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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. 


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magazines,  among  them.  The  Nation,  Christian 
Century,  Freethinker  now  called  Common  Sense, 
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accumulated  an  ugly  deficit  by  the  end  of  the  year, 
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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 


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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 


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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. 


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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. 


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"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. 


THE  SCROLL 

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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