CHRISTIANITY AND THE MODERN MIND.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 13, 23 December 1911, Page 4

CHRISTIANITY AND THE MODERN MIND.

Christmas is the festival of the home and family life, of fellowship Mid brotherhood, and from this point of view it appeals to the deepest and noblest sentiments of humanity. It is impossible to overestimate the part which sentiment plays in human life. Family affection, love of country, personal friendship, sympathy and sorrow, and the joy of living arc feelings which give colour and interest to existence and make life worth while. Therein lies the social value of Christmas; but its fundamental inspiration and the permanent source ot its vitality is religious, and is based upon the life and teaching _ of the Founder of Christianity. For nearly two thousand years the great question, "What think ye of Christ?" has challenged the heart and intellect of tho civilised world, and never has a more persistent, more brilliant, and, on the whole, more reverent attempt been made to answer it than during tho present, generation. Suchi being the case a glanec at some of the main tendencies of recent thought on this subject cannot foil to be of interest. Underlying all questions of Biblical criticism, miracles, and the historical problems relating to the origins of Christianity, is the mysterious and wonderful personality of Christ. Though the hearts of millions, learned and unlearned, in all ages have known their Master by direct experience, the intellectual solution of the problem of His personality still baffles the greatest scholars," and rival opinions have been put forward in bewildering number and almost infinite variety. During the last year or two the. tendencies of thought have been intensely interesting, nnt to say startling, from many poiuts of -view. In a. recently-published book, for instance, Dr. Dbkws contends that no such person as Christ ever existed and that Christianity is founded on a myth, This is an 'old theory in a modern garb, and finds little support even among the most drastic of modern critics, However, Dr. Drews deserves thanks if only for drawing from Professor von Sodkx, of Berlin, one of the most distinguished scholars of the advanced liberal wing, a masterly .summary of the position in the clear cold light, of impartial history, apart from its theological bearings. Von Sodex summarises his conclusions in these words: All tho authorities have boon solwrly and carefully taken into account, with the rcsult_ (lml the historical character ot Jesus is seen to bo firmly anchored m history. There is 110 Inch of nonthristian testimony to this from a period finite close to the time when Jesus was on earth, Wc know of (lie information received by tho Emperor Claudius about A.n. 50, and bv the Emperor Aoro about a.d. 80. The belief of the 1- )j° r rosta entirely on the cnici* tied Jesus. The origin of the accounts, tfivcii in our Gospels, would, if th?y wero not bn.<sod upon historical fact* be an inscrutable riddle. On the other hand, tho assumption that the picture ot Jesus is a Christ myth, which has taken inrm and substance; rests on no solid foundation whatever, and is encumbered- with so many internal <and external improbabilities and impossibilities that, to champion it, a high dojjreo of credulity is accessary, which dispenses with all anu any kind of criticism, The views of Vox Soden have .the support of an _ overwhelming consensus of Euglish, American, and Continental scholars, both Liberal and Conservative, and the general tendency of rccent criticism has been to strengthen confidence in the main features of the Gospel story. Referring to Harnack's recent books, a Cambridge scholar states that what wc can rccognisc as of very great importance to-day is that the man who is regarded as the first of the German historical theologians has come to the conclusion that the synoptic gospels _ (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) —that is, our main sources for the historical life of Christ—are to be dated very early in the second half of the first century, which would be well within the lifetime of many of those who had direct personal knowlcdge of the Founder of Christianity, His work, and His teaching. Another distinguished critic of the modern school (Mr. Addis), dealing with the reliability of the second Gospel from the historical point of view, writes: Tho historical character of Mark's narrative is attested partly by the fact that it was written when sorao of those who had been "eye-witnesses and ministers of tho Word" stiil survived, partly by the naturalness of the picture whicli it presents and the absolute impossibility that any man, even if ho bad tho gonitis of Shakespeare, oould have produced such a life or even tho main features of such a life out of his own imagination. It is, however, hardly necessary to state that tho last word lias not yet been said regarding the great questions surrounding the early history 6f Christianity. The lim'its of destructive criticism have apparently been reached in the attempt to prove that Christ is not an historic Person, and for some time past the work of _ reconstruction has been going on in many quarters and from various points of view. The Bible is being reinterpreted for the twentieth century in the light of the new knowledge which modern sciencc, philosophy, history, and criticism are making available. Some of the ablest minds of Britain, America, and the European Continent are devoting their best energies to this work, and during tho present year quite a number of very important books on the subject have been published. Confining ourselves'main!v to British scholarship, and tho New Testament writings, wo may mention a work of great ability and critical insight entitled A Study of the Synoptic Problem, written by seven Oxford scholars whose view's have been formed during a long period of associated study. The volume is edited by Dr. Sanday, the Lady Margaret Professor of Divinity at Oxford, who, as the Times reviewer pointed out, "stands out among British theologians as much as ever, and he is as fertile and suggestive himself as he is kindly and wise in estimating the work of others." The book is a. most valuable contribution to New Testament criticism, and is a gratifying proof that British scholars are able to hold their own with the best Continental experts in the scientific study of the Bible. Another first-class book published this year is /hi Introduction to the Literature ot the .Xcw Testament, by Dr. James Momrr, a leading Nonconformist critic. This forms one of the volumes of the International Theological Library, and though one may not agree with all the conclusions arrived st by the author, everyone competent to express an upiii-

ion will admit, the great learning displayed. while higher testimony could hardly be given to the hook than the assurance of many of those best able to judge that il, is quite worthy to be placed alongside Dr. Driver's epoch-making Introduction to the Literature of the Old Testament. Two recent books by a Canadian scholar, Dn. E. F. Scott, namely, The Kingdom and the Messiah and The Fourth Gospel; also Dr. Burkitt's little volume on The Karlksl Sources for the Life of Jew, and The Historical Jesus and the I'hcolor/ical Christ, by Dn. Estlix Carpenter, a leading Unitarian, are well worthy of mention. On the more conservative side we have the decrco of the lloman Catholic Biblical Commission issued in June last supporting the traditional view of the authorship and contents of the first Gospel. It is a hopeful sign of the trend of events that distinguished Boman Catholic scholars arc with characteristic ability and thoroughness reinvestigating the origins of Christianity by means of the most approved modern methods, and _ it will in the future be impossible to disregard the conclusions of experts so well equipped for their work. Limits of space make it impossible to refer to other interesting books, and pronouncements regarding the life and work of the Founder of Christianity, but we cannot pass over without, mention the very remarkable manner in which Professor Sandav has made use of the teachings of modern psychology for the better understanding of tlie personality of Christ. His book, entitled ('hrrstolor/irs Ancient and Modern, met, with much friendly, but very keen, criticism from Bishop D'Akcy, Dr. Percy Garimneßj arid others. This caused him to modify some of his positions, and to express his ideas more clearly regarding the relations between tho human and the divine in the consciousness of Christ in a subsequent volume entitled I'crsonaUt'j in Christ, and Owsclvrs. The theological world is now waiting for the appearance of Dr. San'day's long-promised Life, of Christ,. He recently stated that, the book is designed for two volumes, the first of which \vill_ be preparatory from both the critical and historical standpoints. His idea is to bo constructive and to givo his countrymen something to help them in the period of transition through which they are now passing. It is truly an anxious lime, yet l with all its unrest and unsettleincnt, wo are living in one of the most interesting periods of the world's history. .Religion is not dying. It is merely passing through the dimmer light which precedes the new dawn, the first signs of which are already visible. It is a time for great hopes and high expectations. Leaders of twentieth century thought are doing for their day and generation what the author of the Fourth. Gospel did for his. Writing many years after the other evangelists he docs not simply reproduce the teaching of Christ us it had been handed down. He translates it into a new language (to quote from Dn. Scon's book previously referred to); he interprets it with the aid of later theological forms; he brings it into relation to contemporary problems and interests which had not yet eniorged in the Master's own lifetime; he fills it with new meanings and applications, "Christianity is the absolute because it is the living and ever-growing religion. It possesses within itself an endless power of development and'of readjustment to new, conditions and needs. In each successive generation its message is able to clothe itself in changing forms; while through them'all it remains the authentic message of Jesus Christ."