RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1978, 7 February 1914, Page 9

RELIGIOUS ACTIVITY.

-*— — ■¥ —*— <- •". CHRISTrAWITY AND RECENT FICTiON. ' SIGNIFICANT FACTS. Just as tho predominant interest of : tho nin«centh century was scientific, so that ot the 'present century is to centre around religious thomes and to be moved by religioua inspirations " bplieves) tho editor of "flip Caiigi-cgatroji* alist (Boistoi-i), and he finds a cioar in--dication of it-in tho religious tone of prcsont-dqy fiction. We must agree, ho thinks, that "nothing is tmiro barometric, of human interest than tho world of fiction." Very wellj then, "consider tho book,! that have recently headed tho list in publb interest":-* " 'The Inside of tho Cup 5 ' which discusses definitely moral, religious, and humanitarian problems, a hook "which |s boing, used to guide discussion in Bible tho hook which has without doubt stirred up more conversation between man and man than any other : one book in A decade, a definitely religious book, with a title taken "from tho gospels; and almost eftually popular, if not equally provocative .of disc-its-SI.OU, A 7. V.'s Byes,' that fino story of tho working of the Christ spirit in tho solution of modern social problems, a novel that closes with .a gospel quotation which sums up tho w'holo purpose of the narrative. That, too, was a host: selte-r," . Only a few years ago, we afo reminded, ."it was rare to hear the religious note in fiction;" "Men wrote about human sorrows and temptation's-and'inspiiaiians, ■ and the (visitor from Mars,'"reading their . books, would never have dreamed that' religions and Sundays and worship and rf:i-»'Aes and tlio teachings of J'cstis existed. . Such topics wore carefully avoided. But now, in fiction and drama, the inspirations of religious faith, the warnings of religious instruction, and especially' the social teachings of religion are coming to the fore and holding the centre 'of attention. Even the titles of books attract by their religious significance: 'The I-n-sido of the Cup/ 'The Woman .Thou Gayest Mo-, 5 . 'The Servant in tho House,' 'The Son of Mary-' BoiM,' 'The Fool in. ChrUt,''; etc. And these books abcuiid in .quotations and incidents which, can only bo apprehended by -one who knows the Scripture to some extent. .... "Another modern nbv-cl, 'lip Way:Home,' by Basil King, centres around the relations of elmrcn and paster and : questions of religious belief,not in. order to .present arguments for 'agnosticism, as was the general case only a '. short time ago, hut ill order to show. that .'saying that beliefs are' untruo' ; does not niako'them so," and the only Way Homo is by the old way of simplefaith in Christ. 1 "Remember also -the popularity of' 6Uch dramatic presciitatioii of religious: t-heiftes as appeared in .'The Servriint iu : the House,' %, Charles Rann J&nnedy, of ,'Tho 'Passing bf the Third Floor' Back,' by Jerome K, Jeroino., or'the fe-. markab'le inteto'st which' was sho.wil'.in ■ the revival of 'Everyman,*""'/;' '"'■'//, ; And it may be tlio most 6jgni'.fiea.n.t'' fact of all, according to/this. WTiter J; ■that this 1 -revived religious interest is' not.confined, to English-speakiiig lands. ~A 6 we read: . '. "There is 'The Fool in Christ/ by, Hanptmann, the Gcriiian,. in which the idea of tho reincarnation of the spirit of Christ is th-a centre of. the; stpry,;-; ~ and 'John,' hy Suderioann, w-liic'h con--fcrasts tho method "of the spirit o.f !JbliiiAlio Baptist with tho coiwuciing' power of him ,'wboss sword is -called Peace and whose battle-cry is Mercy' "In Franco there is Hostaiid., chsrac-; feorising the personality of Jesus, and summarising his teachings ins'ThoSam-j aT^tti^i'';.;• aijdi/ih Pt-ussia, Andre'y'by,. inJ 'Judas Is'caribt,' portraying the conflictbetween tho t'ivo. realms of action rfi-, voalod'in the'contrasted personalities of Judas_ and Jesus, with a-, wonderfully ■beautiful roveiafcion of the- o'harjn of Jesus; and -Selnio, Lagfirlof, of 'Sweden, ivith her 'Antj-CAiri?V on attack on .Jocialism for tho purpose of showing' its inadequacy as a solution of human; problems «nd the -final 'ascendency- of; tho Christ and- 1 his Kingdoiti; and Fontoppidan, of Denmark, with his story of Tho Promised Land,' in which -the., hero seeks the solution of lift doubts ■ and tho ground of. his hopes in every. directiP-n, and fin-ally learns that tho longed-for Saviour of humanity is Jesus of Nazareth. "With'these might . bb 'mentioned', many others, like Frcnssen; of Gcr- : many; Wjdmann, of Swilzeriaii'd; and Fqgaz'zaro, of Italy." Here, than,- are indications that nq ■ other character '"so -dominates tiiodratnatift world as Jesus." that ho personality "so holds the place in the centre' of the masterpieces of fiction,", that, there is "no spirit so often chosen for ■tho iuspiration of. mbdern creative art: as the spirit of Christianity."' liko.ChTirchiU, Harrison, Comfort, Beg-" bie, says the editor of "Ths Coiigrcga-: tionaßs't," "striding to deal with the' cont-radi'ctions and TOhoarahlo cpndi-ti-oijs of mpderft' social scis _ the glimmer *f truth that only in Christ i.6., to be found tho hope of social' rsfor---' mation," , "They voice ihe modern spirit and tho com moil feeling. to-day. Wo, have, much t-p lea.ra, muoh in the wfty of anpHcation to Ihe fundamental, neccs-' sfty of character and individual persoil- ', ality, AS well as in social roorgamßati.osis, but we are oil the right road and faced in the right direction to discover the ultimate solution in tho teachings of Christ and in His, Kingdom." THB POSifION OF THE POPE. '■ "Very striking,'' -remarks the "Tablot," "is the declaration on tlio question of the position of the Pope '.which; ,has been made by Mgr• Anas.ta.'Sto Rossi, Are.tibishop of Udino, at a. great gathering held at Milan, in eolebr.s-tion of tho Constahtinfen Centensry. His Grace bega'i by. showing that tho famous Edict of Constantine gave tho Church not merely tolerance, lint liberty—liberty,- of worship and of government as a legally constituted 'body, as a tr.ue, free society ,sueh as it was founded by 'Christ. This in no way militated against the sovereignty of thb State in its own domain. That there are things outside that domain is clear from the declaration by a- State <if religious ''liberty and .freedom of consfcieiice, and it is therefore equally clear that when tlio State attempts to dis* pose of what.belongs to t'lus religious Micicty it invades and usurps the do-, main of the Church. Constantino, by his Edict, prac-ticaiiy • recognised'' the liberty of the Church constituted as .-v. hierarchy. I'hosft ,-considerations con-' iiected with tho Centenary brought tho Archbishop to examine the chataciter of ■the liberty and independence of the Sovereign Pontiff, for if the Pope bo not free, the liberty of the Church, is inconceivable. He laid it down that the liberty of tho Pu-po raftst. ho real and effective, manifest and above, all suspicion and ambiguity, full nnd complete, stable and intangible, and therefore guaranteed internationally For over a thousand' years this tibisty had been snenrod by the Temporal Powei ! . Now that tlt-fti civil s.overc.ighty had (swn taken -away, couH it bo.; said- thattlio P*>pe enjoyed such been desoribotl as necessary? "Herb tile' Arnhbishop entered Upon the''' vc-f'y diffi* cult qjipstion of what is to ; be done to secure the liberty and independence of the Pu|)L» under pi'esent cbiiditions, .He' disclaimed any intention of defining ■ any- particular solutiQn, an uiidc.ttakiug for which he had neitlver tlip.-a.utlio'r-' it-y. nor tho Competence, But, 'lis "said;. 1 ; it seemed that tho solution for v-.tfe futu-fp -could- not bo the samo-as jfi'tlib past. Society was no longer Christian, On this point His Grace then proceeded as follows:—"Whatever tho solution ■ of'tho difficulty may be, 'the actuajj

.situation .certainly dobs hot guSrantea to tho Sovereign l ) oiit.ifF : .h is true, cbriipfctb, -nmi-'suspec-t, aitdjinrtangible. It is a precarious sitxtatioii ■ which may change wit!) the Accession -pf ijijforont political parties to power; svhio'h is -itutl lias actually been subject to -restrictive;, interpfotatibnsj ias when, far oxaiuploy Article IS''..oh freedom, in. tho haininatign -of .bishops .is rehdbre.il null by tho interpretation of- Article IG that regards tlio exequatur not .as a, simple administrative,; but as a political' measure. Liberty can hare .no guarantee when vtbb state tvhjcl'i-/grants 'it acts as if it tfero tho-only ,arbjtx?r,_ .iinil judges without .appeal. Tlio Archbishop of Westminster was'thcreforo .fully justified in dcscribjiVg tlio existing..guarantees for tho liberty of the, 'Sbyerfiigu Pontiff as illusory-." .Th-e mt»t of Modern research TO REttDjOJJS THOUGHTi GREATER DEBT H OF VJEL-iJw; . I* concluding sortiO' httore.s'ting "Re/ jections suggostoi.by lljo British Assa-cw-tion" Mooting, the Rw, P,j/Rover* wge, B.Sc, contends that religion liaa • gained enormously in depth of view from tho recent advancement of science, Jio proceeds as .fellows;— The ancient prophets in the- strengths at their inspired '.faith in the eternal righteousness of tiro Holy Ono'. wcj:o -enabled to read .in the history of tho-if times. tho troiid of tho coming judgments of God. Tho bopk of ddd's woii jng m that history was laid open before them for a few centuries, and in one little corner of tho earth. But beforo Us is spread the history pf ages mill ages, the preparation for tlio coining ,of tho Son of Man. No circumscribed Corner bf the earth, hut tho whole •world'.' : is before ,us. And hi .'this 'world-wltta and a-gc-loiig view of tho working of, God, lioWjirtuCh- grander and plainer ,*lo His purposes appear! But this world i-n.spaco tend this ago in <- it is the glory -of. recent science that- it has extended the preparation of t'ho earth to millions of. years before tho ap- . pearauco of man—even to tho lium when tho world was a nebulous stardrift, a- cloud on tiro ocean of %ae«. It -is tho peculiar .glory of tlio.,lvce.ni; age that it has carried the talo -of. tlio creation from tlio depth of. the infinite-si* n'inl oiitw.trd's. beyond, ffiiofitriliost star, hack into the labyrinths ,of space- feijuite. beyond,,.tho conception of man, so r.eifiofe, so -fur parted from our Utile earth. that tho imagination faints ■an.tfrtnobrain reels. And what is tho gift to. religion from-, the fields of' tl'icso rust immensities? It-is wide-written, tlier.e. tho same t'r'uth Vend by the seei's of little, Judea, the hcaVo'iis declaring the glory of God and the firmament showing His handiwork. Tho saiuo declaration of glory but deepened, e;rna.iidcd"-a millionfold as it novor was before. Tiia same gloriaus picture- is titcro unf bided ' of- tho evoi'lastiiiig God,..- ..righteous.' ■changeless, eternal, and eternal,' onward march of Bis ..wdv-fe -it is tho. '■ .pictu.ro of tho changeiess Ono- : .in.-;. : tiio faco bf. tlio. ch'ahgh'ig' crCa'tioii, "They shall,.perish, hut Thou -rchVfti'uest; -ajiß they .all shall was old as cloth a'-',g.ai:meii-t,-and "a.s' 4" Vesture. shalt'ThoU fold theiS' up and they . shall r h:b :Tliou.art tho sariie, jiitd %ty year? B:h.a;ll ■ not fa'-i'l.-'' Aitd further aisd- thc'iV'is t-ho enternal advance - j'ii tho ■ work of tho All ■HdJ.V, "Behold J; -.malco- alt ttengs new." Read in the-, light of tlm fews no»v .seen working in tho "-.realm ..of i-iatiirOj' tlio .pietiirb spVe'iid before ua -is ;an- 'awtiit'iiVg''foatiiro'of"filial '.and awful decay, But read ,in'the of tiro, history of what'h'.ns 'liapnbiied," and ''read' too in coiiinnctloh with God's revelation, it is a picture of .'progress-, of e'ter-- ■ nal-advance.' ;This-is,tlio,.gi.ft-o.f..in:dde:m-research to religious thftu.dvt, the gosjie.l, ■of oftterna'l prog-re.ss."; With h.OAv jn'uc'h stron : E;e'r coiifidonc*? vgroUiidod. bii thes(i ; ■ .gleanings ort -Utio ■ ivelds...',ofe'impiPiisfty ■• shall not ho who' ■is'.pe.r'ploxp.d, wit.li.tM drift of things iii time, disappointed, baffled with tho passing iday, say try his - heart, "I will rcmofnb'br tho years at . tho rislit. hand;:of fho aiost Highest;"' With howinucli cle.!i.re.r visibn.-sh.iill not Sire labourer, summoned :Jriom. the, unfinished task, or reijdii.ig 010 promise ill sol.u.t.io"n in tho «f to-day, exclaim with th^-'-.psa-lm-is't,-,"t remeiiihe.red Thrive cverlastii'ig judamonts-, 0' Lotd. and received coiiifbi't-!'? « , THE "COfISfSUCfiVE OUAR. .; TERiY." The Deecm'be.v- issue of ' 'Tho Gort» structjvo Quarterly ll . (Oxford tiiiivprsity•Press) .opoiis' with .nil i'.ntpr.cstin..g articto b.j' IveoHco . d.(\ ■ Gra'iidmaisoit, S.J., a tlistiiign.islro.4-' Froiic'li 'Ronia-ii Catl'iQlic, entifled '"The' Witness..of the ■ Spirit: A PottslfUct.ivo.Essay in. Apolp.■gotics.''' The fr'riter illustrates his- argument, hy references to the, iivps. of .Bt,' ' Paiilj .St. Frauds, of Assisi, Pascals a.nd '.'Newman. ' iiyritiijg p.h "Th'a Ghii'reh .and tho: AVorld '.Brothe.rhqbd,*Dr., Jefforspn.,, of Ne.tv i'orik,'calls upon' Christians of all lands tp. unito in n.bciishing tlio appeal to : arm.S'. "Militsrism," ho -says, "will ho ovorthrbw.-ii' .not by tho smashing of its arinairiehts-, but by tlio.' growth ;d£ a, fratofivai .spirit." Undqr the. title "fsove -in tho Qhureijes,," Dr. :Porcy D.ciirnicr (Aii J glican) puts in a p'letv for. tho ahandbii- , ment of pfosolytrsm .'among th.6 ' d'ifi ' fcroht religious hodicis, -arid .fbr increasing thp occasions of tcgethe'r and df interdenbrn■ul■atilD'il■.al■ Seriiio'-ns and addfessjes- ,Drt J'iimes Lrndsay, a well-known ;writer oft philo« sopliiical fsubjeSts-, coh.trib.utcs.aii ivrtiic'lo on "Priitcstiiritisni-'-.'ihd Catholi.cism: Two methods, eveii nfore than two Beligion?" j Mr, Itamsay MacDpriald deals with "Religion and tho- Labour Movement" from thfe labour Bthnd* point j Father T. A. Firilay, S,J,. gives on jiiistruetivfe sketch of tho good ivorlc .(Vhicli is bfei-ng dono for rural, Irelaiiol 'by the Irish Agricultural Organisation; Society. An art'icle. hj. Br, A, j, Brpwn entitled "High Chji.r£Ji'■Ari|jlicaiiij anil. ■American PrcsbytcHa.iis ■ -i-it Shiintuug: t'liivorsity" gives an. iccbuut. .'of , coopo.rat'id!) in, -cd.ucati.onai'Avbrk which -is" of special interest in view 6f tho JyV 4 kuyu controvcr&y. The other , cftittnbutors are Di ; . voii Bdhscliutz, ' "tho Gospel, and A:sCcticfsm":'; Di> Jlaclri-u----tnsh (New College,', jStliiibvirgli),.. f'Th.o' Eea.rt of tho Gospel and tlib rrea.ch■p'r"; Professor K-rojssiiogc'on, ./.'.R'.c'li-.. gious Freofloin in liiussiiv".; Edivyn Bovttii, "Tho luv.oc.at.ipn of. Saiiits""; Charles-Johnston, "Pa,iil and P,hilb''( ■Dr.. Look (Osfora}, -"Art EngTMli -Stystic.". It is aiiuou.itc.cd that "The -.©bin ■fitrttcti'vo Quarterly" will -begin its; second year With n,'sense..of solid/eucoiirttgomeii'B baged on its ;fec.c'ption- thrbughout ChristclidQin. Its lifois.au . aCf. compiished fact, and its ifpfottA'jViU'nsi mbre exto'ndcbT and yet inb.rocoiic'rote and, definite., '-while loyalty ?<(: tii© p'ositivo policy will bo. intensified. More a'n.cl' lnpro- the sa-pi'b subject. bo treated: by Nyvitcf.s frbfi\ cjiflfcrcirt cliUrbhes, sdniptiiiie's' in :a ; sihgld iss'Vrp, at others in. scpa.-raHo nufflbcrs. iFor i'ji.stftiico, f the : 51 .'issue will cbhtaiii nrficies on 'Faith' '%...« Pr,o,tcst'ant, a llomaii Catholic,, a "Rus'sia'si Or'tlip.ddx,. .and aii. Aiif»Kcan. Thcso will inovit-iihiy . be followed- by other writers iii later issues.'* •-. ' ■ /: Miss fithel .tiksack, tho -clever. Welliiigtou aftialuci' who was ,tho- i-nprvC.-shakpii, .landlady ;; ill' : ; : J'Tho Privato'.:Sebreta'ry:,: ! '-' intends -io : try •■.riorluclt' l: npon :Btigc,:aud:is' : to kiii-a fbr.Sydney with,that'-piid-.'.-iit V.ieiv in April. sl'ißs.il/.issapki's.:.'a.'. : gifto'd. rccsiter, has a possessed pf tho bpmody . -spirit- in-'-'lib ' pniinjifr Jegfte. She is akcbu'siu . b'f-', Mr. Albcft.'AVlifilan, 'tho-: Bt!yr-',',entpr-' tttinor,, ,whp is. alwJljaih..doniand ;ht the, ■ ahs' .Ambriba, *fci;;".;-V^:',^:;";f . Jl*. W, Tafeur^.Aifesre>.lately pite,. bipal tenor With the: Newi'.Cotaio vOpcra.'' CbiftpAUj', w:as..:..tb,.- hivp.- ■cbjnmen'ccd.- ■■'aii:, , , biigagemptit with.'-thb"-Rioli;ard"s : ihaung'e- ; - ■■ ~mcflJ' ou Satardav; iiighfe.la.E-t>. .'"-..' v