation to bring together
the accused and the accusers and come to some de-
cisions. In preparation for this public debate Zwingli
drew up a list of Sixty-seven theses containing a
summary of his dcctrinal teaching. These articles
insisted that the Word of God, the only rule of faith,
is to be received upon its own authority and not on
that of the Church. They are very full of Christ,
the only Savior, the true Son of God, who has re-
deemed us from eternal death and reconciled us to
God. They attack the Primacy of the Pope, the
Mass, the Invocation of the Saints, the thought that
men can acquire merit by their good works. Fasts,
Pilgrimages, and Purgatory. Of Celibacy he said :
"I knew of no greater nor graver scandal than that
which forbids lawful marriage to priests, and yet
permits them on payment of money to have concu-
bines and harlots. . ."
A second disputation was held in October of 1523
and for this he drew up an elaborate commentary
on the articles written in German. It was intended
to enlighten the people and it admirably served
that purpose. In it he indicates that he and Luther
agree on many points, but asserts his entire inde-
210 THE SCROLL
pendence of Luther, while confessing his great debt
to Erasmus.
Wiien the 67 Articles and the Commentary were
published, Erasmus cut his relationship with Zwin-
gli. There is not much evidence Erasmus had ever
had any real affection for Zwingli, but they had
much in common, and to young Zwingli there was no
scholar like Eramus. They were b:th devoted stu-
dents of the Greek and Latin classics and had many
common friends among the Humanists. Religiously
they both had come to the truth through culture
and reflection, and were strangers to any sort of
violert conversion. But when Zwingli went en to
carry out to their logical conclusions the teachings
of Erasmus and proposed to abolish the evils of the
Roman Church, Erasmus was much alarmed and
claimed that the time was not yet ripe. He tried to
dissuade Zwingli frcm doing anything.
The result of the first public disputation was a
triumph for the Reform party. The Great Council
announced that the charges against Zwingli were
unfounded. He was to continue to preach the Gos-
pel. Furthermore, other pastors througout the dis-
trict were not to preach anything except what could
be established by Holy Scriptures. The victory of
the Reformation in Zurich was thus assured.
The second disputation in October, 1523, resulted
in a committee of laymen and ministers bemg ap-
pointed to devise means for moving forward the
v/ork icf Christ. This committee functioned until
the Reformation was complete and a synodical or-
ganizat'on was set up in 1527. By 1525 public wor-
ship in Zurich consisted in prayers, public confession
of sins, recitation of the Lord's Prayer and the
A^iostle's Creed, and preaching. Ministers wore
crdinary dress in the pulpit. The Sacraments of
the Lord's Supper and Baptism were administered
THE SCROLL 211
with the liturgy in the vernacular and stripped of
everything reminding of the pomp and splendour
of the Roman Church.
On Tuesday, April 11, 1525, Zwingli appeared
before the Council and demanded the abolition of the
mass ar.d the substitution therefor of the Lord's
Supper described by the evangelists and the Apostle
Paul. This was debated and carried. The first evan-
gcilical communion service took place in the Great
Minster on Thursday of Holy Week, 1525. The fol-
lowing description appears in Jackson's books:
"A table covered with a clean liren cloth was set
between the choir and the nave in the Great Minster.
Upon it were the bread upon wooden platters and
the wine in wocden beakers. The men ar.d the wom-
en in the congregation were upcn opposite sides of
the middle aisle. Zwingli preached a sermon and of-
fered prayer. The deacon read Paul's account of the
institution of the Sacrament in I Corinthians. Then
Zwingli and his assistants and the congregation per-
formed a liturgy, entirely withe ut musical accom-
pan'ment or singing, but translated into the Swiss
dialect from the Latin mass service, with the intro-
duction of appropriate Scripture and the entire
elimination of the transubstantiaticn teaching. The
elements were passed by the deacons through the
congregat'on. This Eucharist service was repeated
upon the two following days. "The impression made
upon many by this service, so radically different
from the Latin one to which they were accustomed,
was at first painful, but as a class the Zurichers
accepted it and saw without protest the removal of
the altar, now meaningless, since there was no sacri-
fice, and of the organ, now useless since there was
no longer to be music in the churches."
His belief concerning the Mass involved him in
considerable diflficulty with Luther. They never got
212 THE SCROLL
along. Each was jealous of the other from the
beginning. They came to a knowledge of the essen-
tial truths simultaneously, and should have rejoiced
in the fact. Instead, Zwingli was anxious to assure
everybody that he had discovered the Gospel before
Luther was heard of in Switzerland. One author has
indicated that, they attempted no serious contact
and it was a good thing! They were popes in their
own way — Luther ruling a nation and Zwingli a
city-state. Each was sure he had found the truth.
Each had no belief in the bcnesty or capacity of
anyone who differed from him. Luther considered
Zwingli a heretic because of his attitude on the
question of the Mass. For years they carried on a
protracted and abusive controversy, disgraceful to
both of them. And the practical effect was to divide
and weaken Protestantism. They met only once
and that was at Marburg in a discussion between
Lutherans and Reformed arranged by the Prince of
Hesse, in 1529. Each group enlightened the other
about what it believed, but both had determined not
to change, and each expressed contempt for the
other's argument. The principal point of disagree-
ment had to do with the construction of the words
"This is my body."
Zwingli defined the Lord's Supper with special
reference to the Greek word "eucharist." He spoke
of it as a festival of thanksgiving among those who
proclaim the death of Christ. It involves also the
element of self -consecration, and is an act more for
the community of Christians befcre whom the com-
municant professes thus his faith in Christ than for
the communicant himself. He believed the Lord's
Supper to be a symbol, and he adopted the tropical
interpretation of the word "is" in the institution —
paraphrasing it, "This represents my body," thus
sweeping away at once the whole theory of what
THE SCROLL 213
is called consubstantiation, as well as transubstantia-
tion. The Eucharist is not a mystery, but a ministry,
he said, and its atmosphere is not awe but love.
The result is not infusion of grace, but of enthusiasm.
We remember Christ, and the thought of his presence
stirs us to fresh exertion in his service.
Zwingli's view was that baptism is a sign that
lobligates the one baptized to the Lord Jesus, but
salvation is not dependent upon it. It cannot wash
away sins. It is not necessary to rebaptize those
who were baptized in the Roman Church, because
infant baptism is itself valid and because we may
be reasonably certain of our baptism. Baptism is
essentially a single act, not to be repeated. He be-
lieved that there was nothing against infant baptism
in the New Testament and that it probably began
in the time of Christ.
Zwingli was the one who urged a resort to arms
while his group was the strongest, and the Protes-
tants were successful without any battle at all.
Zwingli reached his heights of prestige. He planned
a revolution at Geneva and pushed the opposition
of the Catholics. But the Forest Cantons rallied,
defeated the ill-prepared army of Zurich at Cappel
in 1531 and Zwingli was slain. It was a sad end
to the pacifist patriot, and the leadership of the
Reformation in Switzerland passed soon to Calvin
at Geneva.
Jackson says we cannot put Zwingli in the front
rank of the great men of the world nor give him
equality with Luther and Calvin. His literary work
is marred by haste. He was prejudiced and cruel
in his treatment of the Baptists. His jealously of
Luther was a mark of weakness. He was more of a
politician than he should have been. And yet he was
a generous, self-sacrificing, lovable character. He
was a stalwart Swiss who could not be bribed into
214 THE SCROLL
silence, who saw clearly the cause of his country's
decline, but who loved her greatly. He was a never-
tiring worker, a broad-minded scholar, an approved
player of a large part on a small stage.
He and Luther were closer than they would let
themselves believe. Zwingli had not the same all-
transforming, world-renewing experience to drive
him onward. His theology was more Biblical than
experimental. He had a desire to explore the sources,
get back to the simplicities of primitive Christianity,
to the pure untainted church of the New Testament.
His Biblicism resulted in a more radical Reforma-
tion. A humanist. Biblical scholar, Protestant, lib-
eral, patriot he lacked the passionate earnestness
and driving force of Luther. But Jackson says :
". . . if the four great continental Reformers —
Luther, Melanchthon, Zwingli, and Calvin — should
appear today, the one among them who would have
to do least to adapt himself to our modern ways of
thought, and the man who would soonest gather
an enthusiastic following, would be Huldreich Zwin-
gli, the Reformer of German Switzerland."
Hoover Lectures, October, 1951
Dean W. B. Blakemore
Dr. Charles Clayton Morrison, Editor Emeritus
of The Christian Century has accepted the invitation
of the Disciples Divinity House of the University of
Chicago to deliver a series of lectures on Christian
Unity next Autumn. W. B. Blakemore, Dean of the
Disciples Divinity House, has announced that the
lectures will take place Monday, October 29, through
Wednesday, October 31, in Mandel Hall at the Uni-
versity of Chicago. They will constitute the Fourth
Series of Lectures that has been sponsored by the
William Henry Hoover Lectureship on Christian
Unity, which was established by the Disciples Di-
THE SCROLL 215
vinity House in 1945. Previous lecturers on this
FiQundation have been the Right Reverend Angus
Dun, Episcopal Bishop of Washington, D. C, Walter
Marshall Horton, Professor of Theology, Oberlin
School of Religion, Oberlin, Ohio, and G. Bromley
Oxman, Bishop of the New York area of the Nev^
York Methodist Church.
Dr. Morrison is a foremost American participant
in present day efforts to reunite Protestantism. He
participated in the great ecumenical conferences
held at Oxford and Edinburgh in 1937 and was
present at the formation of the World Council of
Churches of Christ in Amsterdam in 1948. Dr.
Morrison has also played a leading role in the Green-
wich and Cincinnati meetings of the Conference on
Church Union which has recently submitted to eight
denominations a Plan for Church Union. His lec-
tures next October will deal primarily with the re-
lationship between religious unity and national des-
tiny, and will pay particular attention to the problems
of uniting American Protestantism.
In conjunction with the lectures a series of work-
shops will 'be held under the auspices of the Church
Federation of Greater Chicago. These workshops are
being organized by the Federation's Commission on
Ecumenical Education, whose chairman is Robert
L. Beaven, President of the Baptist Missionary
Training School, Chicago. In conjunction with the
lectures there will also be meetings of the Associa-
tion for the Promotion of Christian Unity, an or-
ganization among the Disciples of Christ, which is
Dr. Morrison^s denomination. The lectures and the
meetings to be held in conjunction with it will con-
stitute a Conference on Christian Unity at the local
level. It will be the first major attempt in America
to hold such a local conference devoted to furthering
unity in Protestantism in the local community.
216 THE SCROLL
Science and Morals
S. Morris Eames, University of Missouri
It seems that mankind likes to think in terms of
opposites, and it appears that this is none the less
true when it comes to theories of moral behavior.
We tend to revolve between moral scepticism on
one hand and absolutism on the other, with no inter-
mediate path between these two extremes. While
atomic warfare, intense racial hatred, capital-labor
conflict, widespread human starvation, economic
crises, international wars, and conflicting ideologies
mount to make our current social and moral prob-
lems emerge with unheard of comprehensiveness of
scope, we appear to be at loss to develop any new
principles of conduct to help us out of K)ur con-
fusion. Undoubtedly, the moral problem is the deep-
est problem of our age.
Many moralists of our day seem to think that
iQur present confusion stems from the fact that
morals are viewed as simply a "relative" matter.
Most of the time the particular meaning of "rela-
tive" is taken in the Protagorean sense of "what is
good for me is good for me." This attitude results
in an extreme type of scepticism, for it follows
that there can be nothing objective in moral be-
havior and each man sets a standard for himself.
If the standards of individual men, whereby each
looks for his own advantage, happen to clash with
one another, the simplest means of reconciliation is
that of conflict and war.
A contemporary example lof one type of interpre-
tation of "relativity" in moral behavior can be
found in the works of Arthur Koestler and in par-
ticular in his novel Darkness at Noon. Here com-
munism is treated as an outgrovd;h of Renaissance
Man, which Man has no moral theory of an absolute
THE SCROLL 217
or objective sort to guide him. In a way it is
Koestler's way of attacking a certain brand of
humanism which he thinks has originated with the
Renaissance Age, But Koestler has no way out of
this situation when one of the characters in the
novel mentioned above simply says that a new Man
is arising, different from Renaissance Man, but he
cannot see what his characteristics will be.
One of the contributory factors to the emphasis
upon the "relativity" of morals has been the in-
fluence of Sumner^s Folkways, which is now re-
garded as a classic work in sociology. It was Sum-
ner's thesis that mores are folkways with a moral
meaning or the folkways which any particular
group held to be inviolable. Societies have ways of
punishing those who break the mores and ways of
rewarding those who keep them. When the term
"relativity" is used in this sociological sense, it
means "relative to the group." This meaning is dif-
ferent from the one mentioned previously, for the
former grows out of philosophic subjectivism and
moral egoism. When we say that morals are rela-
tive to a group-culture, it does give some "objectivi-
ty" to moral behavior, but now that great clashes
of groups and cultures the world over are increas-
ing, we are led to re-examine whether "loyalty to
the group" is an adequate moral guide when these
conflicts become overwhelming in their scope.
One of the reactions to moral scepticism is to run
to the other extreme and to land in the arms of
moral absolutism. It might be said that scepticism
was a general reaction to the notions of an eternal,
unchangeable morality lof the middle ages, and now
with current social and moral problems emerging
on a grand scale, it is easy for some to cry out that
we should try to "get back" to what is called "fund-
amentals" in morals and religion.
218 THE SCROLL
Interpretations of moral absclutism have taken a
variety of expressions, but a fev^^ of them will suf-
fice to show the consequences of this general po-
sition. Sometimes it is held that the truth of
morality cannot be wholly and perfectly known be-
cause man is finite and God is infinite. This notion
interprets man's calamity in such a way that there
is no way out through his own works, or motives,
or moral decisions, but he is doomed by the very
nature of his existence. Modern neo-supernatu-
ralists in religion, and especially those who follow
Kierkegaard, are saying that the salvation of men
primarily if not wholly is in the hands of God and
that it is through God's grace that man is lifted out
of his predicament. Some of the existentialists
who follow Jean Paul Sartre are saying that there
is "no exit" to man's condition. The new philoso-
phies of pessimism, whether they are neo-supernatu-
ral or existentialist, doom man to failure on his
own account.
What these new philosophies of moral pessimism
produce is really a new type of moral scepticism.
Since man cannot understand his own predicament,
or even attempt to reconstruct his life, there is
little use to experiment in moral behavior or to
observe the life patterns cf individuals or the cul-
tural processes of peoples in order to develop new
moral theories. This attitude stagnates inquiry,
closes the door to the opportunity to learn any-
thing new in m.oral behavior, and discourages real
moral effort in the attempt to solve personal and
social conflicts when they take on moral signifi-
cance.
Another attempt to tighten the belt of moral ab-
solutism is found in those people who desire to lift
specific moral patterns which have evolved for the
most part out of human trial and error living and
THE SCROLL 219
to dogmatize them into "eternal" moral forms and
laws. It is held that moral laws are as inflexible
and immutable as the laws of science. This appeal
to the return to moral law is an interpretation of
moral law which grew up with the ideas of science
in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries when
laws of nature were regarded as mechanistic, thus
immutable and inflexible. No attention is paid to
the contexts out of which these so-called laws of
morality arose, the particular problems, conflicts,
needs, desires, and goals 'of the peoples of near-
primitive times are ignored and the moral prescrip-
tions which they developed are sometimes held to
be "eternal" and "lasting" for all peoples in all
times under all conditions. The contemporary
counterpart of scientific law in morals would speak
of moral law as probable, not absolute; objective,
not sceptical.
The revolt against scepticism has forced some
moralists into a type of authoritarianism which
seeks for security and assuredness in moral behavior
in contrast to the slippery ways of individualistic
creeds. But analysis shows that authoritarianism in
morals is built upon some "authority," whether it
be a particular person, church, or school of thought.
Authorities are human, subject to error, and when
the methods of attaining moral principles are based
upon faith and intuition, then there is no way to
check or to verify the truth of the principles.
The most disastrous attack upon moral absolutism
can be found in the consequences to human life
which psychiatrists like to call "guilt feelings."
Guilt feelings may occur in a variety of ways, but
one of the most significant ways is by the feeling
that one has violated some absolute moral standard
which has had religious sanction. The circumstances
of life under which moral decisions are made are
220 THE SCROLL
ignored and there is "plastered" down upon the
human situation a principle which in no way can
be kept, or if it is kept, creates disturbances in
other areas of living which are catastrophic and
fundamentally demioralizing in their effects. Long
ago William James pointed out some of the conse-
quences to human life of entertaining certain bcr
liefs, and moralists today surely should be aware of
how the principles they advocate are going to ef-
fect human personalities. Awareness lof this might
help to correct some of the conditions that are lead-
ing to more and more numbers entering our in-
stitutions for the mentally disordered.
It is unfortunate that so many theories about
moral behavior revolve between scepticism and ab-
solutism. A clue to this dilemma might be found
in modelling moral procedure and study upon the
scientific method which has worked so well in the
physical and natural areas. Science in these areas
of life is neither sceptical in the extreme sense nor is
it absolutistic in the rigid sense. It is objective in
the sense that it avoids the position of "what is
true for me is true for me"; and it is not absolu-
tistic in the sense that it claims that its laws are
not open to revision, reproof, or even radical change.
This does not mean that science has no certain be-
liefs, but they are certain in a new sense. They are
certain in the sense that they are the most dependa-
ble. Human life can act upon scientific beliefs and
come out with favorable consequences. I believe
that much of our moral confusion stems from the
failure to adopt the attitude lof "objectivity." The
point made here is merely suggestive and not con-
clusive.
Men of religion and the church should be deeply
interested in trying to ground their moral principles
on an objective basis, avoiding the extremes of
THE SCROLL 221
scepticism and absolutism, tor it is possible to con-
ceive of morality without religion, but I have never
been able to see how one could be religious without
a morality. Religion without a morality cuts the
nerve of prophetic action, turns preaching into edi-
fication without prescriptions for conduct or moti-
vational appeal, and ignores the heritage of Chris-
tians being the leavening power of society. If we
look upon the church as the supreme moral agency
of our civilization, then its leaders must be aware
of the moral problems and conflicts of our people;
they should observe carefully the moral practices of
both individuals and groups; and they should pro-
ject hypotheses of moral action to fit the times.
This means that we need the sensitivity of a
scientist, the radical attitude of the prophet to
project new principles, the conservatism of the
priest to preserve the tested values, and the in-
telligence of an educator to fit the material to the
human need.
The world looks to the church as the supreme
moral agency and the initiator of moral principles
to fit the needs of the moment, but if the church has
lost its savor, its leavening power, its purifying
influence in the moral life; if it produces more
scepticism in morals by continuing to laud the ab-
solutistic principles handed down by authority and
convention, then we are headed for more confusion
than we have had in the past. Atomic warfare,
racial and economic conflicts, international wars,
tremendous social crises and human struggle and
death are only preludes to the awful state that is
ahead for mankind.
222 THE SCROLL
Persuasion vs. Coercion
A Sermon By Rev. J. Robert Smudski
The Independent Congregational Church-
Unitarian, Meadville, Pa.
Pick up any newspaper, listen to any newsbroad-
cast, or read a current novel, and the fact of human
conflict stares you in the face. There is a continual
parade of persons pitted against their fellows. There
is murder, labor trouble, broken homes, war, law
suits, and a hundred other types of human conflict
with which we have regular mental contact. In ad-
dition to these items that make news in our papers,
there are other tensions that fill all lof our lives,
even though they are known to few beside our-
selves. Social and personal conflict is widespread
among us. I know of no one who would claim to be
free of conflict in his life.
The existence of conflict among men is not a new
situation. In all probability it has existed since the
beginnings of human society. Certainly it has been
in existence since the advent of our great religious
systems, for all of them are concerned with the con-
flicts among men. Not only are they concerned, but
each makes recommendations about the resolution
of such conflicts.
The outstanding religious leaders of the world
have given much of their time to this situation of
human conflict. Although their teachings may ap-
pear to be primarily concerned with a new interpre-
tation of divinity, the actual emphasis of their teach-
ings have been a concern for the elimination of ill
will among men. This is one of the reasons for a
continuing study of the ancients. Not that we shall
learn something about the universe, or God, from
their teachings, but that we may learn something
about resolving human conflicts, for the personal
conflicts of today are basically the same as they
THE SCROLL 22J
were centuries ago.
I am impressed with the unanimity of thinking
on the part of the ancient teachers in this area of
better human relations. Through all of the promi-
nent writings there is a similar trend ; persuasion
in human relations is advocated, while coercion is
condemned. Equally impressive is the substantiation
of this understanding by modern students. Coercion
in human relations tends to drive men apart, and
to sever the ties they have in common, while the
use of persuasion in a situation of differences tends
to preserve the togetherness of mankind.
It is also notewiorthy that this development, on
the part of both ancients and moderns, occurred in
societies largely dominated by the use of power. We
of the modern world are very conscious of the use
of brute power. Terrible as the use of that power
may be, the influence of power groups in ancient
civilizations was even more prevalent than it is to-
day. Yet in the midst of both of these situations,
men have come to the conclusion that persuasion
among men is a better way of living than is coercion.
Today, I want you to think with me about the
respective merits of persuasion and coercion in
human relations. I want this examination to take
place on a very elementary level, for until we under-
stand it on a simple plane, we cannot hope to under-
stand it on a complex plane. By an elementary
level I mean our own personal lives and the immedi-
ate social groups in which we are involved. We shall
proceed then by asking the question, "What are
some of the common ways in which we find coercion
destroying our relations with others?" Once we
have gathered some thoughts on this question, we
will then proceed to ask ourselves, "Would a tech-
nique of persuasion, or compromise, or talking it
over, eliminate this conflict from our lives?"
224 THE SCROLL
There is no doubt in my mind that every human
life is immersed in conflict situations. Since people
are different, and we have every right to expect
them to continue to be different, we can expect
human beings always to be involved in conflict situ-
ations. Since this is so, our concerns are twofold.
One would lead us to a study of ways in which we
could lessen the number of conflict situations, and
the other would be the development of a technique
for living in a conflict situation. I think the latter
is the most important of the two, because we can
always do something about the way in which we
meet a conflict, while we cannot always control the
development of a conflict.
Probably the best way to approach such a sub-
ject is to explore some of the possible ways in which
we ourselves use coercive methods, either deliber-
ately or unconsciously. I consider these techniques
as coercive because their use is for the purpose of
forcing a one sided decision, rather than for the
resolution of honest differences.
All of you have been in discussion groups where
the discussion has suddenly been taken out of the
realm of logical reasioning and placed in the realm
of emotion through the use of a label, or an emo-
tionally loaded word. If the discussion is political,
words like "radical new dealer," or "reactionary
Republican," or "red," are almost certain to make
tempers rise, and to strain the relationships between
people. With the injection of such labels men im-
mediately become defensive, and their personal
honor becomes the issue instead of the ideas previ-
ously discussed. The same kind of a thing happens
in religion when the terms "humanist," or "funda-
mentalist," or "Bible-Christians" are used. Once
the labels are issued, personalities are involved, and
tensions increase.
THE SCROLL 225
The use of such words is' coercion, just as patri-
otic slogans are so often coercive. Their use in any
discussion is for the purpose of forcing a person to
comply who cannot be convinced by the arguments
presented. It is the attempt to decide human issues
by human passions instead of reason, with the re-
sult that the situation is not resolved, and the ten-
sions present are magnified by injured personal feel-
ings.
Much marital friction can be traced to the same
thoughtless use of words. Name calling always ag-
gravates any difference of opinion that exists, and
problems that could be resolved through an intel-
ligent discussion between a married couple are made
almost insolvable through the development of in-
jured feelings. This also is coercion, the kind that
rarely succeeds, for marriage is a cooperative ven-
ture, and although a point may be temporarily
gained by one partner through such coercion, a scar
is left in that relationship which will prevent it
fricm ever again being the same.
Ridicule is another form of coercion just as dis-
astrous for good human relations as is the label.
To scornfully laugh at a person for the assump-
tion of any honest position is to jeopardize your re-
lations with that person. This technique is the same
as labelling, for the intention of the ridicule is to
force a person to change his position, not because he
is convinced that the new position is correct, but
simply because he does not like to be the object of
laughter. The victims of ridicule do not easily get
over their embarrassment. Too often such victims
develop hatred where before only a difference d
opinion existed.
Closely allied to the direct coercion of ridicule is
the indirect coercion created through malicious jokes.
There is much damage done to good human re-
226 THE SCROLL
lations by thoughtless parents who tell jokes ridicul-
ing a race or religion. The effect of such ridicule is
not felt immediately, but is very often felt in atti-
tudes of prejudice developed by children who grow
under such conditioning. In many ways, such joke
conditioning is a double barreled coercion, for it
not only creates a prejudice which in turn creates
a coercive social situation, but it also coerces the
child to accept attitudes which he might not want
ta accept, but does simply to maintain his status
of belonging through conformity.
Coercion also exists in Churches. All of you are
familiar with the attempts to force decisions through
the threat of resignation from membership, cr the
board of control, or through the announcement that
if such and such a thing comes to pass, financial sup-
port will be withdrawn. Such coercion occurs in
democratically organized churches as well as in
churches with a clerical hierarchy. Countless have
been the examples of this kind of coercion. Any
church that has tried to be a social force for justice
in a community has encountered this kind of force.
It is rare that a church can survive if it tolerates
this kind of coercion.
Another kind of coercion that exists in churches,
but also exists in all types of social organizations,
is the ultimatum. This is the kind of a situation
where an individual or a group will say, "Either
you do this, or I will do something else." No attitude
is so apt to produce an explosive situation as this
one. I well remember the incident related the other
day by a friend of mine. He was telling about a
minister who had just taken over a new parish.
The second Sunday on the new job he preached a
sermon about race relations. The next day at a
board meeting, one of the members of the board who
was a real estate dealer said to him, "Pastor, if we
THE SCROLL 227
followed your recommendations I would be out of
a job." Whereupon the minister drew himself up in
a righteous manner, and said, "Mr. Jones, your
attitude is unworthy of a Unitarian layman. Either
you resign your membership from this church, or
I shall resign as minister." The result was that Mr.
Jones bristled and said, "Well I certainly have no in-
tentions of resigning." To which the minister re-
plied, "I'll have to think this matter over."
What oould have been a real opportunity for
mutual give and take of ideas on an explosive ques-
tion, was made impossible by the use of an ultima-
tum. I imagine it would take a long time for the
healing of such a breach between a minister and
one of his parishioners. Of course, the same kind
of a breach can occur in any social situation where
an ultimatum is issued. There is something within
the human personality that automatically resists
such an attempt at force, and it inevitably leads
to a rupture of friendly relations.
At the opposite extreme from the ultimatum is
the coercion of silence. This may also exist in any
isocial group, but it probably is most prevalent in
families. Husband and wife will not speak to one
another, or a child in the family will not speak to
the parents. The result is a straining of ties, and
unless a deliberate effort is made to resolve such a
situation, silence can be just as destructive as the
ultimatum. This too is force, for generally the one
who uses the silent treatment is attempting to force
the other person to meet his terms in order that
a resumption of fellowship may occur. How often
has the thought flitted through your mind, "I won't
speak to him, or I won't speak to her, until I am
approached with an apology." This too is coercion,
because we attempt to force an acceptance of our
point of view in order that some degree of mutual-
ity may be resumed.
These are some of the very common techniques
for coercion that we all use. Through them we
attempt to force others to accept our position, and
in so doing we foster the many frictions in living
that drive people apart. Every time such a coercive
measure is used we deny our belief in the worth
and importance of the individual personality. In
effect this is the message of the great religious
thinkers. The use of force in human relations de-
stroys the respect for other people upon which good-
will and human happiness depends. This is the rea-
son religious leaders liave insisted that a new method
is necessary for the brotherhood we say we want.
It is imposible to build a brotherhood by force, and
such coercive techniques as I have described make it
just as impossible as the use of the sword. Good-
will among men can only be built upon a mutual
respect for individual differences, and the resolution
to peacefully compromise a situation of conflict.
In a large measure, this is the message we have
for men. Coercion in human relations must be re-
placed with the technique of persuasion, or confer-
ence, or discussion. If we are to eliminate much of
the friction from our lives, there must actually be a
new way in which we approach our problems. This
need provides one of the great opportunities for
our church. We are an organization of individuals,
banded together for a mutual purpose. As such, it
is inevitable that differences shall arise among us.
When they do, we must see that the conference
technique is fostered, so that subtle, or blunt, co-
ercions do not become involved. May I repeat
a recommendation I have made on previous occa-
sions. One of the most valuable services our or-
ganization can render its members is to provide a
social laboratory in which we try out the things
we say are important for human living. In this
way we can foster an understanding among our-
selves that can be apprehended in no other manner.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIII APRIL, 1951 No. 8
The Way Forward
E. S. Ames
In The Scroll for January, 1944, there was an
article under my name which bore the title, "Dis-
tinctive ar.d Unifying Traits of the Disciples of
Christ." Fourteen pcints were enumerated. These
were as follows :
1. They are a large protestant body of American
origin.
2. They began and developed in the quest for
Christian union.
3. They are neither trinitarian nor unitarian
but see God in many ways.
4. They have no required official creed or theol-
ogy.
5. They believe in the dignity of man and in
great possi-bilities of growth.
6. They observe the Lord's Supper weekly as a
memorial and fellowship.
7. They have a democratic policy which is con-
gregational.
8. They do not differentiate between clergy and
laymen.
9. They teach conversion as turning of mind
and heart to a new way.
10. They hold to an evolution through stages,
called dispensations.
11. They regard the New Testament as the pri-
mary guide for Christians.
12. They stress the right of private interpretation
and freedom of opinion.
13. They believe salvation is a process of growth
in knowledge and love.
14. They encourage a functional attitude in ideas
and forms.
230 THE SCROLL
SHARE WITH OTHER DENOMINATIONS
The Disciples share with other Christians loyalty
to the Scriptures as a collecticn of books cherished
through the ages of man's quest for the good life.
These bocks, written by many authors, under very
diverse circumstances, are books of wisdom, devo-
tion, and inspiration. They are to be seen and felt
as carrying at their depths a light which illumines
the path of man's ascent. There is a profound cor-
rective in them which shows the evils as well as the
gO'Cds of life. It is like the fine quality of a good
life which serves in the long run to differentiate the
better from the worse, the noble from the base, the
beautiful from the vulgar. The Bible is to be under-
stood as any other book by the use of definition,
grammar, syntax, intention, criticism, and consensus
of opinion. Coleridge said the greatness and value
of the Bible is shown by the fact that "it finds me."
The Disciples share with other denominations the
missionary spirit and enterprise. They promote
church federations, religious education, and great
practical social movements such as those for peace,
elimination of race prejudice, crime, partisan poli-
tics. They use religious literature from all sources,
sing the great hymns of all churches, and cherish
the devotional books of all faiths. In increasing
numbers their students for the ministry are at-
tending great universities at home and abroad with-
out regard to denominational affiliation.
DISTINCTION AND AGREEMENT
Ministerial interpretations of religion, in every
denomination, tend to emphasize the things in which
they differ from others, or the things in which they
agree with others. The danger in proclaiming dif-
ferences is that it may contribute to division and
alienation; the danger of emphasizing agreements
is that real and important developments may be ob-
THE SCROLL 231
scured. Rightly conceived and stated, both similari-
ties and criticisms are important to note. It is a
shallow view which asserts that "one church is as
good as another." Some are narrow and dogmatic;
some proclaim beliefs that are absurd and silly.
There are instances, however, of distinctive charac-
teristics which make for enrichment of the religious
life and are not divisive. For example, the Quakers
have witnessed a quiet faith and most generous
service for suffering and oppressed humanity. Mo-
ravians have exemplified sacrificial missionary zeal.
Congregationalists have been leaders in education
and tolerance. Methodists have been conspicuous
for zeal and song, and for work among the under-
privileged. All of these are sharable traits and have
radiated their influence through all communions.
They prove that it is possible for groups to dis-
tinguish themselves by their ideas and achievements
without being exclusive or dogmatic.
BIBLICAL PREACHERS
Another trait of the Disciples has been the culti-
vation of their converts in the knowledge of the
elements of the faith of their leaders. Alexander
Campbell and the early leaders associated with him
were biblical preachers, and knew the key passages
of the New Testament by heart. They quoted from
memory scripture passages in support of their cen-
tral ideas. The Calvinism common in the leading
denominations was answered -by texts offering the
water of life freely to all who were athirst and
would come to the fountain and drink. "Whosoever
will, may come." The doctrine of inherited evil, and
of human helplessness to escape it, was rejected
as untrue to human nature and unworthy of a good
God. The attitude of Jesus toward little children
whom he took in his arms and blessed, contradicted
the horrible Calvinistic saying that there are "in-
232 THE SCROLL
fants in hell a span long" doomed there by the
secret divine decrees ! No more terrible immoral
behavior was ever attributed to a supposedly benefi-
cent deity than the doctrine of election by which
persons were doomed to hell or assigned to heaven
before they were born, or before even the earth was
created. Common sense morality and ordinary hu-
man decency revolted against such doctrines, though
it is amazing that the whole of Christendom did not
rise in rebellion against them. It is no wonder that
great numbers of individuals in early American
society, gave up that kind of religion entirely. The
wonder is that any religion tainted with that back-
ground could maintain itself at all. It was a religion
of fear, of Old Testament legalism, of almighty
arbitrary power, cf superstition, and of measureless
harm to millions of human beings, and to the cause
of Christianity itself.
FRONTIER RELIGION
It is little wonder that the Disciples in the days
of the "American Frontier" attracted great numbers
of converts by their protests, in biblical language,
against such doctrines, and by their reasonable ap-
peal, also in biblical language, on behalf of a gra-
cious ethical, and beautiful faith in the value of ,
human personality, and in the possibility of devel- |
oping Christian faith in man and in a "working
religion" of the spirit. Members of churches need
to cultivate acquaintance with the history and teach-
ings of the movement to which they belong. They
need to know the "fourteen points" that are distinc-
tive, and also beliefs and attitudes shared with other
denominations. There should be a revival of "tracts"
and pamphlets which fit the pocket as well as the
mind. Every church should have a literature table
at its door for the display and easy accessibility of
the writings designed to furnish information con-
THE SCROLL 233
cerning- the church and its work. New pamphlets
for these times are needed. It may too easily be as-
sumed that the path has been laid out and the di-
rections made adequate for the guidance of all
souls. But the religious world has taken on new
aspects. More people have high school and college
education. Science has illuminated and refashioned
much of everyday life. Papers and magazines load
down all crowded terminals of transportation. New
religions have their monitors there. Old occult cults
offer strange faiths. How seldom does one see in
such places a sane, sober, and vital message of the
Christian religion for modern man ! That this modern
man is hungry of heart for something to meet his
religious needs is as true today as ever, but it is
also true that this modern man is more sophisticated,
less subject to impassioned emotional appeals, eager
to learn and ready to listen to ideas about religion
that make sense.
REASONABLENESS IN RELIGION
The last half century has seen a great enhance-
ment of reasonableness in religion but it has not
had popular expression. It is still too academic, too
much limited by old conservative types of thought
which have a deep hold through memories of child-
hood, and social influence. Better understanding
throug-h competent scholarship is needed. Such un-
derstanding brings conviction, and the courage of
conviction founded on knowledge wins men. More-
over, the way forward is well illustrated in the cause
of Christian union. For almost a century the Dis-
ciples were the only organized body advocating union.
They have now lived to see that cause carried out
on a great scale by practical, functional methods.
The Federal Council of Churches, and now the Na-
tional Council of Churches, has had amazing success
in developing working plans by which millions of
church leaders and members of churches are work-
234 THE SCROLL
ing together more effectively than ever to promote
religious education, world missions, organization,
finances and many forms of cooperation. This is
often called "functional" union rather than doctrinal
union, because it is more concerned to get people
and churches to cooperate in good works than to
make them think precisely alike. It is interesting
that on mission fields different denominations have
drawn closer together in combined efforts to pro-
mote Christian ways of life than has been the case
"at home." The people who give their money for
church purposes appreciate seeing practical results,
such as additions to churches, building chapels,
printing bibles and literature for training children
and youth, building schools, sending teachers, doc-
tors, engineers, farmers, and many kinds of social
workers.
PIONEERS IN UNION
The Disciples had the initiative to launch the idea
of union when there was little interest in it, and
much opposition to it. Now when there is great and
growing interest in it, and real desire for it, the
Disciples have a unique opportunity to further it.
Protestantism is haltingly seeking "ecumenicity"
through a minimum of doctrine, and is discovering
that union develops faster and more inclusively
when great practical enterprises are undertaken
in the name of Christ for the whole of mankind.
This functional appeal has already united millions
of people and secured millions of dollars, and en-
listed Christian leaders who are proving themselves
geniuses in releasing and directing the vast spiritual
forces resident in all churches. This functional fel-
lowship is the sure means for the union of spirit and
of deed. Love is the true ground of fellowship, love
of Christ and love of man. This is no more revolu-
tionary in these times than it was a century ago
to say to the religious world that they should give
THE SCROLL 235
up their man-made creeds and take the New Testa-
ment alone as their rule of faith and practice.
A TIME FOR LOYALTY
This is no time for Disciple ministers, young or
old, to lessen their loyalty to the cause to which
they have dedicated themselves. This is the time
of hope and promise for trained men of ability and
ardor. Some of them go into what they think are
more "liberal" denominations. The real pathos of
this is that in many such changes the individuals
are not aware of the larger history and deeper
meaning of the Disciple cause. They did not get it
in college and they could not find it in Yale or Union
or Harvard. Until recently they could not find it
even in Disciple Bible Colleges! This ignorance of
the Disciple position and teaching on the part of
Disciple ministers and educated laymen has very
naturally made them susceptible to an "inferiority
complex" concerning the "plea." They dO' not know
that the groundwork of that "plea" was laid in the
philosophy of Francis Bacon and John Locke in the
seventeenth century, the century which Whitehead
calls "the century of genius." The philosophy of
Locke dominated the eighteenth century in England,
and the University of Glasgow where Alexander
Campbell was educated, and the University of Edin-
burgh where Walter Scott graduated. The impor-
tance of the eighteenth century for religious and
ethical thought is recognized and made clear by Al-
bert Schweitzer.
Protestantism was a product of the sixteenth
century. Both Luther and Calvin date from that
century, and it was in the seventeenth and eighteenth
centuries that scholasticism, creedal theology and
a legalistic conception of the Bible and Christianity
began to fall in the face of the criticism and op-
postion of modern physical science and the rise of
236 THE SCROLL
the social sciences. This does not mean that all the
old theologies gave way at once before the pene-
trating light of the newer types of thought. Old
phrases and concepts hang on by force of habit and
custom when there is no longer any reasonable
ground for them. But the sap had gone out of them,
and only new winds of doctrine and new social move-
ments were needed to carry them away.
NOT PERFECTION BUT GROWTH
It is of course absurd to suppose that the Disciples
or any other religious group have attained perfection
or reached the end of profitable research in the
scriptures or in experimental enterprises for the ap-
plication of the Christian spirit. Every association
of scholars in higher learning, every group of min-
isters denominational or interdenominational has
before it limitless possibilities of discovery, and the
invention of better ways of formulating, commu-
nicating, exemplifying, and enriching the Christian
faith and practice. There is a propulsive power
and creative dynamic within the reach of every
minister and congregation that could enliven and
enrich religion for all members of the local congre-
gation and for its community. By this is meant
something more than the conventional "reforms"
and routine study groups. Perhaps smaller, more
intimate "cells" would generate more understanding
and solving inquiry. There are better facilities than
ever before for psychological studies of individual
problems and of social processes, without giving
undue attention to sensational claims of psycho-
analyis and psychiatry. Well directed groups of old
age persons bearing the ripe fruits of various trades,
occupations, and life experiences might well co-
operate to useful ends. It is a temptation which
besets churches and minsters to assume, after many
busy years that nothing new or better can be found
THE SCROLL 237
than the best of the past. That is one reason why-
ministers are changed so often, their initiative is
worn out, and they with their congregations fall into
drowsy ways. Yet it sometimes happens that a fresh
■breath and a voice blowing over the dry bones brings
them to life. Both for priest and people there are
always new ideas, new converts, new plans, new
victories, world without end !
THE WAY FORWARD
More than fifty years ago a group of young
university students banded themselves together to
cooperate together in developing the work they were
undertaking as ministers and teachers. They created
a simple organization through which to cultivate
acquaintance and fellowship, to gain fuller under-
standing of religion, and to make what contribution
they could through study of men and books, and by
writing and exchanges of ideas. The most effective
instruments for furthering these interests have
been the annual meeting where papers and discus-
sions have been shared, and the meeting at con-
ventions where odd hours have been made the oc-
casion of forums and conversation. A monthly
publication has been maintained for half a century
with papers and news. The most faithful and useful
officers of the group have been those who have
served as secretary-treasurer, sometimes continu-
ously for several years in succession. No one has
received any financial remuneration for the work
in these offices though at times the duties have been
heavy. Many of the finest men in this brotherhood
have participated in this modest organization. Its
membership is now scattered over this country and
in other countries especially where the missionaries
have gone. The purpose of this fellowship is nothing
esoteric or denominationally circumscribed. It is
rather to stimulate and help members to see and
238 THE SCROLL
feel the wide reaches of any intelhgent and con-
secrated effort to sound the depths and scale the
heights of the Christian religion as it lives and works
within our minds and hearts and strives to achieve
its high social goals. There are young men coming
out of the colleges and universities every year who
should be enlisted in this association. It already
has in its membership graduates of the seminaries at
Yale, Union, Harvard, and Chicago. It is not partial
to any one locality, institution, or point of view.
It seeks to be representative of various types of
thought and to gain the richness and stimulus of
many strains of thinking and areas of life. Any
of the officers or long-time members will be glad to
answer inquiries concerning the Institute.
Poems by Thomas Curtis Clark
ASSURANCE
If life has naught for us beyond this earth —
A few brief, zestful years, then rayless night;
If that which buoys our hearts, that inner light,
Is but a hope which in our fear has birth ;
If only these we have : bright childhood dreams.
Youth's forward urge, strong manhood's valiant
deeds.
Then sweet old age, which loving memory feeds —
These are enough, though false all future gleams.
To view one dawn is worth a lifetime's price;
To greet one spring, that will long griefs repay;
To trust one friend makes glad a pilgrim way;
Though night come fast, these will our hearts suffice.
They will suffice — and yet, beyond the night.
There waits a Day of days, an undreamed Light !
SONG AT SUNRISE
Say not that death is king, that night is lord,
That loveliness is passing, beauty dies;
Nor tell me hope's a vain, deceptive dream
THE SCROLL 239
Fate lends to life, a pleasing, luring gleam
To light awhile the earth's despondent skies.
Till death brings swift and sure its dread reward.
Say not that youth deceives, but age is true,
That roses quickly pass, while cypress bides.
That happiness is foolish, grief is wise.
That stubborn dust shall choke our human cries.
Death tells new worlds, and life immortal hides
Beyond the veil, which shall all wrongs undo.
This was the tale God breathed to me at dawn
When flooding sunrises told that night was gone.
INTIMATIONS
If life is but a dream of joy and beauty,
A dream that fades as night bedims our vision,
How rare its prize ! How shall we seize and love it —
Till Terror holds us!
And if it be a glimpse of life eternal,
The portal to a world of starry grandeur,
How blest the day of our expectant waiting —
Till Love enfolds us!
THE SEA
Far, far away — how far I cannot tell —
There is a Sea which has no hounding shore;
Though men have sought to grasp its mystic lore,
Their search is vain — it keeps its secret well.
Years come and go, and still it wields its spell.
But who shall say that time will evermore
Rebuff our quest? Through some now closed door,
Which faces east, shall men behold the swell
Of fair blue seas, and they shall surely know
That all its waters are of God, who hides
His brightest goals. Some day, at sunset glow,
They too will venture forth on mighty tides;
And they will see, afar, men come and go,
Inviting them to Life, where light abides.
240 THE SCROLL
THE JOURNEY
When Death, the angel of our higher dreams,
Shall come, far ranging from the hills of light,
He will not catch me unaware; for I
Shall be as now communing with the dawn.
For I shall make all haste to follow him
Along the valley, up the misty slope
Where life lets go and Life at last is born.
There I shall find the dreams that I have lost
On toilsome earth, and they will guide me on,
Beyond the mists unto the farthest height.
I shall not grieve except to pity those
Who cannot hear the songs that I shall hear!
(Mr. Clark writes me that "The Journey" was his
mother's favorite of his 1,000 or so poems. It was
read at her funeral. E.S.A.)
HOOSIER HOMELAND
Thomas Curtis Clark, Bellwood, 111.
You roamers of the world, from home bonds free.
Who scour the earth for cities of renown.
How cramped your view! — for you have yet to see
The Junetime glory of our little town.
You speak of ancient peoples, courts, and kings;
You tell of storied castles you have seen ;
But you have yet to learn how gladness sings
In our small streets, as winter turns to green.
The snowdrifts gone, what friendly gossip then
Of gardens — crocus, tulip, iris, phlox;
The rose and larkspur bring their cheer again,
And, best of all, the stately hollyhocks.
The lore of Heaven ! — yet you roam afar
In search of wisdom! You shall late return
From wandering beneath an alien star
To find the altar fires that brightly burn
THE SCROLL 24]_
In every little town where meek hearts dwell,
Where friendliness is still a thing to prize.
0 that we had the magic tongue to tell
The glory of the world before our eyes!
I Visited Palestine
David M. Bryan, Sedalia, Mo.
A few weeks ago, after having completed a tour
through Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, Greece,
and Egypt, I left Cairo flying south-east across the
Nile River and out into the Arabian Desert. My
plane crossed one arm of the Red Sea just south
of the Suez Canal. We continued south-east across
the Sinai Penirsula and crossed the other arm of the
Red Sea just south of Aqaba in the edge of Saudi
Arabia. Here we turned north flying over Petra,
city of rose-red rock and capital of wealthy Nabatean
kindom in the time of Jesus. We flew beside the
Dead Sea almost its entire length at Amman, "Phila-
delphia" in the time of Jesus, we again turned west
and flew down over the mountains of Moab, crossed
the Jordan River near Jerico and landed at Jeru-
salem.
If you will look over your map you will see that
1 followed almost exactly the same route over which
Mcses led the Children of Israel into the Promised
Land out of Egyptian bondage. The Bible tells us
that it took the Hebrews forty years to reach their
destination, many more than that before they actu-
ally took Jerusalem. It took me less than three
hours to cover virtually the same ground. As I
glided over miles of shifting deserts broken only
by an occasional oasis, I looked down and thought
of how vastly superior my journey was to that which
Moses and his followers took some three thousand
years ago. I thought of the hundreds of people who
242 THE SCROLL
must have literally poured out their lives in a weari-
some desert trek. I looked down and smiled at those
nomads as they wandered across the burning sands.
I was thus congratulating myself when another
sobering thought struck me. When I got off at
Jerusalem, I would be the very same person who left
Egypt; no better and no worse. However, when
the Hebrews finally reached their destination they
were a transformed people. The rigors of the jour-
ney had toughened the fibers of their characters and
made them a stronger race. God had dealings with
them on the way. Enroute they had camped at the
foot of Mt. Sinai to receive their marching orders
from the Eternal. They arrived in Palestine with
a new knowledge of God and the Ten Command-
ments. Could it be that these primitives had the
better part? Perhaps the Twentieth Century cheated
me.
I had left Cairo, Egypt, after breakfast and ar-
rived in Jerusalem in time for lunch at the American
Colony. One of the first and most lasting impressions
that is made on a visitor to Palestine is the stark
tragedy of the recent Israelic war. Everywhere one
sees roadblocks, barbwire entanglements, shelled
buildings, and heavily armed soldiers. Jerusalem
means "city of peace" but today one sees little to
suggest the title. Although I was writing regularly
for some newspapers, I deliberately refrained from
commenting on the Arab-Jewish problem until after
I had visited in the new state of Israel and heard
their side of the story too. I tried desperately to be
fair. In fact, I was prejudiced in favor of Israel.
Nevertheless, I have returned extremely critical of
what I saw.
Everywhere I traveled in eastern Palestine I saw
large camps of Arab refugees, people made destitute
THE SCROLL 243
and homeless by the recent war. I saw them in great
tent cities near Bethlehem, around Jerico, and others
rorth of Jerusalem on the road to old Samaria. My
heart went out to these almost 100,000 people living
in abject poverty and hopelessness. If space per-
mitted I could give case histories. They have a tragic
heart-rending story.
To pass from the old city of Jerusalem (Arab)
to the new (Jewish) I had to pass through military
lines and a ''no man's land" with its bomb craters
ard shelled cut buildings. Any visitor must be im-
pressed with the spirit of intense nationalism and
pride in New Israel. I had difficulty getting my
guide to show me the historical points I wanted to
see. He was much more interested in exhibiting the
many great constructive efforts of the new state
of Israel.
All over Israel one sees the brand-new commu-
nities constructed to house the thousands of Euro-
pean refugee Jews that pour into the land. Roads
are built. Hillsides are being reforested or terraced
for farming. Irrigation systems are being con-
structed. And all is moving forward at a rapid
pace. As one Jewish leader explained it, "the brains
and manpower comes from Europe and the money
from America." One must admire Israel for these
constructive efforts.
I must rot embarrass anyone by mentioning
names. But in both Israel and Jordan I talked to
many people abcut the political situation, including
two high U. N. officials. Unbiased people in Pales-
tine are unanimous in their condemnation of Israel,
and of the rest of the world for permitting this thing
to happen. In Israel one said to me, "I'm ashamed
to admit I'm an American." One who worked closely
with Count Bernadote quoted him as saying: "The
question of justice is now irrelevant. The Arabs will
244 THE SCROLL
simply have to sacrifice (or be sacrificed) in the
interest of world peace."
I do not know all the political ramifications, but
I know what I've seen. Nearly 100,000 Arab men,
women, and children spent this winter and last
living in makeshift tents and existing on meager
U.N. rations. They will be there next winter and
the winter following that unless starvation and
diseases relieve them of their misery. I have also
seen beautiful homes they built and own, now oc-
cupied by those who took them by force and terror.
My heart goes out to these people who have been
the victims of greed and international expediency.
Outside cf the political situation, I was not dis-
appointed in my visit to Palestine. As I walked the
streets and climbed the mountains and hills of this
country my Bible had taken on new meaning. Its
narratives have come to life for me. Now, like the
man in the parable, I too have gone down from
Jerusalem to Jerico. When I descended 3,400 feet
in the 21 miles to find myself nearly 900 feet below
sea level, I realized the accuracy of Jesus' state-
ment. I visited Hebron where David first estab-
lished his capital ; Ramah, the birthplace of Samuel ;
Bethel with its memories of Jacob : Shiloh, a holy
place of the Hebrews and with its memories of
Eli and Samuel.
Just as Jesus did 2000 years ago, I too, paused
on my way to Jerusalem to quench my thirst at
Jacob's well. I looked up to Sychar from whence
came the Samaritan woman that day and then re-
called how she had reminded Jesus that "Our
fathers worshipped in this mountain" and I glanced
up to see Mount Gerizim, sacred to the Samaritans
to this day.
One of the most memorable experiences of my life
was that of standing on the top of a high hill and
THE SCROLL 245
looking down upon the blue Sea of Galilee. From
my vantage point I could see the entire sea from
north to south and from east to west. There be-
fore me lay the chief site of Jesus' ministry — Mag-
dale, Bethsaida, and Capernaum. Never in all histo-
ry was so mighty a drama enacted on so small a
stage.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
On the evening of April 2 of this year about one
hundred people frcm a dozen different states gath-
ered at the Northwood Christian Church in Indian-
apolis for a testimonial dinner honoring Dr. Alva
W. Taylor of Nashville, Tenn. As is usually the
case with social prophets tliese honors came rather
late in life. Speakers had agreed that nothing would
be said about age but while the evening was yet
young, Alva let everyone know that before this
calendar year passes he will have reached his
eightieth birthday. Seated at the tables were peo-
ple of all ages^Charles M. Fillmore was there who
is well along in his nineties ; shocks of gray hair
were seen in many spots, and there were also young
chaps yet in their twenties.
Dr. James A. Crain upon whom a portion of the
prophetic mantle of Dr. Taylor has fallen presided.
During the evening Dr. Crain presented the guest
of honor with a large volume of letters written by
scores of friends across the land. A few brief
speeches of appreciation were made but the peo-
ple had gathered to hear Alva Taylor sketch the
high points of his notable career.
Those present could better understand the pio-
neering spirit of our social prophet when they were
told that his father and mother were pioneers
of covered-wagon days. Much of Alva's early educa-
246 THE SCROLL
tion came from his father as they labored in the
fields together and gathered around the coal-oil
lamp at eventide in a two room shack on an Iowa
prairie. His later education was received at Drake
and the University of Chicago. It should also be
added that he has always been an omniverous reader.
This brief article cannot review his varied career
as preacher, teacher, executive secretary, lecturer,
traveler, writer, humanitarian, labor conciliator,
and above all the champion of the underprivileged.
You have to know Alva Taylor to know how one
man could do all these things and do them well.
At the banquet were representatives of many of
these fields of endeavor and the presence of these
distinguished people from different races and vari-
ous backgrounds was in itself a great tribute to
this man of many parts.
The road of a social prophet is never paved with
smooth cement. Centuries ago Isaiah, Amos and
Micah found that there are always plenty of people
who do not hesitate to stone the prophets. Espe-
cially is this true if the prophet attempts in ary
way to interfere with the status quo in economic
realms. From the days when Dr. Taylor wrestled
with the problems of poverty around the Chicago
Commons, on through his early experiences with
the InterChurch Commission appointed to investi-
gate the Pittsburgh steel strike, and on to the days
when he sat in the Chair of Ethics at Vanderbilt
University, Alva has not hesitated to challenge
injustice, war and demagogery and speak up for
peace and social justice. For the courage of his
Christian conviction he carries in his heart if not
in his body the marks made by stones thrown at
him.
With all this Alva Taylor has not grown bitter.
It is said of Maude Royden that when a heckler
THE SCROLL 247
threw at her a head of cabbage she caught it and
said as she looked at the cabbage, "I thought for
a minute the man had lost his head." With some-
thing of this same good humor Dr. Taylor has met
his opponents.
Dr. Alva W. Taylor has had the social vision of
a Rauschenbush, the tenderness of a Graham Tay-
lor and the compassion of Jesus Christ. It was
good to see this Disciple prophet honored. May his
tribe increase and may the sun in the western
sky be made more glorious by reading that sheaf
of letters from a grateful brotherhood.
Christian Faith as Social Concern
Samuel C. Kincheloe
We seek the highest social values for our society
and for our communities from the scriptures, from
the teachings of the church, from prophetic and
poetic geniuses who give us moral insight, from
social analysis by those interested in ethical and
moral questions, from all the sources Tjy which
we may come to achieve these higher social values.
We see what the various conditions of life do to
us as persons, to our communities, and to society;
we seek those conditions which foster the good life.
We have accepted the facts regarding the growth
and development of Hebrew law, cf the codes. We
see in part how they arose from the struggles and
the efforts of the Hebrews to give something of
law and order, of justice and equity to human re-
lationships.
We need to realize that there are social processes
by which the grace of God comes to the children
of men today. The very thought of the free gift
of God coming to men is suggestive of spiritual
ways past finding out. Laws and codes are in one
248 THE SCROLL
order; grace seems to be in another. Just as God
worked through men among the Hebrews as re-
vealed in the Old Testament, so He works through
men and women in the "new dispensation." The
heritages of the Hebrew-Christian religion are from
Gcd, through leaders, through prophets with in-
spiration, through apostles with great devotion,
through men and women in the ordinary ways
of life.
Christian faith as social concern seems to demand
from us an absolute committment to these higher
social values which we receive and accept. Re-
ligious values always tend to be absolutes. To be
sure we hold them in tentative fashion in our rela-
tivistic world, but with a commitment so com-
plete that for all practical purposes they are ab-
solutes. Jesus in Matthew 5:33 and following listed
a number of very difficult things to do such as
resisting not injury, giving your coat also, going
the second mile, turning not away one who wants
to borrow, loving your enemy, and then says, "So
you are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is."
An absolute commitment is as if we say, "In the
name of God, amen."
While we may accept the notion that for our
goals there must be an absolute commitment, we
accept the idea that we work in relationship to the
needs of men and that therefore our procedures
must be relative to these conditions and to the
associations in which men are found. The speed
also with which we move may need to be relative.
All men belong to the one great human species.
However, man is found in such great diversity
in time and space that the message must be given
in very different accent and with very special
illustration.
The changed conditions in which the Protestant
THE SCROLL 249
church works today contrast sharply with the con-
ditions sixty years ago in 1890 when our grand-
fathers worked and worshipped in America. One
needs to see the major changes in the conditions
of family life, of labor, of play, of education, of
social welfare. One needs to see how all these
changes impinge upcn the local community, the fami-
ly, and the person ; to see how all the inventions
of travel and transportation, and especially com-
munication have given modern man a new habitat
in which to survive.
One needs to see how the great uprooting of
humanity has occurred, the rapid movement from
place to place, from east to west, from south to
north, from country to city, from neighborhood
to neighborhood. With the influences of change
and environment, new people, strange morals and
different values, one needs to see how there are as-
sociations with many persons whose ideas and
actions at first give shock, but with whom we come
to feel at home only to meet still other people
v>7hose ways are strange to us. The processes of
urbanization in our world have moved so rapidly
and the relations of man have become so secondary
and so impersonal that as Susanne K. Langer says,
"Few people today are born to an environment
which gives spiritual support."
Pitirim A. Sorokin in a little book. Altruistic
Love puts it this way:
Mankind will survive if there are no great
scientific or philosophical or artistic or tech-
nological achievements during the next hundred
years. But this survival becomes doubtful if the
egotism of individuals and groups remains un-
diminished; if it is not transcended by . . . love
as a dynamic force effectively transfiguring in-
dividuals, ennobling social institutions, inspir-
250 THE SCROLL
ing culture, and making the whole world a warm,
friendly and beautiful cosmos."
The church is now caught between the situations
where small groups give the insights of the good
way of life on the one hand, and the situations
where the churches are unable to be effective in
securing influence and control in the larger com-
petitive regional organization of life. The local
church is too formal to provide the atmosphere
of creativity and confession, yet is too unrelated to
other churches to influence the control of the larger
community. This is especially true of Protestant
churches. The Roman Catholic church has a re-
gional organization as large as our metropolitan
areas in which action takes place.
Housing, for example, is related to the municipal-
ity, the state, and the nation. In itself it is in the
realm of physical equipment, whose processes for
achievement have been well worked out, and in-
volve no complicated process beyond our present
achievements. Yet the house means so much for the
association of those in it and the kind of relation-
ship which may be developed. It is a symbol of the
unity of the family in the community and yet for
many people their housing is not adequate. The
local church as such is not in an organization
which enables it to act in these matters which so
influence the character of its people.
If we say that our methods and procedures must
be related to present day conditions and situations,
it seems to me we need to develop in two major
directions : in the direction of intimacy of concern
and expression, where creativity on a small group
level can take place; and on the other hand, an
organization of Protestant people and Protestant
churches beyond the mere political, which seeks
to influence the larger community in the major
THE SCROLL 251
processes of living. Vve cannot have whole com-
munities of social disorganization, where as high
as twenty per cent of the boys in a neighborhood
get into difficulty with the law, where they are liter-
ally "framed for evil." Delinquency is not in the
germ plasm; it is not inherited. We now have
political, business, and occupational corruption that
eats at the very vitals of our society. These two ex-
tremes of our society — the need for intimacy and
the need for control — constitute the critical phases
of social concern growing out of our Christian faith.
In the small Christian group, creativity takes
place through the impulse of self-communication
which becomes receptive and appreciative of the
communication of others. In this fashion the self
grows, but the fellowship to which it is related
becomes a reality and eventually is objectified.
This is the process by which devotion to a cause
is achieved. By seeing through the eyes of others
as well as through his own, a person gets perspec-
tive. Thereby new forms of human relationship
and values emerge as old ones are put aside.
In "a community of sacred love" the members of
the group are freed of an egotism which seems so
common to all men. Such fellowship permits the
breaking down of false categorical groupings cf hu-
man beings. It both fosters and nourishes the com-
prehension and appreciation of others in the fellow-
ship. Herein lies the power which enables the per-
son to see beyond his own family or tribe; beyond
his own occupational or social group.
A basic ingredient of Christian faith in social
concern is that of hope. Some people speak as if
hope were closely related to shallow optimism. It
has a very different quality. Hope has a positive
creativeness closely related to faith and love. St.
Paul says, "So faith, hope and love endure. These
252 THE SCROLL
are the great three, and the greatest of them is
love." Faith is basic, love is the greatest, but hope
is central in this great trilogy. Furthermore,
Christian hope has been exemplified by the church
from age to age in conditions of great difficulty
and disaster.
We need not abdicate to objective description
saying what it must be; or to social trends saying
what has been will be. We need net abdicate to
any kind of determinism — economic, biological, cul-
tural, ecological — any kind of determinism which
inhibits us from exploring the various ways in
which social concern may be expressed. Although
we have limitations within which we work, within
them are wide variations of planning and action.
The rebuilding of our slums which force families
to live in crowded and unhealthful living quarters
is not due to an ecological determinism, but to the
lack of the proper distribution and use of our re-
sources.
Once we accept the preposition that we need to
take an absolute position with reference to our
goals, but a relative position with reference to the
methods of achieving them, then we are in the
area of exploration in which hope rather than de-
featism becomes basic. Hope means that we have
a creative edge to our lives in which we say it
does not yet appear what we shall be. Even the
most realistic statement of our problems and of
what we wish to achieve have in them the element
of hope when we relate our lives to the grace of
Gcd. "If with all your heart ye truly seek me,
ye shall ever surely find me. Thus saith your God."
THE SCROLL 253_
Our Only Defense
W. F. Bruce, Eureka Springs, Arkansas
At war, again ! Minor or major would be hard to
tell. A half century after the Hague Peace Con-
ference called by the Czar of Russia himself, fol-
lowed by a World Court, and the magnificent Peace
Palace. Then a "war to end war." Another war
to "make the world safe for democracy." A world
weary of war and ready to quit fighting, forever!
And a general disavowal of any intention of getting
into war. And an organized movement to set up
machinery that would head off war. Conference
after conference ; session after session of the United
Nations Assembly to iron out puckers in interna-
tional relations that might lead to war. And here
we are at it again ! How did we get into the very
plight we so anxiously wished to stay out of?
K Russia has the blame it is in her plotting
world domination, spreading subversive propa-
ganda, and speeding intensive military preparedness.
Of course much of this guilt, in view of the iron
curtain, has to be surmised. Giving ourselves the
benefit of the doubt, we thought, we have entered
overwhelmingly into an unheard of campaign that
includes billions in money for equipment and millions
in men through universal military training for
manpower.
Before guns of World War K were silent news
hints were suggesting retention of military bases
in Europe and in the South Pacific, as if someone
were already visualizing World War HL Generous
aid to Europe and to other war torn areas was
made a bid for allies. Treaties and pacts were prima-
rily military. Still more threatening were the veiled
announcements at studied intervals of jet propul-
sion nearing supersonic speeds, of more and more
powerful A- and H-bombs, of possible bacteriologi-
254 THE SCROLL
cal warfare; and always with the avowed intent
of keeping ahead of any possible belligerent antag-
onist, specifically, of course, ahead of what we pre-
sumed Russia was doing.
So we are leading the world in armed force, al-
though professing a peaceful purpose. We can only
conjecture what impression our procedure is mak-
ing behind the iron curtain or how far military
leaders are using it to justify their heavy armament
program. And we are informing them — or bluff-
ing them? — what we are up to. We can only guess
how closely they are following suit.
But we have succeeded not in scaring but in
daring our opponent. The indecisive campaign in
Korea only hesitantly backed by the United Nations
and involving the millions of the Chinese nation
and abetted by the Soviet Union and her satellites
has turned out to be more than '^police action";
has threatened toi become World War III. Our in-
tensive arming to secure the peace of the world
has helped entangle the world in another war.
Meanwhile Russia is conserving her resources
and strengthening her reserves while we are kept
uneasy around the border of the iron curtain and
are using up men and munitions in a doubtful war-
fare far from our own shores. What is likely is
that the Soviet regime had schemed a non-military
spread of communistic doctrine through propa-
ganda that plays continually upon the failures and
inequalities in the economic systems of other natio^ns
while ignoring their virtues ; by exalting the attrac-
tive phases of communism and concealing its vicious
effects. The underprivileged races and restricted
peoples are allured by any offer of relief from their
economic and political insecurity.
We cannot stop an idea by materialistic force.
Even a decisive military victory would no dou-bt
leave much of world population under various modi-
THE SCROLL 25£
fications of a socialistic political system. Our only-
defense against a coercive, totalitarian perversion
of popular government is to offer a system that
secures to every individual freedom from regimen-
tation by a dictatorial state on one hand, and on
the other hand from restriction by monopolistic
control of production and distribution that can
manipulate prices and dictate wages and thus in-
stigate an inflation or a depression. Extreme col-
lectivism ignores the worth of the individual; ex-
treme individualism the welfare of the group.
If we are to attract these discontented peoples
to our way of life we will have to revise a social
economy that is kept ruffled by a see-saw wage-
price rise and fall through strikes by organized
labor to secure a share of goods that belongs to
every individual as fruits of his labor, and through
manipulation by organized business to secure an
excess of goods. Then our military power, instead
of being a major resort for the defense of an eco-
nomic system that speaks poorly for itself, will be
only an adjunct to the spiritual force of universal
goodwill by which we seek toi promote freedom
and justice among all men.
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
It was about the year 2 A.P. (After Prohibition)
that the Christian Century carried an editorial
on "The Snobbery of the Suburbs." Oak Park, where
I then lived, and Evanston, another Chicago su-b-
urb, had voted for the repeal of the Eighteenth
Amendment. Soon thereafter, each of these sub-
urbs by local option voted itself "dry." The Chris-
tian Century in its editorial took these communi-
ties apart for voting for repeal and pointed out
that the later vote showed the suburbs were con-
256 THE SCROLL
cerned about themselves but not concerned about
other communities.
The Oak Park Ministerial Association was in
session and some of us who had worked hard to
vote the liquor traffic out of our community were
a bit agitated over The Century editorial. The red-
headed Y.M.C.A. Secretary who had led the dry
campaign was more than agitated, for he felt the
editorial stressed the things that we had not done
rather than the things we had achieved. He made
a speech calling upo^n us either to write a strong
protest or to send a delegation down to The Centu-
ry office. At the height of his impassioned plea for
action, he suddenly stopped and added in lower
tones "Unless," he said, "Unless Charles Mor-
rison really is God."
Those of us who have known Charles Clayton
Morrison across several decades of time know that
although he has never claimed to be God, he has
never hesitated to be the voice of God for causes in
which he sincerely believed. Like the prophets of
old his utterances have not always been pleasing
to the ear but they have usually pricked the
conscience and disturbed the mind of his readers
and his hearers.
It would be interesting to assemble in one place
all the articles that have come from the pen of
this great editor. These articles if put end to end
would undoubtedly encircle the globe. What is far
more important they would deal with every re-
ligious moral and ethical problem that has per-
plexed the world during the past half century. We
Disciples may not have agreed with all he has writ-
ten but when walking in ecumenical circles we al-
ways manage somehow to remind our friends that
Dr. Morrison is a Disciple. Even those Disciples
who have at times charged him with heresy have
held their heads high when Charles Clayton Mor-
THE SCROLL 257
rison has arisen to champion the simplicities of our
Christian faith.
Dr. Morrison has been so busy with the "weighti-
er matters of the law" that he has had little time
for the "mint, anise and cummin" of small talk
in which so many of us engage. This has at times
made him appear a bit cold and aloof. When I first
went to Chicago some 27 years ago I felt sure that
Dr. Morrison would be glad to know that his city
was to be saved by my coming. I went soon to his
office to announce my arrival and perhaps tell him
about some of the great sermons I intended to
preach. After some time his secretary evidently
persuaded him to hold up his editorial long enough
to greet a young "upstart." I was ushered into
his small office. He arose to greet me and tried
to make me think he knew who I was. He did
not invite me to sit down for there was no chair
in the office save the one he was occupying — appar-
ently he had been interrupted before by preachers
who wanted to loaf in his office. I backed out as
quickly as I could and have never been in his office
since.
One of the most delightful evenings I ever spent
was in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Morrison. Along
with some dozen couples Mrs. Davison and I were
invited to their commodious apartment. The eve-
ning was not spent playing cards, listening to the
radio or watching the antics of television. It was
an evening of guided conversation. The host and
hostess saw to it that the whole group talked (and
listened) to center. Every ten or fifteen minutes
the subject of conversation was changed. To spend
an evening watching the minds of Morrison, Wil-
lett, Ames, Garrison, Rice and others discuss the
problems of the day was like dwelling in Beulah
Land.
258 THE SCROLL
Only once did I ever break into the columns of
The Christian Century and that was when I was
a pastor in a country town and wrote an article on
"The Church and The Community." I do have in
my files somewhere two of those beautifully printed
rejection cards from The Pulpit. The sermons I sent
in deserved exactly what they got but if they were
any worse than some I have read in The Pulpit my
rejection cards should have been framed with a
black border.
All of us are thrilled tO' know that Dr. Mor-
rison is to give the Hoover lectures on "Christian
Unity" next Fall. We believe that this will be an-
other occasion when this editor, orator, prophet
will blaze new paths and reach new heights. Again
we Disciples will throw out our chests and declare
anew 'Our love for this man of God who has had
no equal in the field of religious journalism.
The Annual Meeting
S. Marion Smith,
President of The Campbell Institute
The 1951 Annual Meeting of the Institute will
be held Monday evening, July 23, through Thursday
evening, July 26, at the Disciples Divinity House,
Chicago. The theme for the meeting is "Preachers
and Seminaries Face Their Task."
Papers toi be presented include:
Edgar DeWitt Jones: "Life with the Beecher
Lectures"
W. L. Reed of T.C.U. : "The Bible and a Prophetic
Ministry"
Dr. Dwight Stevenson, Lexington, Ky. : "Practical
Preaching, an Avenue to Personal Growth"
David E. Pellett, Butler University: "Biblical
Criticism"
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois: "Personality
THE SCROLL 259
and Preaching"
The Presidential Address will be delivered by
S. Marion Smith, Butler University. Irvin E.
Lunger and S. C. Kincheloe of Chicago vv^ill both
present papers, subjects to be announced. The May
issue of The Scroll will publish the names and
subjects of several more participants, but it is obvi-
ous from the names and subjects already scheduled
that the 1951 Annual Meeting will be in the best
traditions of the Institute. The June issue of The
Scroll will carry the full schedule of the program.
The Treasurer's Page
Ben F. Burns,
Austin Boulevard Christian Church,
Oak Park, Illinois
Along with the $3.00 repentances received by the
treasurer during the last two months have come
some shareworthy plugs from SCROLL readers :
"I read The Scroll just like I read a letter —
from beginning to end without stopping. Each issue
seems always a little better. MY MEMBERSHIP
DUES ENCLOSED WITH PLEASURE."
A. Preston Gray, Kingsport, Tenn.
". . . Thanks for your specific reminder. I don't
want to lose out. ENCLOSED CHECK FOR $6.00
FOR 2 YEARS."
Riley B. Montgomery, Lexington, Ky.
"We enjoy The Scroll. Wouldn't want to miss
a copy . . . ENCLOSED IS A CHECK . . ."
Mr. and Mrs. C. Shollenberger
"For poetry you made a call
That surely reached the heart of all
And new with THREE DOLLARS I COME
To help make the needed sum
So it may aid in gracious way
The Institute its role to play."
R. H. Hill, Washington, D. C.
260 THE SCROLL
"Sorry, Sorry, I am so late
ENCLOSED FIND THREE IRON MEN
Eradicate your fate."
J. F. Stubbs, Eureka, Calif.
"Overdue
True
SO THIS CHECK TO YOU
Whew!!!"
C. Lee, Jackson, Miss.
'TECCOVI!"*
W. P. Monroe, Chicago
*This single word translated by the treasurer
means: "ENCLOSED PLEASE FIND CHECK
FOR THREE DOLLARS!"
Note carefully the stimulating refrain in all these
ccmmunications (YOU'LL FIND IT IN CAPITAL
LETTERS). GET IT?
A. P. Campbell, Liberal Layman
J. J. Van Boskirk, Chicago
A. P. Campbell, for many years an enthusiastic
supporter of the aims of the Campbell Institute,
died recently at the age of 83 years. His interest
in liberal religion dated back to the turn of the
century at which time L. J. Marshall, an early
"Instituter" and successor to Alexander Proctor
in the Independence, Missouri pulpit, held a re-
vival in Campbell's town in southern Missouri.
Campbell was a young business man who had
recently been schooled in the naval academy at
Annapolis, missing graduation due to a physical
handicap. His keen, inquiring mind rejected much
of the narrowness that characterized our "plea"
at that time, and the words of Marshall, who was
among the first of our men to go to Yale, sank
deeply into his soul and gave him the basis of the
philosophy he hammered out for himself in succeed-
ing years.
THE SCROLL 261
It was my good fortune to be his minister at
Florence, Alabama for a time, and I rate him the
most outstanding layman it has been my privilege
to work with. His liberality was not merely in
matters of theology, for his generous purse was put
to the service of many a harrassed unfortunate.
There was the Southern Baptist minister who lay
ill in the hospital and received a crisp bank note
together with a request from Campbell that it be
used to pay the hospital bill and that no publicity
be given to the gift. Young people were helped to
go to school, children were "adopted" for support,
scholarships were endowed — ^no one knows the ex-
tent of "Dad's" philanthropies. When his will is
probated it will doubtless be shown that most of his
estate is left to religious institutions.
In February, 1947 the editor of Front Rank asked
me to do an article on "My Most Unforgettable
Layman," and I wrote to Dad to supply me with
some pictures and details about his life. In a letter
dated Feb. 12, 1947 he wrote me: "I certainly ap-
preciate very much your thinking of me in that
connection, but I have always shunned any public-
ity in such matters and must beg off supplying
you with the information a^ut myself. . . . My
giving from some points of view may have been
liberal, but I wonder what the Lord thinks about
them."
While Dad liked to have his way as well as any-
one and was a harder fighter than most, he did
not use his giving as a club. When I was his
minister I was much brasher in my social and
economic views than now, and even though I bat-
tered his ears with socialistic "heresies" there was
never a rift in our friendship nor a lag in his sup-
port of the church.
THE SCROLL
Vol. XLIII MAY, 1951 No. 9
Three Ships
E. S. Ames
It seems necessary to repeat over and over again,
line upon line, and precept upon precept, just
what the Campbell Institute is. It is an organ-
ization of Disciples, ministers and laymen, who be-
lieve that Alexander Campbell spoke and wrote
many important words in the quest for the under-
standing of the Christian religion. They think the
movement in which he was so important, pointed
beyond some of the things which he and his brethren
accomplished. New tasks have arisen, in scholar-
ship as in the study of the scriptures, in missions,
in city churches, in union, in the work of women in
churches, and in many other fields which have be-
come important since the days of "the founding
fathers."
It is possible that even the members of the Insti-
tute may gain a new and more vital idea of the im-
portance of the Institute from a statement of its
purposes which formulated itself in my mind the
other night, at four o'clock in the morning, when I
was seeking some way to express in better terms the
meaning of this organization for the members, for
winning new members, and for avoiding any shadow
of sectarianism, denominational bigotry, or sinful
pride.
The answer finally came in terms of three "ships,"
comradeship, scholarship, and intelligent disciple-
ship. These were the original purposes written into
the constitution of the Institute by W. E. Garrison,
a member of the committee to draft the document.
The wording was somewhat different, but the mean-
ing continues and is very important.
1. The word fellowship was used, and it ex-
263 THE SCROLL
pressed the quality of feeling arising from close
association imbued by a serious purpose. Soldiers
on the march, in heat and cold, in bivouac and
combat, in songs of home and victory, merge into
a common self. College classes, and alumni develop
a corporate soul through the personalities they have
known, the ideas they have learned, and the insti-
tutional crises they have shared. The Campbell In-
stitute arose from dreams of youth who saw the
struggles of their fathers in proclaiming a freer
faith and a more intelligent practice of essentials.
The common forms of the ceremonies, the com-
munion, the prayer meeting, the revival, the wed-
dings, the funerals, the dinners, entertainments,
socials, plays, pageants, musicals, all such activities
and many more, formed a spirit and a character
that created comradeships and welded people into a
kind of sacred, mystic oneness. All such comrade-
ship grows best where it is not too consciously sought
but springs spontaneously as a kind of vital accom-
paniment of activities felt to be of the utmost im-
portance and of lasting value.
2. Scholarship was an interest which could de-
velop in more conscious effort to achieve it. The
approval of education for all persons who can take
it, is characteristic of a free democratic American
society. The free schools offering training for the
professions and the arts have carried the opportu-
nities for education farther, and to greater numbers
of citizens in America than anywhere else in the
world. It was natural that when voting was made
the privilege of all citizens, education should be
sought for every person. The Christian religion in
this democracy has always led in the founding of
the great universities. Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and
scores of colleges throughout the country began as
church schools, and they are the pride of the nation
THE SCROLL 264
today. When religion no longer supports scholar-
ship, it has lost its vitality and has become fear-
ridden and subject to superstition and pretentious
cults. (It is an interesting coincidence that at that
point I was interrupted by the call of two of Je-
hovah's Winesses!)
It was a great merit of Alexander Campbell that
he saw the difference between medieval scholarship
and modern scholarship. Like John Locke, he de-
nounced much that went by the name of learning,
which was sheer word-mongering, and made no
sense. Like Locke, he believed that a new day was
dawning when religion should cultivate reasonable
ideas, and read the Bible "like any other book" in
the light of facts of experience and common sense.
He was also averse to "theology," as something be-
longing to old prerational things like astrology and
alchemy. Campbell thought that sensible biblical
scholarship would put these things in their proper
place and not require modern man to adhere to
primitive notions that science had put away. Under
his influence, it was prescribed that "theology"
should not be taught in Bethany College which he
founded. Biblical knowledge is taught in its place.
Scholarship is not just learning something by rote.
Real scholarship involves some degree of critical
reaction to what is studied. There are some cults
that prohibit their followers from discussing their
beliefs. The faithful are indoctrinated into the au-
thoritative beliefs of the cult and discouraged from
entertaining any doubts about them. This is quite
the opposite of the scientific mind, which encourages
inquiry and justifies most thorough research con-
cerning any question held to be important.
3. Intelligent discipleship. This is the third
"ship" and the most important, for it expresses the
purpose and direction of Christian fellowship and
265 THE SCROLL
scholarship. The discipleship here referred to is
spelled with a small "d" because it expresses an
attitude of mind and heart. A disciple is a learner,
a follower, a questing soul, eager to learn and ready
to venture ion new paths when the old paths point
onward and upward. Mr. Campbell was a child of
the new age of thought which dawned with the dis-
covery of the new world, and with the liberation
of the human mind when men moved into a new
continent and found freedom from old creeds and
much social tyranny. Discipleship has too often been
taken to mean slavish devotion with no liberty of
opinion or independent inquiry. "Intelligent disciple-
ship," should be understood as thoughtful, reason-
able acceptance of the leadership of Jesus, as of
any other great soul who can teach us wisdom and
ways of growth.
These three "ships" sail together. They are not
independent of each other. Each helps the others.
The members of the Institute bind themselves to-
gether, stimulate one another to keep up with the
growing knowledge of wise men, and seek to learn
what discipleship to Jesus means for each person
and for all who try to follow in his way. It is an
interesting, free and happy association. It has not
yet grown to full development. If all members ap-
plied its three principles to himself, to his local
church, and to whatever groups he wished toi pro-
mote, very great and good results would be ob-
tained. Comradeship, scholarship, and intelligent
discipleship are above criticism. They are sought
by all sincere and genuine persons. All who wish
to have the encouragement, and help tO' be derived
from the several hundred ministers and laymen who
now belong are welcome to membership, and to free
participation in its life and work.
THE SCROLL 266
Barnstorming in the Caribbean
By W. E. Garrison
In March and early April my wife and I spent
a day in Cuba, two days in Haiti, five days in Ja-
maica and three weeks in Puerto Rico, with a one-
day excursion to St. Croix in the Virgin Islands.
The travel was by air. The purpose was to see the
scenery, meet the people, visit the churches and
the educational and religious institutions (our own
and others), and render any service that might be
possible within the narrow limits of the available
time and my capacities. I put myself at the disposal
of the U.C.M.S. representatives. Bob Nelson in Ja-
maica and Hugh Williams in Puerto Rico. Both
made dates for me to speak and served as guide,
liaison officer, congenial companion and chauffeur
(of their own cars). The success and pleasure of
the trip were chiefly due to their good offices.
Williams' skill in handling a car on Puerto Rico's
curvaceous mountain roads was a marvel until I
learned that he had been an airplane pilot in World
War I. Nelson's no less notable dexterity, on roads
half as wide over mountains twice as high, is still
unexplained.
In Jamaica, which is thoroughly British, we natu-
rally started in with a "tea," given by the execu-
tive committee of the Jamaica Council of Churches.
It had the formal, as well as the genial, qualities of
a British tea. There were addresses of welcome, a
response, and much good conversation. Jamaica
is almost as black as it is British. The fifteen or
twenty ministers present were all black. One whom
I particularly liked was "Rev. Cohen of the Church
of God, Anderson, Indiana." When I asked him
where he got his rather surprising name, his ex-
planation was complete: "I got it from my father.
He was a Jew."
267 THE SCROLL
That evening I preached to a mass meeting of
Jamaica Disciples which, I was told, included dele-
gations from every one of our thirty-two churches
on the island. Some said there were 1,000 present,
but I would settle for 700. Anyway the audience
packed the large church and swarmed around the
open windows and doors. I appreciated that turn-
out all the more when I had visited some of the
mountain communities and had seen the roads over
which many of the people had come, in trucks and
buses, on horseback or on foot. A choir of sixty
voices, composed of the choirs of our three churches
in Kingston, sang some good music, including the
Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah, and sang it
superbly. The zest and responsiveness of the people
made it seem that the occasion was a great event
in their lives. It certainly was a great event in mine.
Jamaica's mountains are high and steep. We
crossed a pass at 4,800 feet in driving from the
south to the north side of the island. The lush growth
of trees and shrubbery conceals most of the little
houses that are everywhere. Churches are perched
on the most improbable crags. Find a spot that
seems suitable only for an eagle's nest, and there
you will find a church. What is more, you will find
it full of people if there is a service, for there are
people living all around it. The churches are ele-
vated but not isolated. Some, of course, are in the
narrow valleys.
The Disciples have a "college" (i.e., boarding
school) at Lawrence Tavern. That is the name of a
post office in the mountains, but there is no tavern
and nO' noticeable village. The terrain is rugged.
One evening the students put on a native supper,
a sing and a performance of some original dramatic
skits, all for our special benefit. The supper was
good, if you like that kind of food ; the singing was
excellent and interesting, especially the "work
THE SCROLL 268
songs" with action; the skits were cleverly written
and still more cleverly acted. The whole show, sup-
per included, was staged in a sort of ravine where
they are trying to hack out a "playing field," reached
by a break-neck trail which plunges down a couple
of hundred feet from the school buildings. The
boys and girls of the school seemed to me to give
great promise of development if they only had any
economic and cultural setting in which to develop.
The problem for them, as for nearly everyone else
in Jamaica, is that the whole island seems on the
verge of starvation. Five days there do not make
me an expert, so I can only say what the conditions
seem to be. But I can add that they seemed this
way also to a British commission after some months
of study two years ago. That is why most of our
churches, though zealous and devout, are not self-
supporting. Jamaica itself is not self-supporting.
Three weeks in Puerto Rico gave me a chance
to see more and get better acquainted. Williams
took me literally when I told him I would do all
the work he would give me. I made 24 speeches
in the 21 days, including lectures at the Union Theo-
logical Seminary, the University of Puerto Rico,
the Polytechnic Institute and groups of ministers,
sermons in Disciple, Presbyterian, Mennonite,
Evangelical and Union churches, and addresses at
the San Juan Rotary, a nurses' training school and
university student groups.
The Union Seminary is a very substantial insti-
tution with about 35 graduate students and a faculty
of six (four Ph.D.'s) good enough to be the faculty
of any divinity school. My lectures there were the
core of my work in Puerto Rico, but, thanks to Wil-
liams, Farmer and Plyler, I got around over most
of the island. A chart of my wanderings looks
like a fairly complete road map of Puerto Rico. The
269 THE SCROLL
whole place is beautiful and, naturally, I took a lot
of kodochrome pictures. But the scenic beauties
are so obvious and continuous that one can observe
them incidentally while pursuing other interests.
The Disciples have 42 churches in Puerto Rico.
More than half of them are self-supporting, but
most of them had help from outside in financing
their buildings, which are generally substantial,
commodious and in good repair. The churches have
some sort of meeting nearly every night in the
week, and the people come. Only once, I think, did
I preach to less than a standing-room-only house,
and that was not in a Disciple church. Sunday
morning is devoted to a two-hour session for Bible
study, with men, women and children in classes.
The big preaching service is Sunday night. The com-
munion service is generally Thursday evening.
The Disciple churches generally have dev.eloped
a type of emotionalized expression which is unlike
our general tradition. The visiting preacher must
get used to having his sermon accompanied by a
running fire of "Amen," "Hallelujah," "Gracias a
Dios." These outbursts of audience participation
usually have no specific reference to anything the
preacher had said. He need not flatter himself that
any specially moving utterance of his has evoked
these concurring responses. It is merely that certain
people had kept silent as long as they could and
felt like shouting; and, further, that the congre-
gation regards it as fitting that it should supply a
rather constant stream of pious ejaculations upon
which the preacher's homiletical craft can sail. After
recovering from the initial shock, I rather liked it,
at least for a time, in contrast with the rigor mortis
of unresponsive respectability that marks the be-
havior of many Anglo-Saxon congregations.
THE SCROLL 270
There is much more of this "audience participa-
tion" in Puerto Rico than in Jamaica. I do not
know how it came in, unless "Holiness" evangelists
brought it. Certainly it cannot be accounted for as
a characteristically Negro phenomenon, for Ja-
maica is strongly Negro and Puerto Rico is not. The
native Puerto Rican is swarthy, and doubtless his
swarthiness is partly of African derivation, but he
does not impress one as being Negro.
Economic conditions in Puerto Rico are bad. They
would have seemed worse if I had not come direct
from Jamaica, where they are terrible. The trouble
is, of course, too many people on too little cultivable
land. Two and a quarter million people can't earn
a living on an island of that size with few industries
and little to export except sugar. They also export
some tobacco (bad, in my opinion) , and pineapples
and cocoanuts. But production! costs are higher than
those of their competitors because wages are higher.
Wages are higher because of American ideas of
standards of living. But the standard of living
which has come to seem a minimum is one which
the resources of the island will not support. More-
over, the division of the land into small holdings
has not gone as far as it ought. Besides that, every
Puerto Rican seems to consider it his privilege and
duty to have about eight children. So, even if the
economic problem could be solved for this genera-
tion, it would have to be solved over again for the
next one. If Malthus could come back to earth and
visit either Jamaica or Puerto Rico, he would say,
"What did I tell you?"
271 THE SCROLL
Some Inter-Relations Between
Process Philosophy and
Existentialism
Thomas L. Hanna, The Disciples Divinity House
The following is a sketch of certain inter-relations
between the two types of modern philosophy known
as Process Philosophy and as Existentialism. It is
the intent of this sketch to indicate that certain
inter-relations of these two philosophies form a
proper description of human reality and a vitally
meaningful philosophical view-point. This view-
point will be called the "doctrine of relations."
The specific aspects of Process Philosophy with
which we shall be concerned are the following, name-
ly: the point of view that all things are in potency
somewhere in this world of actuality (Whitehead's
"ontological principle") ; the derivative notion of
the inter-relatedness of all things: the idea with
which this sketch is primarily concerned — especial-
ly the schemes of relations within human experience ;
and the observation that the ultimate character of
reality is creativity or process. In general, these
principles mean that all individual entities in the
world are inter-related and are in a movement into
novelty.
The aspects of Existentialism of which we shall
speak are this philosophy's stress on certain sub-
jective human experiences, namely: choice and the
nature of the human will, the experiences of suffer-
ing, anguish, forlornness and despair, and the feeling
that one is alone and cut off from a world which
itself does not have an objective moral structure.
These ideas are present in a greater or lesser degree
in the thinking of Kierkegaard, Nietzsche and
Sartre, philosophers upon whom we principally rely
for our presentation of Existentialism.
THE SCROLL 272
There is a unique aspect of Existentialism which
has arisen in recent times and is of central im-
poftance in understanding this philosophy. This
unique aspect is the experience which some indi-
viduals have of an utter loneliness, a break-down of
one's fruitful relation with the world. Rene Des-
cartes sat by his stove one afternoon and proceeded
to doubt all that he could ; the Existentialist is one
who does with his whole personal orientation to life
that which Descartes did only with his intellect.
This is the realization that everything in life is
doubtful, arbitrary, baseless and valueless. This is
an awareness of a reality which has literally lost
its structure and fallen apart: the awareness is of
a nothingness. And from such an experience arise
the terms of anguish, despair, forlornness, the feel-
ing that there is no value or moral pattern in life, the
real'zation that the only resource left is the will.
One can be certain that there are more Existentialists
in this world than there are those who recognize
themselves as such. Perhaps only a few individuals
reach this nadir, but many persons are experiencing
some aspects of this same loss of direction. The fact
that people are having such experiences means that
we must accept this aspect of Existentialism as true,
as matter of fact, and perhaps also accept some of
the tenets of the Existentialists. This philosophy
is basically descriptive and not speculative. In all of
its expressions Existentialism is rooted in the
problems and searchings of the self. Thus, this
subjective philosophy is religious in its concern for
value and meaning and for what the human creature
has true need. I suggest that these terms which
Existentialism uses are the essentials with which we
must work if we are to find an understanding of life.
Our problem with Existentialism is to make sense
out of these personal experiences in terms of some
larger understanding of life. If the basic insights
273 THE SCROLL
of Existential thinking are valid, and if we are
able to interpret them in terms of a larger world-
view, then we have achieved some progress toward
■a deeper-rooted orientation to our world. It is the
intent of this sketch to show that Existentialism
implies and finds this larger interpretation in the
insights of Process Philosophy. We shall now pursue
this argument by first making an application of
Process Philosophy's notion of relations and then
applying this to an elucidation of Existential
philosophy.
Let us examine the process of education: this is
a problem of relations. The study of chemistry, fcr
example, is the study of the types of relations which
one element or compound has with others. One learns
how sodium is related to citric acid by combining
them in various manners and observing their re-
actions to each other. The concept of sodium is, in
itself, defined by the manner in which it is related
to all other elements, and all chemical substances
actually find their meaning from the system of
relations within which they reside. When the studer.t
has a knowledge of these inter-relations which is
consistent and workable, then we may say that his
knowledge of chemistry has meaning for him. This
is true of physics, of geology and of all other physical
sciences. The student of history is also concerned
with understanding the structure of relationships
which knits events into an historical pattern, though
here in the social sciences we must entertain certain
value judgements as well as judgements of objective
meaning, because we are more personally involved
in understanding relationships of human events than
we are between those of chemical entities. In the
field of the humanities this personal reckoning be-
comes more intense. The student finds that under-
standing the structure of ideas in a poem or opera
involves some such awareness of that same grouping
THE SCROLL 274
of ideas and feelings within himself. The data of
the humanities is contained within ourselves and
thus demands an understanding of ourselves. How-
ever, the ultimate phase of this personal involvement
is in the study of theology. For theology is the
extreme study in the nature of human reality; it
deals almost entirely with how we should relate
basic motives, beliefs, ideas, frustrations and hopes
so that life is of ultimate value to us. It is just
such an endeavor to feel these inner realities and
relate them to life with which religion has always
been concerned. Our point is, that in all learning one
attempts to discover the proper and consistent
relations between the objects which one studies. The
success or failure of a body of knowledge is de-
pendent upon whether the scheme of relations by
which one views his subject is meaningful and
pragmatic. Also we understand that the more ob-
jective studies discover the meanings of their sub-
ject, but the humanities deal more precisely with
value as seen in the inter-relations or structures of
human reality.
It seems then that the process of learning is con-
cerned not with separate ideas about things, but
rather with the relationships between ideas, for
ideas have no significance except through their
position with other ideas in a scheme of relations.
We have said that this attempt to see a structure
in the humanities, and especially in theology, is very
difficult, because we are attempting to see relations
between parts of our own personality and not be-
tween impersonal objects as in the area of the physi-
cal sciences. In the subjective personal sphere we
are not only dealing with meaning, but here we
must use the term "value." Meaning is the feeling
or response to something being in its proper place
within a larger sphere of objects which are more or
less outside of us, but meaning merges into value
275 THE SCROLL
as we begin to deal with parts of our own personali-
ties. Value, then, is the response or feeling that some
aspect of our inner being is in its proper place within
a larger relational scheme which is giving life rich-
ness.
Thus, we have defined meaning and value, and
the rationale of this distinction implies that the
difference between science and religion is a difference
of personal involvement. The upshot of our argument
is that the meaningful, the rich and the value-filled
life is dependent upon interpreting the experience
which comes into our life by certain relational
schemes, and without these proper relational schemes
the world can have no meaning, no value, and, in
short, the world and all that is within it will appear
unrelated to us, because it has been emasculated of
the meaning and value which we are not able to
give it.
At this point we have arrived at the experience
which underlies contemporary Existentialism, for
this Existential experience is of a reality which
disintegrates into nothingness because of a lack of
personal structure of value through which to inter-
pret reality. The presence or absence of such a
value-scheme has its deepest effects not in our under-
standing but in our feeling about life. Thus, one feels
anguish, forlornness and solitariness. One feels that
the only power that we possess to discover new
value is the power of our own will in choosing. Ac-
cording to this doctrine of relations the Existentialist
is understood as a person who has no relational
scheme within the personal area of his experience :
it has broken down.
Now, Kierkegaard, Sartre and Nietzsche, espe-
cially the latter two, all teach that we move into a
better and higher state only by brunt of choosing.
Choice is the instrument of human redemption. But
what these men do not tell us is (1) by what
THE SCROLL 276
criterion do we know what to choose and (2) what
has been accomplished by virtue of a series of
choices. The guide for choosing is simply that struc-
ture of meaning which continues to endure and func-
tion despite any break-down in value-structure which
may take place in our inner lives. We continue to
find a life that is meaningful but not a life that is
valuable. What we understand to be consistent and
meaningful in the non-subjective world about us is
our only guide toward an understanding of what
our personal reality should be. This means that our
understanding of the meaningful inter-relations of
the world outside of us — people, ideas and nature —
is our only indication of how to choose : this under-
standing is not of value in itself, but it is the
meaningful guide for the finding of value. In this
sense it is correct to say that science and religion,
truth and goodness, are aspects of the same reality,
merging into each other at the bounderies between
the personal and the non-personal.
What is accomplished by a series of choices? In'
the terms of this doctrine of relations "choice" means
that one has given one's self to acting in a certain
manner in which he has not acted previously. The
human will pushes, curbs and forms one's person
into a certain pattern. To do this means discomfort
and suffering, but it is only through the suffering
action of our wills that relational schemes are built
In time we get the "feel" of the scheme which we
have willed, and, if it is the proper scheme, we feel
the value which this scheme brings. Then we have
begun to reap the value of our suffering, and the
suffering is past. Put in other terms this means that
redemption comes only through suffering and comes
only if we will it.
The final aspect of this sketch is the assertion that
reality is in process. The world outside of us is in
277 THE SCROLL
constant change, and we as a part of that world
experience a constant individual change. The arisal
of new situations means that our prevailing rela-
tional structure may no longer bring us full value,
because it no longer properly interprets, the changed
world to us or our changed selves to the world. This
means that we must seek again for ways in which
to bring value out of our experience. We may hold
to our present relational scheme in its entirety and
try to remake or ignore the world, or we may, in part,
remake our lives in adjustment to this world. In
either case, we seek value.
Stated theologically, this doctrine of relations
means that God is a how and not a what. God is
that relational scheme through which every entity
in the world finds a valuable inter-play with the
rest of the world. This means that God is the source
of all goodness, beauty and truth of which the world
partakes. But the world is lured into change by the
need for more value, and thus God must constantly
be discerned anew and chosen anew. This means
that the will of God is ever before us, beckoning us
to new and greater value. If we obey this will, then
we grow through the suffering action of the ac-
cepting will. If we do not seek and obey this will,
then the judgement of God is that of a life without
value, a drifting away from the world's creativity
and a self-centered loneliness.
If the principles of Process Philosophy and the
deep insights of Existentialism are descriptive of
reality, then there is one world of which God and
ourselves are essential parts. And in this world God
is the Source of all goodness, the Lure toward
greater richness, the beckoning Hope for redemption
and the Judge upon those who do not choose to
follow His will.
THE SCROLL 278
Dear Comrades of the Institute:
Sterling W. Brown, 381 Fourth Ave., N. Y.
April 23, 1951
It has been some months since I have had the
privilege of submitting a manuscript for the con-
sideration of the distinguished editor of The
Scroll. Aware of his affinity for informality I am
sending this letter.
In 1947, the Department of the Army asked the
National Conference of Christians and Jews to grant
me a leave of absence so that I might serve on the
staff of the Office of Military Government in the
American zone in Germany. With the approval of
the Conference I began, in early 1947, a period of
two years of service as a member of the Education
and Cultural Relations staff, with headquarters in
Berlin.
Those were dark days for the Germans. Most
of them were living on the thin line of existence
bordering on starvation. Their cities lay prostrate
from the saturation destruction made necessary by
the fanatical last-ditch resistance of the Nazis.
Only a few streets were cleared of the broken stone
and twisted, rusting steel that lay everywhere in
the larger cities. Acres and acres of gutted buildings
were ever-present reminders of the horrors and evils
of war. Most Germans were concerned with the
most elemental needs — how to get enough food to
keep body and soul together, fuel and clothing to
stave off the rigors of cold and, in some instances
where hope still existed, ways to re-establish busi-
ness, profession or remunerative employment.
Those were depressing days for the personnel of
the occupying powers, too. It is not easy to feast on
plenty, even though it comes from an army com-
missary, when those around you are on the point
of starvation. One hardly enjoys wearing good
279 THE SCROLL
clothes when others are dressed in; rags. I can recall,
during every working day of our two years in
Berlin, being able to look out of my office window
to see some twenty to thirty Germans going through
garbage cans from the GJ. mess located just below.
These were indigenous employees of the United
States Government, otherwise they would not have
been permitted in the compound. They were furnish-
ed free one hot meal per day, but they were searching
the garbage cans for any bits of food — bread, po-
tatoes, orange peelings or coffee grounds. They took
these food items home to help keep their families
alive. A smoker of a cigarette would sometimes be
followed for more than two blocks by a poor tottering
German man or woman who hoped to get the
cigarette butt when it was tossed away.
It is interesting to look back now and consider
the fundamental objectives of the Western occupa-
tion powers. They were:
1. To occupy the country militarily as a govern-
ing authority ;
2. To assist the Germans in economic rehabilita-
tion;
3. To denazify the German people ;
4. To demilitarize the Germans ;
5. To reorient and democratize.
The first objective was about the only one that was
completely attainable. Germany was about as fully
occupied as was physically possible; armies of five
occupying powers, supplemented by civilian officials
and some two dozen military missions from other
countries. It took more than three and a half years
to demilitarize Western, Germany in a physical sense.
It was a little paradoxical to contend that militarism
was an evil, when the Germans knew that we got
there by superior military might and that a worse
THE SCROLL 280
occupation than that of the Western AUies awaited
them if our military forces were withdrawn. In
Eastern Germany, the efforts for remilitarization
began simultaneously with a pseudo-demilitarization
campaign. As one German observer noted:
Man verlangt lediglich, dass die braune gegen
die "rote" Uniform vertausche wird (They ask
only that we change the brown uniform for a
"red" one).
The Education and Cultural Relations Division, of
which I was a staff member, was of course mainly
concerned with the problem of the reorientation of
the German people. We soon learned that, in the
final analysis, a people have to democratize them-
selves. This was difficult for the Germans to under-
stand because they thought of democracy as some-
thing that could be accepted almost instantaneously,
like the election or appointment of a new premier.
Being a member of a staff of some seventy pro-
fessors, social workers, religious educators and cul-
tural leaders, with the. assignment of changing the
way of life of about twenty million people in the
American zone, was an overwhelming assignment.
Our government was only spending something like
one half of one per cent on this objective. In any
case, we did not get the full job done!
We did accomplish some things: we assisted the
Germans in rewriting textbooks and in the creation
of new ones; gave them an opportunity to learn
something of the developments that had taken place
in the educational and cultural field during their
more than twelve years in a cultural vacuum ; placed
in positions of leadership those who seemed to be
motivated by a sense of values that would sustain
a democratic way of life; instituted a program of
cultural exchange of materials and leaders; moti-
vated German leaders, Protestant, Catholic and
Jewish, to organize local councils of Christians and
281 THE SCROLL
Jews in a half-dozen cities in Western Germany. My
personal opinion is that there were more intangible
contributions that it is impossible to document or
measure objectively. Certainly the American people
have earned the eternal gratitude of Germans in
the Western German areas for the material as-
sistance given, not only by government, but by
church and benevolent organizations.
Demilitarization had hardly been accomplished
when it became clear that, in the kind of a world
in which we live, a nation either has to have an army
of its own or depend on an occupying army of an-
other nation or nations. Denazification, which began
with strong support from both Germans and Western
allies, became more and more unpopular as well as
more difficult to define. Certainly the leadership of
the Nazi party was definitely taken out of play by
death, imprisonment, or disenfranchisement. After
the change of currency and the allocation of
Marshall-Plan aid, in late 1948, the first signs of
economic rehabilitation began to appear. It came
slowly and almost imperceptibly like the first buds
indicating the coming of spring.
In early 1949, I returned to the USA, terminating
my two-year leave of absence. At that time I was
made General Director of the National Conference
of Christians and Jews.
During the past fifteen months since my return,
I have been the chairman of a Religious Affairs
Panel which is an advisory voluntary group of
Protestant, Catholic and Jewish leaders who advise
the State Department (responsibility for the govern-
ment of the American zone of Germany was passed
from the Army to the State Department in the fall
of 1949) on policies relating to religious groups in
the occupied areas. Among my colleagues on that
panel are Dr. Reinhold Neibuhr, Father William Mc-
Manus, Dr. Roswell Barnes, Rabbi Philip Bernstein,
THE SCROLL 282
and Dr. Paul Empie. During this period, about two
hundred young Germans with religious interests
have visited this country for periods ranging from
60 to 180 days, as guests of the United States govern-
ment. Their program of visitation and investigation
has been under the direction of the Religious Affairs
Panel and the constituent organizations represented
on the panel: National Council of Churches, Na-
tional Lutheran Council, National Catholic Welfare
Conference, Synagogue Council of America and the
National Conference of Christians and Jews. The
central office for the administration of this program
is located in the headquarters of the National Con-
ference of Christians and Jews. My deep interest in
things German has, of course, been continued and
even intensified by my relationship to this program.
Groups of Germans from other areas of interest
have visited this country under programs super-
vised by panels in other fields.
The State Department has asked me to return for
a three-month period of service in Western Germany
and I shall be flying over on May 3rd to assume
this responsibility. As a consultant on intergroup
relations, my project will have to do with assisting
the local Councils of Christians and Jews, now
numbering about a dozen in Western Germany, with
organizational and promotional problems. It will
be interesting to see the changes that have come in
the past fifteen months. After my return, I would
be glad to share some of my impressions in another
letter to you.
The Scroll has followed me during all of my
peregrinations and I have felt the sense of fellowship
with the comrades of the Institute. My present
position has given me the opportunity to work with
an organization which I believe implements in-
telligent good will.
283 THE SCROLL
Notes
E. S. Ames
Ellsworth Faris. "Heartiest greetings. I'm teach-
ing full time in the University of Utah, and they
treat me with western hospitality. Climate is spring
— perfect. I hope your body prospers as your soul.
Affectionately."
Mrs. M. C. Schollenburger, Baltimore. "Thank
you. We enjoy The Scroll. Wouldn't want to miss
a copy. However, the time of payment is a question
in our minds. Do we pay in July or June? Enclosed is
check for the next period of time whatever it is."
Mrs. Melba P. Down, Bartlesville, Okla. "Thank
you for keeping The Scroll coming this way.
Several families from Bartlesville will be moving
to Idaho Falls before autumn, and I do want to keep
my contact with this source of inspiration, as we
find new church homes."
H. H. Walker, Chayiottesville, Virginia. "Thanks
for the reminder. I do enjoy reading The Scroll."
Hunter Beckelhymer, Kenton, Ohio. "Your letter
jogged my conscience, and I am forthwith sending
my long overdue three dollars to Ben. Pure over-
sight."
W. J. Lhamon, Columbia; Mo.. "Here are your
'Three Iron Men.' Let them be the expression of a
nonagenarian in his appreciation of The Scroll
and its Editor year by year through more than a
generation. I trust that you are very well, my dear
Doctor: and I am sure that many do greatly ap-
preciate your long management and editorship of
The Scroll."
The Alexander Campbell Home at Bethany, West
Virginia, is to be restored. Wilfred P. Harman, Na-
tional Director of the Disciples Historical Society
has been secured as Executive Secretary of the
special committee in charge of the campaign. Every
THE SCROLL 284
member of the Campbell Institute ought to con-
tribute to this campaign.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis S. C. Smythe, with nearly
all Disciple missionaries in China have returned to
the home land. They have visited in Cincinnati,
Indianapolis, Chicago, and Gary, Indiana. They have
a most interesting story to tell of the present
state of things in China.
Richard M. Pope, Drury College, Springfield, Mo.
**It was very good to hear from you and to learn
of your thinking concerning the Campbell Institute.
I enjoyed your article in The Scroll, and share
your deep concern for the Campbell Institute. Al-
though my experience with the Institute is limited,
I too can truly say that it has been a "real part of
my life experience." I think this could be said by
anyone who has ever enjoyed the freedom of the
comraderie and intellectual stimulus of the Institute
and The Scroll . . . We are planning to get up at
least a car load of men from this region who will
go to Chicago this summer for the annual meeting,
and Clay Potter, who attended for the first time last
summer is extremely interested."
Tom Hanna and his wife have been appointed
by Disciple headquarters to go to Paris, France, in
the near future, for a period of eighteen months to
help in understanding Displaced Persons in Eur-
opean countries, and in placing them if possible.
This will be a great experience for Tom and Susan.
It will give them first hand opportunity to study
Existentialism and other theories of despair, and
to test his view of the way out which he sets forth in
this Scroll!
"Correspondence" on page 614 of the Christian
Century for May 16th is a frank confession of the
tribulations of well meaning editors. The readers
react with remarks like these: "Your editorial is a
285 THE SCROLL
disgrace" ; "I was shocked and disgusted" ; "Kindly
discontinue my subscription as of today"; "Your
schoolboy analysis is amazing"; "We hope the Cen-
tury may have a better editor in the future"; "I
hereby cancel" ; "Since reading your editorial I have
decided I do not want your magazine another year" ;
"Your editorial is intolerable."
W. W. Wasson, Dean of the Christian College of
Georgia. In an article in the Christian Evangelist of
May 2, on Garfield and the Christian Standard, he
says Garfield thought the reason the paper failed
after its first year of publication was that there were
not enough people to support its broad and pro-
gressive policy. He also wrote to L. L. Pinkerton, "I
almost despair of ever seeing anything strong and
bold and free among the Disciples ... I may wrong
our people but it seems to me that the majority
of them would rather be fed on theological flap
doodle, than to recognize rugged truth."
Chancellor Hutchins. In his farewell address at
the Trustees-Faculty Dinner, the Chancellor said:
"I say that the primary responsibility of the head
of a university is to lead the attack on the intellectual
problems ... If it is not done, the university may
get money, but it will be none the better for it . . .
The only problems that money can solve are financial
problems, and these are not the crucial problems
of higher education. Money is no substitute for
ideas."
"I do believe that the faculty should have higher
salaries and better living conditions. But these things
have little to do with dedication, and undue emphasis
upon these things may tend to thwart the creation
of a dedicated community. I should have held before
the University the vision of a cause."
In conclusion, he quoted Seneca, who said: "Our
\
THE SCROLL 286
forefathers have done much, but they have not
finished anything." We shall not finish things either,
but we can make them better. That last sentence
shows something important that the Chancellor
learned in 21 years! It is a lesson of relativism.
The neiv Chancellor, Chancellor Kimpton, is some-
thing of a philosopher, and was a few years ago a
member of the department of philosophy in Chicago.
He begins with the wisdom of Seneca which the
old Chancellor quoted at the end of his reign.
Senator J. WiXHam Fullhright. He is the author
of the famous Fullbright Scholarship Plan for the
exchange -of professors and students between this
country and other countries. He is a Rhodes scholar,
and was formerly president of the University of
Arkansas. I knew all these things about him before
I learned that he is a Disciple. It was the publication
of his address in the Christian Evangelist of April
18 that gave me some adequate appreciation of his
good mind and forceful moral character. His ques-
tions and comments in his long quiz of General
MacArthur before Congress revealed the mind of a
democrat which is beyond narrow partisan lines. By
some who know our statesmen well in Washington,
he is rated with our Illinois Senator Paul Douglas
as among the really great men of their party. Maybe
one 'or both of them will be President some day !
THOMAS CURTIS CLARK writes, in answer to
my questions, that his paternal grandfather, William
A. Clark, was for fifty years "the best blacksmith
in Bloomington, Ind." He led the Christian Church
choir for twenty years. My Father, Thomas J., as
a lad of 17, enlisted in the Civil War; after three
years in the War, became a carpenter; then entered
Indiana University, graduating in 1872. He taught
287 THE SCROLL
Latin in Vincennes High School, preaching every
other Sunday at the local church. After a year the
church board asked him to become full-time minister ;
which he did, quitting teaching. During his 22 years
at Vincennes he built up the membership from 50
to 800. In 1894 he went to Kirkwood Avenue Chris-
tian Church in Bloomington and there put his five
children through the University. In 1908 he accepted
a call to Albion, Illinois, and after nine years he
retired, going to Bloomington. Within a few months
he died of a heart attack, in 1918, at the age of 72.
Father was an excellent "Bible preacher" but liberal.
He followed Lyman Abbott and J. H. Garrison. He
wanted me to come to Chicago to be under Dr.
Willett's influence.
My maternal grandfather, Theodore C. Jennings,
of English descent, drove in a covered wagon from
Tennessee to near Greencastle, Indiana, with his
family. He bought a thousand acres near Cloverdale,
built a mill, and later two others. The township was
named for him. He called his settlement Cataract.
Mother, one of ten children, was born there, Decem-
ber 18, 1852. The family later moved to Bloomington,
where Mother graduated in 1873. She was married
on her Commencement day, and went to Vincennes
as the new minister's wife. She was a perfect wife
for a minister. Father's success was as much due
to her various abilities and consecration as to his
own ability. The five children of that manse — three
girls, two boys — were greatly blessed in the start life
gave us. Now we do miss mother, who was alert and
active until her fatal accident. She too was "liberal"
— liked Goodspeed's N. T. because it was "Modern."
Mother died February 16, 1951 at 98. Her father
died at 98, one sister at 100, another at 94. She
was the oldest alumna of Indiana University.
THE SCROLL 288
People - Places - Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Ind.
George A Campbell, of sainted memory, was
pastor of the great Union Avenue Christian Church
in St. Louis and I was pastor of the Austin Boulevard
Church in Oak Park where Dr. Campbell had served
for the eleven years he was in the Chicago area.
I had just returned from my vacation and had gone
into my pulpit with even less preparation than
usual expecting to speak on the subject "Signs Along
the Road." After the service had begun I was startled
to see Dr Campbell come into the sanctuary and sit
down in the back pew.
My mind was quickly shifted into high and in
thirty seconds a dozen questions presented them-
selves— "How can I preach that sermon with George
Campbell in the audience?" "Do I have some other
sermon in mind to which I could shift?" "Why did I
print my subject in the bulletin?" "Should I use
the illustration listed under point three or forget it?"
The hymn immediately preceding the sermon was
being announced when a bright idea struck me. I
said to the congregation "Dr. George Campbell of St.
Louis former pastor of this church is with us this
morning. He is so greatly loved by the people here
that they would never forgive me nor him if I did
not insist that following this hymn Dr. Campbell
come to the pulpit and speak to us this morning
out of the overflow of his heart." Throughout the
entire hymn George stood in his pew wearing his
wisest and most unrevealing look. I was on "pins
and needles" but at the close of the hymn he stepped
out into the aisle and started toward the front. It was
then that I said to myself "Davy you are a pretty
smart cookie and know how to get out of tight jams."
When Dr. Campbell reached the front he never
even approached the pulpit steps but turned to the
289 THE SCROLL
people and said, "It is always a joy to see my good
friends of this church. Mrs. Campbell and I have
been at our cottage in Pentwater and I am on my
way back to St. Louis. I have been on vacation for
six weeks and haven't an idea in my head." Where-
upon he seated himself in the front pew.
What was said in the sermon I preached that
morning only the Lord knows and I am sure He was
ashamed of it. I do know that Dr. Campbell would
have been much safer in the back pew for if I ever
"spit and sputtered" it was then.
A Book Review
F. W. BuRNHAM, Richmond, Va.
THE BELIEF IN PROGRESS, John Bailie of
the University of Edinburgh, Charles Scribner's
Sons, N. Y., 1951, $2.75, 240 pp. Religious Book
Club Edition.
Here is a book calculated to call forth the preach-
er's hard thinking, which is something John Baillie
usually does.
Announcing his thesis the author says:-
"Historians agree in regarding belief in progress
as one of the ruling ideas in the Western thought
of the last hundred and fifty or two hundred years"
. . . "They differ so widely as to whether the belief
provides a sound clue to the interpretation of the
past and a safe guide to our outlook on the future;
both as to whether there has been progress in his-
tory, and if so of what kind, and as to whether we
have the right to hope for progress in time to come,
and if so of what kind. Yet few things can be more
important in the present crisis of our Western
fortunes than to have a clear mind on these ques-
tions."
Reviewing ancient historians the author finds that
they wrote chiefly of incidents in the affairs of men
THE SCROLL 290
and nations without considerations of cause and
effect. Ancient philosophers did some better.
He says; "Lucretious's understanding of the de-
velopment of civilization slowly and by small grada-
tions, from early savagery is indeed a notable
achievement. It cannot fail to remind us of the ac-
counts of the early progress of the race which we
have, since the beginning of the nineteenth century,
been accustomed to receive from our modern archae-
ologists and palaeanthropologists."
Having discovered progress in the improvement of
tools, in skills, in the discovery of facts and the
reccmbining of elements, the question remains, is
there progress in man himself, in the human soul?
If so is it confined to individuals or does it apply
to races, to nations and to the human family as
a whole? Is humanity getting somewhere? If it is
what is the goal? Is the final consummation, if there
is any final, within history or beyond history or
both?
Beginning chapter 11. the author turns our at-
tention to "the quasi-religious faith in progress" and
says: "The problem is essentially one of the philoso-
phy of history. The approach is to set it in contrast
to other and earlier philosophies of history." This he
does in two succeeding chapters. He discusses the
doctrine of recurrent cycles present in the thought
of the Chinese, Babylonians, and Indians 1000 years
before Christ. A concept based upon the recurrence
of the seasons of the solar year and the procession
of the stars. The ancients figured that once in every
36,000 years everything begins all over again. Here
we get an echo found in the book of Ecclesiastes.
The author then carries us into the New Testament
and shows how a new element of hope entered into
the concept of progress. The full development of this,
however, he reserves for his final chapter; but he
observes that it was to dominate the thought of the
291 THE SCROLL
West for many centuries. Reviewing the writers
on New Testament history the author discovers "A
forward moving process of a special kind," In
demonstration of this he summarizes both New
Testament history and doctrine. He says:-" All their
patterns of history have a certain a priori character,
a sense of preconceived pattern in the light of which
the historical process is seen developed." He then
traces the idea of progress through the writings of
German, French and English philosophers ; Lessing,
Herder, Kant, Fichte, Hegel, Croce, Descartes,
Thomas Paine, David Hartley, Dunbar, Turnbull
and Adam Ferguson of Aberdeen. The idea of
progress is there in varying degree and concept.
He shows the emergence of socialist thought and
the resurgence of the modern Christian concept.
He reveals that ''The idea of progress inclines to
assume a new form with the emergence of socialist
thought. The hope of a slow movement throughout
the future indefinitely continued gives place to a
lively expectation of a new order which can be
brought about almost at a stroke by radical social
rearrangement and which will then require! no
further important change."
It is in the final chapter, however, that the author
stirs the imagination and revives the hope of a
Christian thinker. After paying due respect to the
position of Albert Schweitzer's eschatology of Christ,
also to Edwyn Bevan's essay on "Human Progress"
he refers to a new movement in contemporary New
Testament criticism called "realized eschatology"
associated with the name of Dr. C. H. Dodd. Also
he finds help in the writings of Dr. Oscar Cullman,
who holds that "the primary emphasis is no longer
upon a future fulfilment, but upon a fulfilment
already granted, a salvation already assured, a vic-
tory already won, a new age already inaugurated,
and a new quality of life that is now possible."
THE SCROLL 292
In the final section of the last chapter of his book
the author writes :-
"Our conclusion then is that the Christian faith
does offer us a very confident hope for the future
course of terrestial history . . . We must recover that
sense of standing on the threshold of a new historical
economy (or dispensation), that sense of a noble
prospect opening before us, that sense of a power of
the Spirit and of the inexhaustible resources now
available to us, that adventurous zeal for the renewal
of humanity and that confidence in ultimate victory
of which the New Testament is so full."
Campbell Institute Program
W. B. Blakemore, Secretary
The annual meeting of the Campbell Institute will
take place at the Disciple's Divinity House of the
University of Chicago Tuesday through Thursday,
July 24 to 26. The opening session will begin at
2 P.M. on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 24. At that
session papers will be read by Professor Dwight
Stevenson of the College of the Bible, Lexington,
Kentucky, on Practical Preaching , an Avenue to
Personal Groivth, and by W. L. Reid of Texas Chris-
tian University on the Bible and the Prophetic Minis-
try. On Tuesday night Edgar DeWitt Jones of De-
troit, Michigan, will deliver an address on Life with
the Beecher Lectures. On Wednesday morning Pro-
fessor David Pellett of the School of Religion, Butler
University, will present a paper on Biblical Criti-
cism, and /. E. Lunger, minister of the University
Church of Disciples, Chicago, Illinois, will deliver
a paper on the Preacher and the News of the Day.
The Wednesday afternoon session will be devoted
to reports from the Seminar on the Church and
Economic Life, being held under the auspices of the
Federated Theological Faculty of the University of
Chicago. On Wednesday evening it is expected that
Professor Hyatt of Vanderbilt University, will read
a paper dealing with the forthcoming publication
of the Revised Standard Version of the Old Testa-
ment, W. E. Garrison of The Christian Century, will
deliver a paper on the Roots of the Disciple Move-
ment. On Thursday morning W. B. Blakemore, Dean
of the Disciples Divinity House, will present a paper
on Disciple Baptism and the Ecumenical Problem.
C. C. Morrison, Chicago, Illinois, will present an
analysis of the Hoover Lectureship. On Thursday
evening the presidential address of the meeting will
be given by Professor S. Marion Smith, Butler Uni-
versity, Indianapolis, and the meeting will close with
a communion service in the Chapel of the Holy
Grail.
The Treasurer's Statement
Ben F. Burns
In the current year there is one more Scroll to be
published. This means that a total of $595.88 must be
received from you subscribers and readers before
June 30 if we are to be able to pay the printer and
continue the publication of The Scroll.
Dues for the next year start on July 1 and we
cannot start using them to work against the current
deficit or we will wind up next year where we were
at the beginning of this year.
P.S. The treasurer has made a valiant fight to
overcome the financial difficulties which were large-
ly the accumulation of several years. He is right
in urging all of us to help clear away the present
deficit. A final accounting will be made to all our
readers in the June Scroll. If all who have been
getting the Scroll since last September or longer,
and have "forgotten" to pay, will send in three doH
lars, it will bring all our "three ships" safely to port,
and make them ready for another and more glorious
voyage ! — E.S.A.
THE SCROLL
Vol. XLIII JUNE, 1951 No. 10
The Dangers of Shipwreck
E. S. Ames
All of the three ''Ships" of which I have lately-
written are at times in danger of being wrecked.
The Titanic and the Lusitania disasters are still
shocking reminders that the greatest ships may run
afoul of hidden dangers like icebergs, or submarines.
The marvelous ships of the air, safe from those
perils, have dangers of their own. The paths of the
sea, of the air, and of the land, have their hazards.
Travel of any kind is never perfectly safe. Neither
is it possible to be entirely secure at home or in
a guarded fortress or in any kind of habitation. Wil-
liam James says: "I find myself willing to take the
universe to be really dangerous and adventurous,
without therefore backing out and crying 'no play'."
He quotes as expressing this state of mind the fol-
lowing old Greek epigram :
"A shipwrecked sailor, buried on this coast,
Bids you set sail.
Full many a gallant bark, where we were lost,
Weathered the gale."
Whoever senses the soul of this shipwrecked sailor
will see that he is willing "to live on a scheme of
uncertified possibilities which he trusts; willing to
pay with his own person, if need be, for the
realization of the ideals which he frames."
Thus life goes on. When her child starts off
for the first day of school, the anxious mother stands
at the door lost in mingled pride and wonder. All
new experiences begin with more or less tension,
the first sermon, the first day of teaching, the first
case of a lawyer, or doctor, or salesman.
Tlie Perils of Comradeship. Every comradeship is
295 THE SCROLL
liable to become wrecked by the defect of its own
virtue! The loneliness and hunger for companion-
ship has often thrown a sensitive youth off his
intended course and made him susceptible to friend-
ship which had no depth of seasoned acquaintance,
or height of tested purpose. Man is 'naturally a
social animal, but sociability is not of itself a
guarantee of safety. Even college fraternities are
in danger of deterioration and corruption through
the cheer and expansion of soul which a close-knit
group may offer the individuals drawn together
within its warmth and protection. The mutual de-
votion of the members of a clique may easily be-
come more influential over them than the school,
church, or community within which the clique has
its being. The "gangs" which grow so commonly in
city streets and parks spring up from deep and
powerful forces but their development is always
precarious. They may extend into local and even
national politics.
All such societies, brotherhoods, orders, parties,
sects, depend for their life upon the inner bonds
of comraderie, and their power grows as they are
extended to greater numbers and to more important
tasks. The greater the solidarity, the greater the
power for good or evil. It may too easily be for-
gotten that great societies within religious move-
ments have brought disasters of conflict, rivalry,
jealousy, and bitter misunderstanding. Often the
original motivations of high ideals have suffered
detachment from their higher inspirations, and
have deteriorated under the control of selfish and
worldly ambitions.
The Perils of Scholarship. Education requires,
with other things, the attainment of knowledge
which is accurate, ample, and applicable to impor-
tant needs. Dangers arise from discipline in these
THE SCROLL 296
very qualities. Accuracy makes learning reliable.
It requires great care and diligence in attending
to facts and to information from reading. Great ad-
vances have been made in the schools in training
students to read books rapidly, for of the making
of books there is no end. Top scholars make a point
of reading everything a given author has written,
and all important criticism and discussion of that
author's views. That of itself is a great undertak-
ing, but it is often desirable for a man to become
acquainted with a whole field of knowledge, such as
that of English philosophy in the 18th century, or
of the main lines of English thought since John
Locke. There are histories of selected periods like
these, and familiarity with a college textbook may
give the student some definite impressions of these
large areas, but to be a "scholar" in any subject
demands far more than this. Too frequently when
one's knowledge is ample, it is not accurate, and
sometimes when knowledge is ample and accurate
it is useless in serving any real need. The conse-
quence is that scholarship is often the target of
jibes and ridicule. Popular prejudice arises against
"professors" and against men reputed to be learned.
They are high-brows, snobs, impractical, cranks,
crackpots, dreamers, visionaries, dwellers in ivory
towers. They are theorists, bookish, unrealistic,
unsafe guides in practical matters. And there is
too much truth in all these charges ! The highbrows
are easily deceived about themselves. They may
have attended great universities, studied many lan-
guages, traveled far and even written books, with-
out finding out many simple "facts of life," and
basic characteristics of human nature. They have
not read Clarence Day's, This Simian World, which
is more important for a revealing view of this
human world than the same author's, Life with
297 THE SCROLL
Father. We live in an age of marvelous advertising,
by papers, magazines, radio, television, lectures,
books and incorporated institutions. Astrology with
its horoscopes, alchemy with its patent medicines,
religious cults with their quotations from the scrip-
tures, temples of stone with their robed prophets
and promises of health, whom shall we trust?
The Perils of Discipleship. The Campbell Insti-
tute was organized by young men preparing for
the ministry among the Disciples of Christ, and
they rightly incorporated in the constitution of their
organization as the third purpose after comrade-
ship and scholarship, the cultivation of the personal
religious life. They were familiar with the idea of
a close, devotional and moral allegiance to Jesus
Christ. Perhaps this feature of their association
was so much assumed as a quality in the life of
every genuine Christian that it has not been dis-
cussed and made so clearly an objective as scholar-
ship and fellowship. There may have been a very
real though unconscious reason for this in a realiza-
tion that the intense evangelicalism of the last
decade of the 19th century overemphasized the atti-
tude of obedience and complete surrender to Jesus
Christ as the first and supreme requirement for
being his disciples.
Since that decade, with new studies in the life
of Christ, and new insight into the psychology
of religion, and of the moral development of chil-
dren and men, there has come an understanding
of a finer loyalty than that of legal obedience to
the letter or to the formal authority of Christ. Yet
with this deeper meaning of discipleship there is
experienced a richer and fuller oneness with the
Master. In a real sense, the moral and spiritual
sense, the duties of the Christian life remain the
same from age to age, but it is also apparent that
THE SCROLL 298
in our modern world tlie good life requires more
thoughtfulness and consideration. It is undoubted-
ly required of us that we love our neighbor, but it
is not so simple to say who is our neighbor. We
should undoubtedly render unto God the things that
are his, and unto the state the things that rightly
belong to it. But who can make it clear just what
division of property this implies? There are prob-
lems of birth control, of divorce, of economics in-
cluding taxes, usury, leisure, patents, copyrights
etc. Is the Golden Rule meant to be applied in
human society, or is it an ideal only, to indicate
a general attitude and direction?
However such questions are answered, there is
certainly a genuine meaning in the need for dis-
cipleship with reference to the spirit and temper
with which one tries to live among his neighbors
and friends and his enemies, if any! A Christian
certainly must endeavor to be just, generous, un-
derstanding, kindly, and sympathetic with his fel-
lows. It is frequently said that what is needed to
heal the world's ills is a more tolerant and coopera-
tive spirit. If a fraction of the money now spent
for war and destruction were devoted to things
that make for peace, a new and larger hope for man-
kind would spread around the world. It is jeal-
ousy for national and personal interests that rules
parties and nations with fear, and plunges them
ever deeper into hatred and confusion. The most
appalling signs of the times are the reports of cor-
ruption, partisan ferocity, demagogery and meas-
ureless abuse of power in our society, which still
tries to think of itself as a Christian democracy,
and boasts of itself as the country of Washington
and Lincoln!
Christianity itself suffers from the independence
and conflict of scores of denominations and sects
299 THE SCROLL
which strive for leadership and power, and waste
much of their strength in opposition to each other.
Perhaps the strongest motive holding these bodies
apart is the conviction that they are also impelled
by obedience to Christ. They make enormous sacri-
fices of money and men to build up their claims and
propaganda. Their "conscience" keeps them sepa-
rate from other Christians, for they do not see
how they can be true to the scriptures as they have
learned them, and at the same time recognize the
validity of the faith and works of other Christians.
In this connection the reflections of Albert
Schweitzer may arrest attention. In his book. Out
of My Life and Thought, (pp. 72ff.) he says, "Many
people are shocked on learning that the historical
Jesus must be accepted as 'capable of error' . . .
He himself never made any claim to such om-
niscience ... He would have set His face against
those who would have liked to attribute to him a
divine infallibility. . . . The Sermon on the Mount
becomes the incontestable charter of liberal Christi-
anity. The truth that the ethical is the essence of
religion is firmly established on the authority of
Jesus. Further than this, the religion of love taught
by Jesus has been freed from any dogmatism which
clung to it." "We hold fast to the Church with love,
and reverence, and thankfulness. But we belong to
her as men who appeal to the saying of S. Paul:
Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty,
and who believe that they serve Christianity better
by the strength of their devotion to Jesus' religion
of love than by acquiescence in all the articles of
belief. If the Church has the spirit of Jesus, there
is room in her for every form of Christian piety,
even for that which claims unrestricted liberty."
There is a growing realization that these three
"ships" need each other for life's long voyage, and
THE SCROLL 300
that they should travel together. Comradeship re-
quires scholarship in the form of information and
knowledge of the routes followed, and all good ships
provide maps, and a daily log for passengers, storm
signals, and radio news of the great world of which
all ships at sea remain a part. Scholarship also
needs to remind itself, and to be reminded, that it
cannot live to itself. The most expert knowledge
becomes meaningless by itself. If it is wholly "ob-
jective" and purposeless, it dries and withers. The
demand that education shall have market value
is a travesty on the idea that education shall be
valuable and genuinely useful for social ends. But
what is most essential to comradeship and scholar-
ship is that they have and express reverence for
life, and most of all for human life. What does it
profit a man if he gains hosts of friends and com-
rades, and attains all knowledge if he lacks the love
that goes with faith and hope, and is the greatest
of all !
After more than fifty years these ideals invite
and allure thoughtful, ardent young men. In this
time of religious unrest and confusion they offer
steadiness and satisfying rewards. There are end-
less opportunities in this realm of higher values
for those who are not mere individualists but will-
ing to be intelligently cooperative; for those who
are not baffled by conceit, but humbly willing to
learn ; for those who are not too impetuous to bring
in the kingdom suddenly, but are wise enough to
patiently labor and gather ripe harvests in due time.
301 THE SCROLL
From Behind the Iron Curtain
Sterling W. Brown, New York
Dear Fellows!
A few minutes ago we took off from Rhein-Main
Military Air Base in an Air Force C-47. Frankfurt
is fading in the distance and we are headed for
Berlin. There are many changes: although by no
means as deluxe as a commercial ship, this plane has
soft reclining seats and the interior has been lined
and painted : gone are the bucket seats and the bulky
parachutes which under military regulations we had
to strap on during 1947-49.
The sergeant calls our attention to the winding
Elbe River which divides Western Germany from
the East. Every passenger aboard (5 enlisted men, 3
civilians and one Air Force Colonel) peers downward
as we hurtle quickly over the Eiserne Vorhang,
(Iron Curtain). Below all is quiet! We see no mili-
tary installations — but they are there, bulging with
East German soldiers disguised as police. (No ex-
planation of why tanks and anti-aircraft guns are
needed.) The landscape seems just the same as in
West Germany — but there is much less food; one
West German Mark is worth five East Marks; one
does not speak one's mind unless it is pro-Russian —
all this and more in the name of a Peoples Republic !
We are circling Berlin now. It has been more than
21/^ years since I was last here. It seems only a few
days ago: Tempelhof Airdrome was under the
shadow of scores of planes in succession landing,
unloading, taking off — one every minute and 20 sec-
onds! Thousands of German workmen unloading
food from West Germany, England and American to
feed two millions of West Berliners who otherwise
would be starved into submission to Communism.
It is quiet now — almost too quiet ! There are only
THE SCROLL 302
three other planes on the field and one of those is
a Pan-American ship. A half dozen GIs are playing
baseball on the green alongside the runway. An E.M.
meets us politely, escorts us to a comfortable lounge
and we pick up our baggage — no security check, no
questions on travel orders, no passport inspection.
When I remark about this to the Sergeant in charge
he grins and says: It's a free country, you know!"
And it is free — a democracy in the making behind
the Iron Curtain.
The West Berliners are proud. They know they are
being sustained by strong friends from the West
who do so despite a militarily indefensible position.
(Should the Russians decide to take over West
Berlin not one Allied National would escape. We
could probably hold out for several hours or days
if there was a warning — but there would be none).
But Berliners feel they have done and are doing their
part. Their drive and determination to be free and
democratic is everywhere in evidence. Gone are the
'grauenvollen Hunger jahre, die nun wie ein boser
Traum uns liegen" (the horrible hunger years which
lie behind us like a terrible dream) .
One sees new roofs, new buildings, lovely re-
planted parks, smooth streets ; stores bulging with
m.eats, fruits, clothes, furniture, hardware; every
need can be met. New automo-biles of a dozen German
makes and a half dozen American, French, British
or Italian well known names, are available. Traffic
is heavy. There is a good bus and electric transit
system to supplement the U-Bahn. And amid the
lovely flowers and shrubs of a parkway a group of
German boys and girls sing folk songs. It is good
to hear German Youth sing! I never heard them
sing in 1947. (Even worse I heard them sing
"Deutschland Uber Alles" in 1937.)
But this apparent prosperity is misleading. The
303 THE SCROLL
abundance of goods is in a very real sense a facade
for the stern realities of life in Germany. Few
Germans have money enough to buy what they need,
much less what they would like for a fairly com-
fortable life. Prices are about the same as in the
U.S.A., but wages are much lower. A Hausfrau
must work more than 3 weeks to make enough to
buy a good pair of shoes. Most Germans have no
reserves — many having lost savings several times, no
longer try to put something aside. Prices are entirely
too high for all except the few who have money. So
the economic scene appears to be healthy but those
in the know say that it is not sound. And in the
meantime the Germans just go on receiving what
they can get, spending it, and thinking the future
will surely bring a war but being human possessing
a much starved hope that life may somehow be
better.
(Later) I have just returned from a meeting with
ten German young people. They are the remnant
from the 21 youths who composed the Interfaith
Youth Group which we organized in our home in
1947-48. Four of the group had already become
active in the Youth Section of the Berlin Council of
Christians and Jews. Now the others, too, are joining
up to help make group relations livable in a demo-
cratic society.
There is a tremendous urge on the part of Germans
to become a part of international activities. But there
is also a resurgence of nationalism. Thus, their
basic problem is somewhat like that of the U.S.A.
But there is one great difference — Germans know
that they cannot go it alone. They want to go with
the West, but all the while the terrible threat of
War — the realities of which they know probably
better than any people in the world — hangs darkly
overhead! And if it comes Germany, will be the
THE SCROLL 304
battlefield twice — once when the Russians sweep
westward and again when the West comes back.
To answer these fears and give a sense of security
in an insecure society is the great challenge to
German leaders and to her Allies with whom she
is now bound by the existence of time and circum-
stance.
Tumors And Mice
W. J. Lhamon, Columbia, Mo.
This itime my theme is "tumors and mice," as
Dr. Moffett has it in his translation. (Emerods, in
King James.) The theme is based on the first six
chapters of First Samuel. These chapters are more
fascinating than fiction, which I think, they really
are. There is a lot of fiction and poetry in the Old
Testament — about one third of it in fact. Some of
the Old Testament prophets were the best writers
in the world. They had high idealism and imagina-
tion, and they used it bravely. Of course their fiction
was of a primitive and anthropomorphic kind.
Our theme has its center in the magical Ark of
Jehovah and its evil effects of the Philistine god
Dagon, and upon the Philistines themselves where-
ever it rested with them. So they summoned their
"priests and magicians" to tell them what to do
about it. "These magical Doctors of the law" decided
that the Eternal (the God of Israel) should be
placated for his trouble with their god Dagon with
a present of five golden emerods and five golden mice.
They thought that would do the work. But why five?
Because there were five cities, or tribes of those
Philistines, and each must have a hand in it. So they
sent The Ark of the Eternal back carrying the golden
tumors and mice back to their rightful place on a cart
drawn by two cows whose calves had been left
behind. It was assumed that if in spite of that the
cows took the right way everything was all right.
305 THE SCROLL
So the tumors and mice were placed in a box on
the cow-cart with their burden of reparation, AND
THEY DID TAKE THE RIGHT WAY. I quote:
"The cows went straight along the road to Beth-
shemeth, lowing as they went, and turning neither to
the right or the left, while the Philistine tyrants
followed them."
Is not this a fair example with which the Old
Testament is loaded almost from beginning to end?
Of course one must except the great, clear seeing
prophets, such as Amos, Jeremiah, and most surely
the wonderful Second Isaiah, with his rhapsody of
Zion Redeemed.
It is a joy beyond expression that our Savior
would have none of all this, superstition and anthro-
pomorphism. Read the sermons and parables of
Jesus, and note his almost utter disuse of Old Testa-
ment themes and situations. In fact he discarded nine
tenths of it all. He gave us the New Testament, and
it is the Bible of understanding Christians — and how
beautifully, wholesomely sane it is. His parables, his
prayers and his sermons are not for a people or a
tribe; they are applicable to all people, times and
places. They are timeless and eternal. I close with a
single example. Whole books have been written on
the subject of the atonement. Jesus summed it all up
in his story of a Repentant Prodigal, coming back
with the classic language of repentance on his lips,
and the love of the old home in his heart, while the
waiting Father runs to greet him, calling to the
household to bring new shoes, and a robe, and "kill
the fatted calf for a family feast, crying, "My son
was dead; he is alive. He was lost; he is found."
Was there ever such another climax of redemption?
Or icall it ATONEMENT! One cannot but think
that all the parables of Jesus fall into the same
category of the timeless, and of the universally
applicable.
THE SCROLL 306
The Meaning of Personal Loyalty
by W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois
The Disciples of Christ assert that the bond of
their religious community is "personal loyalty to
Christ." This they substitute for conformance to
a creed as the requirement for church membership.
The great value of the Disciple position is that it
releases the individual from bondage to some partic-
ular form of words. The ancient creeds, at one time
and for certain persons were meaningful expressions
of the Christian faith, but they have become ir-
relevant or obsolete. The Disciple position saves
the individual from idolizing some historic state-
ment of the faith and the particular type of society
which produced it. In this sense, the assertion that
we are bound together in personal loyalty to Christ
is an affirmation of personal liberty.
There is danger in the Disciple position only when
the word "personal" is not taken seriously. It should
not be taken to mean a vague sentiment about Jesus
of Nazareth because personality is more than senti-
ment. It should not be taken to mean only an intel-
lectual proposition regarding the Christ because per-
sonality is more than intellect. It should not be taken
to mean an individual license to think and do as one
pleases in the name of religion because personality
is social and not individualistic.
Among the Disciples the idea of personal loyalty
has sometimes been taken to mean that the individual
does not need to be bothered about religious ideas
or even about the structures of religious organiza-
tion. Theology and ecclesiastical matters, it is felt,
can be put to one side. A man may express his per-
sonal loyalty in some individualistically satisfying
way, but if we properly understand the nature of
personality such a pietistic reduction of the idea
307 THE SCROLL
of personal loyalty cannot be accepted.
Personality is a complex structure. Only those can
truly be called persons who live out to the full the
potentialities and powers with which they are en-
dowed.
Granted that there are different gifts, and granted
that there is growth in personal development, within
these limits true personality can be defined as the
full exercise of a man's talents in accordance with
the maturity which he should have reached. Less
can be expected of the 9-year old than of the 50-year
old, but each in his own way can love the Lord with
his whole heart and mind and strength and his
neighbor as himself.
Typically in Disciple churches, the words used
for a confession of faith are "Jesus is the son of
the Living God and I take him to be my personal
Savicr." The term "personal Savior" undoubtedly
means one thing to a 9-year old and something dif-
ferent when that person has come to be 50 years old.
At the latter age he should have a far more adequate
comprehension of the meaning of a "personal
Savior" or of religious values. If God has been
loved with all of one's heart and mind and strength
a well developed and elaborated comprehension of
the nature of religious values will have been at-
tained. There is no reason to believe that the fairly
young cannot get some apprehension of the religious
values, but these are filled with rich meanings and
implications for the organization of life which are
only achieved if there is a personal dedication to
their discovery. Unless we grow and mature in our
understanding of the nature of Christ we never
come to a vision of what he can mean to us. Unless
each person gives himself to the discovery of an in-
tellectual statement of his faith and to the elabora-
tion of his convictions regarding the proper order-
THE SCROLL 308
ing of Christian life he never succeeds in making a
contribution to mankind. If he does not do these
things he will either persist in traditional ways or
eventually become diffuse and ineffective. He will
either fall back into dogmatism, or relinquish the
possibility of influencing life because he has nothing
to offer it in terms of a clue for the achievement of
the values that are bcund up in God.
In other words our personal loyalty to Christ is
just as great or just as small as our personalities.
If a persorality is small, cramped, inhibited or
frustrated his grasp of God will be similarly crabbed,
and values will escape him. If a personality is a full-
orbed one, it will move forward to comprehensions
of God worked out on every level of personal exist-
ence. Its increasing richness will make it useful to
all who come into relationship with that perscnality.
John B. Owen, Sr. 1904-1951
Wilbur S. Hogevoll, Alexandria, Va.
John B. Owen, Sr., prince among churchmen, de-
parted this life suddenly April 7. He was born in
Osborne, Missouri, forty-six years ago, on Oct. 5th.
He grew up in Miami, Oklahoma, and attended the
University of Missouri to prepare himself for Jour-
nalism. For nine years he was the editor of the
Okmulgee, Oklahoma, Daily Times, and for the last
fifteen years he has been a reporter and editor of
the Associated Press. Mr. Owen brought his family
to Alexandria in 1944 when the Associated Press
called him from its Oklahoma bureau. Being strorg
believers in the church, without delay they placed
their membership in the First Christian Church of
Alexandria, and sought ways in which they could
serve. Mr. Owen was elected an Elder. He had great
zeal for the cause of Christian unity, and was a
founding delegate in the organization of the Alex-
309 THE SCROLL
andria Council of Churches. He was a member cf
the national Historical Society of the Disciples of
Christ, and was a frequent attendant at the National
Convention of the Disciples.
His love for the local Church was expressed in his
great devotion to securing funds and plans for a
new building. Under his leadership the Church pur-
chased the beautiful site at 2721 King Street. H's
mother and sister live in Hartford, Connecticut. His
wife ard two children will keep their residence in
Alexandria. The son is in the armed forces and is
stationed at Camp Breckinridge, Ky. Mr. Owen
initiated The Church Bulletin for the local Church
and gave it his energetic leadership. It grew from
125 copies in 1948 to 475 copies at the present time,
and it measured the growth of the Church. Instead
of money being spent for flowers at the funeral, it
was added to the buildirg fund. There was a large
attendance at the funeral service, and there were
present many representatives of the Associated
Press.
Note : When Mr. Hogevoll requested a brief notice
of Mr. Owen's death, he remarked that Mr. Owen
"was an avid reader of The Scroll." — E.S.A..
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison
It was the morning of June 1, 1951. My office
phone rang. A prominent attorney of my city asked
if he might come at once to see me. Fifteen minutes
later he sat by my desk and told me that the New
York office of American Christian Palestine Com-
mittee had named me as one of twenty-five Ameri-
cans to go to Palestine for three weeks of observation
and study.
After I was convinced that there was no joke
THE SCROLL 310
involved and that I was receiving a bona fide in-
vitation, I waked up. The attorney stated that I must
be ready to sail on a Pan-American stratosphere
plane by the evening of June 16. My first question
was, ''What strings are attached?" His answer came
quickly "There are no strings. You were chosen
because we believe you to be a fair-minded American
citizen. We want you to visit both the Israel and
Arab sections of Palestine. Your commission will
have government status and you will have oppor-
tunity to interview government, educational, and
religious leaders in all sections of Palestine. You
will be free to report things as you see them.
No doubt every minister dreams of the time when
he can visit the Holy Land but that was one dream
that I had marked off my expectation list. However,
a meeting of church ofl^cers was assembled that night
a!:d they unanimously ordered me to accept the
assignment. Yesterday a packed house at worship
service voted its hearty approval. Now I am running
to and fro trying to get passports, visas, vaccination
shots etc. My schedule has to be shifted and my
greatest embarrassment comes from letting three
of my fine young ladies down on their wedding day.
If all goes well I will leave New York at 6:00
p.m. on Saturday, June 16, and be in Paris by noon
the next day. After a one day's stop in Paris we
go to Beirut where for two days we will visit the
American University, refugee camps and other
places of study. The rest of the time will be spent
in Palestine. A few of the spots on a full itinerary
includes Bethlehem, Jericho, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv,
Haifa, Nazareth. I am scheduled to be back in South
Bend July 8. The next day Mrs. Davison and I will
board the train for California where I am to afflict
the people of Northern California convention with a
half dozen addresses.
It looks like quite a summer ahead. The readers of
311 THE SCROLL
The Scroll had better take to cover for I may meet
some new "People," visit some interesting "Places"
and have some part in "Events."
Words Of Praise
Frederick D. Kershner in
The Christian Evangelist of May 30, 1951
Franklin Roosevelt started something when he in-
troduced his fireside chat to the American public.
There is nothing derogatory in the statement that
some of the later "chats" have lived up in full to
the rather difficult standard furnished by the original
messages.
This certainly applies to the "fireside chat" of
Dr. Edward Scribner Ames in the February, 1951,
issue of The Scroll. It is a heartwarming document
which reflects with clarity and accuracy the spirit
of its author. The Scroll, like the Campbell Institute
of which it is the official organ, is a monument to
the intelligent and persevering energy of the youth-
ful enthusiast who founded it so many years ago.
We are sure that we reflect the sentiments of all
its readers when we say that we hope that the same
ever-youthful enthusiast will continue to produce
"fireside chats" for many years to come.
President M. E. Sadler, T.C.U.
Let me say just a word concerning the significance
of the Campbell Institute. A conscious feeling of com-
radeship with others who are interested in develop-
ing a higher and finer life for our brotherhood has
meant very much to me for thirty years. While the
Institute has carefully avoided any semblance of
politics and has never had any candidates for any-
thing, I believe it has, through it permeating influ-
ence, substantially advanced the quality lof leadership
in many of our brotherhood enterprises.
To you and to others who established and fostered
this most helpful fellowship, I should like to express
THE SCROLL 312
most sincere appreciation. With kindest personal
regards always.
Lacey Lee Leftwich, Canton, Mo.
My business as a member of the Campbell In-
stitute is to go about initiating initiative. In my
class room, in my counseling, in my church, in my
community, I find the common folk full of initiative
if once they can get the thing going.
The genius of the Disciples of Christ is in their
ability to arouse the creative initiative which lies in
the people of the world. We do not try to do what
God has already done for folk — create a soul. We
simply try to educate that religious potential until
creative maturity is achieved.
As I look back upon the Campbell Institute and its
mission it seems to be that it has stimulated great
initiative in our Brotherhood and in the larger world
scene. It has initiated comradeship, scholarship, and
discipleship throughout the years. Without this our
democratic dream of life will perish.
If I were to name one among us who seems to be
the Head Initiator of Initiative and who has urged us
on over a half-century to greater things it would
be our beloved editor and leader, Edward Scribner
Ames.
R. Melvyn Thompson, Minister, New Castle, Ind.
Mrs. Thompson and I spent Memorial Day with
our son, Bob, and his wife at Champaign. He so
often speaks of the stimulating fellowship with you
which he enjoyed while at the Disciples' House.
So his indebtedness to you now matches mine. As
father and son we are grateful for the substantial
contribution by which you have enriched our lives.
For many, many years may we sail the seas on
a sturdy craft flying the flags of "comradeship,
scholarship, and fellowship."
The Scroll continues to enliven the lives of us
all.
313 THE SCROLL
Earl N. Griggs, Pasadena, California
The "House News" just landed out here on the
Pacific coast and as usual its pages were perused
but the thing that intrigued me most was that pro-
gram for the Campbell Institute. That looked so
challenging that I can't resist the temptation to
attend another gathering of the clan so, if there
is a room in the Divinity House or somewhere else
in all of Chicago that I can crawl into during that
week, I think I'll cross desert, mountain and prairie
to revel once more in that Fellowship that can be
matched no where else — and the Scholarship that
makes us stretch — and that Discipleship which
keeps us strong in the faith. My soul, how much
some of us owe to the Campbell Institute and its
Scroll and how little we have paid for it.
I'll be seeing you, I hope, in the health of body
to match that robust mind and radiant spirit that
has meant so much to so many of us.
Myron Taggart Hopper, Lexington, Ky.
In the beginning of my associations with the
Campbell Institute it meant largely stimulation to
think about religion in new ways. The traditional
ways did not seem quite adequate, and the Institute
helped open up new ways and provided fellowship
in exploring them. More recently it has helped keep
me related to organized religion. As a result of con-
tact with those who have re-emphasized the irration-
ality of religious faith and who have tended to deny
the validity of man's search for religious truth, there
has been some doubt as to whether I "belonged" in
organized religion. Fellowship through the Institute
has helped me feel that I was not alone ; that there
were others who trusted man's ability to think,
evaluate and judge. This has meant a great deal, and
I am thankful for it.
Willis A. Parker, Asheville, N. C.
The Campbell Institute has meant much, very
THE SCROLL 314
much, to me, I owe to it all the incentive to loyalty
I have felt for the past twenty years toward the
Disciples. I have had more than one man's share
of space in The Scroll. With no idea of its adequacy,
but knowing some is better than none, I enclose
this check.
Robert W. Burns, Atlanta, Georgia
Ever since reading the article by you in the April
Scroll on "The Way Forward" I have wanted to
share with you my concern at the issue you raise of
recruiting the graduates of our various seminaries
each year for membership in the Campbell Institute.
You close your article with this sentence, "any of
the officers or long-time members will be glad to
answer inquiries concerning the Institute." This
is hardly an adequate solution of the problem of
enrolling men.
I want to raise some questions, which of course
imply suggestions. What systematic effort is now
made with each graduating class from all our
seminaries? Do you get the list of graduates? Do
you write them individually? Do you have any person
on each campus who interviews each one and ex-
plains face to face what is involved ? How long since
you have written an article for the Christian Evan-
gelist or World Call stating the purposes of the
Campbell Institute? Has any plan ever been devised
for you or Dean Blakemore or the president of the
Campbell Institute to visit each campus with a
previously-made appointment to speak to the stu-
dents and faculty on the continued cultivation of
scholarship? Have you any special services to offer
our men in the parish ministry which would actually
stimulate serious study?
I like your article. Please do not consider this
letter as destructive. It simply seems to me that you
have stopped short of the effective execution of the
ideas which in the early part of your article are
315 THE SCROLL
set forth so clearly.
We have just finished our annual Men's Retreat.
We had Melvin J. Evans from Chicago as our guest
speaker. Several of the men mentioned echoes of the
only other man whom we have ever had from your
"windy city," who was yourself. We continue to be
grateful for what you brought to us.
Orvis F. Jordan, Park Ridge, 111.
As one of the elder statesmen (?) I look back over
the years of my professional fellowship with very
deep satisfaction. It has been a rare privilege to
know you and to know the other fellows that belong
to our Institute crowd.
These men have helped to develop in me a measure
of independent intellectual attitude. I have often
praised their ability to hold widely varying views
in friendship.
I cannot count myself as one of the scholars of the
fellowship. But my acquaintance with the men of
scholarship has been a very precious thing to me.
At least I know what I have missed.
If I had another hundred years I should want to
spend it very much as the last fifty have been spent
in the quest of sound learning and cooperation with
men who have caught a vision of a better world.
I prize our little journal "The Scroll/' and hope
that you may find a way to keep it in the mail.
Samuel F. Freeman, Jr., East Orange, New Jersey
Too much time passes with the going of good
resolutions to write the editor of "The Scroll" a
note of appreciation for its high quality. I want to
write an expression of appreciation of The Disciples
Divinity House, The Campbell Institute and "The
Scroll" together. They are an inseparable ex-
perience for me.
Never shall I forget the liberating experiences
THE SCROLL 316
which came from educational exposures in college
and one year of study in the Vanderbilt School of
Religion. As a Disciple I was left without a sense of
mission. Then came the fellowship of the Disciples
House, The Campbell Institute, and "The Scroll."
A greater sense of mission with "a higher sec-
tarianism" emerged. I felt a part of a pioneering
spirit as much alive and quite as important to me
as the beginning movement of the Campbells, Stone,
and Scott growing up with the country. Our kinship
was reestablished on a higher level and for a con-
tinuing purpose, comrades in a religious venture
reaching into the future. Under the influence of
men like Guy Sarvis, Alva Taylor, E. S. Ames, W. E.
Garrison, C. C. Morrison and Ellsworth Faris, I
came to feel we were really "somebody" in the world
of social movements and scholarship. I have not at
any time lived under the delusion that I was a
scholar. But from these influences I came to feel all
disciples must forever be students as a part of our
living tradition. Thus to this day I discover within
me a sensitive conscience driving me to a serious
book in the areas of psychology, sociology, philos-
ophy, history and biography. It impels me to jour-
ney across the Hudson to listen to a course of lectures
at Union Theological Seminary or to New York
University to take courses such as "The Principles
Of Religious Education," Religion and tlie Family,"
or "The Psychology Of Religious Leadership." This
influence puts me on the alert when I listen to or
read neo-orthodox ideas with too little credit to
man's possibilities for reasonable and practical ac-
tion. Time was when I could bask in the sunshine of
Disciples preaching on Christian Unity. Now I am
at home with Disciples and all Christians in the
Practice of Christian Union. For all this I thank
God and feel the support of the main movement of
the Disciples Of Christ.
317 THE SCROLL
A. D. Harmon, Cable, Wisconsin
I sometimes wonder if the Camp-bell Institute
Members, as well as the forward looking younger
members of the Disciples, ever sum up the intellec-
tual and spiritual debt they owe to the Campbell
Institute.
The Campbell Institute came into being at a pre-
carious period in Disciple history. It made its advent
when the Historic Concept of the Old and New
testament was taking a live hold among our preach-
ers and church leaders. The Disciples were then for
the most part hostile to the concept. Higher Criti-
cism and the Campbell Institute were anathema.
Vacant pulpits were largely closed to seminary
trained preachers. Chicago and Hades were in close
proximity, if indeed not in a secret covenant.
But, we have so far now passed that period that it
is difficult to visualize it. Vacant pulpits now seek
trained men. But, there was a time when the situa-
tion was critical, a time when some had to step
to the fore. It was then a small group in the courage
and spirit of Amos stepped to the fore and spoke
for the God in History. That group took the name
of Campbell Institute. It saved the Disciples from
ultra conservatism and sectarianism and made them
up-to-date partners with the God of progress.
Frederick W. Burnham, Richmond, Virginia
I have always admired your own leadership
amongst us because, no matter how ugly the criti-
cism, you have steadily held by the Disciple "move-
ment" and insisted upon the principles for which
Thomas Campbell contended. (In other words you
have been "a good Campbellite") , but you have want-
ed the "movement" to move forward. Similarly, that
was true of Rufus Jones. He was a rare soul. The
Biography is rich. Again congratulations. Be of
good cheer, you have yet much good work to do.
THE SCROLL 318
Paul Hunter Beckelhymer, Kenton, Ohio
The May Scroll has just arrived, and I am moved
to express my appreciation of your article "Three
Ships." They are the qualities that give the Campbell
Institute a special place in the lives of its members.
It is one association of ministers and Church leaders
in which one can participate freely and fully, and
leave without a committee assignment, a "drive" to
begin, or a statistical goal to reach. God bless, com-
mittees, drives, and goals, but God bless comrade-
ship, scholarship, and intelligent discipleship, too.
And God bless you, too.
R. B. Montgomery, President, The College of the
Bible, Lexington, Kentucky : Dear Dr. Ames : I have
just read your article in the May SCROLL, entitled,
"Three Ships." This statement tells more truly the
character and value of the Campbell Institute than
any word I have ever seen. The things which you say
about this grcup and what results from the relation-
ships of the members tally fully with my experience
over a period of more than twenty years.
I have been associated with many groups and
organizations within the church, all good, but the
Institute associations have been the sincerest, the
finest, and the wholescmest of them all. It has been
true in the finest and the most inspiring way to the
"Three Ships."
I thank you for this interpretation of the Insti-
tute. It should inspire the members and should at-
tract others who would greatly profit through shar-
ing its spirit and comradeship.
I deeply regret that a conflict in duties will pre-
vent me from attending the annual meeting in July.
Wishing the best of everything for you and thanking
you for your Scroll messages, I am yours sincerely.
John A. Tate, Richmond, Virginia. Dear Doctor
Ames: You and Ben F. Burns have gotten into my
319 THE SCROLL
sympathy or en my nerves, I scarcely know which,
by the pathletic appeal to pay up cr The Scroll will
have to "shut up."
Although not a member of the Institute and never
having subscribed for The Scroll, it has come to
my desk for several years, — how or why it started,
I don't know. Well, since I have read it more or less
regularly, for so long, presumably I do owe some-
thing. Therefore the enclosed check for $6.00— $3.00
of which is to take care of my unassumed obligation
of the past and $3.00 to pay for a year's subscription
in advance. Please pass the check to Treasurer
Burns. All this is just an excuse to say to you that I
still esteem you as God's leader and man's friend.
Most cordially yours.
Alva W. Taylor, 3628 Richland Ave., Nashville,
Tenn. I have read Dr. Ames "Three Ships" in the
current Scroll and heartily agree with all he says. I
wrote him on his eightieth birthday that, as one who
had lived through the entire life of the Institute as
minister and teacher, that it and he himself had
been a major factor in liberalizing the Brotherhood.
The Scroll and the Institute still furnish an opening
of the doors and a letting in of the light. My only
criticism comes naturally out of my own activity
over more than fifty years on behalf of a greater
attention in both church and school to the social
implications of the teaching of Jesus and the
prophets. I wish the Institute and The Scroll both
were as frankly enlightening on questions of social
justice in and through church and school as they
are on scholarship, personal righteousness and in-
tellectual tolerance. To my mind the first great com-
mandment means little without the second "like
unto it." The question of justice is just as important
as that of Love and personal uprightness. Sincerely.
THE SCROLL 320
C. S. Linkletter, Atlantic, Iowa. My dear Dr.
Ames: Enclosed you will find something which can
be converted into three "iron men." I have just read
your "Three Ships." It is good. I have filed away for
future reference, "The Way Forward." You would
think by this time people would see the light and
all flock to our position. That was a most inter-
esting article by Garrison. I am glad you are well
and take such an interesting part in everything.
We are in a remodeling program. They had one of
those abominable Akron plan churches. Too bad that
man was ever born who conceived that idea. We will
have a good church when it is completed. This is a
good small town of 7,000, a County seat town, in a
very rich farming area. The Church gives me a free
reign to preach my convictions. Some of them dodge
a bit, but do not protest. Blessings on you, good
friend. Sincerely.
G. Curtis Jones, Vine Street Church, Nashville,
Tenn. : On Keeping: Our Ships Afloat. Our days are
like the surging sea — first high, then low — but al-
ways sea ! Storms are gathering, the winds of a be-
wildered world are blowing. The foundations of our
most trusted institutions are being tested as never
before. More than ever, we appreciate the pertinency
of the Chintse proverb which persists there are five
points to the compass : "North, east, south, west, and
the point where we are." That point is precarious!
It will take more than physical power to preserve us.
Ultimately our only protection lies in a Christian
philosophy of life.
Our movement has been an intelligent thrust. Con-
sequently, it has not always been contagious.
Prophets are seldom popular. However, the critical
modern mind is seeing in our philosophy of religion
a reasonable approach to Christianity. We have not
321 THE SCROLL
been chained by creeds nor stymied by theology.
Ours is a free and romantic faith : as free as a con-
scientious soul seeking a Saviour; as romantic as
rational lovers who know they are one.
Some months ago, from the shores of Hampton,
Virginia, we saw a mighty battleship — ^The Missouri.
The most powerful of boats was stuck in the mud!
It was an unfortunate experience for the new cap-
tain. However, my pride got up and shook itself
when a member of my Richmond congregation was
recalled from the west coast to assume the signal
command. We had a memorable visit prior to his
formal acceptance of the tremendous responsibility.
He was a study in humility and confidence.
The Church is God's great battleship. It has with-
stood every conceivable assault. It is impregnable!
Now, as always, her greatest enemies are the sin-
cere but short-loving leaders who would guide her
destiny. How we need to adhere to the admonition
of Jesus, "Launch out into the deep . . ." How
many of our churches are marooned in the shallow
waters of doctrine and tradition!
THE SCROLL 322
Notes
The following suggestion was sent by C. E. Lem-
mon, the gracious pastor of the Christian Church
in Columbia, Mo.: "Perhaps you would like to send
a greeting to Dr. and Mrs. W. J. Lhamon, One
Ingleside Drive, Columbia, on their 70th wedding
anniversary on June 28. Dr. Lhamon was 95 last
September, and Mrs. Lhamon was 91 last March.
Both are in fine health, considering their age. They
keep up with the activities of the Brotherhood and
will appreciate hearing from their friends.
We are happy to add our congratulations, although
this page in, print cannot reach them before the big
day. His unique, humorous, and telling comments
on religious matters, especially on biblical and doc-
trinal problems, are enlightening and forceful. In
a private letter, the editor of this magazine will
tell him something he will be glad to know, namely,
that the editor has given up smoking! I am al-
most tempted to give him credit for this fact, but
it was not due to his influence!
Honors for Dr. and Mrs. Roy G. Ross were be-
stowed at a dinner in the Disciples Divinity House
Wednesday evening, June 13th. The immediate oc-
casion is the fact that they are leaving Chicago to
live in New York where he will be able more con-
viently to administer the duties of his new high
office, as associate Executive Secretary of the Na-
tional Council of Churches. They have lived and
versify Church of Disciples, for the past fifteen years
worked with us here in Chicago, and in the Univers-
ity Church of Disciples, for the past fifteen years.
He has served as the Chairman of the Official Board
of the Church, and as a Trustee of the Disciples Di-
vinity House. Many lovely things were said to him
and about him by several who have been members
323 THE SCROLL
of his staff for years. The most revealing words
about him were spoken by his friend and associate
of former years, John Harms. Those words were
about the "Scratch-Pad" procedure of Roy Ross.
The procedure arises from the differences between
members of a conference where agreement is sought.
One side states its case and the Presiding Genius
makes notes of the case on his Pad. Then the other
side states its case and the record cf that is made
on the Pad. Then the Genius who has been studying
the problem from his view-point of finding the com-
mon ground between them brings the Pad into play
to show both sides how they can act together. Of
course this statement oversimplifies the case but the
essence of the matter is doubtless there. The mar-
velous achievements of Dr. Ross in bringing so many
denominations and individuals together in develop-
ing the International Council of Religious Education,
and now in creating the National Council, are con-
vincing evidences of what a real Genius may accom-
plish through the Scratch-Pad method. It is really
the method of sympathetic understanding, and of
idealistic courage in patiently and intelligently find-
ing the way toward success in practical religious co-
operation of vast and far reaching importance. It
was evident that Dr. Ross has been wise in finding
associates who could cooperate effectively in his
great program, and everyone knows that he has
been wondrously lucky in the faithful and sustain-
ing devotion of his brilliant, sensitive and modest
wife.
Mr. Russell Fuller, graduate of the University
cf Michigan, and of the Disciples Divinity House,
was ordained to the Christian ministry, June 17,
1951.
Clinton Lockhart, president of Texas Christian
THE SCROLL 324
University, from 1906 to 1911, died in Fort Worth,
Texas, June 11. He was one of the charter mem-
bers of the Campbell Institute. He was 93.
Campbell Institute Program
W. B. Blakemore, Secretary
The annual meeting of the Campbell Institute
will take place at the Disciples Divinity House of
the University cf Chicago Tuesday through Thurs-
day, July 24 to 26. The opening session will begin at
2 P.M. on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 24. At that
session papers will be read by Professor D wight
Stevenson of the College of the Bible, Lexington,
Kentucky, en Practical PreacJmig, an Avenue to
Persoyicd Gr^oivth, and by W. L. Reicl of Texas Chris-
tian Ui:iversity on the Bible and the Prophetic Minis-
try. On Tuesday night Edgar DeWitt Jones of De-
troit, Michigan, will deliver an address on Life with
the Beecher Lectures. On Wednesday morning Pro-
fessor David Pellett of the School cf Religion, Butler
University, will present a paper on Biblical Criti-
cism, and 7. E. Lunger, minister of the University
Church of Disciples, Chicago, Illinois, will deliver
a paper on the Preacher and the News of the Day.
The Wednesday afternoon session will be devoted
to reports from the Seminar on the Church and
Economic Life, being held under the auspices of the
Federated Theological Faculty of the University of
Chicago. On Wednesday evening it is expected that
Professor Hyatt of Vanderbilt University, will read
a paper dealing with the forthcoming publication
of the Revised Standard Version of the Old Testa-
ment. W. E. Garrison of The Christian Century, will
deliver a paper en the Roots of the Disciple Move-
ment. On Thursday morning W. B. Blakemore, Dean
325 THE SCROLL
of the Disciples Divinity House, will present a paper
on Disciple Baptism and the Ecumenical Problem.
C. C. Morrison, Chicago, Illinois, will present an
analysis of the Hoover Lectureship. On Thursday
evening the presidential address of the meeting will
be given by Professor S. Marion Smith, Butler Uni-
versity, Indianapolis, and the meeting will close with
a communion service in the Chapel of the Holy
Crail.
The Treasurer's Page
Ben Burns
"Three Ships" by the Editor in the May SCROLL
was an excellent presentation of the Campbell In-
stitute at its best. I was perturbed by the article's
"clinch line." It indicated that everyone is en-
couraged to "membership and to free participation
in its life and work." I offer this suggested cor-
rection :
Comradeship
Scholarship
Discipleship
These three
Almost
For free
Are given thee.
An annual paltry fee
Of dollars three
Should be sent to me.
Three ships would thus
On sale e'er be.
(All dues and subscriptions become due July 1. 1951)
THE SCROLL
Vol. XLIV SEPTEMBER, 1951 No. 1
The Seas On Which We Sail
The last two editorials written by E. S. Ames as
editor of the Scroll, were a restatement of the
fundamental purposes of the Campbell Institute in
lerms of ''s ips." Schclarship, comradeship, and
discipleship. They are sturdy vessels, and have al-
ready sailed through many a stormy sea. The prob-
lem of the navigators and sailors on any voyage
is to know where the weather is coming from. The
worst mistake in sailing is to misjudge the wind.
And nothing would be more foolish than to presume
that the set of the sails which made for progress
yesterday will inevitably do it today.
The winds which blow today are very different
frcm those which belabored the Campbell Institute
thirty and forty years ago. In the early days of the
Institute, its membership included nearly all of
those Disciples who had come to an appreciation
of the values of scholarship and the rewards it holds
in creating an intelligent discipleship and a richer
comradeship. The number of such men was small
forty years ago. They knew that they were few in
number. The Institute was a limited membership,
not because the members were "exclusive," but be-
cause they represented a relatively small circle of
common interest. There was a time when the Camp-
bell Institute represented almost the total Disciple
interest in the new levels of religious scholarship
which were being reached in North America.
Furthermore, the Institute found that the Disciples
of that day were not merely indifferent to these
new levels ; many of them were openly antagonistic.
The worst gales which beset the Institute in those
days blew from within the brotherhood, and furious
2 THE SCROLL
gales they loften were.
We have entered the second half of the twentieth
century with an entirely different situation. Over
our brotherhood as a whole there is now a love of
scholarship rather than a hatred of it. Our half-
dozen leading seminaries are not museums for the
exhibition of the sacred shibboleths of our past.
Every one of them has entered into the stream of
contemporary religious thought. Every student who
enters them is brought into acquaintance with a
wide range of critical concern with respect to the
Bible, theology, and Christian institutions. Not only
in the Disciples seminaries, but in the great inter-
denominational schools, young Disciples in ever-
increasing numbers have become familiar with a
world-wide range of Christian thinking. For years
these men have been pouring into our churches, lift-
ing and elevating the general life of our brother-
hood. There are not yet enough of them, but the
general mood of our brotherhood has become one
which recognizes and cherishes the values which a
true and refined intelligence brings to the cause of
the Christ.
It would be nothing but fantastic arrogance if the
Campbell Institute were to consider itself a sort of
preserve within which the "mentality" of the broth-
erhood can be found, or a "brain trust." It is not
a "club for intellectuals." Its membership actually
contains "all sorts and conditions of men" as far
as scholarly abilities and productivity are concerned.
These men do, hiowever, have one common bond with
reference to Christian intelligence. They do not want
it to be corroded away into superstition, or into
dogmatism, or emotionalism, nor to be imprisoned
by tyrannous forces, nor dessicated by scepticism
and cynicism. The common bond between the mem-
bers of the Institute is that they want to do the
i
THE SCROLL
things that protect and promiote scholarship, com-
radeship, and intelligent discipleship, not because
they alone have these values but on behalf of all men
everywhere who have them. Particularly they want
to remain liberal enough to believe that others do
share these values, and that there are many other
voices to be barkened unto besides those of fellow
Institute members.
It would be foolish to deny that within our broth-
erhood there are still some squally spots out of
which terrible winds of lobscurantism and dog-
matism might arise, but these gusts have more the
quality of the last back-lashes of a spent gale than
the steady drone of a gathering wind on the face
of the waters. The real threat to the purposes of
the Institute in this day and age come from another
quarter. They ciome from outside our own brother-
hood, and largely from beyond Christianity, in the
form of anti-religious intentions. Whatever its past
record, it is not religion that is today the enemy of
intelligence; it is not religion that is the enemy of
freedom; it is not religion that is the enemy of
the achievement of human values. With certain in-
significant exceptions, religion is on the side of
these things today as it has never been before. It is
increasingly astute in its intellectual defense of
freedom and democracy. Through the ecumenical
movement it is struggling forward rapidly to new
forms and structures for its battle against the
powers of darkness. The function of the Campbell
Institute is to keep the citadel of the mind, insofar
as Disciples of Christ have builded it, shored up,
or returning to our original figure, to keep the sails
trimmed for today's weather.
The primary requirement for an intelligent com-
munity is an atmosphere that undergirds and en-
courages intelligence, a fellowship which provides
the spiritual climate in which thinking will be car-
THE SCROLL
ried on. The great humanistic achievements have
not "just happened." They come as the result of a
lengthy spiritual nurture. In discussing the Italian
Renaissance, John Ruskin gave first credit to the
new preaching of the friars that appeared early
in the thirteenth century. The friars, said Ruskin,
found their way into all the corners of Italian life,
and after they had heated it through and through,
that life burst forth into the painting and sculpture,
poetry and philosophy of the High Renaissance.
Creating the atmosphere that makes for high culture
is a positive process. It is not enough to ward off
the attempts of the powers of darkness to destroy the
fellowship and spiritual resources which make for
high achievement. It is necessary also to build
comradeship, to share ideas, to give encouragement,
to provide opportunities for communication, toi seek
out new inspiration, to keep alive a process whereby
mind is sharpened against mind, and soul is warmed
by kindred soul. It is at this fundamental level that
the real work lof the Campbell Institute has been
done in the past, and must be done in the future.
These are not days when the more fragile and
spiritual relationships of men and groups are kept
easily alive. When society is in the highly mobile
state created by a warring world, it is not easy to
keep constantly in touch with each other. Worse
than that, subtle undercurrents eat away at per-
sonal spiritual life, and more than ever we need
the sense of supporting companionship. The threat
of atomic destruction is still only a threat — >a possi-
bility— but the spiritual corrosion that exists in a
world containing such a threat is a reality. Atomic
destruction may come in the future, but there is
an advance wear and tear on the human spirit which
is going on right now. That wear and tear proceeds
with such subtlety that it is eating the hearts out of
THE SCROLL
len and women who are unable to identify the
troubles which they deeply sense and feel. The
Campbell Institute was launched in a day when men
could set out with high hearts. In our own day we
achieve heartiness by striking down to the depths of
our affections. In closing his famous essay on The
Will to Believe, William James quoted a description
of a man pushing up through a mountain pass en-
gulfed in storm — with only the feel of the wind to
convince him that he was in 'a pass and not in a
cul-de-sac. It is in such circumstances that we move
forward today, and oft-times with only a sense of
the fact that there can be a decent meaning to life.
If the Scroll and the Institute can be no more than
the "feel of the wind," which keeps alive a working
conviction that intellectual effort is worth it, that
there are positive values to be gained by tackling
the problems and questions of religious faith, that
the enterprise of religious intelligence has some
validity, it will save many a Disciple soul. When
the work of thinking through our religious faith
becomes difficult, and we are tempted to drop back
onto the old verbalisms and comfortable phrases,
it will re-awaken us to the achievement of an in-
telligent discipleship.
EDITORIAL NOTICE
At the Annual Meeting of the Campbell Insti-
tute, a letter was received from Dr. E. S. Ames,
asking that he be relieved of the editorship of the
Scroll. It was with the greatest reluctance that the
meeting accepted this resignation. Through his
editorial work, Dr. Ames has stood at the centre of
the Institute, inspiring its life, and drawing men
into its ever increasing fellowship. He used the
Scroll primarily to build a company, to weld to-
THE SCROLL
gether a community of men devoted to scholarship,
oomradeship, and intelligent discipleship. His years
of service were so many, that most members of the
Institute cannot remember a time when he was not
editor of its publication. In some later issue, an
appropriate celebration of those years will be made.
At the moment, the Scroll is in a "state of
transition." It is not the first such period in the
life of this journal which began its career in 1903.
At that time, when the Campbell Institute had al-
ready been in existence seven years, it voted to
establish the Ccmvphell Institute Bulletin. E. S.
Ames was named as editor. In 1906, the name of
the bulletin was changed to the SCROLL, and pub-
lication was continued for two years under that
title. After these five years, E. S. Ames resigned
as editor, and publication was abandoned for the
two years between 1908 and 1910. In the latter
year, publication of the Canvphell Institute Bulletin
was resumed. During the next fifteen years, vari-
ous members of the Institute were elected as edi-
tors, the longest terms being served by 0. F. Jor-
dan and W. E. Garrison. In 1918, the name The
Scroll was resumed. In 1925, E. S. Ames was
again named editor, and served continuously till
1951, except for two years, 1946-47, when John L.
Davis was editor.
The size and format of the Institute publication
have varied through the years, as have the name
and editorship. It began as a four page quarterly.
After three years it became an eight page month-
ly. It was suspended, and then resumed as a month-
ly magazine. In 1926 it was converted into a
column which appeared in The Christian, edited
by Dr. Burris Jenkins of Kansas City, Missouri.
This was its form for eight years until 1934, when
it once again became a monthly magazine.
THE SCROLL
At the 1951 Annual Meeting a board was named
with responsibility for issuing an Institute publi-
cation during 1951-52. Their decision has been to
retain the name of the Scroll, and to retain also
the form of a monthly magazine. The Board trusts
that it will continue to serve as the instrument for
building a comradeship, and that the members of
the Institute will increasingly feel that it is their
channel of expression to colleagues in the great
effort to lift our discipleship to more intelligent
levels, and to undergird it with ever deepened spirit.
Dr, Ames Approves Scroll Plan
It was good to get the official report of the meet-
ing of the Committee responsible for plans to con-
tinue the Scroll. I am happy that you are all de-
termined that it shall go on. It seems to me that
we have the greatest opportunity and incentive of
our lives now to make the Scroll sail the three
"Ships!" I am very appreciative of the "Words
of Praise" in the June issue. I give F. E. Davison
credit for getting them printed!
You ask me to write a page or two now and then,
and it v^rill be a pleasure to do so, but I have re-
tired from making promises for regular work.
My work for the Institute has been a "labor of
love" as has been the work of many others, par-
ticularly of those who have served as treasurers.
Sincerely yours,
September 10, 1951 E. S. Ames
THE SCROLL
The Annual Meeting
The 1951 Annual Meeting lof the Campbell Insti-
tute was held in Chicago, Tuesday through Thurs-
day, July 24 to 26. Fifty persons attended the meet-
ing. The papers presented were of high order and
even quality. Under the guidance of President
S. Marion Smith of Indianapolis, a general theme
of "Preachers and Seminaries Face Their Task"
was developed in a variety of specific areas. The
most lively debate, however, occurred in connection
with unscheduled speeches which were arranged
when two recent travellers to Palestine appeared
for the sessions,
Stevenson, Reid, Jones
Preparation for preaching, its prophetic content,
and great preaching personalities were the topics
for Tuesday. A paper by Dwight Stevenson, College
of the Bible, Lexington, Ky., on "Preaching: An
Avenue of Personal Growth," was read by J. J. Van-
Boskirk in the unavoidable absence of Dr. Steven-
son. The paper reported this professor's methods
in bringing student preachers through the crisis of
discovering their deepest personalities rather than
avoiding them through a procedure of self-analysis
and reconstruction that is possible through practice
preaching. Reflecting the best in modern methods
of homiletical teaching, all of the lolder preachers in
the sessions were appreciative of the new trends
which Dr. Stevenson outlined.
Professor W. L, Reid, Texas Christian University,
Fort Worth, Texas, with his paper on "The Bible
and Prophetic Ministry" launched a vigorous debate
on the meaning of prediction for the contemporary
preacher. While many felt that preaching never
THE SCROLL
does, and never should involve a "predictive" qual-
ity, a strong case was made by those who contended
that since the minister must speak of the future,
and since he must sustain Christian hope for the
future, the idea of prediction, in some sense, is not
outworn.
On Tuesday evening, for more than an hour,
Edgar DeWitt Jones discoursed upon "Life with
the Beecher Lectures." Those who have heard him
many times, declared that Dr. Jones had never been
more eloquent, more informative, nor more inspir-
ing. His audience knew that they were listening
to the kind of great address that can come only
from a mind which, having entered a great treasure
house, could truly evaluate what it found because
of its own concern of a lifetime with the greatness
of preaching.
Pellett, Lunger, Hyaft
Another trio of papers brought out the problem
of biblical interpretation. Professor David Pellett
of Indianapolis, Indiana, surveyed the contemporary
resurgence of interest in biblical ideas which is
supplementing the interests of the last half century
in biblical history and literature.
Dr. I. E. Lunger of Chicago, while emphasizing
primarily the necessity of the part of the modern
preacher for full acquaintance with the news of the
day and its commentators, stated that the problem
in preaching is not simply to discover how much
"balance" there should be between topics of the
day and religious ideas in preaching, but the dis-
covery of the principles whereby the news of the
day can be evaluated and interpreted in relation tn
Christian faith.
Dr. J. Philip Hyatt, Vanderbilt University, Nash-
ville, Tennessee, the only Disciple representative on
either the Old or New Testament Committees for
10 THE SCROLL
the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, reported
on the progress in the preparation of the Old Testa-
ment volume which will appear in 1952, His part
dealt primarily with the factors which commend this
version of the Old Testament for both church and
individual use.
Garrison, Blakemore, Smith
The place and validity of the voluntary principle
in Christianity was of first importance in three
papers. W. E. Garrison read a paper based on ma-
terial gathered for his participation next November
in the meetings of the Faith and Order Commission
of the World Council of Churches. The thesis which
Dr. Garrison presented is that the voluntary prin-
ciple which has won acceptance throughout most
of American Protestantism is not a post-Reforma-
tion development of Christianity, but was the basic
principle of Christianity during its first four centu-
ries, and was not destroyed until the time of estab-
lishment of Christianity within the Roman Empire.
W. B. Blakemore, Dean of the Disciples Divinity
House, Chicago, Illinois, presented a paper on the
Disciple position with respect to baptism. The
main concern of his presentation was to' point out
that throughout their history the Disciples have
'been divided over the question of whether the indi-
vidual Christian must decide upon the terms of
the obedience to Christ which he must exercise in
coming into the Christian community or whether
the community should make that decision.
In his presidential paper, Professor S. Marion
Smith, Butler University, Indianapolis, Indiana,
surveyed the developmental rise of Christianity
through the apostolic age. His thesis was that in
this period there can be discerned a struggle be-
tween elements which sought to bind the Christian
within certain legalistic compulsions, and more
THE SCROLL 11
truly Christian elements which recognized that
Christianity called for a personal maturity in which
the individual accepted responsibility for his actions
and took the matter of ruling himself, in a dis-
ciplined way, solemnly and freely upon himself.
SPECIAL FEATURES
Morrison, Davison, Bryan
Dr. C. C. Morrison, Chicago, Illinois, gave an in-
terpretation and review of the Hoover Lectureship
on Christian Unity since its establishment in 1945.
He gave also a prospectus of the series of Hoover
lectures which he will deliver, Monday through
Wednesday, October 29-31 in Mandel Hall, Uni-
versity of Chicago. The prospectus revealed that in
the lectures Dr. Morrison will treat topics of provoc-
ative interest, and assured that many who heard his
Institute presentation will attend the lectures them-
selves in the Fall.
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana, and David
M. Bryan, Sedalia, Missouri, both recently returned
from trips to Palestine, made unscheduled presenta-
tions before the Institute and precipitated the live-
liest of all the discussions. The two men, while
agreeing that the fundamental issue in the Pales-
tine situation is the human problem, rather than
the economic or political problem, proved to be
somewhat at variance on the Arab-Jew dispute. Both
men are good observers of current affairs, and re-
ported forcefully on evidences which they saw on
either side of this complex issue. Their audience
was so interested in what they had to report, that
after a first round, time was found in the program
for a second hour for discussion with these men.
On the final evening of the Institute, Mr. Bryan
showed colored pictures which he had taken in the
Holy Land.
12 THE SCROLL
Dinner and Communion Service
The Annual Dinner was held in the College Hall
of the Disciples Divinity House. It was an informal
occasion preceding the President's address and the
Communion service which closed the Institute. That
service, held in the Chapel of the Holy Grail, was
conducted by senior students of the Disciples House,
Mr. Harold E. Ranton, who has recently been called
to the Christian Church, Eureka, California, and
Mr. Ray K. Kistler, who has recently been called
to an assistant pastorship in the Central Christian
Church, Pasadena, California.
Business Meetings
There were several business sessions during the
Institute. Officers elected for 1951-52 were
President, S. Marion Smith, Indianapolis, Ind.
Vice-President, I. E. Lunger, Chicago, 111.
Treasurer, Benjamin F. Burns, Oak Park, 111.
Secretary, W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, 111.
While business sessions of the Institute have
always included a discussion of the ideals and pur-
poses, that topic was very consciously discussed
at this annual meeting. In light of the fact that Dr.
Ames had indicated that he could not accept an-
other term as editor of The Scroll, it was felt
that extended discussion of the aims of the Insti-
tute would be of great value to those who will be
responsible for the Institute publication. A special
committee was nominated to deal with the matter
of a publication for the Institute and its financing.
The committee brought in a report naming a board
to be responsible for finding ways and means of
providing an Institute journal, and to produce it
during the coming year. The report of the com-
mittee was accepted, including the board as named :
W. B. Blakemore, D. M. Bryan, B. F. Burns, Parker
Rossman, J. J. VanBoskirk.
THE SCROLL 13
Incidental Intelligence
A. T. DeGroot
The caption above was used frequently by Alex-
ander Campbell to report events of less than earth-
shaking magnitude observed in his travels or re-
ported to him by post. We may set down here some
quite disjointed observations during a tour of thir-
ty-three students and friends in Europe and Eng-
land in the Summer of 1951.
As I write, aboard the pastel colored cruise ship,
the Caronia (all appointments of cabin class or bet-
ter), a family sits next to us engaged in its regular
morning worship. Father, mother, and seven chil-
dren are returning on furlough after their latest
span of eleven years in the bush of South Africa,
where six of the children were born, three days'
walk from a doctor and 600 miles from a railroad.
They represent the Plymouth Brethren, and are
humhle and pious without affectatio^n or a sense
of ultra-separation from their neighbors.
Several in our group attended church services
abroad together. In Paris we were early for the
worship at the Eglise L'Oratoire, of the Reformed
Church. Only in the hymns could we join the
congregation with some unity, but it was easy to
understand the genuine devotion of the people and
pastor in all the worship. I recommend church-going
as a good way to study any foreign language, for
the preachers we heard spoke with distinctness and
clarity. This church in Paris was the spiritual
home of Admiral Coligny, principal leader of the
French Reformation and an impressive statue of
him is to be seen adjoining the building.
Another happy experience was finding, after an
extended search through the narrow defiles of Ven-
ice, the Waldensian Church at worship in the
14 THE SCROLL
city of canals. We were late arriving, but the pastor,
a handsome son of Italy who also spoke English,
welcomed us, as did the people. We sang a hymn
for them, and upon invitation I explained briefly
who we were, while the minister translated.
Why did I find myself really liking these folk, in
the Waldensian Church, whereas the other people
of the same land elicited so little of my good will?
I must think more about it.
Amsterdam presented the opportunity for a re-
newal of worship in the Nieuwe Kirke (New Church
— built in 1414), where the opening service of the
World Council of Churches was held in 1948. In
spite of knowing no Dutch (with my name, the
Hollanders can't understand such a situation), I
could detect two good stopping places in the long
sermon.
In England we had the pleasure of arranging
that four of our young preachers should be pulpit
guests in churches of Christ (Disciples) at Bir-
mingham. It was a very great satisfaction to hear
how well they represented our American brother-
hood in another land. The men involved were George
Williams of Ashland, Va., Weems Dykes of Nocona,
Tex., Lew Davis of Phillips University, and Ned
Gillum of Drake University. I suggest that our
Fiscality Fellow make sure that all these men are
in the circle of the Institute.
Leslie Weatherhead returned to his pulpit at the
temporary City Temple, after a leave of absence
in America, on the Sunday we were in London.
There were packed congregations morning and
evening. Present were a number of Methodist
ministers enroute to their world conference at Ox-
ford. We had crossed the path of some of these
American Methodists several times in our journey.
A pleasant experience for Mrs. DeGroot, Patricia,
THE SCROLL 15
and me was luncheon on the terrace of the League
of Nations, Geneva, as guests of Dr. Jellinek, Dean
of the Yale School of Alcohol Studies at T.C.U., who
gives about half of his time to the World Health
Organization. Dr. Jellinek is an eminent biologist
and one of the two men in Texas who are members
of the American Academy of Science,
Our daughter had her twenty-first birthday in
Geneva. The Swiss make a custard-filled cake in
any size which may be used for such an occasion,
appropriately decorated.
Only once did a member of the party get lost.
After nearly an hour's searching in and around the
Milan Cathedral, we went on to Santa Maria Nou-
vella and found the missing person waiting before
Da Vinci's "Last Supper."
Several of us nearly got lost, or rather locked
up, in the Palace of Versailles. The guides took
groups in at intervals and the halls were soon teem-
ing with "vultures for culture." After having long
explanations about tapestries, etc., in French, we
decided to swim against the current and get out via
the entrance. The guard there couldn't understand
our simple desire to get out rather than to hear the
lectures, and gave way to our wishes only because
we wore him down by using a speech he didn't
understand.
Six weeks of travel by 33 persons is sure to in-
volve some odd experiences. We were not too sur-
prised to find the Italian officials often quite voluble
and excited, but it was a shock to one of our matrons
when the hotel manager in Florence rushed into the
bathroom while she was in the tub, grabbed her
clothes and "explained" (she learned later), in a
torrent of words that there had been a mistake in
her room assignment.
Tour experience sometimes alsoi leads to unantici-
16 THE SCROLL
pated occasions of beauty. We shall scarcely for-
get a night under the stars in Rome seeing the im-
mense stage, with beautiful costumes, scenery and
music, on which the opera was presented — set in
the impressive ruins of Caracalla's baths; the blue
Mediterranean and its scenic shore line worked its
frequent spell; the cleanliness of Switzerland, and
its splendid food; the special charm of Holland;
the stubborn pride of England depriving itself
into a balanced economy (rare virtue in this age!)
— these remain in our memories.
There was much that was less pleasing to the eye
and heart. I cannot forget the seeming maturity
of sadness and tragedy in the eyes of a little girl
who followed our request to wade into the water
near Grossetto and find shellfish or snails. She
saw us only as people who must be "rich Ameri-
cans" from a land of plenty who would promptly
forget her land of need. The toiling fa^rmers in
all these lands still do their work by hand because
the nation always needs machinery for war. Our
luxurious bus, so big it had to back and gain on the
mountain road turns, dashed through villages amid
ancient and modern ruin, its occupants largely ob-
livious to most of the deprivation around them. But,
in all, there was food for thought, and I am sure the
preaching of our young ministers will be more
mature and considerate because of the varied ex-
periences of the tour.
And now, for no good reason except that I can't
remember a story unless I write it down, here's one.
The "famous alcoholic," as we endearingly refer
to our eminent Yale school man at T.C.U., tells a
story to illustrate the effects of drink on aggressive-
ness. A chap went into a bar and said, "Bartender,
let me have a drink, if you please." Getting it, he
first took an eye dropper and put a drop of it into
THE SCROLL 17
his vest pocket, then quaffed the rest down. Soon
he said, "Gimme a drink." Again he employed the
dropper, then up-ended the glass. After a minute,
he yelled, "Hey you — hurry up with a drink." The
strange formula of the dropper and the bolted drink
were repeated. After a long pause the man shouted,
"If you don't get a — 3e*oe!| — drink over here in a
hurry, I'll come back there and tear you limb from
limb!" Immediately a mouse jumped up from his
vest pocket and chimed in — "Yeah, and that goes
for your dad-blamed cat, too!"
Remarks at a Farewell Party
For Cy Yocum
E. K. HiGDON
Every missionary learns early in his career that
steamship companies compute charges on his freight
in two ways. If an article is small and heavy, they
charge by weight. If it is large and light, they
charge by measurement. Forty cubic feet make a
measured ton even though the box may be filled
with feather pillows or horse feathers.
I learned these facts of life in 1917 when we
sailed frcm San Francisco to Manila, so I was
not unprepared for two suggestions that the com-
mittee made to me about my talk tonight. They
stated them in terms I understood, weight and
measurement. My speech should be light and it
must be short.
That was a wise precaution because Cy and I have
been in this foreign work since 1917 and, if I were
to undertake to express my personal appreciation of
him and to tell what the Higdon family owes to his
friendship, this would not be a short talk. And it
would require several such speeches to weigh his
18 THE SCROLL
contributions in the balance of influence and service
in the Foreign Division and throughout the world.
So I shall merely mention and illustrate some of
the characteristics that have endeared Dr. C. M.
Yocum to all of us.
Cy has an excellent sense of humor. His recital
of amusing experiences, witty sayings and funny
stories enlivens our daily work at the office and
the frequent meetings of the Foreign Division.
He and several of us have a friend in New York,
a huge man more than six feet tall, by the name of
J. W. Decker. His nickname in China was "double-
decker." Someone has suggested that we call Cy,
Empire State — he has so many stories. They are
useful stories. And the use he makes of them is
one of his thoughtful ways of helping us enjoy
our work. '
Cy is a practical man. He could have succeeded
in business. For years he has been the financial
expert in the division. Many times he has made
budgets without straw. His business ability might
have been the inspiration for a cartoon I saw a
quarter of a century ago in an internationally fa-
mous magazine. He could have been the prospective
buyer, asking a farmer for information about an
animal standing in the barnyard where a sign on
the gate read "For Sale — A Horse and a Cow."
The two men were looking at the thinnest, scrawni-
est, boniest, dejectedest appearing critter this side
of the bone yard, and the prospective buyer was
saying: "If that's the cow, I want the horse; if
that's the horse, I want the cow ; and if that's both,
I want neither."
Cy knows what to do with criticism. He can
take it — or leave it alone. He has lived such a
thoroughly Christian life that he has escaped per-
sonal criticism. But he has been closely associated
THE SCROLL 19
with an organization that hasn't always escaped it.
An occasional unkind word is spoken about that
organization. In fact, enough bricks have been
thrown at it to co^nstruct the building that houses it.
Cy has known how to catch the bricks so that none
of us would be seriously injured by them.
The Madison Square Garden of Phoenix, Arizona,
where the public is entertained by wrestling, box-
ing and the "Ice Follies" has posted a stern notice:
"$50 fine for Persons Throwing Amything at Any-
body." If we had been able to enforce such a rul-
ing as that, our income from fines might have fi-
nanced all our work. Cy has taught us that if we
catch fearlessly whatever anyone throws at us, and
play the game fairly, we need not fear the Umpire's
decisions.
Cy has carried heavy administrative responsibili-
ties. He has seen the work expand and has shared
with the workers their visions of greater growth and
more wonderful opportunities. He has helped make
plans for the fulfillment of dreams and has then
been forced by circumstances to visit fields to ar-
range for the withdrawal of missionaries and the
drastic curtailment of all activities. We were in the
Philippines when he came there in 1934 practically
to close the mission. Many times since, I have heard
him tell with tears in his eyes and a catch in his
voice of the heart break of that visit to the Orient.
Cy has abiding Christian convictions and he
knows how to express them. Prof. Luccock of Yale
in one of his delightful Simeon Stylites columns in
the Christian Century quotes and comments on a
sentence from Winston Churchill's latest volume.
The Grand Alliance. Churchill writes that when
the news of Pearl Harbor reached him, he called
the American ambassador on the phone and ended
the conversation with "God be with you, or words
to that effect." Luccock comments, "Just take that
20 THE SCROLL
phrase 'words to that effect.' It is a perfect symbol
of a boneless religion — or rather a boned religion
with all the bones taken out. 'God be with you, or
words to that effect' — the saints preserve us ! There
are no words to that effect except the words them-
selves. We cannot say 'The Lord God omnipotent
reigneth, or words to that effect.' We have suffered
from too many "words to that effect," the Yale pro-
fessor concludes. Cy is not guilty of words to that
effect. His Christianity has bones.
After thirty-three years Cy now retires. Some of
us continue for awhile. And as we all face the future,
we can say to each other those words of Rabbi Ben
Ezra :
f
Grow old along with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life for which the first was made:
Our times are in His hand
Who saith, "A whole I planned.
Youth shows but half; trust God; see all
nor be afraid."
And if we were writing a letter to you, Cy, the
staff of the Foreign Division could take a leaf from
a recent announcement under the heading "Inci-
dental Intelligence" in the New Yorker: "Perma-
nently Yours, a hairdressing partnership, of 545
Fifth Avenue, has been dissolved." The Foreign Di-
vision has never been a hairdressing partnership
— we have never gotten into each other's hair. Mae
Ward, our woman member, has never sung to you,
"I'm goin' to wash that man right out of my hair."
And your retirement does not dissolve our friendly
relationships. Yet we could take a hint from that
announcement and sign ourselves "Permanently
Yours."
THE SCROLL 21
At the Communion Table
First Christian Church — Springfield, Illinois
Charles F. McElroy
It is said that one of the strongest of human traits
is the desire to be remembered. Evidences of this
come to us from remote antiquity in the monuments
and inscriptions that describe the exploits of ancient
rulers, such as the kings of Babylon and Persia, the
Pharaohs of Egypt, and the emperors of Rome. Al-
though the historian and the scientist value these
for their help toward an understanding of those re-
mote times, yet to a considerable extent they reflect
little credit on those who thus sought to render
themselves immortal. Rather, they are expressions
of egotism, vanity and self-glory, with complete dis-
regard for the well-being of the peoples over whom
they tyrannized.
When Jesus said of this supper, "Do this in re-
membrance of me," it was with a different motive.
It was not merely an expression of that human
side of His character. It was more. It was an ad-
monition to remember His life — to remember His
example in going about doing good ; His sinlessness
although tempted as we are; His teachings that re-
veal His unerring understanding of the thoughts
and motives of men; His call to follow Him and to
carry forward the work on earth that He must
soon relinquish; and His love which brought Him
to the tragedy that was to follow this last supper.
Why should we thus remember Him in this com-
munion service? Because the manner of His death
intensifies the significance of His life. He lived such
a life that through Him we may live more abundant-
ly. As we share these symbols of His death, let us
share also in the guiding principles of His life. It
was said of certain of His disciples that people took
22 THE SCROLL
note that they had been with Jesus. Let that be said
of us. If we are Christ-Hke, people will know it and
will be influenced by it. Let us pray.
Prayer
Our Father, we thank Thee for this table, which
reminds us of the life our Saviour lived among men.
May we open our hearts that He may come in and
abide there. May men note that we have been with
Jesus and that He guides our conduct. Thus may
we become more capable of doing our part in the
great work which Jesus has committed to human
hands. In His Name. Amen.
An Ordination Charge
By T. W. SiMER, Harvey, Illinois, to his son Scott
June 17, 1951
I charge you Scott, to remember that God called
His only begotten Son to be a minister and that
you must give unreserved commitment to Him who
came not to make life comfortable but to make men
great, and who calls to you "Come unto me" — "Be-
lieve in me" — "Learn of me" — "Abide in me" —
"Follow me."
As you walk midst the community altars of fra-
ternalism, militarism, and commercialism which
men have reared to the "unknown god" yours must
be the discerning eye and understanding heart to de-
clare to the wistful yearnings there revealed, the
true God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I charge you to bring to your ministry a great
compassion that shares God's travail over the "last,"
the "lost" and the "least." In this generation to
which you minister, millions roam the earth with
souls dead and consciences seared like Esau seeking
repentance and finding it not. To these living dead
THE SCROLL 23
you must bring the healing, saving word. It will
not be the new word or wanted word but the old
word for the new condition.
I charge you to have a great conception of the
church which you must love and to which you will
give yourself, and lead others to give of themselves
that you might "present it unto Him a glorious
church not having spot or wrinkle or any such
thing but that it should be holy and without blem-
ish" : always remembering, in this day of tragic
need and potential greatness, the words of a great
preacher P. T. Forsyth that "one of the greatest
moral dangers is a truly pious man with a conven-
tional morality in the midst of a great crisis," You
will thus teach the church that no area of man's
life is exempt from the will of God and that no
problem is finally political, economic, or interna-
tional, but spiritual because it is personal.
In a world where wild tongues call us to the
sword I charge you to remember that "our weapons
are not carnal" but "we have inherited the ministry
of reconciliation" ; and the gospel of God's love
which raised Christ from the dead and goes out
to all men, whose fatherhood demands man's broth-
erhood and the overcoming of evil with good.
Finally I charge you Scott that to thus live and
serve requires that you learn to live from a great
depth of being and to "keep thyself pure." Like
Daniel, the minister must keep his prayer window
open toward the city of God for the spiritual insight
to interpret the word of judgment and grace written
by the finger of God across the wall of man's civiliza-
tion which is perpetually weighed in the balance
and found wanting.
That you be more worthy of this supreme call-
ing, this could well be your constant prayer:
"God keep a clean wind blowing through my heart
Night and day.
24 THE SCROLL
Cleanse it with sunlight, let the silver rain
Wash away
Cobwebs and the smouldering dust that years
Leave, I pray
Bitterness can have no place in me,
Nor grief stay,
When the winds of God sweep through and wash
Them away.
God, keep a clean wind blowing through my heart
Night and day."
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison
In an art gallery in Tal Avis a man engaged me
in conversation. He said he was anxious to talk
with someone from "The States." He mentioned the
fact that he was already a half hour late to an ap-
pointment but appointments could "go hang" when
he had an opportunity to talk with someone from
his home land. He went on to explain that his par-
ents lived in Israel and that they had been trying
to get him to come there and make his home. He
said he finally agreed to come for six months as
a trial proposition. He then added that five of
those months had passed and said, "In another
thirty days I am going to head for California as fast
as I can go and when I get to San Jcse I am going
to fall down and kiss the earth."
That was of particular interest to me for I knew
that soon I was to be in San Jose to bring some
messages to the Northern California convention.
Plenty of people would be glad to testify that I
"fell down" when I got there but at least I did
not "kiss the earth."
THE SCROLL 25
San Jose is quite a convention city. I was told
that it averages forty conventions a year and many
of them are church conventions. I am quite sure
that none of these church assemblies could equal in
spirit and enthusiasm the recent gathering of Dis-
ciples. Wesley Ford is the energetic and capable
power behind the throne. He has been state secre-
tary for less than two years but already is known
and loved by all. The ministers of that territory
profit by his counsel and the lay people follow him
gladly. Leslie Hudson served as president and pre-
sided with dignity, courtesy and humility. Clarence
Franz, the host pastor, is an organizing genius. Even
though he was quite ill during the convention he had
his organization so set up that every detail was car-
ried out. This pastor is also a musician of note
and a painter of no mean ability. It was Rosa
Page Welch who highlighted that convention. It is
doubtful if there is another Disciple in the United
States known and loved by as many people as this
sweet singer. Rosa Page has "leaped over a wall"
— the wall of denominational, racial, and sectional
barriers. She is welcomed both in the North and
in the South. She is sought after by the Baptists
and Methodists as much as by Disciples. When
she has been rebuffed and mistreated (as people
of her race often are) she just keeps on singing.
I do not know how many times she has received
high awards for worthy achievements but I do know
she is truly "An Ambassador of Goodwill." After
many years of friendship here in the Middle-West
it was a joy to work with Rosa Page away out West
in the land of "saints" and "angels."
26 THE SCROLL
Notes
This issue of The Scroll contains a communioin
table meditation by C. F. McElroy, an elder of the
First Christian Church, Springfield, 111. It suggests
that we ought to have more examples of the re-
ligious expressions given by laymen in our churches.
Perhaps if more ministers suggested to the elders
that when prayers or meditations were of high order
they would be sent into The Scroll for publication
the elders might have heightened respect for their
duties.
The paper on Practical Preaching, An Avenue to
Personal Growth by D wight E. Stevenson, which
was read at the 1951 Annual Meeting, will appear
in full in a forthcoming issue of a College of the
Bible quarterly. It is exceedingly worthwhile read-
ing.
During the fall of 1951 the First Christian Church,
South Bend, Indiana, will celebrate its Centennial.
The celebration extends over two months with
special Sunday services and banquets, the closing
event to be the ordination of a son of the church,
Robert E. Lea, into the Christian ministry. All
members of the Institute will want to congratulate
this great church upon the occasion of its Centen-
nial and to hail its minister, F. E. Davison.
Letters to the Editor
This issue of The Scroll goes to press under a
new editorial arrangement. Those letters which
came during the summer to Dr. Ames are printed
as expressions of the significance of the Campbell
Institute and its Scroll.
THE SCROLL 27
At the Equator
Coquilhatville, Congo Beige
August 27, 1951
Dear Dr. Ames:
I've been struggling with conscience for months,
and conscience has finally gotten the upper hand.
Why struggling with conscience, you ask? Because
of Ben Burns' Page !
A copy of The Scroll comes to the office each
month in the name of a missionary no longer here.
Second class mail cannot be returned or forwarded
without postage, therefore, I read it — if it looks
interesting, that is. At first, I tossed The Scroll
over with numerous other periodicals to file in No.
31 — wastebasket — , but one day curiosity overcame
me.
I've been enlightened, inspired, perplexed, con-
fused, and entertained by The Scroll ever since.
I thought I should let you know it's not been wasted
before Mr. Burns looks up the subscription and
changes the address. Hope it takes him a few months
to find it for I'll be going on furlough then. Just
finished the June issue. Very good. It's truly a
delightful half hour or so, thank you.
Very sincerely yours,
Eva Marie Johnson
One Editor to Another
Chicago, Illinois
June 20, 1951
Dear Ames:
After reading the April Scroll, I had a prompt-
ing to write a note to the Editor, making a sugges-
tion. Preoccupation with certain tasks kept me from
doing so.
Now comes the May Scroll with your fine edi-
torial on the "Three Ships," and I must congratu-
28 THE SCROLL
late you on it and thank you for it. It reveals not only
the nature of our Christian fellowship, but the spirit
of the editor himself. You were, of course, quite un-
conscious that you were revealing yourself while
consciously writing about the Campbell Institute.
You have been for all these years a living symbol
as well as an advocate of the "Three Ships" — com-
radeship, scholarship and discipleship. We hold you
in high honor and rejoice that you are with us and
still leading us.
The suggestion I was prompted to make is related
to the Fourteen points about the Disciples in the
April issue. Point 5 rightly states that the Disciples
"believe in the dignity of man and in great possibili-
ties of growth." I wonder if you would not either
precede or follow this item with the statement that
the Disciples also believe in the creatureliness, that
is, the createdness, of man and therefore his depend-
ence upon and his humility before God. This, it seems
to me, is so truly a belief of the Disciples as is their
belief in man's dignity. It is also a fundamental
presupposition in the Christian faith.
Blessings on you!
As ever yours,
Charles Clayton Morrison
Genuine Community
Detroit, Michigan
June 20, 1951
Dear Dr. Ames :
Just a word of appreciation of the Campbell In-
stitute and The Scroll which have meant so much
to all Disciples throughout the years.
The Campbell Institute is a genuine community.
The fellowship is deeper than mere pious good-will.
There is a definite intellectual viewpoint which ac-
THE SCROLL 29
cepts honest differences in kindly spirit without
in any way retarding the pursuit of truth.
The Scroll has provided a basis of intellectual
communication integral to the fellowship. Humor,
ideas, love, understanding, and mutual helpfulness
are characteristic of the great leadership inspired
by those noble men who formed the Campbell In-
stitute at that important time in the history of the
Disciples.
Most sincerely.
Perry E. Gresham
Not Often Seen, But Always Present
Flint, Michigan
June 23, 1951
Dear Dr. Ames :
I have just finished reading your fine little state-
ment on the Campbell Institute. I have not been to as
many of the C. I. meetings as I would like, but I look
forward to the coming of The Scroll, and I have
an "awareness" of the fellowship of kindred spirits,
pursuing common goals. To me the C.I. is a spiritual
reality, not very often seen in the flesh, but always
present. If we would all sail in your three "ships"
we would soon reach the shores of the new world
for which our hearts yearn. God will save the people
w^hen the ideals of the C. I. become the aims and
ideals of all men.
Cordially,
Lloyd V. Channels
On the "Three Ships"
Dear Dr. Ames:
Lexington, Kentucky
June 13, 1951
Dear Dr. Ames :
I have just read your article in the May SCROLL
entitled "Three Ships." This statement tells more
30 THE SCROLL
truly the character and value of the Campbell Insti-
tute than any word I have ever seen. The things
which you say about this group and what results
from the relationships of the members tally fully
with my experiences over a period of more than
twenty years.
I have been associated with many groups and
organizations within the church, all good, but the
Institute associations have been the sincerest, the
freest, and the wholesomest of them all. It has been
true in the finest and the most inspiring way to the
"Three Ships.''
I thank you for this interpretation of the Insti-
tute. It should inspire the members and should at-
tract others who would greatly profit through shar-
ing its spirit and comradeship.
I deeply regret that a conflict in duties will pre-
vent me from attending the annual meeting in July.
Wishing the best of everything for you and thank-
ing you for your Scroll messages, I am
Yours sincerely,
R. B. Montgomery
Columbia, Missouri
June 21, 1951
My dear Doctor Ames :
Your opening article on the "Three Ships" in the
May number of the Scroll is a classic. It is the
simplest and most adequate statement of the pur-
poses of the Campbell Institute that I have read.
I believe I have heard you use these three terms but
I do not remember having read them and most cer-
tainly not in such adequate form as in this article.
But more important to many of us, is the fact that
you have not only written this article but you have
incarnated the journey of the "Three Ships" sail-
THE SCROLL 31
ing together — Fellowship, Scholarship and Dis-
cipleship.
The Scroll is always read immediately from
cover to cover.
Most sincerely,
C. E. Lemmon
Strong & Bold & True
Athens, Georgia
June 20, 1951
Dear Dr. Ames:
I saw in the May issue of The Scroll your refer-
ence to my article in The Christian Evangelist on
"Garfield and The Christian Standard" that Garfield
"almost despaired of ever seeing anything strong
and bold and free among the Disciples." Had Gar-
field lived to read The Scroll he would have had
to retract his statement!
Sincerely yours,
Woodrow Wasson
J. T. McNeill. A History of the Cure of Souls. New
York. Harper and Bros. 1951
The greatest importance of this -book is that it
resets the stage for pastoral work. During the past
twenty-five years, the rapid development of so-called
"depth" psychology has almost led to the complete
domination of pastoral work by the single method
of counselling. To any man who has made "counsel-
ling" the method par excellence of pastoral work.
Dr. McNeill offers a strong reminder that it is but
one among many effective methods by which the
cure of souls has gone on. Among the methods which
Dr. McNeill's vivid historical survey covers are some
familiar ones whose spiritual power and import is
often overlooked by today's devotees of the newest
in counselling techniques.
32 THE SCROLL
Private prayer is given due attention, and the
several by which a public impartation of personal
guidance has been effected: teaching and writing
which illumines the meaning of sorrow cr the course
of duty ; public worship which brings a sense of
true communion; drama; comedy; and recreation.
The methods available to those who need individual
help have been varied. The rcle of the spiritual
guide — its earliest types in ancient Israel, in old
Greece, and in Asia, form a background for the dis-
cussion of Christian mentors of the spirit — is elabor-
ately discussed. Ministry in the midst of bereave-
ment and sickness is, naturally enough, urveyed.
The long usage by the church of regular pastoral
visitation is illustrated. Less familiar to contempo-
rary Protestants, and often feared or scorned by
them, are church discipline and confessional pro-
cedures. Dr. McNeill sympathetically reveals their
positive values, in times past, for the cure of souls.
For the minister who has forgotten how often his
parishioners can help each other with personal prob-
lems of the spirit. Dr. McNeill traces the history
of mutual ministry and lay guidance. Perhaps his
most exciting paragraphs, however, deal with the
use of correspondence. In this talkative age of ours
few pastors are, any longer, great letter writers.
It is evident that through the centuries, the sensi-
tive and heartfelt correspondence that has been
maintained by many a pastor, both great ard humble,
has been a stream of spiritual power preserving the
spirits of those who received them. We do not often,
today, write letters of counsel, yet letters still have
their old charm and power, and we all like to re-
ceive them. Many ministers ought to be re-awakened
to the morning mail as a particularly effective way
to reach some of the souls who need their care and
counsel.
THE SCROLL
Vol. XLIV OCTOBER, 1951 No. 2
The Event of the Decade
One of America's renowned religious editors is
daring enough every thirty days to identify "the
event of the month." It must be a ticklish business
to risk so frequently an indication of what one
believes to have been the most decisive happening
in the month just past. Standing that close to his-
tory, the odds must be great that time will prove
that 'Other events were more influential.
In daring to identify "the event of the decade"
readers of The Scroll may feel that its editorship
has gone completely over-board." From the "Three
Ships" the cry of "Men Overboard" may go up.
There need be no such fears — and for good measure
we will identify "the event of the decade" for two
successive decades. It is amazingly easy to do it.
No one would deny that the "event of the decade"
which lasted from 1937 to 1947 was the development
of the atom bomb. Early in that decade there were
a few news reports that atomic fission was a possi-
bility. Then the subject was dropped from the
newspapers, hidden from the public view, and to a
large extent forgotten until the summer of 1945.
During those silent years, a tremendous technologi-
cal effort had translated the scientific discoveries
hinted in the decade's early news into the reality
of the bomb.
The event of the decade from 1947 to 1957 is the
Bible, with the climax of the event in 1952. The
beginnings of the event were heralded in 1947 with
the publication of the Revised Standard Vei^sion of
the New Testament. The full force of the event has
come into view with the distribution this month of
34 THE SCROLL
the first volume of The Interpreter' s Bible, The
grand climax will come next year with the publi-
cation of the Revised Standard Version of the Bible
in its entirety. The event will be completed by 1957.
By then, all the volumes of The Intervretef s Bible
will have appeared. The minister who does not, by
that time, own the entire set will be an impoverished
man indeed who has not set himself in the stream
of the greatest event of this decade. Fortunately,
the pace of publication puts these volumes within
the range of everyone. And anyone who has
"hefted" the first volume of The Interpreter's Bible
knows that he has received his money's worth, al-
most apart from the indisputable proof of the list
of contributors.
The completion of the prodigious scholarly enter-
prise which now culminates in the Revised Standard
Version and the great new commentary known as
The Interpreter' s Bible brings to its greatest tri-
umph and vindication the first seventy-five years of
"the higher criticism." This movement had its be-
ginnings early in the last century, but only toward
the end did it emerge as a distinct procedure by
which scholars around the world began to examine
the Scriptures. From the beginning it received the
scorn and attacks of traditionalists and narrow
orthodoxy. The constant cry was that higher criti-
cism could take the Bible apart, but could not put it
together again, that it would be eternally analytical
and never discover the constructive message, that it
would dissect the religious faith of the Scriptures,
and dissipate it into its parts by historical and
literary criticism, by sociological and psychological
analysis. As the long years of critical work went
on, it seemed as if this might be the case. In many
a seminary, generation after generation of students
watched their professors at the work of higher
THE SCROLL 35
criticism, and were never quite able to discover
vi'hat the outcome might be. For that matter, vast
numbers of the professors themselves were upheld
only by a vague faith that they were proceeding in
the right way — the ultimate outcome for the mean-
ing of the Bible remained unclear. But the work
of brick-laying went on, even though the shape of
the emergent structure could not yet be discerned.
Even as recently as fifteen years ago, the students
of the methods of higher criticism felt some sense of
inferiority as they contemplated the condition of
biblical study. Fifty years before that, men had
been producing vast commentaries which covered the
whole biblical range. But the production of works
of that stature seemed to have stopped, and the
contemporary professors often seemed unable to get
beyond the puzzle of dealing with some short pass-
age of Scripture with which they had become pre-
occupied. New methods of study had made the com-
mentaries of the past irrelevant, and nowadays,
there appeared only the more restricted efforts of
a Moffatt, or a Earth, the latter even asserting that
his commentary on Romans was really a footnote
to theology. Moffatt, and Goodspeed, and Weymouth,
with their great translations, did rise as beacons
of encouragement, but the full scale work of ex-
haustive commentary seemed to be beyond our age.
It was at such a time that the work for a revision
of the Standard Version of the Bible was begun.
It was initiated on the widest scale. The number
of scholars who were called into the work was the
largest, and most erudite, group of scholars that had
ever undertaken a work of biblical revision. For
long over a decade the work has gone on, and now
reaches its conclusion.
The launching of that enterprise stirred another
into existence — the production of a new com-
36 THE SCROLL
mentary. Once again the collaboration was devised
on the highest level and with the broadest scope.
The scholars enlisted for the work surpass in power
and ability all previous boards of commentators.
The twelve volumes of the enterprise have begun
to appear. The general form of the commentary is
two parallel columns of Scripture — the King James
Version and the Standard revised Version. The
center of "each page is devoted to critical biblical
analysis. The bottom third of the page is given
to exposition with a view to homiletical usage.
Volume VII is the first to appear. Besides the com-
mentary on Matthew and Mark it opens with 200
pages of general articles on the New Testament as
a whole. A fellow of the Campbell Institute is
represented. S. V. McCasland wrote the general
article on "The Greco-Roman World." When Volume
I appears, it will contain general articles on the
Old Testament.
The effect of the Revised Standard Version and
The Interpreters' Commentary upon the religious
life of the nation will be immeasurable. It means
that for the first time we will have a generation of
seminary students who will be able to perceive the
work of higher criticism as it affects the whole
Bible. Their preaching, and the preaching of those
contemporary ministers who give themselves to the
study of these new volumes will take on a new rich-
ness of biblical culture and a new depth of biblical
understanding and faith. For many years, the world
of biblical scholarship has been revaluating the
Bible. That process has now been put into a form
which means that the whole church can participate.
The appreciation of the Bible has always been of
paramount interest to Disciples of Christ. When the
newer forms of criticism appeared, many of them
did not understand that a new day was at hand. All
THE SCROLL 37
they could discern was the destruction of the old,
and they felt that darkness was descending. Dur-
ing the early years of this century, there was one
Disciple who strove more than any other to help
his brethren see the new light. The two great pas-
sions of Dr. H. L. Willett were the dissemination of
new attitudes toward the Bible and the reconstruc-
tion of the Disciple plea for unity. This issue of The
Scroll contains an article on "Dr. Willett and Mod-
ern Biblical Thought." It is written by R. L. Lemon
of Havana, Illinois, and is part of a dissertation ac-
cepted this month in connection with a Bachelor
of Divinity degree. The validity of Dr. Willett's
evaluations, as presented by Mr. Lemon will be
evident. Dr. Willett's work is already "dated" as
all men's work must, eventually be. That does not
mean that it was erroneous, but that it was incom-
plete. Dr. Willett wrote at a time when the higher
criticism of the Bible had completed about two
thirds of its critical method. It had absorbed the
work of textual or lower criticism. Archeology, and
historical geography were leading to the recon-
struction of the physical setting of biblical events.
It had developed an extensive literary criticism of
the Scriptures and was already refining it into
"formgeschichte" — the illuminating history of the
forms through which biblical materials passed on
their way to becoming Scripture. It had also appro-
priated a psychological understanding which "hu-
manized" the men and women of the Bible. Most
importantly, the socio-historical method had been
developed. It was with these methods that Dr.
Willett worked skillfully. Since his time, two other
critical instruments have been developed which have
completed the apparatus whereby higher criticism
examines the bible. One may be characterized as
depth-history. It is the recognition that recovering
38 THE SCROLL
the data of history is not enough; there must also
be a rigorous attempt to discover the ultimate mean-
ing of history — history must be assessed. The
other instrument is a new level of theological in-
quiry. It is the recognition that despite their
varieties, a single purpose motivated the Biblical
writers — and that purpose was not to leave behind
a record of their religious experience. That they
did, but it was incidental to their main purpose of
presenting with as much honesty as they could the
nature of God as they had discerned him. Higher
criticism now recognizes this theological intention
as the central fact of the Bible, and asserts that
unless the modern man approaches the Bible to dis-
cover what it has to say about God he has not done
justice to the biblical writers.. They did not write
because of a subjective aim to tell about themselves,
but out of an objective aim to preach a gospel.
These depth-historical and theological instru-
ments have been added to the method of higher
criticism since Dr. Willet's time. But they do not
negate the kind of work that he was doing. They
complete it. Mr. Lemon's article will vividly re-
fresh for many Institute readers the basis of un-
derstanding of the Bible on which all of us are
moving forward into newer and richer appreci-
ations of the Sacred text.
The scholarly approach toward the Bible has been
a constant factor in the Disciple mentality — in all
its major expressions. The danger points in Dis-
ciple history have occurred when the men who have
adopted the liberalism that characterized the days
of their youth have failed to keep abreast of the
liberal mind as it moved forward. The difficulties
that arise are well illustrated in the controversy
that arose between J. W. McGarvey and H. L. Wil-
lett. When he was a young man, J. W. McGarvey
THE SCROLL 39
accepted all the critical methods that had been de-
vised up to that time. He never abandoned the his-
torical method as Campbell had adopted it, namely,
the approach to each book of the Bible individually
in terms of its authorship, date, and the purpose be-
hind its appearance. McGarvey appreciated the
work of textual criticism, and understood literary
criticism as it had developed by 1875. He avidly
adopted the rational implications of archeological
study and of historical geography. The story of
McGarvey's visit to the Holy Land is evidence that
he was no mystic, no sentimental fundamentalist
come to bask in the mysterious qualities of a super-
natural holy of holies which man could not touch.
Instead he went armed with measuring tape and
maps and stormed the holy places. He counted every
step ; he measured everything. For thirty years after,
he was remembered by the Arabian guides because
of his zealous rational approach to the whole setting
of Palestine. This kind of reasonableness he had
learned in his younger days. During his middle age,
the techniques of reasonableness were expanded by
psychology and sociology. This expansion, McGar-
vey either could not or would not appropriate into
his own methods. He crystallized as a mid-nine-
teenth century mind, and did not become a "turn of
the century" mind. The results were pitiful, and
harmful to his brotherhood. But in his way, and
for his age, he was just as much a "liberal" as was
H. L. Willett in the next generation.
The methods of intellectual inquiry into the Bible
have moved ahead again in our own day. They
have appropriated certain philosophical and theo-
logical methods of criticism. These methods are
logical rather than empirical. But they have their
place along-side the empirical bent of early twenti-
eth century investigation. Fortunately, The Inter-
40 THE SCROLL
prefers' Bible and The Revised Standard Version
reflect these new instrumentalities. They will serve
the new theological interest of our own day — to
discover what it was that the biblical writers were
trying to tell us about God, and man, and his re-
demption, and the hopes for the future that can
honestly, by virtue of Christian faith, be the focus
of our living commitments.
At the 1951 Illinois State Convention of Disciples,
W. B. Blakemore gave an address on "The Local
Church and Tomorrow's Community." The address
fell into two major sections. The first was an iden-
tification of the essential work of the local church
in relation to creating community, and appears in
this issue of The Scroll as a sermon entitled
"Virtue and Community." The second portion of
the address dealt with modifications of Disciple life
Which are necessary if the true work of the local
church is to be accomplished;; this section will be
published in the next issue of The Scroll under
the title "Releasing the Churches for Community
Building."
The advent of the International Convention to
Chicago next May will give large numbers of Dis-
ciples the opportunity to witness the ways in which
Disciples of Christ are working to meet the chal-
lenges of the city. Chicago has a certain over-whelm-
ing character. Unlike most other cities, it contains
no "cathedral" churches. No denomination, not even
the Roman Catholic, has succeeded in building up
a local church which has a "dominant" character.
The underlying reason is that Chicago is a city of
cities. While the postal address for any Chicagoan
THE SCROLL 41
is "Chicago, Illinois," the real residence of every
Chicagoan is in some smaller and well-defined unit,
such as Hyde Park, or Englewood, or Ravenswood,
or Bryn Mawr. The make-up of Chicago is not a
central residential city surrounded by suburbs. It
is a central commercial centre surrounded by about
fifty suburbs that are within the "city limits" and
another fifty that are outside the city limits (Evans-
ton, Oak Park, Chicago Heights, etc.). Religion in
Chicago is primarily where the people are, in these
inner and outer suburbs, and not in the central
core. To discover Chicago's religion it is necessary
to do a great deal of moving about, not to say hunt-
ing out.
Convention visitors to Chicago will no doubt make
sure that they visit some of the longer-established
centres of Disciple life in this city: University
Church, Jackson Blvd. Church, the Disciples Di-
vinity House, and Austin Blvd. Church in Oak Park.
In each of these churches they will have the feeling
of visiting a vigorous suburban centre, and may
still come away wondering where the "centre" of
Chicago Discipledom is. There isn't any, in the
usual sense of finding one church among the rest
that has a "cathedral" character. In order to get
a sense of the Disciples in Chicago it is almost
necessary to visit a large number of local churches.
There are twenty in the Chicagoland area which ex-
tends seventy miles north and south from Wauke-
gan to Gary, and thirty miles east and west from
the lake to the Fox River Valley, the area being
comparable in size to the whole of Palestine or of
Wales.
The best indication of the problem of knowing
the Disciples in Chicago is illustrated by the place-
ment of three of our most important churches from
the standpoint of buildings which demonstrate the
42 THE SCROLL
vigor of Chicago Discipledom. One is in Gary, an-
other in Maywood, and a third in Waukegan — and
these three locations are twenty-five, fifteen and for-
ty miles respectively from "the Loop." Central Chris-
tian Church in Gary is a magnificent romanesque
chapel, the first designed for our brotherhood by
the beloved Mr. Wickes in connection v^ith his w^ork
for the Board of Church Extension. The First Chris-
tian Church in Maywood is just completing a new
building, which is an aesthetic and economic tri-
umph. The congregation will be in this new home
before the Convention. It stands on a main street
in Maywood and has great dignity and stateliness.
It is a satisfying accomplishment for a congregation
that was ready to erect the church that would serve
it for a century.
First Christian Church in Waukegan is just com-
pleting a sanctuary which ingeniously solves a tick-
lish problem. The church owns a strategic and ample
lot of ground at the head of a main street. A beauti-
ful old residence with stately columns has served
for several years as the church. The residence
stands exactly where a great church will someday
stand. But the congregation faced a dilemma. It is
not yet able to build that great church. If they tore
down the residence, the only church they could now
put up would, in that location, be less impressive
than the present building. Yet they want a "church."
Their solution has been a beautiful small chapel
built on the rear of the lot, amidst great trees. It is
not an "educational unit," (the old residence will
serve that purpose for some years ahead) but a
sanctuary. Eventually it can become a social hall,
but at present it sacrifices none of the dignity of
a sanctuary for this eventual use. It is decidedly
"modernistic" in architecture, but with an unusual
degree of charm. It is a stone church in the vale,
THE SCROLL 43
set in the midst of a great suburb, and with a vision
of the great edifice that will someday replace an
old residence to dominate a main artery of the city.
The scale of the building is modest. There is no
central aisle, but on the south a wide "fellowship"
aisle, flanked by great floor-to-ceiling windows which
look out into the heavily shaded "church-yard."
Perhaps there can be some arrangements made
during the Convention that will facilitate visits to
these and other churches. Actually, when it comes
to transportation in Chicago, nothing is "facilitated."
It remains the most ponderous problem in this great
city. Those who live in it finally learn how to over-
come its frustrations and to make it serve their
purposes. Students who first come to the Disciples
House are often shocked to discover that there is
a six-block walk to the nearest good transportation.
Even at that, those who live in the city learn that
an automobile is a worse means of transport than
the public conveyances. They get used to the long
walks, and learn to make them rapidly. They find
that they have to exercise. Perhaps that is the rea-
son why Chicago is characterized by an unusual
number of ministers and religious workers who re-
tain their force and vitality well into their seven-
ties and eighties. Even if there were no inner com-
pulsion to constant activity, there is an inescapable
outer compulsion in the vastness of the city which
insists that in order to live in it at all, a man has
to keep on the move, and do a lot of it under his
own power.
These words, we trust, will not inhibit anyone
from attending the convention. They should rather
point to one of the sources of the excitement which
leads the people who live in Chicago to love it de-
spite its problems.
44 THE SCROLL
Virtue & Community
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, III.
In his popular novel, The Cardinal, Henry Mor-
ton Robinson sends his young hero, Stephen Fer-
moyle as an assistant to the pastor of dying com-
munity somewhere north of Boston. The village of
Enclume is falling into dilapidation, and its church
is in decay. The economic basis of the town had
once been a forge, long since abandoned, its people
deserted to find what living they could in the mean-
est of labor. From the first, Stephen Fermoyle was
intrigued by pine forest which had been deeded to
the parish. He worked out a scheme to lumber it
on behalf of the parishioners. This scheme he pre-
sented to his superiors, and much to his dismay,
it was turned down. The young priest was dis-
appointed. A deep ethical sense seemed to tell him
that this economic step was in accord with the ulti-
mate intentions of religion for the good life of man-
kind. The rejection of his purpose was bitter to
him. In his disappointment he turned to an older
priest, and from him gained a spirit which recog-
nized that his efforts to find an economic basis
for his people had so far been a waste of spirit, and
that, at the outset of his ministry he found a faith
that money would come in somehow, or that if it
didn't that would be all right too — a spirit that
was to support him for the rest of his life. Having
reached this point, the author says, Stephen Fer-
moyle took up his true work in the parish of Enclume.
He tightened up the relaxed procedures in re-
ligious education. He improved the worship of the
congregation by scraping together a choir, a piti-
fully poor one, but a choir none the less. He became
far more careful about his Sunday sermons, and he
THE SCROLL 45
intensified his pastoral care. In the midst of his
calling he found that many of the idle hands of the
parish discharged their restlessness through whit-
tling, and presently he turned this slight talent
toward the repair of the church — its altar rail,
its pews, its sagging cross. After many long and
tedious months, he began to sense himself that a
new spirit was slowly flowing in the parish. Some-
thing was being rebuilt deep in the hearts and
souls of his people, something far more subtle and
intangible, but far more enduring than the excite-
ment that would have come had he presented them
with a new economic program. And it was only
now that Stephen Fermoyle began to understand
that by first repairing the damaged religious state
of the souls of his parishioners he had brought
them to an inward condition which would make
them capable of launching and sustaining a lumber-
ing enterprise that would restore their material
welfare. When next he approached his superiors,
it was with a different spirit, which was readily
recognized, and the spiritually restored parish was
permitted to move forward into a new material
enrichment.
Li many a theological treatise, you and I have
read of the spiritual bases of civilized life, have
been told that the possibilities of a true community
of mankind requires a spiritual condition within
men and women. I doubt if that fact has ever been
more concretely pictured than in the episode of the
redemption of Enclume by Stephen Fermoyle.
At the basis of every community there has existed
first a spiritual structure of religious virtue which
has enabled community to come to life. Even when
men have been too primitive to identify those virtues,
and even when they have misidentified the spiritual
46 THE SCROLL
basis of community, it has been faith and hope and
love which have inspired them forward into the
complex task of building up our social institutions.
It has only been when men have had faith, and
hope, and love that they have entered into the co-
operation necessary to build up even the simplest of
social structures. We speak of faith, and hope and
love as the Christian virtues, and they are right-
fully so-called. But let us be clear about the nature
of the virtues. The virtues are not moral achieve-
ments. They are what make any moral achievement
possible. They are not the products of community.
Community is produced by virtue of them. The
virtues — as the Latin root from which they are
named indicates — are the bases of life, the sources
of it.
If a man have faith, hope and love, there is some
possibility that he may become righteous. But these
three are not moral powers within us which we can
self -generate. They are treasures, gifts, qualities of
life which come to us from beyond ourselves. They
are sacramental in their quality; to participate in
them is to participate in divine things. To be en-
dowed with them is to be blessed at the basis of
our existence. To know where to go for their re-
covery when they slip from us — this is the most
important secret of human living.
The terrible circumstance of our present day is
that men and women by the thousands are reaching
a spiritual exhaustion. The consequence of it is
that they have become incapable of sustaining the
community that we have already achieved — much
less of building into new greatness. The worst of
it is that they are not able to identify the nature
of their own exhaustions. Yet, it is in this area
that we are face to face with the central problem
THE SCROLL 47
of our human existence — the capacity of men and
women to enter into constructive relationships with
each other. Let us therefore examine for a few
minutes the nature of Christian virtue and the sins
that are most directly opposite to them. And per-
haps it is more important that we center our atten-
tion upon the sins — for therein are the great
enemies to community against which the church
is waging its relentless war.
If you were to ask the ordinary man on the street
to name the opposite of faith, he would probably
say "doubt." Yet you and I know that there have
been many men of faith who have had their doubts,
but in the midst of them have never wavered one
moment in their practical faithfulness to all their
obligations. In our day and age there has been
a tremendous upsurge of interest in the psychology
of the spiritual life, and if there is one firm finding
that has been made, it is that the opposite of faith
is not rightfully identified as doubt, but as despair.
Back in the Middle Ages, the theologians said that
the seven deadly sins were pride, covetousness, lust,
wrath, gluttony, envy, and sloth. But the great
Christian thinkers of more recent times insist that
this list left out a more deadly sin than many of
those mentioned, — namely, despair. Unfortunate-
ly, many of us have not even thought of despair
as sinful. We have even entertained feelings of
despair, and enjoyed feeling a little bit desperate
at times. But surely the recognition of despair as
sin wakens us to the true nature of faith as a virtue.
Despair is a domination of ourselves by the suppo-
sition that there is no help at hand. It is the con-
viction that there are no adequate resources for the
sustenance and advancement of human life, indi-
vidual and corporate. It is the attitude which in
48 THE SCROLL
blindness says that there is no God here in our
midst, no real possibility that you and I can lay
hold of the good — only the cruel fact of the tri-
timph of evil in personal and group life. It is there-
fore the denial of the Messianic principle, the denial
of the fact that God undergirds the world with aid
for mankind no matter what its circumstance, the
denial of the Christ himself. Yet despair is one
of the great facts of our age and time. Every single
one of us knows the subtle, insidious way that a
sense of despair is corroding the bases of commu-
nity life in ou rmidst. What we too often fail to
realize is that we here confront an enemy who can-
not be routed by argument, who cannot be budged
by attacking it as if the error which it contains
were its primary quality. It is an enemy that we
must confront not only as error may be confronted
— with the weapons of reason alone — but which
we must confront as sin must be challenged — with
the weapons of the spirit.
If we went to the man on the street and asked
him to name the opposite of hope, perhaps he would
rightfully say "The opposite of hope is anxiety."
Faith and despair are opposite attitudes with re-
spect to the resources at hand. Hope and anxiety
are opposite attitudes toward what the future may
hold. In a man of healthy spirit, the ingredient
of hope is obvious. It is the ingredient which leads
him to invest in the future. By virture of hope he
puts time and energy and resources into a day that
is yet to be. In an unhealthy spirit, the ingredient
of hope is missing, and is replaced by anxiety. Just
as healthy men invest their hopes, so those whose
spirits are sinful and evil invest their anxiety. Once
again, every minister in this audience knows too
many anxious souls who build slight handicaps and
THE SCROLL 49
blemishes up into mountains of hindrance for living
a hopeful life. They find some little thing that is
wrong, and by investing anxiety and attention in
it they make of it something that inhibits and frus-
trates their whole lives. Now we cannot deny that
this age in which we live is, as the poets have pro-
claimed it, the Age of Anxiety. There is a great
deal of anxiety abroad in the world today. It is
best symbolized perhaps in the atom bomb. We do
not live in the midst of atomic destruction — but
we do live in a world where the threat of it is
abroad. We push the threat back and back, and
do not countenance it very much — but it is there
all the time. And if we are not careful, that presence
dulls our vision — we are not able to see the future
as we should. We begin to die slowly. "Where there
is no vision the people perish." We are not dead
yet, but living with our anxieties we are only half
alive. At no time must the church safeguard for
men the possibility of dreaming and planning and
designing their common life, so much as when they
are in this mood of anxiety which is set over against
our hope. Anxiety was not, by the ancients, identi-
fied as a deadly sin — but the modern man would
place it toward the head of the list. Where the
spirits of men should burst forth in joy, anxiety
is like a great cap set over the springing flood of
hope.
And now a few words upon the topic of love. If
we were to ask the man on the street to identify the
opposite of love he would undoubtedly say "Hate."
Now the emotion of hate is a dangerous emotion —
there can be no doubt about that. But if we identify
the opposite of love as one of the emotions, it is
to imply that love is another of the emotions. That
of course, is the difficulty with the world today.
It treats love as if it were a sentiment instead of
50 THE SCROLL
being a whole way of life. It treats love as if it
were a feeling among other feelings, instead of
recognizing that love knows many kinds of feeling
within itself; it knows its own pain, it knows both
joy and sorrow; it is long-suffering and is kind.
Love is not a simple emotion to be set over against
other emotions. It is the set of a soul toward the
rest of mankind. Fully understood, love is defined
as that way of individual life which takes the lives
of others into consideration — and the true opposite
of love is that way of individual life which excludes
others from consideration: you may call it ego-
centricity, or selfishness, or pride. The ancients
called it pride, and this time, they did identify it
as a deadly sin. In fact they put it at the head of
the list. Nowadays there is a little dispute going on
among the theologians to determine whether de-
spair, or anxiety, or pride should be considered the
deadliest sin. Every one of them is a killer.
The gravest difficulty which we face with regard
to these sins is that we are not usually able to deal
with them ourselves. There is something that pre-
vents us from recognizing that they are deadly. We
are constantly lulled by the expectation that we will
be able to right ourselves. Instead we should recog-
nize that there is no righteousness nor health in us,
and that the faith, hope and love which would
banish despair, anxiety and pride cannot be self-
generated. What a strange figure we would have to
paint to symbolize pride — the case of a man with
his own hand in a strangle grip upon his own throat.
And what a treacherous and tricky task to bring
about the relaxation of that grip. Fortunately, in
this day and age, there is an increasing skill in our
pastors and counsellors as they come to minister
to our serious needs in these areas. The discussion
of their procedure is not in place in my sermon.
THE SCROLL 51
But this sermon is itself an effort to help us under-
stand the nature of the worst sins into which we
may fall, a word that has been spoken to help you
to some awareness of conditions of the soul which
are deadly. It is equally, an effort to waken you to
the virtues which make and sustain the vast net-
work of social existence within which we are all set
and upon which we are dependent. It is also to re-
mind you that it is within religion that the great
treasure of these Christian virtues is protected. I
cannot promise you that if you are religious
you will avoid all trying times, that you will never
know the moment when you have come close to
the end of your spiritual resources. What I am
saying is that it is the task of practical religion
to help you lay hold upon whatever faith and hope
and love will be necessary to sustain you in what-
ever condition your life may confront.
In a moving passage of literature I once read
of a man who was lost in the mountains when a snow
storm descended upon him. He knew that he was
too high to turn back down the mountain ; that his
only security lay in pushing forward in the trust
that he was moving into a pass that would carry
him quickly beyond the other side of the storm.
He struggled on up the mountain for hours sus-
tained in his effort by an intuitive faith that he
was in a pass and not in a cul-de-sac — and the only
objective evidence that he had to support that in-
tuition was a certain feel of the wind upon his face.
Frequently, in the storms of life religion will be no
more than a certain "feel of the wind" but it will
be life within you, it will be the source of a virtue
that will sustain your meager capacity for the
social existence that is required of all men and
women. It will prove the "saving grace."
52 THE SCROLL
People — Places — Events
F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana
For several years I have been the walking-dele-
gate of a "Preachers' Apple-Picking Union." Each
Fall a group of preachers journey from my city
some twenty-five miles to a large apple orchard
there to engage in the fine sport of picking apples.
Nothing is more fun than to have a half dozen
preachers picking apples from the same trees with
a car radio nearby giving a play-by-play descrip-
tion of the World Series. Denominational lines
quickly disappear and the fellow that tries to main-
tain his dignity may find apples "accidentally" fall-
ing on his head. Repartee becomes as tart as the
apples and old stories take on a new glow.
It is not concerning preachers but about apples
that I wish to write. The manager of this famous
orchard is a man who can preach a sermon any
hour of the day about trees, apples, parasites, sprays,
or God's great outdoors. Although he now teaches
a class in a Methodist Sunday School he was reared
in the "true faith" down in Johnson county, Indi-
ana. Virgil Clark is a brother of Prof. Elbert Clark
of Hiram College and the Lord endowed both these
men with keen minds and great hearts. During
a recent visit to these orchards George Dick, my
Baptist preacher friend, wore an old baseball sweat-
er with the words "First Baptist" printed on the
front. When Virgil Clark saw George with this
dirty shirt and a hat full of holes he said "If the first
Baptist looked like that I would like to see the
last Baptist."
The above paragraphs give me a chance to record
the parable of the apples. In my first resident pas-
torate at Spencer, Indiana one of the honored eld-
THE SCROLL 53
ers was Brother Harrison Hight, a retired minis-
ter. It was he that I think invented the modern
"Super-Markets" for he ran a small store and spent
most of his time sitting out in front reading his
books and smoking his pipe. Customers would go
in and get what they wanted and pay "Daddy"
Hight on the way out.
Brother Hight always spoke at midweek prayer
meeting much to the profit of all but usually at
some length. Soon after I took this church I held
a revival and added 75 new members to the church.
The first Wednesday night after the meeting a large
crowd turned out for the prayer service. Before
the meeting started I made the rule that no one
speak more than two minutes. Brother Hight said
not a word all evening. The next Wednesday night
the crowd was much smaller but the rule still held
and Brother Hight remained silent. The third week
when the attendance was down to usual I lifted
the ban. After silence reigned for sometime during
the closing part of this third meeting I finally said,
"Brother Hight, do you have a word for us?" Slow-
ly he arose and in his usual quiet manner said :
"I have often thought that if Jesus walked with
us in these days he would have undoubtedly giv-
en us the parable of the apples. There are several
kinds of apples. There is the harvest apple which
is very good but it lasts only a few days. Then
there is the Grimes Golden which is a very de-
lig{htful apple but it does not last long in the
winter. There is also the Ben Davis apple which
is not very popular but it does have lasting quali-
ties. In my boyhood days my mother used to dry
apples out in the sun. She would put these dried
apples in a bag and tie the bag to a rafter. Of
course, no one was interested in dried apples
54 THE SCROLL
as long as the others were around. When winter
was almost gone and food was quite scarce moth-
er would pull down the dried apples and they
tasted fairly good."
Without further comment Brother Hight took his
seat and the "red-faced" pastor said, "Let us stand
for the benediction."
H. L. Willett and the Bible
Robert L. Lemon, Havcma, III.
At the turn of the twentieth century, the treat-
ment which modern scholarship was giving to the
Bible was a source of confusion and concern to most
Disciples of Christ. Under the leadership of men
like McGarvey and Z. T. Sweeney they had forgot-
ten much that Alexander Campbell had said about
the principles of biblical interpretation, in order
to hold fast to the specific interpretations that car-
ried the approval of their own traditions. When
radically new methods were proposed, they were
questioned primarily on the grounds of motivation
and accomplishments. It was declared that the
motive of the new criticism was to destroy the Bible
and that the methods adopted would insure this ac-
complishment. Among Disciples of Christ, Dr. Her-
bert L. Willett became the foremost defendant of
the new methods of Biblical study, and the lead-
ing exponent among his people of the positive re-
sults that would flow from the new critical pro-
cedures.
Textual criticism, said Dr. Willett, is the attempt
to discover the most nearly perfect text of the
Bible. It is made necessary by the fact that there
are no original copies now in existence of any por-
tions of the biblical literature. Through centuries
THE SCROLL 55
of copying many errors and additions have crept
into the text as reflected by the wealth of variation
in the extant manuscripts. The textual critic ap-
plies a set of carefully developed principles in his
comparison and evaluation of all variant manu-
scripts in order to discover as nearly as possible the
words and meaning intended by the authors them-
selves. "Criticism means separation. It is the at-
tempt to discriminate between the genuine and the
spurious, the original and the superficial. All stu-
dents of the Bible recognize the invaluable nature
of the labors of textual critics."
In the realm of accomplishments, textual criti-
cism has discovered a number of small additions to
the Scriptures which are probably not authentic.
Among them are Mattheiv 17:21, Mark 16:9-20,
John 7:53-8:11, Acts 8:37, and John 5:7. In ad-
dition to these additions there are many revisions of
the text which have been discovered and are now
corrected in some of the newer versions of the Bible.
Literary or "higher" criticism was even more of
a problem to the Disciples. It challenged traditional
beliefs concerning the authorship, unity and dates
of the books of the Bible. In this connection, Wil-
lett points out that such traditions had been ac-
cepted not as a result of painstaking inquiry on the
pa,rt of either Jews or Christians but merely be-
cause no one had ever questioned them. Why should
such considerations "discredit a set of documents
which have proved their ethical and religious value?"
The question of the motivation of the higher
critics is answered in this way : "They did not come
to their task for the purpose of challenging and dis-
crediting the traditional views, nor on the other
hand with the motive of their defense. Rather they
came to seek the facts, knowing that whatever were
56 THE SCROLL
the results obtained by a process carried on in that
spirit, truth and religion would profit thereby."
With an obvious reference to men like McGarvey
on one side and Robert Ingersoll on the other, he
adds, "Already discredited in its very beginnings
is the labor of any man w^ho undertaken the v^^ork
of criticism merely for the purpose of establishing a
preconceived opinion, no matter whether it be con-
servative or radical. It is only in the atmosphere
of free and unbiased research, and with the conflict
of opinions which is sure to follow any new proposal
that the best values of Scripture and theology
emerge."
But Willett admitted that there was both a posi-
tive and negative aspect of this work. To those who
raised sincere doubts about its real worth, he offers
this classic statement:
"Thus criticism is both destructive and construc-
tive. It signifies the removal of those things which
can be shaken that the things which cannot be
shaken may remain. In all of its earlier stages
it is sure to be destructive and alarming. It ap-
pears to be an audacious digging around the roots
of the tree of life. In the Christian church it has
brought dismay to multitudes of souls firm in the
belief that their inherited and traditional views
of the Bible were identical with the very nature
of divine revelation, and that any modification
of such views was heretical and inexcusable. But
that sentiment passes away as the discovery is
made that the critical inquirers have no personal
ends to serve but are only searching for facts.
And in the end of the day it becomes clear that
as the result of the critical process the Bible has
gained immeasurably larger values, and is shown
to rest not on heaps of sand but on mountains of
THE SCROLL 57
rock." {The Bible Through the Centuries, p. 259)
Herbert Willett lists the accomplishments of lit-
erary and historical criticism of the Bible :
1) It has forever destroyed the fetish of a level
Bible.
2) It has destroyed the doctrine of verbal inspi-
ration.
3) It has set in proper light the partial and primi-
tive ethics of the Hebrews.
4) It has relieved the church of the responsibility
of defending ancient social abuses vi^hich find sanc-
tion in the Old Testament.
5) It has made faith easier and more confident.
6) It has helped us to turn from the imperfect
views of an adolescent stage of the race to the satis-
fying ideals of Jesus.
7) It has enabled us to understand the varying
testimonies to the life of Jesus and the divergent
tendencies of the apostolic age.
8) It has explained the seeming conflicts and con-
tradictions of biblical statement.
But the real tribute that he pays to the success
of this new biblical discipline is that it has taken
the Bible out of the inaccessible realm of the super-
natural'and brought it down to a level where it can
really be utilized instead of worshiped. As he ex-
presses it: "The work of criticism has made human
and convincing the story of the Old Testament.
The prophets and apostles no longer look at us
from the dim, unworldly heights of the Sistine
Chapel in Michael Angelo's portraits, but from the
nearer and more sympathetic levels of Sargent and
Tissot."
His Theory of Inspiration
Here too Herbert Willett rejected the traditional
concepts. He would not accept the theory of verbal
58 THE SCROLL
inspiration or any other mechanical or supernatural
concept that sought to guarantee the superhuman
accuracy and infallible authority of the Bible.
He was just as firm in his rejection of the view
of many radicals of his day which limited the con-
cept of inspiration in the Bible to the same sense
in which we claim it for the works of Shakespeare
and Milton. This, he says, is too pale a figure to
meet the need.
What then is inspiration? It is a divine inbreath-
ing into the holy literature that gives to it a unique
quality of excellence, urgency, and power. Or, ex-
pressing it another way, the Bible contains values
not found in a like degree in any other literature.
The quality of exhibiting them in such telling man-
ner is inspiration. These values include:
1) The Bible is a competent record of the greatest
religious movement known to history and presents
graphic portraits of some of the great men who con-
tributed to this movement.
2) The Bible, more than any other, contains the
profoundest truths of religion, such as the reality
and love of God, and the preciousness of communion
with Him.
3) The Bible presents a rich treasure of person-
alities most worthy of reverence.
4) The Bible leads us toward the personal and
social realization of God's kingdom.
Or in still another sense : "The most competent state-
ment that can be made is that the inspiration of the
Bible is the total spirit and power it reveals. In
the last issue one means -by its inspiration exactly
those marks of uniqueness and urgency which it ex-
hibits, and which make it incomparably greater
than any other book in the world."
THE SCROLL 59
I feel that the greatest contribution which Wil-
lett made in the field of the inspiration of the Bible
was in his understanding of the "locus of inspira-
tion," that is, the specific area in which God oper-
ated to inspire the Scriptures. Most contemporary-
concepts pictured God acting directly upon the minds
or pens of the biblical authors. Herbert Willett
saw God's primary action to be in the lives of the
people about whom the authors wrote. God inspired
lives and history, he says, and trusted men to record
it in their own ways. It is not so accurate to say
that the Bible is the inspired record of a history as
it is to say that the Bible is the record of an in-
spired history. The surprising thing, he concludes,
is that so much of God's spirit shines through the
human workmanship of the Bible.
We can see from the material already presented
that Willett was not dependent upon the biblical
miracles to prove the inspiration of the Bible as
was Alexander Campbell. In fact he openly de-
clared that miracles were not performed for such
purposes and do not add anything to the value of
the Bible. In his correspondence with Z. T. Sween-
ey, Willett asserts that Jesus wrought no miracles
for the purpose of convincing men of His Messiah-
ship. These acts were performed only to help the
men affected by them and to demonstrate to all
the divine love and compassion within Him. In his
book on the Bible he maintains that, ". . . every
miracle and every prophecy could be eliminated from
the Scripture, and its supreme values would not be
disturbed."
Herbert Willett was far more conscious than was
McGarvey of the increasing difficulty of believing
in miracles among many people of that day. Since
he was not bound to accept the biblical miracles
either as a proof of inspiration or to support a theory
60 THE SCROLL
of the complete inerrancy of the Bible, it is con-
ceivable that he might have rejected the idea of
miracle altogether. This he did not choose to do.
Instead he met the problem with a reinterpretation
of the concept of miracle.
It was the supernatural in the idea of miracle,
he felt, that was so objectionable to so many in
the modern world. With reference to the concept
of a supernatural power impinging upon the world
of nature, Willett concludes : "This theory encoun-
ters no difficulty in the minds of one who accepts
the earlier view of the world, but it is in direct
conflict with all modern conceptions and is either
giving away to more satisfactory explanations of
the facts or to the total rejection of the miraculous."
The "more satisfactory explanation" which Wil-
lett had to offer was a naturalistic interpretation
of miracles. Miracle, he says, is not a violation of
the laws of nature by one possessed of supernatu-
ral power; rather is it the manifestion of power
at a higher level by a being in whom dwelt a fuller
life. Although men may witness phenomena which
they cannot explain in terms of known natural law,
it does not follow that there is no natural law
which could explain it. It is easier to conceive of an
unknown law of nature than to posit the existence
of the whole realm of the supernatural. On this
basis, Herbert Willett accepted the miraculous works
of Jesus. It seems doubtful that he accepted any
of the other miracles of the Bible.
What then is the proof of the inspiration of the
Bible? For Campbell it was the miracles. For Mc-
Garvey it was the reliable testimony within the
Bible. For Herbert Willett it could be proved in
two ways. The historical proof is the power to lift
whole nations of people to higher levels of living.
THE SCROLL 61
This the Bible has accomplished to a greater de-
gree than any other book, secular or sacred. The
contemporary proof is its effect upon each indi-
vidual. "The proof that the book is inspired is its
power to inspire."
The Nature of Biblical Authority
Herbert Willett reacted strongly against the the-
ories of biblical authority which insisted upon in-
fallibility or regarded the Bible as a rule book for
salvation. The Bible, he asserts, does not claim to
be infallible or inerrant. Those who claim this for
it impose upon themselves the necessity of defend-
ing something which is indefensible. Robert Inger-
soll's attacks upon the Bible achieved the success
that they did because so many of his listeners be-
lieved that the Bible claimed an infallible relia-
bility on all matters which it discusses, and were
disillusioned when he pointed out its errors.
Neither is the Bible a rule book for salvation, be-
cause salvation is not possible by law:
"It is conceivable that we could have had a book
of rules, which would have been a final and in-
fallible guide to conduct. But the Bible is not
that, though some men have so claimed; and
others have sought to compile from its contents
such an anthology of thinking and behavior. But
this is futile. The first essential of the holy life
is the responsibility of a discriminating choice
among the options offered by life. If someone
could draw up for us such a schedule and guaran-
tee us salvation on terms of compliance with it,
there would be strong temptation to close with
the proposal. So strong, indeed, that some who
claim the right have offered just such a bargain
in the name of the church. But salvation cannot
be purchased upon any such cheap and easy
62 THE SCROLL
terms. Salvation is character. Character can be
gained only by the agony of deliberate and con-
vinced choice, and the struggle to make that choice
controlling in life." (Our Bible, p. 185)
Neither is the Bible a constitutipn for the church.
Those who profess this belief look to Acts for a
complete picture of the New Testament church in
order to duplicate this institution in the twentieth
century. This is not only a false view of biblical
authority but it is a false conception of the book
of Acts, ". . . which does not profess to be a history
of the early church, but a record of a few events
in the ministry of two of the apostles, especially
Paul."
The Bible is not an ultimate authority. Neither
is the church. The ultimate authority lies in the en-
lightened concience of the individual. But that
conscience must be educated in religion and morals.
This creation of a standard of right within human
souls has been going on for centuries through the
leadership of those sensitive to the guidance of the
Spirit of God. This process culminated in the life
of Jesus. It is recorded in the Bible. Because it
carries this record, the Bible leads in the enlighten-
ment of the consciences of today's generation. Thus
the Bible is not so much an authority as it is the
creator of an authority as it raises the moral values
of each individual. But in another sense, it has a
claim to authority in its own right in its ability
to speak with compelling power to the sense of
rightness it has helped to enshrine within the human
soul. "Its authority is not formal and arbitrary.
It consists rather in the outreaching of the Spirit
of God in the men who wrote its various parts to
the souls of those who study it."
THE SCROLL 63
The Continuing Revelation
Among- men who were still asserting the finality
of the Bible as God's revelation to mankind, Her-
bert Willett arose to voice his faith in God's word
as a living reality. To be sure, the Word of God is
found in the Bible, but it is not sealed up within
the pages of any book. Through centuries of time,
God's voice has been heard in all the varying forms
of human experience. It lives within the church not
as a miraculously infallible institution but in the
power of its fellowship. It lives in the individual.
John wrote of Jesus, "The word was made flesh
and dwelt among us." The word must always be-
come flesh to be understood. It does become flesh
in the life of everyone who counts himself a son
of God. The Scriptures say, " 'God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten Son.' Yet
as truly might it be written, 'God so loves the world
that He is giving His every begotten son,' and that
eternal self-bestowal is the secret of the world's re-
demption, and the hope of the ages." The Bible is
the most tangible manifestation we have but is
only one part of God's continuing revelation of
Himself to His people.
Thus it was that in these fields of biblical thought,
Herbert Lockwood Willett thrust aside the tra-
ditions of his people and stepped forth boldly into
a new world. Was he a misled dreamer, a traitor
to his heritage, or was he the herald of a new age?
Literary Notes
In connection with its 100th anniversary the New
York Times published a special Book Section con-
sisting of its own original reviewers of more than
100 famous books published between 1851 and 1951.
64 THE SCROLL
The "Century of Books" sells for twenty-five cents.
It is an intellectual and spiritual feast of the highest
order. It provides ont only a recollection of the
literary values of the past century, it is also a
cultural history, and no one can read it without a
renewed sense of the dominant ideas and tendencies
of our century. It is like living most of one's cultural
life over again to review the major literary produc-
tion of our times as it was estimated on its appear-
ance by the New York Times. The selection of re-
printed reviews is arbitrary but it covers every
field of human interest — letters, sciences, society,
man and religion. It is refreshing to remember that
Thackeray and Dickens were subject to critical re-
view in their day, heartening to recognize the fair
but trenchant treatment that were accorded Darwin
and Huxley. There is delightful humor in reading
the review of Totyi Sawyer which informs Mark
Twain in what ways it could have been a better book.
Perhaps the greatest value of the publication is
that it covers the last half of the 19th century and
the first half of the twentieth. The two periods stand
in very great contrast. It is fascinating to be able
to date as precisely as this document enables one to
do, the swift collapse of the "genteel tradition," and
the sudden emergence about 1895 of the new and
iconoclastic vitality that has characterized our day.
Despite that radical shift, one thing remains con-
stant— the mark of the New York Times on its own
reviewers. It is as if all the reviews were written by
one hand and that the Times standing above the flow
of this century was able to employ the same criteria
of judgment in 1951 that it used in 1851. The real
genius of the piece does prove to be that greatest of
America's journals.
THE SCROLL
Vol. XLIV NOVEMBER, 1951 No. 3
Editorial Notes
The fourth series of the Hoover Lectures on Chris-
tian Unity was delivered October 29-31 by Dr.
Charles C. Morrison in Mandel Hall at the Universi-
ty of Chicago. Dr. Morrison lectured to the great-
est audiences that have yet heard the Hoover Lec-
tures, his listeners coming from as far v^est as
Oklahoma and as far east as New York. The cen-
tral thesis of Dr. Morrison's lectures is that the ecu-
menical movement of the 20th century constitutes
a resurgence of the central work of the Refor-
mation. That work in the 16th century was to bring
to view the true church that had become hidden
behind the facade of the Roman hierarchy. The re-
surgence of the Reformation in this century is the
attempt to bring to view the true church which
has become hidden behind the facade of denomi-
nationalism system. Within the year Dr. Morri-
son's lectures will be published in book form that
will be more than twice the length of the lectures
as delivered.
In conjunction with the Hoover Lectures the As-
sociation for the Promotion of Christian Unity
held public meetings on Tuesday, October 30 in
the Common Room of the Disciples House. Papers
were presented by Dr. I. E. Lunger of Chicago,
Mr. Doyle Mullen of West Lafayette, Indiana, Dr.
Amos N. Wilder and Dr. S. C. Kincheloe, both of
the Federated Theological Faculty of the Uni-
versity of Chicago. Dr. Lunger's paper entitled
"Has Our Motivation to Christian Unity Become
Only Historic" appears in this issue of the SCROLL
Mr. Mullen's paper on "Why Don't Christians
66 THE SCROLL
Unite" appeared in The Shane Quarterly, dated
July, 1951. F. E. Davison, South Bend, Indiana,
presided at these meetings at which a number of
the commissioners of the Association as well as
Disciples from Chicago. and elsewhere were pres-
ent. During the three days of the lectures the
Church Federation of Greater Chicago sponsored
two group inquiries into the meaning of the ecu-
menical movement for the local church and com-
munity. These inquiries were attended by nearly
200 people and a report will be returned to the
Church Federation. The interest shown in the in-
quiries and in the discussions which occurred vali-
date the impression that in such a local center as
Metropolitan Chicago there is a readiness for ecu-
menical discussion on problems of doctrine and
worship. The indications are that in a major
American community there is a desire among the
ministers to push on beyond the cooperative efforts
for social welfare to a consideration of more funda-
mental issues in Christian Unity.
Among the attendants at the inquiries was C. P.
Shepard of Keota, Iowa. During a final medita-
tion period Mr. Shepard penned the following lines :
We are aware that One is near
In sunlight and in shade
As we advance we shall not fear
For we are not afraid.
We are aware, when darkness hides
And danger lurks about
Of One whose tender spirit guides
Our faltering foot-steps out.
We are aware of One whose face
Or form we cannot guess
But we can feel His strength and Grace
Become a part of us.
THE SCROLL 67
We are aware. Our spirit leans
Upon the arm of Him
Whose Hving, loving spirit means
United Life for us.
Last month, on the Treasurer's page, there ap-
peared an epigram by Francis Bacon. The epi-
gram was slightly altered. In the original it runs,
"Reading maketh a full man; conference maketh a
ready man ; writing maketh an exact man." The
alteration read, "speaking maketh a ready man."
That is only partly true; not all kinds of public
speech makes for readiness. Readiness or aptness
comes much more from the give-and-take of con-
ferring together, and somewhat from demands for
impromptu speaking. The situation with Disciple
ministers is probably that they do adequate reading
and a good deal of sermonizing. When it comes to
significant conference and especially to writing,
Disciples still have achievements to win. One of the
aims and purposes of the Campbell Institute and
the Scroll is to lead us into those more significant
levels of discussion and writing which result in
readiness and exactitude of thought. One of the
tragedies of our brotherhood is that a man may
be a minister within it all his life without having
to face the question of the exactness of his thinking.
He can, if he wants to, get by. The only demand
for exact thought has to be an inner demand. But
when this inner demand does not operate, our
"Disciple thought" becomes diffuse. It is not that
we lack a religious faith that deserves expression ;
our habits just do not result in firmness of intellect.
Through the years, the Institute and the SCROLL
have provided opportunities for conference and writ-
ing. But at the Annual Meetings and Midnight Ses-
68 THE SCROLL
sions, too few "get into the discussion." They pre-
fer to be spectators and listen to the scintillating
speeches that a few "star performers" make. They
never have anything to say because they have never
tried to say anything. Granted that there is al-
ways the bore who gets up to make a comment and
makes a speech, there is also the thrill that comes
to a sincere man who hesitantly gets up to make
a comment and discovers that he has made a speech
— and a good one at that. There are too many who
enjoy reading the Scroll but have no conscience
about writing for it. Yet the greatest literary
productions in the world have usually begun as
an idea that first was set down in a few sentences.
Books, and the new knowledge they contain begin
as humble efforts. They come about as the expan-
sion of germinal ideas. But those ideas are not cap-
tured originally unless they are set down as they
occur. A Princeton graduate student once wrote a
short address on the conflict between science and
religion. Before he was ultimately finished with
the topic he had produced two enormous volumes
which became a classic in the field.
The Campbells and I
W. p. Harman, Bethany, W. Va.
The program to restore and to preserve the old
home of Alexander Campbell at Bethany, W. Vir-
ginia, which has been owned by our brotherhood
since 1920, is more than the raising of funds for
that purpose. It calls for the restoration of the
home as it was in Campbell's day and for the find-
ing of articles once belonging to the Campbells
and securing them for the home.
Finding the money has not been easy. To date,
we have raised a little over $40,000 in cash and
THE SCROLL 69
pledges. Finding the furnishings has been a more
difficult task, but as of now, 190 articles, once owned
by the Campbells, have been returned to the home.
No one has ever asked me how or where I find
the money. But many have asked me, "How in the
world do you find those things which belonged to
the Campbells?"
The answer is a long story, which I will shorten
to a brief article. It is a combination of scientific
investigation, a love of antiquing, a little luck, a
lot of hard work, and an unwillingness to give up
the search. The following illustration is a good
example of what I mean.
After taking over the direction of the Campaign
last February, I began reading everything I could
find on the Campbells and the Campbell Home. I
soon discovered an old photograph of the interior
of one of the rooms in the home. There on a marble-
top table was a large, family Bible. It was not in
the home. No one around Bethany could tell me
where it was. I decided that the home needed the
Bible for it would put the heart back into it.
For three months, I searched and wrote letters
to the five living grandchildren of Alexander Camp-
bell. None of them had it or knew where it was.
Finally, I found one of the great-granddaughters
who remembered vaguely that her father and moth-
er might have had it and given it along with some
other books, to the preacher who conducted her
brother's funeral. She did not know the preacher's
name or what church he served. All she knew about
it was that her brother died in Spokane, Washing-
ton in 1933.
A search through the Year Book of that date
revealed the names of six preachers in six churches
there at that time. Which one could it be? In the
current Year Book, three were listed as pastors of
70 THE SCROLL
churches elsewhere, one was an evangelist, and
two had died. Since all four of those living resided
in the western section of the country, I decided
to visit each one until I found the Bible. The near-
est on my list -was Glen W. Mell of Great Falls,
Montana. Since I was going to Conrad for the
Montana State Convention, I tackled him first.
It did not take me long to find out that he had the
Bible and also a set of Millennial Harbingers. They
were given to him by Mr. A. C. Barclay, a great
grandson of A. C. The old Bible, used for family
devotions in the Campbell Home, has the record
of the births of all his 14 children, written in Camp-
bell's own handwriting. Mr. Mell stated emphati-
cally that he would not part with the Bible. He
had just told his daughter, Betty, that this treasured
possession was to be hers. All the arguments were
met Mdth a firm negative answer.
After three days of trying, I was about to give
up in despair and mark Mr. Mell as the most obsti-
nate man I had ever met. Finally, in desperation,
I said, "Glen, that Bible doesn't belong to you. It
belongs to the brotherhood you serve and love.
You ought to share it with the brotherhood."
Mr. Mell turned away without answering my
statement. I knew now that I would never get it.
On the last day of the convention, however, he came
to me and said, "Harman, you win! That Bible
does belong to the brotherhood. I have talked it
over with my wife and daughter and we want to
present it to you tonight in the Convention as
a gift to the brotherhood."
Since that time, thousands of people have seen
the Bible on exhibit in various State Conventions.
It now rests in a glass case at the Campbell Home,
a silent symbol of the spiritual power of the Camp-
bells, and a perpetual monument to the unselfish
THE SCROLL 71
love of Rev. and Mrs. Glen Mell and their daugh-
ter, Betty.
Such is the story back of this particular item
put back into the Campbell Home. Other articles
required equally as much time and effort to secure.
The two prayer benches on which Alexander and
Margaret knelt in 1811 to take their wedding vows,
were found in the possession of a great granddaugh-
ter. She willingly gave them along with pieces of
china, silverware, pictures, and other things to be
returned to the home.
In many different parts of the country we have
found this material in attics, basements, garages,
parlors, libraries, antique shops, and even in second-
hand book stores. A beautiful antique walnut bed
was found in an old barn. A china water set was
removed from the dust and grime of an attic where
it had rested more than 30 years. The old extension
dining room table was found in storage in Australia.
The Brussels carpet, out of one room, was found
nailed underneath the siding of an old shed near
the village of Bethany.
Every reported Campbell item is thoroughly in-
vestigated. Sometimes it turns out to be something
else. A woman wrote that she had an original oil
portrait of A. C. It turned out to be a small photo
of Mr. C. in his late years. Another woman was
supposed to have an old coffee cup and saucer
said to have been carried by him on his numerous
journeys. It turned out to be a modern cup of
well known design. Such experiences are disap-
pointing and makes me feel like the sentiment ex-
pressed in these lines :
Antiquer Hubbard took home an old cupboard
And started to scrape away paint.
"It's an old one !" he claimed as he sanded and planed
"It's an old one, . . . No, darn it, it ain't."
72 THE SCROLL
The search for Campbell materials has revealed
a few family skeletons in the closets with old faded
and dusty letters. Retrieving the letters for histori-
cal purposes, I have gently closed these closet doors
and let the skeletons rest in peace.
Quite often I am asked, because of my intimate
acquaintance with the Campbells and their descend-
ants, "Are you, a relative of the Campbells?" Of
course, the answer is, "NO," but I am proud to
claim a spiritual kinship by being among those
who now enjoy the religious heritage left to the
world by the Campbells and their associates.
Throughout our brotherhood, there is a growing
appreciation of the contributions the Campbells
made to the Protestant world. I find an increasing
interest on the part of our members to know more
about the history of our beginnings, the things our
fathers in the faith believed and taught, and the
story of the development of our movement.
How Gay Ss Vienna Today ?
C. T. Garriott, Homewood, Illinois
On an Austrian plain surrounded by the Car-
pathian foothills and intersected by the blue Dan-
ube is the city of Vienna. Once known as the gayest
city of Europe it is today shrouded by the artificial
sectors of four occupying powers. Along the famed
Ringstrasse it is not uncommon to see a jeep oc-
cupied by armed soldiers of the four nations that
today patrol Vienna.
I asked a hotel clerk if it was still "gay" Vienna.
"Gay," he questioned as though he was not sure
of my meaning. "Yes, are you a happy people?" I
asked. "Today," he sadly responded, "we call our
dogs happy."
THE SCROLL 73
Walking along the old city streets one can imagine
the days when Vienna was gay. The baroque archi-
tecture of its buildings, the coffee-houses, the thea-
tres, and even the bombed opera building remind
one of the great personalities that lived, loved, and
sang in old Vienna. The Schonbrunn, the Belve-
dere, and the Winter Palace testify to the strong
personality of Maria Theresa and her encourage-
ment of artists and composers. Haydn, Mozart,
Beethoven, and Schubert composed their works in
the cultured atmosphere of Vienna, and the gay
waltzes of Johann and Richard Strauss are native
to the city.
Like Berlin, Vienna today is a city paralyzed by
the four sectors that divide her. However, unlike
Berlin, there is outward cooperation between Russia,
France, England, and America in their adminis-
tration of the sectored city. Nevertheless, the visitor
in Vienna feels more tension, senses more political
intrigue, and hears more fears expressed by the
populace living in the western sectors of Vienna
than he experiences in the west sectors of Berlin.
Russia has the factories, the utilities, the rail-
ways, and the airport. The Russian army arrived
in Vienna several months ahead of the Allies and
carried out a policy of revenge and retaliation be-
fore order could be restored in the city. The Red
Army looted shops, raped women, abused the citi-
zens, and under Allied agreements stripped the
factories of machinery and shipped it back to Russia.
All mail is censored in Vienna by the four powers
and the Russians keep alert eyes open for any
trespassers in their sector. They managed by their
early arrival in Vienna to take the beauty spots of
the city, and as is true in Berlin built monuments
and established offices in territory that later became
a part of the western sectors. The great amusement
74 THE SCROLL
park, where the largest ferris-wheel in the world
is located, is in their sector as are many other parks
and beautiful monuments that once were shared
by all the people of Vienna.
Inflation is a basic problem in the economy of
the western sectors. While employment is relative-
ly high in the city, so are prices. In 1937 it took
sixty-eight hours of work to purchase a suit of
clothes, but today a man must spend 234 hours of
work for the same suit. Food, shoes, and other es-
sentials are tremendously high in comparison to
the Austrian wage scale. Russia has the bread-
baskets of both Germany and Austria and her prices
are controlled. Therefore it is not too uncommon
for the people of the western sectors to sneak across
the lines and do some purchasing in the eastern
sector. Perhaps inflation is more of a problem in
our world relationships than most American poli-
ticians have realized.
The majority of the factory workers and sem.i-
skilled artisans live and work in the Russian sector,
while there is a predominance of clerks, shop-keep-
ers, and white-collared workers in the western
sectors. Such a class division tends to increase the
tensions between east and west in Vienna. The
Viennese are a highly educated and cultured people
and they would like to see their city whole again.
One of them, however, said, "Please all of you oc-
cupying forces get out and let us alone, but for
God's sake don't you get until the Russians have
gone."
A street band of roving musicians plays the music
that once stimulated gayety in Vienna, and a vio-
linist moves among the tables of a fashionable res-
taurant playing the tunes that herald a gay, care-
free Vienna. In the famed "Alten Hofkeller" the
cafe where part of the movie "The Third Man"
THE SCROLL 75
was filmed, the young zither player strums melo-
dies on the taut strings of his instrument. But all
of their harmonies cannot dispel the discords of
gloom and fear that hang heavily over the sectored
city of Vienna.
Has Our Motivation to Unity
Become Only Historic ?
IRVIN E. Lunger, Chicago, Illinois
This question cannot be answered with a re-
sounding No or Yes!
OUR HISTORIC MOTIVATION TO UNITY
IS A FACT.
The two most classic documents in the history
of the Disciples of Christ, dating from before their
emergence as a separate body, are the Last Will and
Testament of the Springfield Presbytery (1804)
and the Declaration and Address (1809). In the
first of these. Barton W. Stone and his colleagues
"willed" that their independent presbytery "die,
be dissolved, and sink into union with the Body of
Christ at large, for there is one Body and one
Spirit." In the second, Thomas Campbell wrote:
"The Church of Christ upon earth is essentially,
intentially, and constitutionally one. Division among
Christians is a horrid evil fraught with many evils."
("A Response to Amsterdam" drafted by W. E.
Garrison.)
The urgent importance of unity among Chris-
tians, and not merely a friendly cooperation but a
visibly and effectively united Church, thus asserted
itself at the very beginning. It was not the only
emphasis of the Disciples of Christ but it was a
central concern. It was not simply a desire. It
76 THE SCROLL
was an intention.
This is documented by the readiness of the fol-
lowers of Alexander Campbell to join with the Bap-
tists in 1813 and continue in fellowship with them
until, due to growing differences, the union was
ended in 1830.
It is further demonstrated by the manner in which
the Disciples, under Alexander Campbell, and the
Christians, under Barton W. Stone, grew together
and in 1832 joined forces. There were differences
in these two groups — the latter, for instance, did
not make immersion a condition of membership but
considered it as lying in the area of opinion, in
which there should be liberty. However, both groups
consciously and explicitly aimed to promote the
union of Christians.
Further documentation of the fact that our mo-
tivation to unity was genuine and positive in the
early decades of our movement seems unnecessary. _
This motivation to unity weakened, however,
with what Dr. W. E. Garrison, in his volume: An
American Religious Movement, has termed the years
of organization and tensions (1849-1874).
In this period the Disciples had other things than
the unity of Christendom on their mind. Tension
grew within the fellowship and division threatened.
The slavery question threw a long shadow over the
churches but that distinction between faith and
opinion, so cherished by the Disciples, saved them
from division over slavery. Political and social
issues, it was agreed, were matters of opinion on
which Christians might differ but not divide.
"We can never divide," rejoiced Moses E. Lard
in his quarterly. If war could not divide the Dis-
ciples, he contended, nothing ever could. "Some-
thing could," Dr. Garrison has observed in this con-
THE SCROLL 77
nection, "and did." Disciples cannot divide through
the exclusion of one element by another for there is
no machinery for such exclusion. It is possible, how-
ever, to divide by voluntary v^^ithdraw^al. If there is
no power to put any church out, there is none to
keep it in if it wants out.
The period of 1866 to 1875 witnessed this di-
vision by withdrawal. Open or close communion, the
title 'Reverend,' the alleged introduction of creeds,
the use of the organ, and the missionary societies
were issues which led to division by withdrawal.
They illustrated the growing split between the strict
constructionists and those who favored what they
considered reasonable expedients to meet changing
conditions.
Thus, the Disciples' concern with issues within
their own fellowship caused them to turn their eyes
from the cause of Christian unity beyond. Unity
within was their pressing problem.
Did the Disciples ever recover their historic mo-
tivation to unity? This question can be answered in
the affirmative. In the period which Dr. Garrison
has called the 'Renaissance' (1874-1909) the eyes
of the Disciples were once again lifted to the larger
goal : the unity of all Christians.
Tensions were not left behind, however. Sharp
debate continued over such things as missionary
societies and cooperation. Higher criticism stirred
the Disciples deeply. Editorial comment in the
various journals of the Disciples kept divisions well
defined. Yet the growing interest in world evangel-
ism and the deepening awareness of the importance
of Christian education worked to draw the Disciples
together.
There began to emerge, at the dawn of the 20th
century, a movement toward federation among
78 THE SCROLL
Pro^testant communions. This seemed to rekindle
the spark within the Disciples' breast. The impulse
to federation came, it is well to note, from the new
sense of social responsibility of the churches which
had become acute at the close of the 19th century.
In 1901 the Federation of Churches and Christian
Workers was formed as a national organization.
In 1902 this body proposed a conference of official
representatives of denominations to consider the
feasibility of a federation of the denominations as
such. This proposal was brought to the Disciples'
Omaha convention that very year and was adopted
with only a small opposing vote. However, this
action set off a bitter controversy which lasted for
more than a half-decade over the question of fed-
eration.
The Disciples were represented at the Inter-
church Conference on Federation in New York
City in 1905. A mass meeting, called during the
1907 Disciples convention in Norfolk, approved
the constitution drafted by the Interchurch Confer-
ence and elected, with only one dissenting voice,
representatives to the Federal Council of Churches
of Christ in America, which held its first meeting
in 1908.
Thus, the Disciples were in the Federal Council
from the beginning. They also cooperated from the
start with the Foreign Missions Conference of North
America (1907) and the Home Missions Council
(1908). Union as an objective had not been forgot-
ten; but, while there were barriers to immediate
union, cooperation with other Christians in the pro-
motion of practical Christian ends had come to
seem, to the great body of Disciples, both safe and
wise.
The Centennial Convention, at Pittsburg in 1909,
was a Disciple gathering of unprecedented size. It
THE SCROLL 79
quickened the interest of the Disciples in their own
history and heritage. It directed their minds not
only to their numerical and institutional successes
but to the path of common service and the hope of
unity that lay ahead. Thus, the historic motivation
to Christian unity was recovered as the Disciples be-
gan their second century,
WHAT OF OUR HSSTORIC INTENTION TODAY?
As we approach the mid-point of this second
century, the question may properly be asked : What
of this historic intention to Christian unity?
We could answer this question : Our historic mo-
tivation is obviously present and clearly effective.
In support of this answer, we could list the names
of Disciples who have played major creative roles
in the great world ecumenical conferences. We could
list the names of Disciples who figured prominently
in the formation of the World Council of Churches
and in the recent organization of the National Coun-
cil of Churches. We could list the names of Dis-
ciples who are furnishing dynamic and courageous
leadership in state and city councils and federations
of churches. We could list the names of Disciples
who have contributed mightily to Christian journal-
ism and to Christian education. These would make
a most impressive list — a list in which every Dis-
ciple could take great pride. Is this not ample evi-
dence that our historic interest in Christian unity
is strong and healthy?
Furthermore, we could enumerate the instances
of merger involving local congregations of the Dis-
ciples of Christ with congregations of other com-
munions — forming union and federated churches.
We could name ministers who are serving union
churches and working positively for the elimination
of unwarranted churches in heavily churched areas.
Is this not clear evidence that our motivation to
80 THE SCROLL
unity' is not simply historic?
And this is not all. We can point to the patient
and honest efforts of our leaders to find a basis of
unity with the Baptists — taking note of the plans
for the simultaneous conventions of the Baptists and
Disciples in Chicago in 1952. We can point, too, to
discussions going forward with other great com-
munions, looking immediately to closer cooperation
and deepening understanding and ultimately to or-
ganic union. Is this not unmistakable evidence of the
genuineness of our desire for unity?
We report with pride the contribution which is
being made through such lectureships as the William
Henry Hoover Lectureship on Christian Unity. This
outstanding lectureship was made possible by a Dis-
ciple. We can enumerate great books, written by
Disciples, in the scholarly exploration of ways to
Christian unity. Are these not conclusive proof of
the effective concern of the Disciples for unity?
So we answer, Yes. This is certainly convincing
evidence. Obviously the Disciples of Christ today
have the old desire for Christian unity pulsing in
their hearts.
Even as we answer, Yes, disturbing questions
plague us. Is the desire for Christian unity the de-
sire of our leaders and our people, or is it simply
the desire of our leaders? How earnestly are our
rank and file members working for Christian unity?
Are our leaders leading us in the ways of Christian
unity because they recognize this as imperative — in
view of world conditions and the genius of Chris-
tianity — or because the people are pressing them
to do so?
Is the desire for Christian unity a more consum-
ing passion among our people than the desire to
convince other Disciples of the error of their ways,
than the desire to glorify the local church at the
THE SCROLL 81^
corner of Main Street and First Avenue? Our folk
love to talk of our historic devotion to Christian
unity. Do they love to do more than talk about it?
Are they doing more than talking and enjoying the
satisfaction of hearing their own words?
OUR MOTIVATION
THREE METHODS OF RENEWING
The historic motivation is not lacking so far as
our leaders are concerned. I fear it is lacking so far
as the multitude of our Disciple laymen are con-
cerned. The majority of them lack any significant
or creative interest in Christian unity.
If this be true, as I believe it is, is there any way
in which this historic motivation may be recaptured
by the laymen of the Disciples of Christ? There is!
And the responsibility rests with the leaders of our
Brotherhood life — those responsible for the insti-
tutional emphases of the Disciples of Christ and
those responsible, at the local level, as ministers,
teachers and church officers.
Although we make much of the fact that the
minister is just 'one of the members' — the member
chosen to lead and shepherd the congregation, it is
apparent that where a minister is deeply concerned
with the practical and effective achievement of
Christian unity, the ciongregation is deeply con-
cerned. A great congregation is usually evidence
of a great minister — great in spirit and great in
the breadth of his concerns.
Through such agencies as the Association for the
Promotion of Christian Unity, we Disciples must
rekindle the fire of unity in the minds and hearts of
our ministers. Through conferences and conven-
tions, through personal conversations and encourage-
ment, this must be done. Through the preparation of
informative and inspirational materials, through the
recommendati'on of provocative and instructive
82 THE SCROLL
books, this must be done.
The minister, quickened by the historic concern
of the Disciples for Christian unity, conscious of
the promise of cooperation at the local community
level, aware of what is going on in the councils of
churches, aroused by the world need for a unified
Christian witness, will challenge his leaders and
teachers to grasp the same challenge. We have the
faith — all of us — that once the significance lof
Christian unity is understood and the power and
genius of a united church sensed, the rank and file
members of our churches will press upon their lead-
ers a mandate to action.
The minister is in the best position lof all to re-
verse the denominational trend. He is the one who
must be encouraged to strengthen his local church
and his larger communion for the ventures of unity.
If the laymen are to urge their leaders to press on
toward unity, they must understand the necessity
and the fruitfulness of achieving a united church.
A second thing that can and must be done is
related, as well, to the minister. This is a deepen-
ing of the spiritual life. It is a reestablishment of
basic Christian convictions and the redefinition of
the fundamental loyalties of Christianity. Our folks
can take Christian unity or leave it alone only where
they are suffering from spiritual malnutrition.
Thomas Masaryk once asked Joseph Fort New-
ton, "Is the desire for Christian unity a result 'of
the deepening or the shallowing of the religious
life?" In other words, is Christian unity growing
in popularity because of the weakening of convic-
tions with respect to what is really important —
"Our differences really are unimportant. They don't
matter. So why not get together?" — or is it the
fruit of a stronger conviction — "The things we hold
in common are so important, we must get together."
THE SCROLL 83
We may drift into Christian unity — and it will
mean little. We may advance into Christian unity
— through the deepening of the religious life — and
it will mean much. The choice is largely up to the
minister and his leaders.
A third thing that can be done to revitalize our
historic desire for Christian unity is that of leading
our laymen into experiences of Christian unity.
Instead of keeping Christians apart, in order to
hold the local church together, we would do well to
let our people actually experience cooperation and
unity in community endeavors. The discovery of
other Christians is a thrill many Disciples have
never known. The thrill of working unitedly with
Christians of other denominations knows no rival.
Christian unity is more than words. It is action.
It is Christian experience. The best way of releas-
ing the historic motivation to Christian unity is by
helping /Our people discover the WHY of unity — in
their own richer experience, in the recognition of
the power of cooperating and uniting Christians, in
the excitement of being part of a united witness for
Christ in their community and in the world.
We come back now to our initial query : Has our
motivation to unity become only historic? Looking
at our leaders, the answer is No. Looking at our
people — members of our local churches, we are
not sure. We fear the answer is Yes.
It seems that a fair conclusion would be that
until our people begin pressing their leaders for
greater efforts in the cause of Christian unity, our
motivation to unity is m'ore historic than vital.
Personally, I am more optimistic than pessimistic
about the chances of recovering this historic moti-
vation. I am confident that we are 'on the way to
new and greater unity in the church of Christ. I
84 THE SCROLL
believe our ministers are accepting a new measure
of responsibility for leading the Christian commu-
nity toward a new day of fellowship and unity.
The Burning Fire
Sermon Preached at the Ordination of Robt. E.
Lea at First Chti^stian Church, South Bend, In-
diana, by the Pastor, Frank E. Davison
"His word was in my heart as a burning fire"
Jeremiah 20-9.
The Christian ministry is a poor business but a
great calling. Those who seek the ministry as an easy
way to make a living will not only be disappointed
•but are very likely to bring shame upon a high call-
ing. Those who choose the ministry as a way to live
and help live, will find satisfactions beyond compu-
tation.
The ministry is a poor business. At least twenty
and perhaps, like the Master, thirty years should
be spent in preparation. Unlike many other pro-
fessions, these years of preparation do not result
in high incomes. Often, the greater the preparation
the larger the vision of service, and the man of
God goes forth to minister without thought of ma-
terial returns. For St. Francis it resulted in the
vow of poverty. For St. Paul it meant great bodily
suffering. For Jane Addams it meant 40 years on
Halsted Street in Chicago. For Albert Schweitzer
it meant the jungles of Africa. Yes, from many
standpoints the Christian ministry is the poorest
business in the world.
The Christian ministry is a great calling. Its doors
ought not to be entered unless the individual has
heard God's call. The call comes not merely from a
voice shouting from the clouds, though some may
have had such an experience. The divine call has
THE SCROLL 85
usually been heard from within and not from with-
out.
Jeremiah tried to turn away from God's call, but
he says, "God's word was in my heart as a burning
fire." It was that burning fire that sent Jeremiah
to point out the sins of Judah and call all Israel to
repentance. This was not an easy task, but the word
of God in his heart became as a burning fire that
drove him on.
The present day minister will need to have the
burning fire of a prophet. His world is much larger
than that of Jeremiah. However, the sins of greed
and avarice, of lust and fraud, of injustice, of man's
inhumanity to man, are the same. A minister's
voice lifted against these sins may be only a
voice crying in the wilderness but if he remains
silent, then there is no one left to speak for God.
As long as any minister carries the word of God in
his heart he will never compromise with evil. Even
though the people stone the prophets with ingrati-
tude ar.d sometimes with smearing falsehoods, the
fires of the prophet will keep burning.
The present day minister will need also the burn-
ing fire of compassion. He must learn how to hate
sin and at the same time continue to love the sinner.
He will not always carry the banner of reform for
he must find time to be the Good Samaritan. He
will want to use the fire in his soul to kindle new hope
in the forlorn, to rejoice with those that rejoice and
weep with those who weep. The story is told of
a beloved minister in a village on the New England
shore. So much did this good pastor enter into the
experiences of his people that on one occasion when
he went to break the news to one of his parishioners
that her husband had been lost at sea, he began
his prayer with these words: "0 Lord, we're a
widow."
THE SCROLL
Another fire that must be carried in the heart of
a good minister of Christ is the desire to know the
truth. There is no short cut to that goal. It calls for
a lifetime of study, thought and prayer. God did
not reveal the secret of atomic energy to the ignor-
ant. Is there any reason to feel that the great truth
of divine love and grace will be unfolded to those
who substitute emotional frenzy for honest study
and earnest prayer? "Study to show thyself ap-
proved unto God — a workman that needeth not to
be ashamed, rightly interpreting the word of God."
It would seem hardly necessary to mention the
fires of industry as a requisite for any minister of
the gospel. Having seen the ministry of capable
men wrecked on the rock of laziness, I make bold
to say, "God has no place for a lazy minister." There
will be no time clock for him to punch and the
minister's pay will not be computed on an hourly
basis (would that it were!) The worthy minister
will be at his desk long before his farmer members
are in their fields and he will be ringing doorbells
long after the closing whistle has sounded at the
nearby factory. I often tell my farmer brother that
if he thinks he has troubles keeping his cattle out
of the cornfield, he should see me late at night run-
ning after some of my lost sheep who have jumped
the fence of the corral.
My final word is that a good minister will keep
alive in his soul the fires of salvation. As a counselor
he will need to know how to save homes. That is no
easy task. When one out of three homes in America
are going on the rocks, something surely needs to be
done, both in the field of prevention and in the work
of redemption. Some knowledge of psychiatry will
help, but a minister must lay hold upon a power that
few if any psychiatrists have ever discovered.
Our present day world must be saved. It must
THE SCROLL 87
be saved from secularism, materialism, militarism,
nationalism, debaucherism and indifferentism. Here
is a task too big for any man — in fact too big for
any group of people. It is not too big for people
and God working together.
The place where every minister must start is with
the individual. It is possible to become so concerned
with world problems that even a minister forgets
how to lead an individual to the saving knowledge
of Jesus Christ. The Master teacher and preacher
laid down great philosophical principles for life but
He did not neglect to heal sick minds and sick bodies.
Even on the cross he heard and answered the indi-
vidual's cry for salvation.
To the young candidate for ordination at this
altar today, I would say, "Let Christ make His
home in your heart." Yes, "Let God's word dwell
in your heart as a burning fire." It is such a divine
effulgence that will become the refiner's fire to your
soul, and make you a good minister of Jesus Christ.
Churches For Building Community
Tomorrow
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois
No matter what the circumstances of tomorrow's
world may prove to be, the fundamental task for
the local church will be the routing of the sins of
despair, anxiety and pride, and the inculcation of
the virtues of faith, hope, and love. And in tomor-
row's v/orld, as in the world of yesterday and to-
day, the one institution in society which will be
dedicated to this work will be the Christian church.
The law courts will not do it; their task is the
administration of justice. The schools will not do
it; their task is education. The banks will not do
it ; their task is financing. Industry and agriculture
THE SCROLL
will not do it; their task is production. Indeed, these
institutions will need the church to do its task if
they are to be sustained. The one institution which
will infuse throughout society the virtues necessary
for its life is the church. Its spiritual task has
been, is, and will be, the spiritual life at the basis
of community. If men are in despair they will
not sustain the community they have. If they are
anxious they will not move forward. If they are
prideful, they cannot know how to join hand with
hand, shoulder with shoulder, but will be set against
each other.
Several practical implications follow when we
understand that the basis of community is the
Christian virtues. Some of those implications are
obvious. Before it does anything else, the church
of tomorrow must do superbly well, three or four
central tasks. It must above all provide the men
and women of tomorrow's community with an in-
spired preaching that will prevent the corrosion
of their souls by deadly sins. The minister of to-
morrow, before he preaches on any other topics,
must first preach the fundamental gospel of that
salvation of the world which gives the lie to every
argument that condones the slippage of the human
spirit towards the depravities of despair, anxiety
and pride. There are a thousand topics that will
be of contemporary interest in tomorrow's pulpits
— national and international affairs, community
concerns, the ever new problems of justice and
equity among men, of the maintenance of peace and
brotherhood — but none of these can be preached
upon until the spiritual groundwork which can
serve as their support has been laid.
This great preaching will not be a possibility un-'
less the preacher fulfills the second great task; hei
THE SCROLL 89
must surround the Word of God as he may be given
to speak it with a worship which lightens and
illuminates it. Bringing men into contact with di-
vine things will actually pour the spirit of God
and His Christ into them. I know that to some,
it may sound as if I am propounding some kind of
"substance" philosophy, as if I were suggesting
in some crude way that by eating bread and drink-
ing wine there is a mechanical infusion of Christian
grace. Well, I would rather state it that way than
not to suggest at all that within the experience of
worship, in some way, faith and hope and love are
confirmed in the souls of men. Certainly, I know
of no other way than worship by which men are
given an adequate vision of the object of their love.
The great tragedy of so many lives is that they
have never beheld that which will waken love with-
in them. If this sounds romantic, I intend it so.
The lesser loves of our lives are awakened by the
vision of beatific things. The one great love that
can bind us all together, and by transcending our
lesser loves give us all one object for devotion is
God himself. The second great task of the church
tomorrow must be to give men that vision of God
which is capable of commanding their affections.
The worship within the local church of tomorrow
can have no lesser aim if it is to be world redeeming.
The third great task is also obvious. If preach-
ing and worship can uphold most men and women
from slipping into sin, there will always be those
who have fallen into the grip of anxiety, despair
and pride. To those who are in the grip of sin we
must come with the wisest kind of personal counsel
and pastoral guidance. Surely there is no need to
elaborate upon our tremendous needs in this area
of improved pastoral understandings for the days
ahead.
90 THE SCROLL
If the church tomorrow is to be able to center
its attention on these concerns of preaching, worship
and pastoral care, it will have to be free in ways
which are not true of our local churches today. We
must be able to cherish the hope that tomorrow's
local church can be simpler, and therefore more
effective than today's church is forced to be. If
we were to contrast the challenge that is before
the church today with the challenge that it must
be able to meet tomorrow, we would have to state
it thus : the church of today is caught in the midst
of a variety of administrative and ecclesiastical
problems which it must solve. This is a day in
which the church locally, and in the larger sense,
must be pre-occupied with intricate problems of
ecclesiastical organization and administration. The
solution of these problems is our paramount task
today if the church of tomorrow is to be free for
the central work of spirituality which it will be
called upon to do.
Nothing has been said so far about methods of
religious education and the conduct of the church
school, nor about techniques for building up the fel-
lowship experience within the local church, nor
the need for new patterns of devotional life through
which the members may adequately express them-
selves. I have not mentioned the challenging areas
of stewardship, of community relations, and the
church on the frontier of new social problems. If
I had been speaking fifty years ago, I am quite sure
that I would have spent much time in elaborating
what we call the institutional church. I give the
institutional church as it has developed during this
century the credit for wakening us to the scope of
the problem of community. But where the church
of the past fifty years has found its true role in |
THE SCROLL 91
broadening our understanding of the areas in which
religion should rightfully work, the church of to-
morrow must learn to deepen the spiritual experi-
ence of mankind.
I am quite sure that the local church of the
future, be it a rural church or a city church, will
have its many departments. In its own organization,
the local church generally will have taken on the
kind of organization for government and adminis-
tration which we today call "the functional
pattern." (A very poor title, by the way, which
implies that the church's organization through the
past two thousand years failed to function — which
isn't true!) But the sorts of church organization
that have been so well presented by 0. L. Shelton
and Willard Wickizer are exactly what more and
more of our churches need today. In the church
of tomorrow, we must be able to take organization
matters for granted if we are to have adequate
churches.
The church of tomorrow will be a simpler church
than it can afford to be today because we will have
worked through many of the problems of our ec-
clesiastical politics. I know, we Disciples are fond
of saying that we don't have any ecclesiastical poli-
tics. The facts are that you cannot have any kind
of corporate body without having political arrange-
ments of some kind. Just because our political
arrangements differ from those of other people
does not mean that we do not have any. To say
that Disciples have no ecclesiastical political prob-
lems is rather like a blackbird looking at a blue
bird and asking, "What are those blue things?",
and upon being told they are feathers, to say, "Oh,
I don't have any." Of course the Disciples have ec-
clesiastical politics, and declaring that we do not
have them only prevents us from dealing with the
92 THE SCROLL
problems they raise. We have many problems in
this area. They are complicating problems which
must be simplified and clarified; that work is the
great task presently before us if tomorrow's church
is to be free.
The Disciples of Christ pride themselves on not
having strict jurisdictions, nor any church courts.
The consequence of it is that in our brotherhood
every man is judge in his own cause. The conse-
quence is that every man pushes his personal in-
fluence as far as he dare, and wherever he dare.
Instead of being democratic we become individual-
istic— which is something else entirely. We will
get over that some day, and discover that by virtue
of some soundly democratic judicial procedures
which adequately reflect our brotherhood ideal we
may be less often in the public courts — and succeed
more perfectly in fulfilling the New Testament ideal.
In terms of our financial procedures, the Dis-
ciples of Christ are just barely out of the woods —
or are we? — of leaving our great brotherhood enter-
prises at the whim of the generosity of the local
church member. The consequence is that any en-
terprise is sorely tempted to find its financial base
outside the local churches. We will get over that
some day, and find the way in which the local
church and our co-operative work can be fully re-
sponsible toward each other. That will be a great
simplification.
When it comes to complexity within the local
church, we are bedevilled by the fact that our folk
cannot distinguish between governing themselves
and administering the programs they have demo-
cratically decided upon. We have a widespread
behavior in which individuals interpret democracy
not only as the right to share in the deciding of
THE SCROLL 93
general principles and programs, but also as a
personal right to intermeddle in every last step of
the administration of those principles and pro-
grams. We'll get over that some day. A business
friend of mine sends out to his company a weekly
message. Recently he had one entitled, "Too many
chiefs, not enough Indians." Disciples of Christ
ought to be able to understand that one!
These problems of organization, finance, govern-
ment and administration are what confronts to-
day's churchmanship. God grant that we may so
work today that tomorrow's local churches can be
free to do their spiritual work.
The greatest complication of all has not yet been
mentioned. We might as well forget the possi-
bility of any influence by the local church on to-
morrow's community unless we have overcome the
community chaos which results because a splintered
and sundered church is trying to redeem commu-
nity by being Disciple, Baptist, Methodist, Episco-
palian, Presbyterian, Nazarene, Holiness, Roman,
Orthodox, etc., ad infinitum, ad nauseam.
Tomorrow's community is going to have some
kind of spiritual unity. We can be sure of that. If
the churches are not able to provide it, there will
be other forces that will offer it: the police state,
an organized secularism, militarism. There will be
alternatives enough. There is only one thing about
which I am sure. In the long run, God is not
going to allow any other alternative except a re-
ligious unity. That fact is not, however, any con-
solation to today's churches. In our structural and
denominational divisiveness we are on trial, not be-
fore the police state or secularism or militarism, but
before God himself. If we do not succeed in doing
his work for him, he will find some other vehicle.
Just because we are the members of the historic
94 THE SCROLL
churches does not guarantee that we will be the
agency of world redemption tomorrow. Just as the
Jews had to be told that out of the stones of Jordan
God could raise up a new people unto himself, so the
churches of today need to be told that unless they
build themselves into the single temple of the One
God, he will quarry that temple out of other rock.
There is something against which the gates of hell
will not prevail, but the New Testament does not
say that it is twentieth century denominationalism.
The church of tomorrow has one supreme and
irrevocable task to perform. If the world of to-
morrow is to be held together as a community, if
mankind is to be gathered together in co-operating
neighborhoods, and these are to be gathered into
fruitful nations, and these into a peaceful world,
the local churches must be the irresistible springs
of a fundamental spirit of community. They can-
not give community if they present division. They
cannot flow freely if they are encumbered by their
own details. They can do it only if from their pul-
pits and altars there constantly come the words
and the visions which present a Life of God, un-
spent and free, pouring forth with faith and hope
and love to freshen the times with truth and good.
People — Places — Events
The place was South Bend, Indiana — the event
was the celebration of First Christian Church's Cen-
tennial— the people were the honored guests, Emory
Ross and Rosa Page Welch. That is a team hard
to match on anybody's program but in South Bend
where both are held in such high esteem their
presence made for a great Centennial. In fact the
city heard so much about that event that one of
my preaching brethren announced me in his publi-
THE SCROLL 95
cation as Frank Elon Davison C. S. C. (Church of
the Super-Centennial). In this community those
initials are usually used to signify the order of "The
Church of the Holy Cross."
When Emory was a boy his father and mother
were teachers at Southern Christian Institute and
of course Rosa Page Welch is a product of that
institution. In a recent article in The SCROLL I paid
tribute to the great contribution which Mrs. Welch
has made to the Disciples and to the church uni-
versal. Her concert which closed our Centennial was
up to her usual high order and again she won the
hearts of our people and our many guests. This
brief article I want to devote to Emory Ross.
Twenty-five years ago Dr. and Mrs. Ross were
missionaries in the Congo and the South Bend
Church was glad to have him as their Living Link.
The Ross family was taken into the hearts of the
people here and they are still loved by all who
knew them. Because of the turn-over of membership
during a quarter of a century Dr. Ross was a total
stranger to hosts of our people when he went into
the chancel on Centennial Day. After he had preach-
ed at both of our morning services to capacity audi-
ences, brought greeting from the ecumenical church
at the afternoon community celebration, and had
stood in a reception line for two hours everyone
felt that they had known this good man all their
lives.
Emory Ross is one of those Disciples who has
given his life in distinctive but humble service for
Kingdom enterprises. Because of his great humility
he perhaps has never received the high honors due
him in our brotherhood. His manner of speech is
quiet and unassuming but his message is thoughtful
and challenging. So long has he worked in ecumeni-
96 THE SCROLL
cal circles that he thinks in world terms but has
never lost the common touch. He loves people with
a Christlike concern and goes far out of his way
to speak an encouraging word.
Those of us who were privileged to know ''Mother"
Ross would say that Emory inherited his mother's
fine sense of humor. My daughters were under six
years of age the one time they met "Mother" Ross
but they still remember the bit of verse she taught
them
"The honey bee get honey
With a f u.nny little buzz
But there's nothing very funny
About the other thing he does."
Mother Ross was a frequent visitor to South Bend
and was sought after everywhere as a speaker, and
entertainer, and an interesting conversationalist.
During his recent visit here Emory told me the
story about his mother's visit many years ago to
the home of Clarence Lemmon. When Clarence told
Mrs. Ross he lived on the third floor, Mrs. Ross
mentioned something about a bad heart. They start-
ed climbing but at the first landing Mother Ross
stopped and started panting for breath. She asked
Clarence to feel her heart and it had a very strong
and strange beat. Clarence became frightened and
after laying Mrs. Ross on the floor he ran for help.
The men carried her up to the third floor, put her
on a couch, covered her up and brought her water.
It was then that Mother Ross laughed and showed
them the rubber bulb she had hid under her dress
over her heart. She had been pumping that bulb
when Clarence felt her heart. She often laughed
and told about her free ride to the third floor with
Clarence Lemmon in the driver's seat.
Mrs. Ross wrote a book filled with verse, bits of
humor, and deep spiritual meditations. Another good
book could be written about Mother Ross and her
great influence upon multitudes. She would have
us say that her greatest gift to the world was her
beloved son, Emory. After his recent visit to South
Bend hundreds of people here would like to join
in the prayer "Thank God for men like Emory
Ross."
Highly Recommended
The spirit of high adventure and great exploration
is again abroad in the world. Two recent books are
evidence of this renewed spirit. Both of them have
become best-sellers. Normally, it would seem super-
fluous for the ScROULi to recommend best-sellers.
But these books, and especially the newest of them,
should be universally read. These new explorations
are oceanic. One book, KovhTiki, tells the adventure
of six men in crossing four thousand miles of the
South Pacific on a raft of balsa logs. It stirs the
heart. But The Sea Around Us by Rachel Carson
expands the mind and brings a great quiet and calm
ix> the soul.
Miss Carson is an oceanographer. One would have
supposed that their company was rather small.
But in her book she reports a tremendous new
science of the ocean — ^most of which has beein
developed since 1945. While the juvenile imagination
has been captured by "space," here is a mature and
magnificently written book which takes the reader
into the fascinating history and present character
of the element that covers three-fourths of the face
of the earth. The detail of the book is too immense,
its theses too interesting and arresting, to attempt
any summary. It must be mentioned as necessary
reading for any man who claims a respectable
knowledge of the globe on which he lives.
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIV DEC, 1951 - JAN., 1952 Nos. 4-5
Disciples and the Problem of
Practical Justice
Disciples of Christ are in the civil courts again.
Perhaps it would be more accurate to say that we
are still in the civil courts ; there has rarely been a
time when we have not had a case in some stage of
litigation somewhere.
There are some general remarks that should be
made about the fact that we are in the courts at
all, as well as some comments on the particular case
involving the First Christian Church of Salem, Illi-
nois, now being tried in the Circut Court of Marion
County.
Whenever one of our churches is involved in a
legal suit, a variety of emotions are felt by Disciples
of Christ. Usually we regret the fact and feel
ashamed that we have had to go to law. We know
that all too often there is deplorable publicity and
the church involved runs the risk of spiritual dam-
age. Certainly it is likely to lose prestige in the
community. We suspect that other religious bodies
look upon us as being litigious, whereas we actually
have a profound distaste for litigation. What we
are likely to forget is that other religious bodies are
involved in a similar number of litigations but that
they have their own internal judicial procedures
whereby "their washing can be done in their back
yards, while ours has to be done in the public view."
The Disciples of Christ have never created any
judicial bodies and processes of their own, and it
seems to be the almost unanimous opinion of our
brotherhood that we want no such procedures. If
98 THE SCROLL
that is the case we will have to face the fact that
we will continue to be in the civil courts, and we
ought to find a constructive and positive approach
to that circumstance.
Will we continue to be in the civil courts? This
question can be best approached by asking, "Can
any religious body expect that it will never have to
face situations which require judicial process?" If
the answer is in the negative, the next question is
"What is the best way of providing for church
trials?"
I
"Can any religious body expect that it will never
need to resort to judicial processes?" Only the most
naive optimist would say "Yes." The avoidance of
legal suit throughout a whole religious body would
presuppose a spiritual and religious character and
a level of intelligence that is not within the reach of
any religious group. The fact that we have no taste
for litigation does not mean that we can forever
escape it. Human nature and social institutions be-
ing what they are, we are bound to experience in-
stances in which real injustice may occur and where
adequate adjudication of sincerely held differences
should be available. Even the best of us may per-
petuate injustice, and no one can claim full righteous-
ness toward his brethren. Ideally, all disagreements
should be capable of settlement by the brotherly
adoption of a Christian spirit toward one another.
Unfortunately, such behavior is ideal, and even
adding the wishful thought that we can escape legal
involvement does not make it so.
From the viewpoint of another ideal we should
be able to stay out of the courts. Disciples of Christ
have held that their insistence upon the scriptural
basis of profession of faith and obedience to Christ
THE SCROLL 99
as the only requirement for church membership
would do away with the age old disgrace of "heresy
trials." They have also expected that their principle
of voluntary association both within the local church
and in brotherhood agencies would spare them
schismatic actions. But the limitation of these prin-
ciples is obvious in the present case at Salem, Illi-
nois, in which it seems as if a creed may have been
introduced as a requirement for membership, and
as if the principle of voluntary association were
denied by forbidding the participation of members
of the church and church groups in the support of
brotherhood agencies.
The character of our church life which necessi-
tates court action is the existence of property. It is
inconceivable that a congregation could function
without properties. Normally these properties are
held in trust for those who carry on the purposes
for which the property was purchased and set aside.
Once again, the Disciples of Christ have believed
that their own past and traditions were free enough
to allow progress and development, and we can see
nothing in our past when properly understood which
would act as a dead hand upon the burgeoning
future. If this heritage of freedom is precious, we
should be defending it — even at law if that is neces-
sary.
Courts and trials exist because justice must be
discovered and upheld. We should love justice, and
in the long run we should not hesitate before the
necessity of achieving it. To acquiesce to injustice be-
cause of a distaste for litigation can never really be
excused as the exercise of the higher virtue of love
but can only be recognized as giving primacy to taste
and sentiment. No matter what our tastes in this
regard, we have to face the fact that litigation is
100 THE SCROLL
something that we had better have the stomach for
when it is forced upon us.
Only in Utopia might the occasion for court
process never appear. But even the Utopians were
realistic enough to realize that their aim, even in
Utopia, must be that of securing the wisest possible
judges rather than that of supposing that there
can ever be a society in which the work of discover-
ing and administering justice would not have to
occur.
II
"What is the best provision for church trials?"
The greater number of church bodies have de-
cided that the best procedure is to establish courts
within the church. With such a view they are assert-
ing that the church should have not only its own
legislative and administrative procedures but also
its own system for adjudicating.
There are many other types of social organization
which have developed their own internal judicial
systems. This is largely true of education wherein
a professional association and accrediting bodies
function in terms of providing judgments as well
as in deciding upon criteria. The clearest example
of an internal judicial arrangement is the military
order with its courts martial. In the medical and
legal professions there are colleges and bar associa-
tions before which are decided most issues which
might otherwise reach the civil courts. So wide-
spread is the use of internal judicial procedures
that most people suppose that commerce and indus-
try are virtually the only orders of society which
do not care for their own legal processes. Certainly,
until modern times, every religious body had its own
"ecclesiastical courts," and even today it is the ex-
ceptional religious body which does not have its own
THE SCROLL 101
internal judiciary. The Disciples belong to this ex-
ceptional minority.
Disciples of Christ belong to the minority because
they feel that the historic record of ecclesiastical
courts indicates that they are feeble agencies of
justice and have often themselves been the per-
petrators of injustice and the bulwark of prejudice.
Such feeling, and a desire for congregational inde-
pendency inhibited the Disciples from developing
judicial procedures of their ov^n. If this lack of
development v^as based also on the vain suppo-
sition that no injustice would ever appear among the
Disciples that supposition was decidedly fatuous.
What Disciples of Christ today ought to realize is
that the question as to the manner in which we pro-
vide for church trials is still an open and discussable
question, and that our failure to develop a judicial
procedure of our own should be understood as a
decision on the basis of principle and not as a matter
of default. The point is that if we are to be in the
civil courts, let it be understood that it is because we
prefer to be in the civil courts rather than develop
our own judicial processes. Let it not be presumed
that we are just rambling along and have not yet
taken the trouble to set up a procedure for looking
after our own affairs. And if we are in the civil
courts, let us adopt the proper attitude, that it is
Eo dishonor to be there but that since even the best
of social organizations must provide for justice and
defend it, the use of the civil courts is in our opinion
the most honorable way of doing our work on be-
half of justice.
While justice should always be sought in the spirit
of love, and while it is a most delicate matter to
decide when to the spirit of conciliation there must
be added the due process of law, the latter is not es-
102 THE SCROLL
sentially an indignity but that which redeems love
from mawkish sentimentality.
It is not likely that Disciples of Christ will ever
develop a judicial apparatus of their own. This im-
mediately raises the question of how adjudications
can take place — because there is no doubt that
adjudications do have to take place within social
bodies. If we decide against having our own courts,
the inevitable corollary is the use of the civil courts.
To use these courts means that we draw upon re-
sources that are established by the state and main-
tained at the public expense. Perhaps we might be
accused at this point of not taking seriously the
doctrine of the separation of church and state. On
the other hand, Disciples have recognized that it is
almost impossible to achieve impartiality within a
religious body. This, it is to be hoped, the civil
courts can provide. It is the experience of other re-
ligious bodies that at times they too are involved in
cases which require appeal beyond their own body.
In the long run the Disciples become involved in
the same kind, and in about the same number, of
cases as do other religious groups.
The Salem Church Case
There is now proceeding in the Circuit Court of
Marion County, Illinois, a case involving the First
Christian Church of Salem. Testimony began on
February 4, 1952. The plaintiffs in the case are
composed mainly of those women of the church who
are members of the Women's Christian Missionary
Society. The crux of their appeal for justice lies in
the fact that on December 31, 1949, at a business
meeting of the congregation the following resolu^-
tion was passed : "I move that the congregation go
on record to the effect that the Missionary Society
THE SCROLL 108
which has heretofore met in this church building,
which is now and has in the past supported the Illi-
nois Christian Missionary Society, Unified Promo-
tion, National Benevolent Association and other al-
lied organizations has not been and is not now a
part of and has no connection with the First Chris-
tian Church of Salem, Illinois, and that said Society
shall henceforth be denied the use of the church
building for its meetings by this congregation."
The same business meeting which passed the
above resolution also approved a constitution and
by-laws for the church which had been passed some
two years earlier by the Board of Deacons and Eld-
ers. The constitution contained twelve articles of
faith, and provided for the summary dismissal from
the congregation of persons who did not believe those
twelve articles of faith. The congregation had been
using this constitution for some months before it was
Yoted upon in the business meeting of December 31,
1949.
There were other actions take^n in connection with
the church which the plaintiffs claim were at direct
variance with the traditions of the church and
the Disciples of Christ.
It is of especial importance that as recently as
1944 the church had been host to the Southern Dis-
trict convention of the Illinois Christian Missionary
Society. Within four years the Board of the church
was taking actions which would have separated the
church completely from the whole brotherhood life
of the Disciples of Christ. The rapidity with which
this church moved from a co-operative position to a
completely non-cooperative position is fair warning
of the strength and vigor of the non-cooperative
group that seeks to undermine the work of brother-
hood agencies.
104 THE SCROLL
The details of the history of the past five years
are too many to be recounted here. Before the courts
the plaintiffs are seeking to establish the fact that
documents put out by the "Committee on One Thou-
sand" were circulated through the congregation and
were influential in the change that overcame the
congregation.
Anyone who has any acquaintance with this Salem
case comes to realize how futile is the process of
seeking to ignore the efforts of the non-cooperative
group to cut the heart out of brotherhood coopera-
tive work. It would seem that it would be harder
to get closer to the heart of our cooperative work
than a local church Women's Missionary society. It
is certainly to the credit of those women that they
have had the courage to fight for what they consider
their rights to be. Indeed, if it had not been for
the firmness of these women, it is likely that one
of the vital spots of our missionary enterprise would
have been wiped out of existence by the vote of a
non-cooperative element in the church.
It is also impossible not to believe that wherein
this women's society is involved we are all involved.
It would also seem that if the brotherhood as a
whole cannot come to the defense of such a group
as this, it cannot really defend itself, for such mis-
sionary societies are the ultimate stuff which makes
brotherhood enterprise possible at all. Yet the facts
in the case seem to be that the Salem Women's
Society has had to go it virtually alone, and that
upon it has fallen the burden of providing the re-
sources for its own plea. Our national agencies
have declared that since their funds are for other
purposes they have nothing that they can bring
financially to the pleading of such a cause as this.
Technically speaking this is probably true, but it
THE SCROLL 105
leaves our national agencies incapable of defending
their own life's blood. One would suppose that it
would make them uncomfortable to know that they
are not able to participate in the struggle of a
local congregation which is, in the end, the struggle
of us all.
A Church Creed
Copied below is the "Articles of Faith" which
were incorporated in a constitution voted by the
Board of Elders and Deacors and by a congrega-
tional meeting of the First Christian Church of
Salem, Illinois. Apart from the fact that Disciples
of Christ have never used articles of faith as the
basis of membership, the content of this creed is
doubly amazing since at most points it is at vari-
ance with what Disciples of Christ would adopt if
they did use a creed.
Irterestingiy enough, conformity to this creed
was not to be asked for at the time of entrance into
the church. The traditional procedure of asking
only for a profession of faith and obedience to
Christ was retained as the form of entrance. But
the constitution provided for the dismissal from the
congregation by a two-thirds vote, of anyone who
did not believe these articles of faith. Among
churches claiming to be Christian, only the Roman
Catholics have adopted this procedure of summary
dismissal by fiat. All Protestant groups have ad-
hered to a New Testament form of discipline which
calls for pleading by the deacons and elders in the
face of witnesses, to be followed by a similar plead-
ing before the whole congregation, and then the
withdrawal of fellowship only after such a due
process of discipline. "Voting" a member out in
106 THE SCROLL
terms of such legislation as this constitution con-
tained is at the strangest possible remove from the
New Testament conception of church discipline.
"Articles of Faith"
This churches believes and teaches the following:
The Trinity:
The truine God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit; co-
eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in
power and glory, having the same attributes and
perfections.
Verbal Inspiration:
The verbal inspiration and plenary authority of both
Old and New Testaments, inerrant in the original
writings, infallible, and God breathed.
Total Depravity:
The depravity and lost condition of all men by
nature, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his
lost condition.
Personality of Satan :
That Satan is a Person, the author of sin, and the
cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared
enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eter-
nally punished in the Lake of Fire.
Virgin Birth:
The virgin birth and deity of Jesus Christ eternal-
ly. His sinless humanity. His substitutionary death,
His bodily resurrection, His present intercession at
the right hand of God, and His personal coming
again to rule and reign on the earth.
Salvation :
Salvation is the gift of God by grace, received by
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose
precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgive-
ness of our sins, and baptism by immersion.
Blood Atonement :
The shed blood of Jesus Christ the only atonement
THE SCROLL 107
for sins.
Resurrection :
The bodily resurrrection and Lordship of Jesus.
The Eternal State
The bodily resurrection of all men, the saved be-
lievers to eternal bliss in heaven, and the eternal
punishment in hell of all who have rejected Christ
as Savior.
Separation
That all believers should live in such a manner as
not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord ;
and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all
worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associa-
tions is commanded by God.
Missions
The obligation of all believers to witness by life
and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture, and to
seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind as the
absolute command of God to evangelize all nations.
Second Coming of Christ :
The personal, pre-milennial, and imminent return of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
An Indelicate Matter
One of the most severe problems now facing the
ministry is the radical lag of ministerial salaries in
the face of the rising cost of living. There is ample
evidence that, with a few notable exceptions, the
churches have remained indifferent to the problem.
But the "cracking point" is too close for too many
ministers and their families.
At the end of the war, when the cycle of infla-
tion began, vast numbers of churches still had debts.
Others saw, at long last, the end of delays in build-
ing opportunities. The period from 1945 to 1948
108 THE SCROLL
saw more mortgages burned and building plans
launched than any other similar period in recent
times. The greater number of ministers were no
doubt eager and anxious to see these real advances
made by the churches, and few enough of them
afeked at that time for increases in salaries which
would have been justified.
Anyone in a situation where large numbers of
ministerial salaries become known to him sees some
strange discrepancies. Not long ago, a church col-
lege wrote asking for a man to teach religion. He
must have a Ph.D. and some teaching experience.
The starting salary was $X.OO, and the salary after
the man had progressed to "full professor" — which
would take some years — was to be $Y.OO. The start-
ing salary was exactly v/hat most of our B.D.
graduates of recent years have been offered as start-
ing salaries in church positions, and the top salary
was $600.00 more.
There is at least one way in which the churches
have been forced to keep pace with the economic
state of affairs. It is in seeking the men now gradu-
ating from the seminaries as ministers. Ten years
ago, a U.C.M.S. official congratulated the men of
the Disciples Divinity House on having a realistic
attitude regarding their expectations on starting
salaries. Nowadays, all our graduates begin on
salaries that are just about double that which was
the average starting salary ten years ago. They re-
ceive many offers of less salary, but there are enough
churches which have been responsible to the eco-
nomic realities to insure that our present gradu-
ates begin, in terms of dollar values, just about
where their predecessors began ten years ago.
The gravest difficulties seem to arise in those
churches which have not bepn "fnrc.pA onto thp muf.
THE SCROLL 109
ket." Here some real irresponsibilities remain. One
man wrote that over a five year period during which
his church found plenty of money for the expan-
sion program to which he gave the ablest leader-
ship, his own salary had increased by some $400.00
only. This was at a time when his family responsi-
bilities increased very rapidly and inflation was
making its greatest strides. Another recently wrote
saying that he better cancel his Scroll membership
because he had to make cuts somewhere; he has a
family of four and his salary is $Z.OO. The figure
was almost the average of what a well qualified
woman can earn as a secretary in any of our Ameri-
can cities.
The list of cases could be extended.
In some states there is a suggestion that letters
ought to go to the churches awakening them to
their responsibilities. The letters are delayed only
because it is felt that "this matter of salaries is a
very delicate problem." What is very quickly hap-
pening to many of our ministers and their families
is not a delicate matter at all. It is very indelicate.
That Word ''Ecumenical
#/
The Central Committee of the World Council has
sent out for comment by the churches a document
entitled "The Calling of the Church to Mission
and to Unity." It contains a helpful comment on the
word "ecumenical." A great many people equate
the word "ecumenical" with "unity," or "united."
The comment points out that such an identification
narrows the meaning of the word "ecumenical."
That word derives from the Greek word for "the
whole inhabited earth," and is therefore properly
110 THE SCROLL -
used to cover everything that relates to the whole
task of the whole Church in the whole world. The
matter of Christian unity is only one of the ingredi-
ents of the concept "ecumenical." The matter of
missions also is included in the concept "ecumeni-
cal," and the matter of evangelism — and doctrine
and worship. In other words, while the term "ecu-
menical" contains the idea of unity, it also con-
tains all other areas of Christian concern.
This is an important consideration for Disciples
of Christ. It makes clear that we need both the
words "ecumenical" and "union." Among the many
concerns of the "ecumenical movement" is the con-
cern for unity. This is that one among the many
ecumenical concerns in which the Disciples special-
ize. It is therefore not tautological for Disciples to
say, "Within the ecumenical church we bear a
special responsibility and witness to the problem
of unity." Other groups may decide that their special
emphasis is in one of the other areas such as mis-
sions, or evangelism, or worship.
We should discontinue using the terms ecumeni-
cal and united as if they were synonyms. Ecumeni-
cal is a far richer and broader term than "unity."
"Unity" is too important a cause to be dulled by
the lack of emphasis upon it which may follow from
substituting the word ecumenical. In this "ecumen-
ical" age, the chief contribution the Disciples can
make is in the special area of unity, just as that was
their chief contribution in the sectarian age which
preceded this happier ecumenical era. The advent
of the ecumenical movement does not reduce the
need for our work on behalf of unity. What it does
is to provide us with a far more hopeful environ-
ment for working upon this greatest of all our
concerns.
THE SCROLL 111
Historical Society to Nashville
The Magazine of The Nashville Tennesseean for
Sunday, January 27, 1952 carries a good account of
the forthcoming move of the Disciples of Christ
Historical Society from Canton, Missouri, to Nash-
ville, Tennessee. The library and archives of the
Society will be housed for a period of several years
in the Joint University Library of Vanderbilt Uni-
versity.
The article in the Tennessean reports that three
great denominational libraries are moving to Nash-
ville. Methodists and Southern Baptists, as well as
the Disciples have chosen that city for the chief
centre of their historical records. At the present
time it is obvious that the Disciples of Christ are
farthest advanced of the three as far as their col-
lection is concerned. Unfortunately, the Disciples
do not yet have their own building facilities. The
opposite case is true of the Southern Baptists who
have recently made available in their educational
building enough space for a historical collection
similar to that of the Disciples. The Southern Bap-
tists, however have only just begun their project,
and are a decade behind the Disciples of Christ in
the collection of materials.
The Methodists, because of a far longer history
and much more extensive records are not making
their Nashville enterprise into a collection. They
are, on the other hand, compiling a union catalogue
whereby it will be possible to discover the location
of historical works important to the Methodist
group. The union catalogue is well begun, but it is
estimated that a number of years will be required
before it is brought up to date.
The Tennessean is justly proud of the emergence
of Nashville as the location for three great denomi-
112 THE SCROLL
national collections. The city is enough near the
centre of the country to make it accessible to
scholars, and the facilities of the Joint University
Library for study and research are of a high order.
Nashville should prove a most comfortable home for
the rapidly growing collection of our Historical
Society.
No Gamblers in Play
H. N. Sherwood, Louisville, Ky.
Learning is an inherent ingredient of every ex-
perience. It is inside every experience and goes on
in order to complete it. When any part or aspect
of an experience remains so as to come back into
life and play its appropriate part there, learning
has taken place. We learn when we live.
Teaching is to help learning take place. This is
the function of the teacher, the supervisor and the
administrator. Good teaching includes behavior in
its objective, recognizes that the whole child par-
takes of the learning process, and understands that
it is going on all the time. This last consideration
is probably the most important part of the learning
process.
The learning process and teaching in recreation
and play are definitely related to the development of
moral and spiritual values. By values we mean those
wants that have been critically tested and found
desirable. Experience is the practical test given to
wants. When man found he could not live by him-
self alone, morality became a social necessity. When
man became critically self-conscious in his experi-
ence, the difference between what is right and what
is wrong for him became evident — a noble step in
learning. When man recognized that spiritual qual-
ity transcends the written word or law, moral in-
THE SCROLL 113
sight demanded respect for personality, integrity of
thought and act, and the promotion of the good life.
These spiritual qualities made man understand that
not what he does but what he would do exalts him.
In recreation and play the educational problem is
to find how moral and spiritual values fit into the
learning process. When understood, the teacher can
guide pupils in their experience so that character
traits which we wish to develop in them become a
part of them. Pupils are then qualified to promote
the good life to which teachers are committed.
When it is recalled that we learn only what we
live, it is easy to see that recreation and play offer
especially fruitful fields for the production of moral
and spiritual values. No experience in the school is
more real, more sharp and clear, more appealing
than that of participating in games and kindred ac-
tivities. On the other hand, in subject-matter topics
it is often necessary to reconstruct situations far
removed from the present and from the life of the
pupil and the community. These vicarious experi-
ences lack the concrete action associated with games
where there are present unusual opportunities for
the cultivation of character traits essential to the
good life. It follows, therefore, that the teacher as-
signed to recreation and play may well be the most
important member of the school staff in building
wholesome personalities. Because this teacher has
such an important part in the development of self-
realizing persons, he is entitled to worthy recog-
nition by school officials, to the fullest co-operation
from colleagues, to adequate equipment in the class-
room and on the grounds, and to the confidence and
support of the public.
Of late we have had some telling examples of
unworthy interference in recreation and play by a
114 THE SCROLL
corrupt and lawless group of citizens. These men
sought to determine the score in basketball by an
agreement with members of the playing teams. For
a sum of money paid by representatives of gamblers
to members of the teams these players agreed to
"shave points" or otherwise deliver the score. The
professional gamblers, as is their custom, were mak-
ing certain an income for themselves. Whatever the
weakness in intercollegiate sports surely this
wanton interference was a sinister disregard of
certain moral and spiritual values that properly
guided play experiences produce. Obviously no play-
er can learn fairness, honesty, and personality values
— traits of character of supreme worth in our de-
mocracy — in a game when his experience is self-
ishly controlled by the black hand of the profession-
al gambler. A player cannot be crowned, as Paul
long ago pointed out, except he strive lawfully. In
education there is no law which permits the
gambler to act as the referee in organized play,
to guide the experience of the players for his own
selfish benefit, and to deprive in this way our de-
mocracy of a recognized agency for the develop-
ment of moral and spiritual values found in good
citizenship.
What do gamblers know or care about the break-
down of Western civilization? or how specialization
in education, or the growth of secularization and
sectarianism has contributed to it? Their "binding
obligations," to borrow a term from Sir Walter
Moberly, have not collapsed. They never were tied
into a view of life that had godly character as a
goal. Moral and spiritual values in play? They have
no obligation to promote this type of learning and
living. We must strike at the gamblers ... we must
also strike at educators who leave high religion
out of education.
THE SCROLL 115
At the Communion Table
First Christian Church — Springfield, Illinois
December 16, 1951
Charles F. McElroy
In the gospel of Luke we read that when Jesus
instituted this supper as a memorial to Himself,
He said of the wine :
"This cup is the new covenant in my blood,
which is poured out for you."
The word "covenant" means an agreement that
is solemn and binding. In the Bible the word cove-
nant refers to the promises of God — such as God's
covenant with Noah, evidenced by the rainbow,
and His covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,
promising that their descendants should be His
chosen people. And when the ark was constructed
and placed first in the tabernacle and then in the
Temple it was called the "ark of the covenant,"
as a continuing reminder of God's promises to the
Jews and of their obligations to Him.
Jesus spoke of a new covenant, no longer confined
to the Jewish people but extending to all mankind,
to us who are assembled here, to you and to me. He
promises that He will be with us when we are lone-
ly, that He will help us when we are helpless, that
He will lift us up when we are fallen, that He will
comfort us when we are distressed, that He will
guide us when we cannot see our way, that He will
ennoble and enrich our lives so that we may live
more abundantly in this life, and that He will pre-
pare a place where we may be with him eternally.
He promises us all of these things if — if we will
but let Him, and will do our part to fulfill His
purpose in us. Let us pray.
Prayer
Our Father in heaven, we thank Thee for this
116 THE SCROLL
new covenant, knowing that we may rely on the
promises of One who can be trusted to do all and
more than we can ask or think, and who cannot fail.
Help us not to fail Him. In His name. Amen.
Perry Epier Gresham:
An appreciatio7i by Edgar Dewitt Jones
Dr. Perry Epler Gresham is one of the most gifted
preachers I know, and it has been my privilege
to hear and know many of the illustrious preachers
of my day.
This princely gentleman, now in his early
middle life, has every quality which contributes to
a distinguished ministry. In voice, vocabulary,
sermonic content, delivery, and studious habits Dr.
Gresham is blest abundantly.
A scholar, and superbly trained academically,
there is not so much as a trace of the pedant in the
man. His shepherding ministry is as fine and
noble as his preaching. He is likewise an excellent
administrator with a knack for handing both
methods and men.
Dr. Gresham's preaching is fresh, arresting, and
exciting. His versatility is amazing, and he preaches
from what seems to be inexhaustible resources.
Thus, he preaches regularly at two morning serv-
ices, a different sermon at each. The themes may
be akin, or utterly different. Naturally eloquent with
a flair for the dramatic, he can be, and often is, de-
lightfully informal in style and of a glorious sim-
plicity.
Best of all Dr. Gresham is a gracious, cultured,
and likeable human being, who radiates a cheerful
spirit, a warm heart and an undefeated faith. God
give him many years to crown a powerful preaching
ministry.
THE SCROLL 117
Impressions of Mexico
E. K. HiGDON
We saw Mexico in February. There had been no
rain since September and would be little or none un-
til June. The thirsty fields lay gasping in the sun
while whirlwinds snatched their loose top soil and
swirled it in lofty spirals into the sky. Thousands
of acres of bleak, drab countryside stretched end-
lessly along the highway, and revealed in their gray
cracked features the ravages of the dreary dry sea-
son.
In places where a little water or a well-planned
irrigation system slacked the parched throats of
small plots or larger acreages, citrus fruits and
vegetables grew in abundance. But there had been
frosts in northern Mexico in January — killing
frosts — that bowed the proud heads of many of the
heavily laden orange trees and turned tomato
patches into feeding grounds for birds. Only the
cactus, the ever-present, everlasting cactus, and the
date palm, bearing its small and seedy fruit, seemed
to defy both drought and frost.
But where there was water, there was life. Flowers
blossomed, the grass was lush, gardens grew green
with vegetables, and fields of corn, beans or sugar
cane gave promise of good crops. The contrast was
astonishing. The country-reared members of our par-
ty saw amazing possibilities in rural Mexico if ade-
quate irrigation could be provided.
The Mexican farmer always has a hard row to
hoe. His implements are very little more modern
than a hoe and the row has been harder for the
past three years because of almost unbroken
drought. In the state of Aguascalientes, the farmer
onvs rnrn in fhp citv at $1.80 a bushel to feed his
118 THE SCROLL
family. Com and beans are his daily bread. The
government took action last winter to prohibit the
feeding of com to animals — they must make out
on slim pickings in the meadows and fields — and
on March 5, the president of the republic placed
240 items on the price control list, corn, beans and
rice among them. The lot of the farmer is drought
and dust and high jgrices.
But we did not always have dust in our eyes.
We saw between Laredo and Monterrey large
orchards of orange trees heavy with fruit, some-
what damaged by frost, yet yielding truck loads
for shipment and huge golden heaps for roadside
stands. We saw a variety of vegetables, nuts and
fruits in the market places all across the Republic
and enjoyed epecially the custard apple, the papaya,
the mango, the avocado, the chico and the guava.
We met on the highways large loads of white onions
— tons of them — in transit to the United States.
Vineyards flourish in the region between Aguascali-
entes and Los Haro. The mission farm at Pabellon
has about 9 acres planted to grapes. Maguey also
grows in this area but not so abundantly as in
many other parts of Mexico where it is cultivated
for fiber (hemp), paper, vinegar, molasses, medi-
cines, rope, thread, and three native drinks.
While the farmer of Mexico drives a little burro,
a scrawny horse or a hungry ox, or hitches two of
them together in an oddly mated team, to a plow
that would be a museum piece in Indiana, Illinois
or Iowa, the city-dweller lives and works in a
setting as modern as tomorrow. There are slums,
there are dirty streets — but each householder
sweeps the streets in San Luis every day and we
saw several of the sidewalks of Aguascalientes
getting a good scrubbing every morning. Tourists
THE SCROLL 119
spend multiplied millions in Mexico annually and
the cities get the most of it. Construction is under
way everywhere — a thirty-million peso university on
a brand new location in Mexico City, residences
in Aguascalientes, underground stores and shops
in Guadalajara. A housing project in the capital,
a single building, provides every imaginable facility
for 1071 families, probably 5000 persons. Swim-
ming pool, recreational rooms, nurseries, a shop-
ping center — all under one roof and no rental
is more than one hundred and twenty-five pesos
($15) per month. Occupancy is limited to low-
income government employees. The community is
named for President Aleman. When the building
was ready for tenants to move in and enjoy not
only their apartments but also the rooms adequately
equipped for social and recreational purposes,
someone suddenly realized that there was no pro-
vision whatsoever for personnel to supervise such
activities. So the president of the republic tele-
phoned to Taylor Reedy, general secretary of the
Young Men's Christian Association, to ask the Y
to take that job. An agreement was made for the
Association to do so for a year, then review the
situation and make further plans. A new contract
was being drafted.
We learned of other cases where government or
business concerns have provided buildings and
equipment for recreation and seemingly have given
no thought to securing trained personnel. But the
Protestant church has an entirely different record.
Its facilities are nothing to brag about but its
policies and programs are well formulated and its
staff members, Mexican and missionary, well
trained.
The Disciples work in three cities and two rural
120 THE SCROLL
areas — San Luis Potosi, Aguascalientes, Mexico
City; Pabellon and Los Haro. We visited these
stations to list, observe, and describe the jobs of
each missionary; to see how each lives; to note the
educational, cultural, recreational, and medical
facilities available to the missionary and his family ;
and to get some knowledge of the institutions he and
his Mexican colleagues have established, the move-
ments they have started, and the service they give
through them. This information will be useful in
selecting and training men and women for Chris-
tian work in Mexico.
In San Luis Potosi the Howard Holroyds have
jobs and responsibilities enough for three or four
persons. Home, school, church, station, mission
duties and opportunities could fully occupy their
time but Howard must also find 20 hours or more
per week to teach English in private classes. This
he does to supplement an inadequate work budget
and to introduce his students to Christ. In addition
to her other tasks, Mrs. Holroyd teaches their
daughter, Mary, her high school subjects. There are
only a dozen Protestant churches in this city of
perhaps 150,000, and two of them, located about
a mile apart, are Disciple congregations. We ob-
served the World Day of Prayer in the older build-
ing with a company of 20, ten Mexicans and ten
Americans.
Sr. Daniel Lopez de Lara has brought to the
ministry of this congregation, not only his fervent
spirit and good organizing ability, but also the
benefit of his years of experience in Christian social
service that made the Center highly successful in
Aguascalientes.
Colegio Ingles pleased us immensely. Pupils and
teachers radiate joy and good cheer. One hundred
THE SCROLL 121
seventy-eight boys and girls, 28 in kindergarten,
150 in the first to the sixth grades, had just begun
the new school year. They gave a program in honor
of our party, a program that amazed and delighted
us. They formed a procession along the sidewalk
from the school to the church and marched into the
social hall with emphasis on the left foot. They
marked time with that foot until the music ceased
and then sang the school song with vigor and en-
thusiasm. The fifth graders mounted the platform
and recited a welcome in unison, explaining that the
program would have been more elaborate had they
had more than six days to prepare it. The third
grade boys and girls did some folk dances and the
sixth grade girls acted the "Lindo Michoacan," a
dance featuring brightly painted wooden trays. A
group of costumed kindergartners consisting of a
duck, a gaucho with a dainty mustache, a uniformed
general, a clown, two boys wearing broad brimmed
black hats, and a Dutch girl; a fifth-grader "or-
chestra" — a director and five members with imi-
tation instruments — singing, humming and toot-
ing; girls clowning and singing an act — these
provided the comic relief and their audience reaction
was hilarious. Some TV and radio "comedians" in
the United States might boost their rating if they
could watch these children. The most impressive
educational features of the program were the piano
solos and a handicraft demonstration. A dozen or
more of the older pupils sat on the floor on the
platform and made paper baskets and greeting
cards, then filled the baskets with cakes and candy
and presented one with a card to each guest from
the United States.
The Holroyds said that the station needs an ad-
ditional missionary, a public health nurse, to serve
122 THE SCROLL
the underprivileged in the Colonia community where
a newly-organized congregation worships in a
Crusade-built church. And they cited cases of un-
necesary infant mortality because of ignorance of
the care of babies.
The Aguascalientes station, established more than
thirty years ago by women (C.W.B.M.), is now
entirely manned by them. May Wilson, Ruth Leslie,
Pearl Gibbons and Leila Calender are the mission-
aries. Both Mexican men and women — teachers,
preachers, doctors, nurses, business men — do much
of the work and bear their share of the responsi-
bility.
The social center (Centro de Morelos) and
Sanatario de Esperanza (Hope Hospital), a 15-
minute walk apart, became the home base of our
party for ten days. The life of the Protestant com-
munity revolves around these institutions and the
Church.
Scmatario de Esperanza is housed in a two-story
structure that has about 30 rooms, all told, large
and small. That and a native-type guest house at
the back of the lot where relatives of patients may
cook and sleep were the only buildings for 12 to
16 patients, a dozen staff members, medical and
non-medical, and the missionary. The place was
nearly always crowded and no relief was in sight
until a residence just across the wall on an adjoin-
ing lot was bought. It was for sale when we were
there and the hospital administrative committee
hoped that money would be available to purchase
it at once before someone persuaded the owners
that they should not sell to Protestants. The deal
was closed soon after we left and Hope Hospital
now has room to house its employees and to care for
a larger number of sick people. But it still lacks
THE SCROLL 123
essential equipment and facilities. The need of a
proper conveyance to move patients from the operat-
ing room to their beds illustrates this deficiency.
An improvised carrier made of canvas stretched
across two poles was all they had. The nurses
carried post-operatives on this contraption up and
down stairs and the wonder of it was that they broke
neither their own nor the patients' backs. I speak
with some feeling because I helped the doctor carry
one man, a rather skinny fellow at that. In March
a modem stretcher on wheels was purchased in
Mexico City and was first used when a neighbor,
a large heavy man, had an emergency operation.
We saw the church building at its festive best. It
was decorated for a Sunday wedding and the pews
were filled. Sr. Arturo Andrade, the pastor, made
the occasion memorable by his dignity and poise
throughout the impressive ceremony, by his rever-
ence and devotion in administering the Lord's Sup-
per to the couple in their new relationship, and by
his excellent sermon on the Christian meaning of
marriage. For in that congregation the bride and
groom do not rush away from the altar with an atti-
tude of "It's-all-over-now-let's-get-out-of-here-as-
quickly-as-we-can" but they and the wedding party
remain throughout the worship service, occupying
seats of honor.
People - Places - Events
F. E. Davison
Have you read "A Hoosier Parson — His Boosts
and Bumps"? If so, you have been introduced to
Edgar Fay Daugherty. Even so, you really don't
know him unless you have been a friend of his
across a period of years. No book ever written by
his facile pen could give a true, picture of Ed
124 THE SCROLL
Daugherty.
In a recent review of the book which I wrote for
The Christian Evangelist I opened with these words
"Like the author this book is different. It is not
a novel nor is it exactly an autobiography. It is Ed
Daugherty in action and that is something to behold
whether he is casting for bass, getting a bead on his
deer, slinging the King's English or preaching the
gospel."
Some four decades ago I met Ed Daugherty for
the first time. It was at a district convention held
in Anderson, Ind. He gave an address at that con-
vention. I do not recall his subject but I do remem-
ber his speech. He sat the church up before the
people and diagnosed its ills. He concluded that the
church was suffering from "conventionitis." He
then prepared the operating table and proceeded
with the surgery. I sat with open-mouthed wonder
not so much at his message as at his vocabulary. He
knew all the medical terms. He called in rapid suc-
cession for the operating tools and finally did a neat
job of seamstress work on the patient. Whether the
patient died or got well I never heard but I certainly
did enjoy the operation.
When I was in my first resident pastorate at
Spencer, Indiana the First World War broke out.
Passions were running high and when the communi-
ty wanted to increase the sale of Liberty Bonds they
arranged for a mass meeting and invited Rev. E. F.
Daugherty of Vincennes to be the speaker. Ed came
and for forty minutes held the audience spell-bound
as he hung on the gallows Kaiser Wilheim and his
associates with all the gory details. We all cheered
the speech to the echo but some of us went home
and asked the Good Lord to forgive us (and the
speaker) for being so bloodthirsty.
THE SCROLL 125
Great art we are told is contrast with unity of
design. Dr. Daugherty is just that. During his long
and successful pastorates there have been times
when the saints of the community would fight for Ed
while the underworld would be ready to assassinate
him. A few week later Ed would do or say some-
thing to shock the saints and the sinners of the com-
munity would declare him to be "A Great Guy."
In theology he was both a liberal and a conservative.
Some would complain about his unorthodox habits
but others would tell just as quickly about his tender-
ness with those who were sick or in trouble. He
always fought the liquor traffic with both fists but
so far as I know he was never invited to speak for
the "No-tobacco League." In fact a visit to the
"Hoosier Parson's" study was something for the eye
to behold and something for the nose to comprehend.
When Ed Daugherty heard the call of the wild
and went West to grow up with Los Angeles he
wrote back and asked me to become his assistant.
I was tempted but resisted the temptation — beyond
doubt to the profit of both of us.
About a dozen years ago I had the shock of my life.
I had known that my good friend was ten or twelve
years older than I but because of our warm friend-
ship I had always thought of him as one of my gang.
I went to call on a woman in my parish who had lost
her mother at Muncie, Ind., where Dr. Daugherty
was pastor. During our conversation this woman said
"The funeral was held at the Jackson Street Chris-
tian Church and the sweetest old man had the
memorial service." Certainly a dozen years ago I
never thought of Ed Daugherty as being old. If he
is an old man now (which I stoutly deny) he is one
of the sweetest old men I have ever known. If you
don't believe me, read his book "A Hoosier Parson
—His Boosts and Bumps."
126 THE SCROLL
Notes
The Institute at the Convention
There will be "midnight sessions" of the Institute
at the Convention in Chicago. An important pro-
gram already set will occur Wednesday night, May
21. It will be a joint session of the Institute and the
Roger Williams Fellowship, the American Baptist
counterpart of the Campbell Institute. The meeting
will be in the Sherman Hotel. Mr. Gene Bartlett,
the effective young minister of First Baptist Church,
Evanston, Illinois, is the President of the Roger Wil-
liams Fellowship. Fuller details of this and other
meetings of the Institute at the Convention will be
given in the next issue of The SCROLL.
The Next Issue
The next issue of The Scroll will be devoted
primarily to the problem of the Disciples of Christ
and the City. The leading article will be by J. J.
VanBoskirk, executive secretary of the Chicago Dis-
ciples Union. It is a challenging article that deals
with a life and death matter.
Unfortunately the days of the Convention will
be too crowded to allow many Disciples to "get the
feel" of the problems of churches in the city. The
immensity of this city can often overwhelm even
a long time resident. Recently a resident of twenty
years reported that he took a new route across the
city to a western suburb, and entered for the first
time a huge city within the city which he had never
seen before. He saw schools, churches, hospitals,
synagogues, masonic temples, factories, parks, thea-
tres, boulevards and residential areas that were new
to him. He wondered whether anyone in the area
had ever heard of "the true faith." The answer is
THE SCROLL 127
"No." They are ignorant of it in exactly the same
way that the residents of Stalingrad are ignorant
of it. Such sections of Chicago are not a "home"
missions field. They are a "foreign" mission field.
We are just as foreign to the residents of such
an area, and they to us, as the inhabitants of
Yakutat (approx. 140 W, 60N) . One of the gravest
handicaps to our work in the cities is that we are
approaching it with the traditional "home missions"
mentality, whereas our foreign mission experience
probably provides far more guidance for methods
of future expansion in the cities. Chicago has fifty
political wards, each a city in itself. The Disciples
are represented in no more than six of these wards.
In many of them. Protestantism is a negligible
force. The next issue of The Scroll will deal more
extensively with the problems of the churches in
the city.
Visitors to the Convention who are interested in
seeing the advance of our local Chicago churches
should include a visit to the Morgan Park Christian
Church where Dr. Kenneth Bowen is minister. The
church has just completed an attractive expansion
of its building facilities.
The Morgan Park church is fourteen miles south-
west of the centre of the city in a very attractive
residential area — perhaps the most attractive in
Chicago since it has some "hills" — average eleva-
tion about 30 feet, which is a decided prominence
in this otherwise flat metropolis.
The church is on a corner facing a small park,
amidst curving streets. The church lot is irregular
in shape, and the only space for expansion was the
128 THE SCROLL
back of the lot. A very skilful modern design has
been used to provide an assembly and dining hall,
new offices and class rooms. The addition, because
of the shape of the lot could not be large. It has
been very successfully accomplished, and the rooms
provided are gracious in feeling. They will provide
a very welcome addition to the social and fellow-
ship life of the congregation. Dr. Bowen, his build-
ing committee and architects have displayed real
ingenuity in this project.
Three Ships and Tugboats
The nautical editorial venture ''Three Ships"
has brought to the former editor and to the present
editorial board more response than the Italian jour-
ney of our ship of state.
In fact, even the treasurer received response from
the article in the form of contributions over and
above dues. One contribution from C. M. Sharpe
suggests that a new figure "The Tugboat" should
join the traditional "Iron Men" which has had such
rich financial connotation in the Institute's past. This
designation is for all who are rising to the challenge
of this hour in the life of the Institute by "towing
the 'Three Ships' forward into the uncharted sea
of the coming years." So . . .
Needed : Iron for the Scroll as of yore,
Men whose three bucks are cheers from
the shore.
Needed: Tugboats who will give more and more,
Men in the surf braving Deficit's roar.
Iron Men and Tugboats that Three Ships may see
Calm seas and smooth sailing to Fiscality. ^^
THE SCROLL
VOL. XLIV FEB.-MARCH, 1952 Nos. 6-7
The Midnight Sessions
During the International Convention in Chicago
fhere will be three meetings of the Campbell In-
stitute, on the first three nights of the Convention.
Two of the sessions will deal with vanguard and
rearguard problems of our Brotherhood life. The
third meeting will be a joint session with the Roger
Williams Fellowship of Baptist ministers. This Fel-
lowship is the nearest Baptist counterpart to the
Campbell Institute, though there have been some
distinctive differences between the two groups. Both
the Institute and the Fellowship have been informal
associations of the liberal men of the two brother-
hoods.
Monday, May 19. 10 p.m. to midnight. Morrison
Hotel, Roosevelt Room. "A Life or Death Matter
for our Brotherhood: Mission Imperative" Can
we move to the new level of home missions re-
quired by the new methods of community building
which have appeared since World War II?
Tuesday, May 20. 10 p.m. to midnight. Morrison
Hotel, Roosevelt Room. "The Disciples in the Civil
Courts" Are the recent court cases an attempt to
discover the line along which a division of the
brotherhood can be made?
Wednesday, May 21. 10 p.m. to midnight. Sherman
Hotel, Louis XIV Room. Joint session of the Camp-
bell Institute and the Roger Williams Fellowship.
138 THE SCROLLj
//
Exploring Chicago and Its
Chyrches'"
... On the first day of the Convention, May 19, 1952
10:00-12:00. Briefing Session, Chicago Temple, 77
West Washington, Recreation Hall. At this time
Samuel C. Kincheloe, John Harms, and others will
discuss such questions as : What is happening to
Protestantism in cities? Why have the Disciples
done so poorly in the large cities of America? What
are the present opportunities in cities? Irvin E.
Lunger, chairman.
1:00-5:00. The Exploration, sightseeing buses
leave from the Temple. The Exploration will see a
cross section of the city : beauty spots, the worst
slums, a rebuilt area and a new suburb where the
Disciples are responsible for the only Protestant
churches, the outer city, the airport, the oldest
church of the Disciples in Chicago.
Reservations must reach the Chicago Disciples
Union, 19 South La Salle Street, Chicago 3, by
noon May 17, accompanied by the $2.00 fee which
pays for the buses. A limit of 200 may make the
exploration.
God's Will
W. C. Clarke, Duluth, Minn.
God's will pertains to the whole of life and not to
just a few prescribed activities. The acceptance of
this fact would make a vast difference in the life of
the world, a difference that would greatly improve
the life of the world.
Since each individual human being is an individu-
al and must accordingly live a life peculiarly his
THE SCROLL 139
own, it follows that God's will has to be adapted to
each individual. For God has so constituted each
individual that it matters how he does the things he
has to do. Everything he does must be done in a
certain way in order to accomplish properly its
purpose. Man recognizes this as the right way. Be-
cause it is the right way it must be in accord with
God's will.
How is man to know the right way and accord-
ingly know what God's will for him is?
God does not tell any man in so many words just
what his will is with respect to each of the infinite
things he has given this man to do. Man has to
make that out for himself.
How is he to go about this undertaking?
The situation requires him to think. God has giv-
en him the mental capacities he needs for this think-
ing. What man has to think about is the experience
of himself and others, as related to the particular
activity he is contemplating. For example, if it is
eating and drinking that concerns him, he has numer-
ous problems to solve. He can not expect God to
tell him in so many words just how to solve these
problems. He has to rely on his experience with eat-
ing and drinking. He may not like to think that
God's will pertains to such matters. But it does.
And experience, the experience of himself and of
others, is his only means of knowing God's will
with respect to this matter. God does not tell him
directly what to eat and drink, or how much, or
when. But God has provided man with a guide post
to help him out. This guide post is satisfaction.
When the solution he has adopted for his problems
yields him satisfaction he feels that he has found
the right solution. And if it truly be the right solu-
tion then he has proceeded in accord with God's
140 THE SCROLL,
will. But experience may give him a problem here.
His solution may give him immediate satisfaction
but ultimately dissatisfaction. From this he would
have to infer that his solution was not in accord
with God's will and be forced thereby to discover
a better solution.
It may seem questionable that God would be re-
sponsible for such a situation. But it is inexplain-
able without God. Its justification is to be found in
God's purpose with respect to man. Because of his
experiences man has concluded that life is a school.
Man is not responsible for the fact that life is a
school. He has to refer this fact to God. God is the
founder of the school and he also is its teacher.
Through this school God teaches man the advisabil-
ity of righteousness. That is the purpose that God had
in mind when he founded the school. Righteousness
requires of man certain traits of character. What
traits he expects is well set forth by the author of
Ephesians. This author tells us that God set out from
the beginning to make of man a saint, a being well-
pleasing in his sight. Man must require intelligence
and strength of character if he is to direct his life
in such a way as to make' it accord with righteous-
ness.
It is a gratifying fact for man that God's will is
not an arbitrary matter. God does not require from
man obedience to his will for the mere sake of obedi-
ence. That would make of man a slave. God has
so constituted matters that obedience to his will
by man is the one thing that enables man to realize
his own well-being. Often activities in no wise
tributary to man's own personal well-being have
been advocated as activities commanded by God.
Christ condemned this idea severely. It is the es-
sence of what he called hypocrisy. He condemned
THE SCROLL 141
the Pharisees because they upheld this idea. They
did not fast because fasting was beneficial to their
bodily well-being, but because they considered it as
commanded of God and therefore meritorious in
and of itself. They looked upon praying in the same
way. Saying a prayer was per se meritorious.
The church of today would be a more effective
instrument of man's salvation if it went before the
world with a concept of God's will for man as some-
thing intended for bringing about man's true well-
being in all of life's affairs. It should not present
as God's will activities that are simply arbitrary
and therefore of no personal service to man or his
fellows.
The Sociology of Recruitment
Where do ministers come from?
It has been the common assumption in America
that the greater number of miniters came from the
farms and rural areas. If one were to examine the
place of birth of the active ministers of today who
are over fifty-five years of age, this assumption
would undoubtedly be borne out. If you think of any
of the great pulpiteers and church organizers who
are now in the later years of their service, you re-
call that originally they came from the farms. As
recently as twenty years ago it was still true that
the majority of the students entering seminaries
were born on the farms and lived there through
their teen age years. While this still may be true
for a few seminaries throughout the country (and
for one or two among the Disciples of Christ) it is
no longer true for the majority. There is at least
one seminary among the Disciples of Christ which
in fifteen years has not had an entering student who
142 THE SCROLL,
was born and reared on the farm.
No one knows the exact percentage with respect
to this matter but they are important in three re-
spects :
1. They raise questions regarding the areas in
which recruitment should take place.
2. They raise questions regarding the training of
the ministry. Thirty years ago it was necessary to
give men of rural background an understanding of
the city. Now it may be necessay to give city men
an understanding of the rural character of our
nation. Men who have been raised in the city have
thought patterns and values other than those of
men brought up in the rural areas. Different educa-
tional approaches must be made to men of different
background.
3. What are the consequences of this shift in
the background of the source of ministerial supply?
A further aspect of the shift in the source of sup-
ply is that an increasing number of ministerial re-
cruits are coming from the larger metropolitan cen-
ters rather than from small towns. Another reason
for this may be that those responsible for recruit-
ing operate most efficiently in areas where people
are congregated most densely. However, when any
man enters the ministry the most decisive factor is
not that he has been recruited but that he is respond-
ing to a religious impulse.
A generation ago the religious character of rural
life was considered a highly valuable background
for the ministry. As a young man had lived close
to the earth he had become acquainted with the regu-
larity and force of natural processes. In the long
hours spent following the plow his mind had ranged
on important themes. There was a quietness and
serenity about rural life that led to contemplation.
THE SCROLL 143
It created souls with a deep inward sense of satis-
faction. It made for men of strong arm and patient
temperament. The frequent sight of brilliant star-
lit skies and of the country at night had increased
the sense of God's majesty. The farm-bred youth
developed a natural piety, free of the artificial-
ities of civilization. This kind of experience un-
doubtedly shaped the souls of the great American
ministers of the past.
When a city-bred youth comes into the ministry
it is out of a different kind of background of ex-
perience. He has seen humanity in its most sordid
and most degraded forms as he has walked through
a city. The life about him has moved with a hur-
ried pace. His acquaintance with nature has been
sketchy. His acquaintance with elaborate organ-
ization and the impersonality of modern life has
been intense. He has lived in the midst of extreme
competition. Rather than the great stabilities he
has been acquainted with the great instabilities.
He has seen the extremes of poverty and wealth.
He has seen the individual person swallowed up
in the crowd. He may have had access to a richer
culture but he has also been subject to vicious in-
fluences. If the city has not already destroyed
him by the time he is twenty-one it says something
for his character, but it means also that he knows
how powerful the source of evil may be. The city-
bred youth always develops a "toughness." This
toughness can be one of two kinds. It may be the
toughness of the gangster. On the other hand, it
may be the tough-mindedness of young men who
know that there are no easy answers to the problem
of preserving civilization. Such men will likely be
intense rather than patient, though not necessarily
impulsive. They may have to be taught patience.
144 THE SCROLL,
When confronted with human problems they may
have a realistic sense of the urgency of the situ-
ation but lack also sufficient faith in the steady
natural processes which could also be relied upon
for improving the world. They are likely to have
a real respect for organization and a readiness
for cooperation because they have experienced the
effectiveness of organization in many areas of life.
They may over-estimate the values of organization.
They know that religion could use organization
without being overcome by it. At any rate, they
are a different breed of men from their predeces-
sors in the seminaries.
We need to learn from what parts of the nation
and from what social groups the minister is now
being recruited. Such a study might help us to
locate areas and groups which are not being ade-
quately recruited now. We will not really under-
stand the nature of the ministry, that is in the
making for the churches until we have some new
understandings of the sociology of its recruitment.
0. F, Jordan Builds a Church
The Scroll has mentioned several new churches
in the Chicago area which might be visited by Con-
vention goers in May. To Institute members the
greatest personal interest may center in the new
Community Church of Park Ridge, Illinois, which
will be dedicated on June 8. The minister of the
church is 0. F. Jordan, and the dedication will
crown his years of great service to the Christian
cause in the Chicago area.
0. F. Jordan has been a member of the C. I.
almost from the beginning. He served for several
THE SCROLL 145
years as the Editor of the C. I. Bulletin and has
been a familiar, regular, and important participant
in the annual meetings and midnight sessions. He
was for many years on the editorial staff of the
Christimi Century.
The dedication on June 8 will bring to its fruition
an enterprise that began thirty years ago. Just at
the close of World War I, 0. F. Jordan answered
the call to the Community Church of Park Ridge,
Illinois, then a village on the northwest edge of
Chicago. The church plant consisted of a stately
but small red brick sanctuary, already 50 years ago,
at the main intersection of the town. With the
boom of the 20's the congregation erected a modern
educational plant to the rear of the sanctuary.
Plans were laid for building the new church. Con-
tracts and commitments to a sizeable debt were all
but made when "Black Friday" 1929 brought about
a caution which Dr. Jordan and his congregation
have never regretted. It meant twenty years more
in the little old church and use of the town theater
for Easter services, but it saved the people from
a burden that might have ruined them. It was
not until after World War II that new plans could
be launched. Now a magnificent church sanctuary
worthy of the strong congregation at Park Ridge
is complete, including the organ. The church is a
handsome "classical style" building, of the most
substantial materials and the dedication on June 8
will be a time of great rejoicing and deep recon-
secration for all.
146 THE SCROLI,
People — Places — Events
February 28, 1952
R. Melvyn Thompson
City of Roses
Earl N, Griggs,
City of Rose-Bowl
Milo J. Smith
The City Celestial
My Dear Cronies:
Five years ago today I wrote you gentlemen a
joint letter. It was my birthday and I started that
letter with the statement, "Today I Am A Man."
After the passing of five years some may feel that
I should say, "Today I Am An Old Man." You
brethren know what a contemptible lie that would
be.
There is a song somewhere that carries the idea,
"You are just as young as your dreams." If that
holds good, I am only at the beginning of my minis-
try. I have never had greater dreams. I would
like to have another forty years in the ministry. In
that length of time I could not only correct some
of the mistakes I have made in the first forty years,
but I would also have opportunity to be in the
thick of the struggle to lead the world from war
to peace and the church from indifference and di-
vision to an enthusiastic unity.
The last five years have been the happiest of
my life — partly because they have been the first
five years I have been two steps ahead of my credi-
tors — but largely because of certain opportuni-
ties of service that have come my way. I well know
that I am indebted to you fellows for some of those
opportunities. What the next five years have in
THE SCROLL 147
store for us only God in His infinite wisdom knows.
I do not ask for tasks to match my strength, but
I do pray for strength to do the tasks that shall be
mine.
This letter is taking on the semblance of a ser-
mon rather than a friendly chat with my buddies.
Three decades ago we were all in the same city
and worked, lunched and played together. There
were times when our conversation turned to phi-
losophy and theology (especially if Milo was there)
but there was also plenty of time for small talk
and the knocking down of each other's ears.
Milo, your promotion, has been the greatest
change that has come to our fellowship during
the past five years. For so long we depended upon
you to straighten out our "thought kinks" and
youi were not at all hesitant about doing it. We
can recall those days out on the Riverside Golf
Course when you would step up on the tee, take
that peculiar stance of yours and shout the warn-
ing, "Boys, this hole is for blood !" That is the way
you played the game of life — you played it hard
and with your eye upon the goal. Here on earth
you might say mean things to our face, but we
always knew that behind our backs you were fight-
ing our battles. While we are lonely without you
I feel certain that it is fortunate for us that you
have gone on ahead. We will come to the "Day
of Judgment" with greater assurance because we
believe "Old Milo" will be near the gate pleading
our case and appealing for Divine Mercy to be
shown toward us. Soon after you get us within the
portals we want you to round up Clay Trusty, Henr-
ry Herod, Charlie Winders, Harry Pritchard, Art
Dillinger and others, for a bull session and some
good stories — yes, you might bring W. H. Book
148 THE SCROLL
along so there will be no dull moments.
Tommy, I shall always remember that dark night
we spent together recently when Alice's life hung
in the balance. After we had left the hospital and
were eating at the restaurant, people would stop
to talk to you about 'this or that' and after they
were gone you would say, "Maybe that was im-
portant." Nothing was important to us that night
except winning the fight for life. Thank God, that
battle was won and the skies are clear for you again.
Earl, you too have recently walked the hospital
floor waiting for your beloved companion to come
back from serious surgery. During that time I
was able to be with you only in spirit and through
correspondence. We rejoice over the good news
of what God hath wrought through a surgeon's
skill, nurses' ministry and the earnest prayers of
loved ones and friends. Those sermons you have
been sending me recently are masterpieces and in
my opinion they make some of the sermons in "The
Pulpit" sound like the twaddle of infants.
You remember, Milo, how you were always go-
ing to provide a place for our retirement out on the
Montana plains where we could raise white-faced
cattle. Well, now Griggs is going to get a ranch
out on the wide-open desert where we can raise
alfalfa and I suppose eat the flowers therefrom.
Tommy has made me no attractive offers yet but
I think he has his eye on Florida. He will perhaps
buy a motel down there and let Ruth and Me live
in one of the cottages while I do the janitor work
for him.
Let me warn you all. This is no time to talk
about retirement for a young man like me. My
tires are still good; my engine runs well (a little
slow on the pickup occasionally) ; my front and
Mission Imperative
J. J. Van Boskirk
Exec. Secy., Chicago Disciples Union
The United States has become a nation of nomads.
60% of all Americans moved between 1940 and
1947. 20% move every year.
The current "butter and guns" program of govern-
ment and industry prevents settling down. Millions
are taking their nomadic existence as a matter of
course.
// America is to be Christian 25 years hence, A
MISSION TO AMERICA MUST BE LAUNCHED
NOW!
Effect of Mass Migrations upon Religion
People tend to leave their religious affiliations he-
hind them when they move. They usually have to
be re-won by the church in their new community.
Every major Protestant body achieved its growth
in America by winning the nomads of other great
migrations.
The Disciples of Christ grew phenomenally by
confronting the settlers of the agricultural mid-west
with a reasonable religion. Our fathers met that
frontier.
Today A NEW FRONTIER, far greater than
any that has gone before, IS IN THE CITIES. The
Disciples have no adequate strategy to meet this
challenge.
The New Frontier
There are three aspects of the urban frontier:
the inner city, the rebuilt city, and the growing
fringe.
1. The Inner City
The inner city, where millions of people live, is
the valley of the shadow of death — death of
churches, death of moral values, death of Protestant
Christianity.
Multitudes moving into the city must live in the
inner city where rents are cheapest.
They do not intend to stay so they ignore the
churches around them. They plan to move to the
suburbs as soon as they are able. Many of them
are never able to find the home they desire, but,
in frustration, they continue to HOPE — and to
neglect the churches around them.
The churches wane with the spiritual lives of
the people around them for many of whom even
HOPE is dead, and FRUSTRATION is the abiding
presence.
This is the valley of death and disillusionment
that the Home Missions Congress called "THE
GREATEST MISSION FIELD IN NORTH
AMERICA"
la. The Disciples and the Inner City
In Chicago the Disciples have a church in the
heart of the inner city. 30 years ago it was one of
the most powerful of our brotherhood. Its Sunday
School numbered over 1,000. It was in a good neigh-
borhood.
Today it has less than 270 members. It needs help
if it is to survive and serve.
The Chicago Disciples Union and the Illinois
Christian Missionary Society refused to desert the
inner city and, in cooperation with the church, main-
tain a missionary to call in the homes of the 50,000
people who live within one-half mile of the church.
Ours is the only "old line" Protestant church with-
in that circle.
This church will die unless greater support is
given. Shall we permit this church and others like
it to die?
If so, what of the thousands of people around it?
Do the Disciples of Christ have a missionary re-
sponsibility for such areas, or do we minister only
in "nice'' communities?
The Disciples of Christ m/mt choose.
lb. The Rebuilt Areas
The inner city of Chicago, as in other big cities,
is being rebuilt piece meal.
40 square miles are marked for redevelopment.
But what will happen to the Protestant churches
there?
// present tendencies go unchanged, they will
disappear.
The immediate neighborhood of the Disciples'
church in Chicago's inner city is now marked for
clearance and rebuilding. If we are to have a church
in the rebuilt neighborhood we must act now to
help the church survive the time during which the
old houses are being torn down and the new ones
built.
What are the Disciples going to do about this and
other such churches in other cities?
2. A Rebuilt Area — With our Church in it??
A tract at 63rd and South Parkway has been
cleared, and a homeowners' cooperative community
of 694 housing units is being built. The builders
will not admit a denominational church since they
feel it would divide their community.
In this they are like most developers.
However, because of the good work of the Church
Federation, they have agreed to admit one church,
selected by the Federation.
The Disciples have been asked to serve this com-
munity of 3,000 homeowners IN BEHALF OF CO-
OPERATIVE PROTESTANTISM.
The Chicago Disciples Union and the Illinois So-
ciety propose to have a chaplain in the field when the
first families move in.
He will call on them, serve their needs, tell them
of the Church that will be built, organize sings and
get-togethers, Sunday School, afternoon activities,
worship services.
The builders will provide temporary quarters. Ne-
gotiations are in motion to secure land for building.
The church will be situated near the intersection
of the two principal streets of the section of Chicago
where half a million Negroes live.
It will be an experiment in churching redeveloped
areas in the cities. Unless cooperative Protestantism
makes some such plan work its influence will rapid-
ly decline to the vanishing point in the inner city.
Will the Disciples of Christ take up its rightful
share of this ministry? We must choose.
3. The Growing Fringe
Population is growing fastest on the fringe of the
cities. Communities of 5,000 to 15,000 spring out of
cornfields.
Such a development is HOMETOWN, a city of
1,700 housing units which will house 5,000 to 6,500
people, now going up on the southwest edge of
Chicago.
The Disciples have been asked by the Church
Federation to take responsibility for churching this
city as the representative of cooperative Protestant-
ism.
What shall the Chicago Disciples Union say to the
Federation :
1. The Disciples of Christ has a policy of moving
into X number of such communities each year
and perhaps this can be one of the number. ? ? ?
2. The Disciples of Christ has no national strate-
gy for doing this sort of thing, but the Chicago
Disciples Union and the Illinois Christian Mis-
sionary Society w^ill undertake the responsi-
bility.???
3. The Disciples of Christ cannot serve with an
interdenominational church program to repre-
sent cooperative Protestantism.???
A Brotherhood Problem
Much of the Brotherhood is not located in great
and growing cities.
Should it, then, be concerned? Should all the re-
sponsibility rest upon the brethren in the cities
affected?
Urbanism is the problem of the whole nation, not
of the cities alone.
The Disciples of Christ is a national body; not
simply a "rural people."
It is only by such bold united action that the
Disciples can even match losses with gains. Our
rural churches have been stranded by the ebb of
population. The downtown churches in the great
metropolitan area died during the last generation.
The downtown churches in medium metropolitan
areas are now dying. The downtown churches in
cities of 75,000 or more have reached their peak and
will decline in the next generation.
Where will the Disciples of Christ be 50 years
from now?
We must choose.
Needed — An Effective Strategy for Building
In 1945 a comity assignment was given to the
United Presbyterians in an area being built up near
Maywood, Illinois. The denomination secured hous-
ing for one of its better young ministers and set him
to work to build a church.
The denomination gave $27,000 to the building
fund and loaned $19,000 at 1% interest.
The rest is being dug out of the community.
Today, six years later, the church has a parsonage,
a church plant that would cost $130,000, a member-
ship of 540, a budget of $20,000, and is growing by
leaps and bounds.
This is no isolated instance. More spectacular ac-
counts can be made. It merely illustrates what can
be done when a denomination is willing to put ade-
quate resources into a church to enable it to come
to maturity rapidly.
Such a procedure is necessary to church today's
frontier.
— Building restrictions will bar the rude buildings
formerly used.
— Unless the denominations, through the church
federations, have acted in advance to secure proper-
ty, there will be no site upon which to build a church.
— The residents are young with growing families,
ynortgaged heavily for home and car, finable to af-
ford capital output for building.
The church should be there to welcome and in-
tegrate the newcomers into a community; rather
than arriving, tin-cup in hand, after the brides and
bridegrooms have arrived AND THE DOOR IS
SHUT.
While the people of HOMETOWN and other such
places will not take the initiative for a church . . .
THEY WILL RESPOND to a dynamic Christian
program — a missionary program — initiated by those
who care enough.
The Disciples have more money than the United
Presbyterians ...
But they haven't been willing to risk so much m
one place.
A Crusade asking for one state was $10,000 to
build TEN new churches.
Will the Disciples ALWAYS arrive with too little,
and too late?
The Disciples of Christ must choose.
A United Protestant Approach
A denominational strategy should be geared into
a Protestant grand strategy to reach the new "fron-
tiersman" of America.
He has no enthusiasm for the denominational war
cries of the past.
Protestants must act together to bring a mission
to modern America. The Disciples belong in the
forefront of that movement.
Chicago Disciples are Concerned
The Disciples in Chicago believe that the future
of Protestantism is being determined in the cities.
In 50 years Protestantism will be a vestigal remain
in the backwash of American culture unless a bold,
ecumenical strategy is undertaken NOW and carried
through. They see evidences of this all about them.
Through the Chicago Disciples Union they have
been trying to work out answers to the problem.
Yet, despite the fact that they believe they are
in the midst of the most strategic mission field in
the world, they have refused to take less than a
world-wide, brotherhood-wide approach.
During the Period 1945-1951 the giving of the
churches to Unified Promotion steadily increased.
. . . GIVING TO THE CHICAGO DISCIPLES
UNION HAS NOT JEOPARDIZED OUR
WORLD-WIDE MISSION . . .
HOWEVER, the Chicago area churches are small
and few.
— They are combatting forces which threaten
American Protestantism.
— They know they will he among the first to he
destroyed.
— They are fighting for their lives AND FOR
THE BROTHERHOOD.
THIS IS TO ASK BROTHERHOOD LEADERS—
Does the Brotherhood as a whole recognize the
urgency of the crisis brought upon us by the new
nomadic existence of Americans?
Does the Brotherhood acknowledge a missionary
responsibility —
1. for a Christian witness in the inner city?
2. for a share in churching the rebuilt areas
which demand a united Protestant approach?
3. for extending the church into new communi-
ties, where otherwise a generation of pagans
will grow wp?
IF SO — WHAT IS THE MEASURE OF THAT
RESPONSIBILITY?
Should we look toward a total strategy for A
MISSION TO THE NEW AMERICA OF URBAN
NOMADS, or should each city and state work out
its own problem in its own way with its own re-
sources ?
In facing this MISSION IMPERATIVE we should
remember that we are a Brotherhood — "members
one of another" — whose concern is for the UNITY
and TRIUMPH of God's people.
Reprint from Scroll, April, 1952
THE SCROLL 149
rear bumpers are well padded ; my battery has been
recently recharg-ed at a Martinsville sanitarium,
and my horn can still honk as loud as ever.
God bless you, Merry Gentlemen. Your friend-
ship has enriched my life. I am like the long-time
church treasurer who was called on for a speech.
He said, "Friends, you will never know how much
I owe you!" I reach out my hand across the miles
and even to the Celestial City to greet you on the
date of my birth.
Always,
Your friend,
Davy
What Is the Disciple Doctrine
On the Ministry?
W. B. Blakemore, Chicago, Illinois
Most of my life I have heard it said that tra-
ditionally the Disciples of Christ make no dis-
tinction between clergy and laity. Most of my
fellow ministers pride themselves on not being
a special group within the church — of not being
set apart. In this kind of assertion all of the
Disciple ministers whom I know, conservative,
middle-of-the-road, liberal, fundamentalist, those
who deny the name Disciple and use only the term
Christian, and all the ministers of the Church of
Christ have been of one mind. If I had been asked
to name one doctrine on which all "Campbellites"
agreed I would have said that it is the doctrine
that all the members of a congregation are minis-
ters, and that there is fundamentally no specially
distinguished group within the congregation which
is "The Ministry." I would have said that up till
150 THE SCROLL
ten o'clock this morning. At that moment, I dis-
covered that there is one Campbellite who does not
accept that doctrine, namely, Mr. Alexander Camp-
bell. I was reading pages in the Christian System,
pages that I have read frequently before. On no
previous reading had I garnered the sense of what
Mr. Campbell was declaring. He was declaring for
what is sometimes called a "high doctrirne" of the
ministry.
Perhaps, on previous occasions, I had been mis-
lead by Mr. Campbell's italics. The best thing to
do is to reproduce his words. I am going to take
the liberty of de-italicizing. I am also going to
take the liberty of italicizing one or two sentences
that Mr. Campbell left in Roman type. Perhaps
thereafter you readers cam think about these pass-
ages without either set of italics. You will still
discover that the doctrine of the ministry presented
by Campbell is not that anti-clerical or non-clerical
position with which we sometimes credit him.
The following lines are copied from The
Christian System, Chapter 25 on "The Christian
Ministry."
"The standing and immutable ministry of the
Christian community is composed of Bishops, Dea-
cons, and Evangelists So long as the Chris-
tian body is an organized body, having many serv-
ices to perform, it must have organs or officers by
which to enjoy itself and operate on society.
.... We have said these offices are three, and
of perpetual because of necessary existence. Bish-
ops, whose office it is to preside over, to instruct,
and to edify the community — to feed the church
of the Lord with knowledge and understanding —
and to watch for their souls as those that must
give an account to the Lord at his appearing and
THE SCROLL 151
his king-dom, compose the first class. Deacons, or
servants — whether called treasurers, almoners,
stewards, door-keepers, or messengers — consti-
tute the second. . . . Evangelists, however, though
a class of public functionaries created by the church,
do not serve it directly; but are by it sent out
into the world, and constitute the third class of
functionaries belonging to the Christian system.
.... Evangelists, as the term indicates, are per-
sons devoted to the preaching of the word, to the
making of converts, and the planting of churches."
. . . . (The evangelist's) work is to proclaim the
word intelligently and persuasively — to immerse
all believers, or converts of his ministry — and
to plant and organize churches wherever he may
have occasion; and then to teach them to keep the
commandments and ordinances of the Lord."
"But, we shall be asked, "Is not preaching and
baptizing, and even teaching, the common privi-
lege of all disciples, as they have opportunity?"
And we also ask in answer, "Is it not the privilege
of all fathers to teach their own children and to
preside over their own families?" But who will
thence infer, that all fathers are teachers and
presidents, does not more shock common sense,
than he who infers that all disciples, as such,
are evangelists, pastors, and teachers, because we
concede that in certain cases it is the privilege of
all the citizens of Christ's Kingdom to preach,
baptize, and teach. Every citizen of Christ's king-
dom has, in virtue of his citizenship, equal rights,
privileges, and immunities. So has every citizen
of the United States. Yet all citizens are not legis-
lators, magistrates, judges, governors, etc. Before
152 THE SCROLL
any community, civil or religious, is organized,
every man has equal rights to do what seemeth
good in his own eyes. But when organized, and
persons appointed to office, then whatever rights,
duties, or privileges are conferred on particular
persons, cannot of right belong to those who have
transferred them; any more than a person cannot
both give and keep the same thing."
"... A Christian is by profession a preacher of
truth and righteousness, both by precept and ex-
ample. He may of right preach, baptize, and dis-
pense the supper, as well as pray for all men,
when circumstances demand it. This concession
does not, however, either dispense with the neces-
sity of having evangelists, bishops, and deoxons;
nor, having them, does it authorize any individual
to assume to do what has been given in charge to
them. Liberty without licentiousness, and govern-
ment without tyranny, is the true genius of the
Christian institution."
"All its officers, whether for its services at home
or abroad, when fully proved, are to be formally
and solemnly set apart by the imposition of the
hands of the presbytery or eldership of the church.
The whole community chooses — the seniors or-
dain. This is the apostolic tradition. ... It is im-
mutable.
"... Perhaps it may be necessary to say that
classic presbytery and the presbytery of a single
church are very different institutions. The Apostles
ordained elders (a presbytery) in every church.
They did not make young men old, but set apart
those that were seniors in the Lord to the office
THE SCROLL 153
of overseers. They did not make juniors seniors,
but they did make elders bishops.
The community, the church, the multitude of the
faithful, are the fountain of official power. This
power descends from the body itself — not from
its servants. . . . But the body of Christ, under
him as its head, animated and led by his Spirit,
is the fountain and spring of all official power and
privilege."
There it is. The members of the congregation
are not, for Campbell, the ministry. They are the
source of power and the electors of the ministry.
But they themselves are not ministers. The minis-
try is a distinct group, made up of three classes,
and set apart. Once they have been assigned their
duties, the performance of those duties by anyone
else is no longer a right, but a concession which
may be claimed in emergency circumstance. Roman
Catholics, as Campbell records, allow this same
sort of concession.
It was not a clerical system as such which Camp-
bell opposed. He did oppose a clerical system that
had its source of power and privilege somewhere
other than in the whole multitude of the faithful.
And he thoroughly abhorred clerical pride. But
Campbell certainly held a high doctrine of the
ministry — a distinct group, requiring special
qualifications, set apart — as an inescapable and
necessary element of the Christian system.
154 THE SCROLL
^^More Impressions of Mexico^'
E. K. HiGDON, Indianapolis, Ind.
The program of play and recreation at the Social
Center in Agnascahintes no longer engages the
scores of participants, and attracts the hundreds of
spectators who crowded the grounds and courts when
there was no other field house in the city, and that
part of the property where out-door games were
played has been sold. But plenty of space and equip-
ment remain for a playground and a part-time di-
rector is in charge. The monthly meetings of the
150 members of the English Club, the daily sessions
of eight or ten English classes, the Open House
program every Friday night, the operation of the
library, the frequent meetings of committees; the
accounting, letter-writing and other business inci-
dent to the offices of treasurer of the station, of
the hospital and of the church building fund, and
secretary of the mission; and the hustle and bustle
preparatory to the entertainment of guests from the
United States and of missionaries and Mexicans in
Mission, executive committee and Retreat sessions
— all indicate that the social center becomes all
things to all men to win some.
Mexico City. Our only other urban work is in
Mexico City. The Fred Huegels sent us a message of
welcome and expressed regret that they had to leave
for Buenos Aires before our arrival. We visited the
Union Theological Seminary where they teach and
saw the class rooms and chapel but classes were not
in session. We called on Prof. C. R. Kellog in his
home to ask him for information needed on our
mission farm. He teaches in the seminary, keeps in
close touch with rural churches, and knows the
latest agricultural developments for the benefit of
THE SCROLL 155
Mexican farmers.
Pabellon and Los Haro. Our rural work is near
Pabellon and in the Los Haro region. The Paul
Kepples and Paul Jr., the Byron Spices and Hallie
Strange constitute the missionary staff in Pabellon
and nearby Centra Rural "Huentepec" (Rural Cen-
ter-Mountain of Light) ; and Florine Cantrell and
Jessie Law, both nurses, are the missionaries as-
signed to Los Haro. The two stations are about 180
miles apart, three hours by auto on an excellent
highway and one over an exceedingly rough country
road.
In Pabellon Hallie Strange presides over Casa de
Hogar where ten public school girls, nearly all from
rural districts, have a happy Christian home. Two
more could be admitted. They learn to cook, to sew,
to care for their rooms, to sing, to play the organ,
to speak English, to appreciate nature, to have a
balanced diet, to live peaceably together, and to
know God.
The Spices also live in Pabellon although he is
the manager of the farm. The Pabellon station was
opened in 1947. It has no organized church but
there were 32 in Sunday School on February 11,
the attendance in the Intermediate Christian En-
deavor was 35 that day, and the Women's Society
had a dozen or more at their meeting later in the
week. The Kepples and the Spices preach, teach,
sing, sponsor youth groups and cooperate in other
ways with the Mexican pastor and the lay readers.
Marjorie Spice gives piano lessons; Byron is the
station photographer.
The Kepples live on the farm a mile or two from
town. Paul is Director of Centra Rural de "Huen-
tepec." Ella is housekeeper, home maker, teacher,
author. Both teach in the training school that was
156 THE SCROLL
inaugurated on February 18 when the Center was
dedicated. Young Paul studies high school subjects
at home (his mother tutoring), runs the tractor,
installs the plumbing in the new buildings, makes
himself generally useful.
Byron Spice not only manages the 100-acre farm
but also teaches agriculture in the training school.
The 8 or 9 boys in this school are preparing for full-
time Christian service, five have finished the first
six grades in public school, two have completed
two years of high school, but the others attend the
town school until they are ready for secondary sub-
jects. Then they, too, will give full-time to the studies
in the training school — Spanish grammar and lit-
erature, mathematics, history, English, music, agri-
culture, Bible and two hours of farm work per
day. The boys learn to drive the tractor and to
operate modern farm implements. But they also
drive burros and horses hitched to simple tools
such as their parents and future parishioners use.
They will learn the value of fertilizers, of crop ro-
tation, of multiple crops ; (they have helped Byron
plant 39 varieties of wheat, oats and barley) ; of
irrigation; of reforestation and other conservation
measures. They already know how precious water
is for some of them have helped carry from a source
two hours from home every drop their families use.
Its scarcity has given rise to the saying in Zacate-
cas that the family bathes on the stairway. They
are deeply interested in the five connecting shallow
wells (10-15 feet) that were dug recently and now
provide water for six acres; and the one-seventh
interest in a deep, very costly well that irrigates 6
to 7 acres on another part of the farm. They may
also share in the thrill of solving the rural prob-
lems suggested by William Vogt, Chief of Con-
THE SCROLL 157
servation Section of the Pan-American Union, in
"Road to Survival" :
"... in the Mexican state of Michoacan, a tired
little Indian woman balances a rusty gasoline
tin on her head and stolidly trots ten miles — five
miles each day — for her daily supply of water.
She can neither read nor write, and she has no
way of knowing that when her pueblo was
built it was near a clear cold spring that gushed
from the hillside. The sterile landscape about
her, gray stained with sparse grass and clumps
of maguey, tells her nothing of the rich forests
that once built soil for leagues about her town."
(Readers Digest — January 1949 — Page 140)
This is an experiment in training farm-bred boys
and girls so that they will be eager and proud to
serve in rural parishes when they finish the course.
Both students and teachers will have interesting
experiences. Byron reports that he was explaining
the organic matter in the soil and he told the boys
about organic compounds. Some of them knew
that water is composed of hydrogen and oxygen
and even understood that carbon dioxide is a com-
pound. But Byron got beyond their depth when he
discussed valence, the force that holds compounds
together. They looked blank when he explained that
some compounds have a valence of one; others, of
four. So he used a simple illustration. It is like
a man who has only one arm, he said. He can hold
hands with just one person. But a man with both
arms can hold hands with two persons. The boys'
faces brightened, they nodded their heads in under-
standing, Byron repeated the illustration. Several
days later on a quiz, he said, "What is valence?"
One boy replied, "A man with only one arm."
We have no farm at Los Haro. But the staff there
158 THE SCROLL
has met the needs of rural people in other effective
ways. Nurses and midwives give pre-natal care
to expectant mothers on twenty ranches, the most
distant an hour and a half on a horse ; they delivered
93 babies last year, going- to the homes for this
service; they teach mothers how to feed and bathe
infants; every day at the clinic, they give injections,
treat wounds, make diagnoses. They train girls for
some of this work in a two-year course. They have
a social center, conduct playground activities, teach
illiterates to read and write, hold youth conferences,
organize Sunday Schools and have one Women's
Society. Jackson, the thorough-bred goat, has im-
proved the breed and greatly increased the milk
output in the entire community.
We are helping the people of Mexico at the points
where their needs are deepest: (1) education, (2)
rural reconstruction, and (3) a saving knowledge
of Christ. The Survey of Service reported in 1924
that the life expectancy of a Mexican was only 15
years. Now a new-born Mexican baby may look
forward to 40 years. On March 4 the master of
ceremonies on the radio program, America United,
remarked that that was a short time to accomplish
a life purpose and a man on the panel who had been
in countries where the people live on an average of
2000 calories per day (a caloric intake of 1800 is
necessary to sustain life) replied that it is not long
to live but it is too long to go hungry. Our mission-
aries and nationals are earnestly striving in the
name of Christ to prolong life and enrich the minds
and spirits of many of our neighbors across the
border in Mexico.
THE SCROLL 159
Though it is a 1952 book, Dr. W. E. Garrison's
A Protestant Manifeso is no longer "news." It has
been widely heralded and well received. At least
in one state, among Disciple ministers it is already
the "book of the quarter" for joint study. It ought
to be made a study book for large numbers of
young peoples and adult classes. If I were a minis-
ter seeking to build up in my people a conscious-
ness of what Protestantism is religiously, this book
is one to which I would turn first. Good as James
Nichols' Primer for Protestants is, it is Dr. Gar-
rison's book which is really the primer. Nichols'
book is more a description of the working out over
four hundred years of the spirit and religion which
Garrison presents.
After introductory chapters defining Protes-
tantism, outlining its origins and varieties and
stating its major affirmations, Dr. Garrison writes
a series of chapters which expound the Protestant
faith by the method of distinction. First he dis-
tinguishes the ideas common to all great religions,
then those which are common to all Christians,
and thirdly those which are distinctively Protes-
tant. The next chapter deals with cherished values
and ways which are not formalized into creeds,
doctrines and polities, but which are constitutive
elements of Protestant faith. Thus the greater
part of the book is devoted to the positive aspects
of Protestant faith. Two chapters deal with those
things which are alien to the Protestant spirit, and
those things which Protestantism definitely denies.
The closing chapter deals with Protestantism's
Word to the Modern World.
Our fellow Institute member, J. Philip Hyatt, of
Nashville, Tennessee, has written a very useful
book about Prophetic Religion. Dr. Hyatt's thesis
160 THE SCROLL
is that the religion upon which Jesus built his owhi
message was the religion of the Hebrew prophets.
Dr. Hyatt then analyzes the religion of the prophets
and answers exactly those questions that the average
reader wants answered. What did it mean to be
"called of God"? What was the prophets' criticism
of the life about them? How did they look upon the
past? What did they expect of the future? What did
the prophets really believe about formal religious
worship? What did they think about political life?
What did they believe about God? How did they
think of sin and forgiveness? It would be difficult
to think up a better set of questions to ask in the
effort to discover the meaning of the Hebrew
prophets for our own time.
William Clayton Bower has recently completed
a book entitled Moral and Spirittial Values in Edu-
cation. It has been published by the University of
Kentucky Press. When Dr. Bower retired from Chi-
cago in 1943, he returned to Lexington, Kentucky
where he had formerly lived. The State of Kentucky
was becoming interested in the larger problems of
the relationship between education and religion. It
sought the help of the University of Kentucky in
carrying out an experimental program in the de-
velopment of moral and spiritual values through the
school experiences of the children of the state. The
University of Kentucky knew that it needed expert
counsel and leadership in such an experiment —
and turned to Dr. Bower. Dr. Bower's role has
principally been at the conceptual level of providing
the ideas for launching the experiment and revising
its philosophy as the work proceeded. His friends
have known how fortunate the State of Kentucky
was in this leadership, but have regretted that the
fundamental learnings of the experiment had not
become generally available. This new book finally
meets that need, and is an interpretative report of
the work done.
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