Welsh Journals

Student Christian Movement Publications. (1). THE DIVINE REVOLUTION. Studies and Reflections upon the Passion of our Lord. By W. G. Peck. 6s. Readers of the author's The Divine Society will be eager to study this book. In both volumes the writer's interest is in the social implications of Christian Truth; and here he seeks to unfold the social meaning of the Cross. He makes us see the Cross as opposed not only to the present social order, but also to most of the revolutions against that order which have hitherto been attempted or proposed. The first part of the book deals with the motive of the Passion," and the author examines carefully our Lord's conception of His death, and makes a frontal attack on the escbatologioal theories with their hectic picture of a half-frenzied Messiah." The author argues that in going to the Cross (and all His life he was going there), Jesus Christ was consciously revealing the Divine activity in its essential nature. In the second part the author shows how Jesus, engaged upon this end, was received by men; and we have deep psychological studies of the leading characters in the dram,a-Judas, Pilate, Oaiaphas, etc., and the Great Sufferer himself. And right through there is kept before us the meaning of all this for our complex modem life. There follows an appendix entitled Passion and Action where the author addresses himself to the philosophical defence of those assumptions which are necessitated by the Passion as a deed of God. A frank, fearless, closely argued, and challenging book, a welcome change from academic discussions of the Atonement, which surround the Cross with unreality and uncalled-for mystery. (2). A STUDY OF CHURCH HISTORY. to the end of the 13th. century. By G. W. Butterworth. (Paper cover, 2s 6d.). This book has Tutorial Classes in view, and is ex- cellently adapted for its purpose. The ground is covered in 21 chapters making 160 pp. in all. The important points are put clearlv and succinctly before us, and each chapter ends with a list of books for further reading. (3). PRAYERS OF THE SOCIAL AWAKENING. By Walter Rauschenbusch. 3s. Rauschenbusch is a great pioneer of Christian sociology, and his name is a sufficient guarantee of the value of this book. It opens with an essay on The Social Meaning of the Lord's Prayer," and then there follow 112 pages of prayers— beautiful, searching, uplifting. Here are some of the head- ings: For the children of the street," For women who toil," For Immigrants," For Consumers," For Judges," For use in Prisons and Jails," A Tuberculosis Day Prayer," For writers and news- paper men," Against War," Against Alcoholism," A social Litany," On the harm we have done." As a sample we take, at random, the opening sentence from For the Babies 0 God, since Thou hast laid the little children into our arms in utter helplessness, with no protection save our love, we pray that the sweet appeal of their baby hands may not be in vain;let no innocent life in our city be quenched again in useless pain through our ignorance and sin." This book is a real treasure. (4). STUDIES IN THE TEACHING OF JESUS as recorded in the synoptic Gospels. By J. H. Oldham. (Paper cover, 2s 6d.). First published 24 years ago. This is the 8th. edition, completing 32,000. That speaks for itself. The success of the book owes much to its plan. The Teaching is arranged under ten themes, e.g.. About God," About the Kingdom," About Himself," About the Last Things," and the whole is covered in 112 studies. Each study begins with Scripture references, and then follow five or six paragraphs-brief, pithy, pregnant, the author's own or apt quotations from leading authorities; at the end come questions for discussion. Each study con- tains raw material for an excellent sermon. — 112 for 2s. 6d. (5). IN PURSUIT OF TRUTH. By Alex. Wood, D.Sc. (4s.: paper cover, 2s. 6d.). A delightfully written book on an important sub- ject difficult to handle in a fresh and vivid way. It is written on the assumption that the main barrier between science and religion at present is a wrong attitude of mind based on misconceptions of the true nature of science and the true nature of religion. The important thing about science in this connection is not so much its results as its methods. And so the author addresses himself to an able and thorough- going examination of the scientific method-its validity, its criterion, its limitation. We are shown that science cannot provide explanations but only descriptions­descriptions of phenomena and their relationships. There are two excellent chapters on Miracles and the Supernatural," and Mechanical Determinism." Questions for discussion are in- cluded, a valuable bibliography, and an index. The author is obviously a complete master of his theme, and has the gift of lucid exposition, so that the book demands very little knowledge of physical science. The writer's humour is refreshing, and he does not disdain to light up his theme with a good tale, as e.g., that of the student in the L.M.S. express looking up from his treatise on Relativity, and accosting the ticket-collector: Excuse me, but does Rugby stop at this train ?" J.W.H. The Ethics of the Cospel and the Ethics of Nature. By H. H. Scullard, D.D., Student Christian Movement. Pp. i-xii, 1-267. 10s. 6d. In a short notice it is impossible to do justice to the value of this posthumous volume from the pen of Professor Scullard. In one sense it deals with a very ancient theme-the issue between Natural and Revealed Religion-but its concentration upon the ethical aspects and implications of that issue make it an exceedingly timely production. As the Publishers in a brief note declare, the whole system of Christian Ethics has now to stand the fire which was formerly directed mainly at Christian theology, and Dr. Scullard is thoroughly alive to the import- ance of the challenge. A contrast is continually drawn between those who find the sources of morality in the natural order and those who accept the idea of a supernatural kingdom (p. 50) or between the ethics of the Gospel and an ethic which is merely philosophical or one which is based on natural sciences (p. 77). Five chapters discuss the Gospel ethic from five different angles (iii-vii) and they are followed by four chapters which deal with the history of Christian ethics from the Patristic to the beginning of the Modern period. In four succeeding chapters (xii-xv) the Naturalistic or Rationalist Ethics of the last three centuries are under consideration, and in the closing chapter the author returns again to the contrast which figures in the title of his work. It might be said, perhaps, that the contrast is sometimes over-drawn and that there is too little recognition of what T. H. Green called the spiritual principle in nature." But Dr. Scullard's volume is an extremely valuable and learned contribution. He continually relates Christian Ethics to more general philosophic movements through the ages and many ideas, which have been given a prominent place in the thought of Christian teachers to-day and of ethical writers outside the Church, are subjected to searching and acute criticism. Dr. Scullard's knowledge of the history of Christian Ethics is very wide and his pages are full of suggestion. even though one does not agree with every view that is advocated. G.A.E.