Full Text for CTM Book Review 5-6 (Text)

Qtnurnr~itt m4rnlnguttl ~nut41y Con tinning LEHRE UND WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER EV.-LUTH. HOMlLETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLY-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. V June, 1934 No.6 CONTENTS p~ e Die rechte Mitte in der Liturgie und Ordnung des Gottes- dienstes. L. Fuerbringer. . • . . . • • • • • • • . • • • • • . • • • • • . . .• 417 The Story of the German Bible. P. E. Krel mann . • ••••.•• , 425 Zur Lehre von der Reue. Th. En~ ,lder .• . ••.•.••••••.••• 445 Der Pastor in seinem Verhaeltnis zu seintn Amtsnachbarn. \V'1. H e' ne . • . • • . • • •• 4~6 Sermons and Outlines ... . 466 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich -Zeitgeschichtliches . . .. 478 Book Review. - Literatul' .................... . ...... , 489 Eln Prediger m .. nlcbt .nelo IDtidma, aJeo d er dj~ Scbafe unterweise, wle lie recllte ObrlRm 1O!!e:: .. 10, IOndem .nch danebi 'tl d... WoeltfD tofhrm, daaa lie die Scba1e nlcht angrellen 1DId mit falacber Lehre ftrluebren und latun) eln· fuebm!. - lA,tw. £3 lot keln Din!:. daa die Leute lIIehr bel d.r KU'cbe bebaelt denn dl~ CUI4 Pr' dll'(l;. - .Apowou • .Art. !.t. It tb~ trumpet rive UI IIDC<'mln 1OUIId, who ili~U p~ ... hllM'!lf to the battle t i Ofn'. U , 8. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States OONOORDU PUBLISHING BOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. ~ -ARCHIV: Book Review. - .\Jiteratur. 489 Book Review. - £ttcratur. The Interpretation of St. Mark's and St. Luke's Gospels. By R. O. H. Lenski. Lutheran Book Concern, Columbus, O. 486 + 761 pages, 5%X8%. Price, $4.50, net. Order from Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. The Lenski series of commentaries, of which this is the third volume, have drawn the attention of conservative theological circles throughout America, and that with good reason. Though one may not like the oc- casional overemphasis on the philological side of the exposition, no one will deny that the work is painstaking and thorough. In many passages the light thrown upon the true meaning by the author gives a great amount of satisfaction. We are pleased to note that the author places Matthew before Mark and that he defends the authenticity of the end of Mark. The discussion of Quirinius and the census is short, but adequate for ordinary work. He contends for the three-verse form in the G-lo'ria in elDoelsis, which will certainly appeal to many. We do not always find ourselves in agreement with the exposition, as when the author, in Mark 4,30, makes Jesus the mustard kernel or when he occasionally uses lit- eralistic translations; but the work on the whole is on a very high plane of excellence. The author's position on election is given in the exposition of Mark 13, 20: "The elect are elect because God's grace succeeded in bringing them to faith and to heaven; the non-elect are what they are because they obdurately and to the very end rejected this saving grace of God. God wanted to include all men in the elect; many absolutely re- fuse to be included. Since the whole course of the world and every man's complete life was present to God in all eternity, He then already made His election." - The mechanical make-up of the book is excellent, and the Lu- theran Book Concern is to be complimented on putting this splendid book of over 1,200 pages on the market for such a low price. P. E. KRETZJYIANN. :!lie lIDunbet beB ineuett ~eftllmetttB. Wege unb snolllege i~rer IDeutung in bet aaen .fritdje og 3ut Wtttte bes fUnften ~a~t~unbetts. mon Lie. Theo- logiae 19 e r man n 5 dj lin g e n fie \l en, Qjribatbo3ent an bet Unb berfitiit monn. metIag bon ~. mettelSmann, ®iitetsIo~. 1933. 228 5eh ten 6%X9%. Qjreis: M.8.40, fartoniert; M. 10, geounilen. (is ift bies ber adj±unb3tuan3igfte manb in bet 5ammfung tuiITenfdjaftfidJer WtonDgra\l~ien, bie afS due lRei~e in ben /lmeittiigen aur tyotberung djtifHidJer ~~eologiell (~erausgegelien bon D. ·sn. 5dJfatter unb D. W . .\JUtgett) erfdJeinen. Wo man aui£) bas borHegenbe mudJ auf]dJHigt, es ift immer inteteITant. IDem merfalfer fommt es nidJt harauf an, hie Wunber bes 9leuen ~eftameng im arr~ gcmeinen au llef\lredJen; er tuill bte1me~r batIegen, tuie bie aIte .RirdJe i~nen gegen~ liller geftanben ~at. ~in mM aUf bie ~n~am·angalle bet bier ~eUe aeigt bies fofod: /II. IDie neuteftamentncf)e WunbetiilierIteferung lid ben a\loftoHfdjen matern. II. 51)as ®egenbiIb bes neuteftamentnd)enWunbers in bet a\loft~\l~b f(~en £Ueratur. III. 51)ie mettadjtung ber neuteftamentlidjen Wunberoetidjte unter a\lo!ogetifdjem ®efii£)ts\luntt. IV. IDie Wunber bes sneuen ~eftameng im ®raullen unb in ber £e~te bet .Rirdje." Wit ~allen es ba~et ,eigentndj mit rinet 490 Book Review. - ~iteratur. fitd)en~iftorifd)en 6tubie au tun. iYteUid) wil! bet merfaffet me~t fein ·aIS tin bloflet !j!~otograv~ alter Wleinungenj er ~offt, burd) feine ~rbeU feinen ,3eit, genoffen ~e1fen 3U fiinnen, Me red)te 6tetlung 3um lillunber einaune~men. lille~' ~alb er abet in ber ~inleitung fagt (6. IX): ,,910d) immer ~ettfd)t untet uns bem neuteftamentricl)en lillunberbericl)t gegeniibet eine tiefgreifenbe met!egen~ett, bon bet faum ein 3eitgeniiffifd)er iYorfcl)et gana au~genommen fein biitfte", ift bem offenbarungsgTaubigen 2efet etwas unberftiinblid). $:Jet Unglaube ~at bie lillunber ftets abge1e~nt j bet gliiubige (!l;~rift etfennt fie boU unb gan3 an, wenn er aucl) mituntet feufaen mUfl: ,,~cl) glaube, liebet ~~rrj ~Uf meinem Unglau, ben!" lillii~tenb jeneiJ lillod unb ~iet unb ba Me ~titif, bie an ben 6d,ltiftfteUern bet alten ~ircl)e geiiM wirb, lBebenlen in uniJ ~etbottufen, lefen wit mit 0.lenug, tuung (6. 219): ,,~rft ben ffieformatoren wieber war es gegeben, 3wifd)en bem aUmiid)tigen, fd)iivfetifd)en lilliden 0.lottell un)) bem mermiigen bell Wlenfd)en, aUd) bell frommen Wlenfcl)en, Har 3U unterfd)eiben. ~ine ganae lillelt bes frommen 6d)etniJ betge!Jt bariiber in ein 91id)ill. ~n neuer ~taft abet leud)tet ba~ ~ban' gelium auf, bas bon benlillunbern bes ~(,'fttn unb feinet lBoten 3eugt, ba~ (,'fban, gelium, in beffen metllinbigung nad) bet m.et~eiflung bet 6d)tift bas einft 0.le, fd)e~ene feine 0.llauben widenbe Wlad)t unb 0.legenwatt be~iilt bi~ 3U- bem ::tag bet fommenben moUenbung." $:Jer folgenbe 6at, aus bem 6d)luflwott genom, men, mad)t uns einigermaflen mit bet ~nfd)auung bell metfaffet~ befannt (6. 219) : "lillas ~a~t~unbette ~inbut.d) iiberwiegenb 0.legenftanb teligiiifm ::triiumenll unb 6d)wiitmens obet ftagwiitMget tationalet 0.llaubensbegtiinbung gewefen wat, wit)) bon i~t [bet (!l;~tiften~eit] wieber bot aUem alS 0.legenftanb bet 3U (!l;~tiftull betufenben !j!rebigt betftanben, in bet bet einft geoffenbarte, er~ii~te ~(,'ftt mit fetnet €:5iinbe, 910t unb ::tob itbetwinbenben Wlad)t nad) feinem eigenen lBefe~l unb mit lnettrauen aUf feine ,3ufage aIS lebenbig gegenwiitt1g beaeugt wirb." lillii~renb wit un~ nid)t bet~e~len woUen, bafl einige ~usfvtad)en bes metfaffet~ uns mit ,3weifel etfiiUen, ob feine (!l;~tiftologie witflid) Me be~ 91euen ::teftaments ift, fo miiffen wir feinem lBud)e bod) unberlliraten ::tribut 30Uen, wenn wit aUf ~nlage unb ~u~fii~tung ber unternommenen ~tbeit ad)ten. lBefonbed 1ft ~et' bllt3U~eben, bafl bie in ben iYuflnoten beigebtad)ten aa~lteid)en ,3Uate immet genau im ,otiginal angefii~tt wetben. ~ud) foUten wit nod) etwii~nen, bafl bie 6ummietung bet ~ngriffe aUf bas neuteftamentlid)e lillunbet feitens bes (!l;elfus unb bell !j!otv~\Jriull unb bet 0.legenatgumente bet d,ltiftlid)en ~vologeten einen 0.llanavunfi bes lilletfell bUben. lill. ~ r n b t. Conscience. By O. Ha,llesby, Ph. D., Professor in the Independent Theolog- ical Seminary, Oslo, Norway. Translated by O. J. Oa,rlsen, M. A. Pub- lished by Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, Minn. 157 pages, 51f:,X7. Price, $1.00. Professor Hallesby presents the Scriptural doctrine of the conscience most impressively. He thoroughly explores the vital issues connected with the workings of the conscience, takes issue with "the evolutionistic concep- tion of morality" and with the antinomian tendencies found also within the heart of the Christian, and points out the distressing situation pro- duced by the erring conscience and the evil estate of those who, persisting in ignoring the voice of conscience, are deadening, or have deadened, their consciences. If we would have our people bow before the authority and majesty of the conscience, we shall have to impress upon them these truths: "Then comes that which is most remarkable of all. The judgment Book Review. - Biterutur. 491 which the I pronounces upon the I is entirely ojective and unbiased. . .. Here it is no longer a question of what is pleasant or useful to me, but of what is right. Here it is not a question of what I desire or wish, but of what I should or ought to do." (Pp. 14. 19.) Our author does not find it necessary to resort to the use of scientific terms and abstruse conceptions in treating of these deep matters. He has the happy faculty of presenting the clear teaching of Scripture in the simplest of language. .And the lan- guage employed by the translator is clear and fluent English. In view of all this we deeply regret that we cannot recommend the treatise unquali- fiedly. There are a number of statements with which we cannot agree. It is particularly the pietistic-synergistic theory of the pl'ogressi1)A con- version, of the status medius, which mars the book. "Through this awaken- ing God has now made possible the oonve1'sion of the awakened soul. The latter must now choose. He is free to choose whatever he wills. But he must choose. . .. At the very moment that the awakened soul makes this decision to repent, he performs the first act of faith. He believes in the Law of God. . .. In the latter event it is clear that faith is a fruit of con- science. . .. If he chooses to submit, faith is born within him ... as the Gospel is then preached to the awakened soul, who now, by believing in the Law of God, has 1'cceived new ea1'S with which to hear the Gospel" (italics ours); "we see how faith in the grace of God begins to grow .... In repentanoe the sinner decides to submit to the authoritative demands of his conscience, to fulfil the requirements of the Law, and thus makes his life conform to the will of God. By the choice which he thus makes in repentance he attains simultaneously to faith." (Pp. 67 f. 96 f. 126.) And on page 127 we have the explicit term "the early stages of his con- version." This section of the treatise lacks the clarity that inheres in the other portions. Naturally. One cannot form a clear concept of a case where there is awakening and the stirring of spiritual faculties before the creation of faith, of life. And the matter becomes more confused by the author's emphatic repudiation of all synergistic implications. Professor Hallcsby does not want to make room for synergism. "As long as I, ac- cording to my inherent nature, think that I must have a part and that I must assist the Savior in accomplishing my salvation, whether it be by repentance, contrition, or faith, so long do I put forth opposition to the salvation of Gael, whether I myself realize it or not." (P. 102.) Tha.t is a fine statement. Man has no pa.rt in accomplishing his salvation. But the theory of the status medius, holding that spiritual powers are working towards conversion in the heart of the "awakened," not yet fully con- verted sinner, does virtually assign to man a part in accomplishing his sa,lvation. - Aside from these aberrations the book offers very valuable material to the preacher and pastor. Tn. ENGELDER. At the Lord's Table. Edited by Daniel Nystrom. Augustana Book Con- cern, Rock Island, Ill. 127 pages, 5X7l,6. Price, $1.00. Order through Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. A collection of fifteen preparatory, or confessional, addresses by as many pastors of the Augustana Synod. If these excellent, Scriptural, in- teresting, and appealing addresses are really, as stated in the foreword, "typical of the sermons preached to our people at Communion service," 492 Book Review. - ,\litetatut. pastors as well as people are to be congratulated. In striving to guard against a "too materialistic conception" of the words of institution one of the contributors says: "It is Christ's personality we receive, and that is infinitely more than flesh and blood. That is spirit and life." (P. 46.) We cannot allow the use made of this distinction. The Swedish term for the preparatory acldress (skTittetal) is etymologically referred to "Scrip- ture" (p. 60); we have been accustomed to connect it with the English shrive and not directly with the Anglo-Saxon sCTifan. There is a notable uniformity of treatment and unity of doctrine in these sermons, without conformity to any stenciled pattern. The book is worth the attention of our pastors. TH. GRAEB~ER. ~nbien unb bni3 a:ijriftemum. I. :teH: ~nbiie!)e \ytiimmigfeit. II. :teU: ila~ !Ringen bell ~~tiftentumll um ball inbife!)e molt mon !lirof. D. theo!. iJ i (f 0 lID i arb 0 @3 c'(J. 0 mer u ll. muc'(J~anb(ung bell lIDaifen~aufell, iJaUe=@3aale. 1931. 1932. I. :tei! VIII unb 198 5eiten. !lireill: M. 9. II. :teH VII unb 265 @3eiten 5:1jz X8%. !liteill: M. 12. ilet metfaffer ltJar ftU~er ~iffionar bet ,\ldpaiget ,\lut~etifc'(Jen ~ifflon in ~nbien, ift ie~t !lirofeffor fUt aUgemeine !Refigionsgefe!)ie!)te unb ~ifflonsltJiffen= f e!)aft an bet Unibetfltut iJaUe=lIDitten!letg unb gUt ars ciner bet ~erbottagenbften \Yotfe!)er aUf bem @ebiete ber !Re!igionsgefe!)ie!)te. ~t ift mit ~nDien unb ben !Refigionen ~nbiens aus rangii:i~tigem ~ufent~a(t unb @3tubium roof)! betttaut, unb fetne 5cf)rift IImubb~a unb ~f)tiftus - ein mergleie!) aroder grojJer S.U.\elte tefigio1lCn" ift aue!) fiitSficfJ in bieiet ,(leitfe!)tift (3, 154) llefptoe!)en rootben. ®ang bot fuqem Dat et aucfJ ein mlet! unter bem :titel lI~ft Die mille! bon ~nbien alle ~Cingig?" betiiffentrie!)t, in bet er Diefe betfe~rte ~nna~me manefJet mobcrnen !Refigion§~iftotffet Sutiicfroeift. :Dall botUegenbe mled, au beffen odben :teHen noe!) ein brUter stet! fommen roitb, foU ein boUftunbigell mHb bon bem .feampf geoen, bet 3lnifd)en bem ~I)tiftentum unb ber inbife!)en !Religion ent!ltannt ift. ilet etfie :tet! roiU seigen, Inas fur reUgiiife .ferufte aue!) ~eute nncl) im inbiie!)en moff bor~anben unb ltJitffam flnb, foU geroiffermajJen bas :tetrain 3eigen, aUf bas bie c'(JtifUie!)e ~ifflon ben @3amen bes ~~tiftentums au ftreuen fle!) liemU~t. iler aroeite :teH IujJt einen mUd tun in bas !Ringen bes ~~tiftentum~ nm bas inbifd)c mon, fe!)Ubert bas lii~~et bon bet~iffion in ~nbien ~tteic'(Jte unb Die geg.enroCittlge ,\lage. ilet britte :teH liegt nod) nie!)t bOt; er ltJitb bie inbifc'(Jen teligiiifen @ebanfen unb Die entHmc'(Jenben e!)riftHe!)en ®ebanfen einanbet gegen, uberfteUen. ila~ gan3e lIDetf mUf! fUr aUe, bie fie!) mit bet e!)riftHe!)en ~ifflon in ~nbien liefe!)uftlgen, inteteffant nnb roettboU fein. mlit ~alien feloft fc'(Jon einige .feapitel frUfJet gelefen, alS fle ag lilttHe1 in ber lI~ffgerneinen ~b.,S3nt~ . .feite!)en3eitung" unb in bern lI~al)rliue!) ber @3ue!)fife!)en ~ifflonsfonfeten3" erfe!)iee nen; aber roit mUficn au d) geftefJen, bajJ roir in bieten !liunften nid)t fo orientied finb, bajJ loit ein fclbftiinbiges UrtcH bariilier aUllf~ree!)en fiinnten. mefonbers intereffiert I)at uns bas erite ~apiter im aroeiten :teUe, bie @efdjic'(Jte be~ ~I)riftene tums in :;'jnbien !liS 1500, nnb ber metfaffet fteUt ag ~tgellnis feiner Untet~ fue!)ungen feft, "bajJ es nm bie 31neite iJCilfte be~ bierten ~a~tfJunbett!l nae!) ~f)rifio Iiereitll e!)riftlid)e ®emeinben in 5UbinDien gegelien ~at; baf! fle ulter flnb, ift aUer: Dings nie!)t unmiigHe!), Hillt fie!) aber nidjt flc'(Jer lleroeifen". ~t nimmt an, ban bie erften [flriften in @3iibinbien, bie f!lgenannten :t~oma~e!)tiften, eingcroanberte !lietfer roaren. ~jjg1idJ abet ift auc'(J, ban e~ bute!) ftembe ~iffi!lnate geltJonnene eingebome ~nbet ltJaren, unb et nennt alS ball uHefte ,(leugniS fUt bie @;~iften3 Book Review. - mtetatut. 493 ~tift1id)ct (!lemeinben an bet lilleftfiifte :;Snbiens mit !Itid)atb bon (!latoe, bem oe~ riiljmten :;Snbolol1en, "ben lBetid)t cines al1~\ltifd')en SJJl:iind)es .feosmas :;Snbifo~ jJIeuftes, bet 525-530 aIS ~aufmann meljtete .\'danbelsteifen nad) :;Subien gemad)t Ijat". (II, 6. 9. 10.) ~et ll.5ctfaffet betmutet tuoljI mit !Jied)t, baf) bie tuenil1ften 52efet aUes iu e i u ,e m 8uge tefen werbeu; aoet l1etuif) tuetben fold)e, bie fi~ iibet iUbifcgc ll.5etljaHuiffe unb ~nf~auun\Jen, namentlicg aUf bem (!lebiete bet !Jieligion, otieutieten tuoUen, immet wieber 3U biefem tei~!jaltigeu ?IDette 3Utiic"ffe!jten. 52. B' ii t 0 ti n get. The Hutterian Brethren, 1528-1931. A Story of Martyrdom and Loyalty. By John Horsch, author of A Brief History of Ohris- tianity; Menno Simons, His Life, Labors, and Teach'ings. The Mennonite Historica,l Society, Goshen College, Goshen, Ind. 168 pages, 6X8%. Price, $2.00. This volume is No.2 of Studies in Anabaptist and Mennonite History, obviously published to celebrate the four-hundredth anniversary of Ana- baptism (Mennonitism). The first "study" was written by H. S. Bender and bears the title Two Oenturies of American Mennonite Literature, 1727-1928. But of the series the present volume, no doubt, is the most important, not only because it has for its author an outstanding Men- nonite historian in our country, but also because the "Hutter ian Brethren" formed the real backbone of the movement which generally is known as Anabaptism. The author affords the reader not only a thorough general history of the movement in Moravia, Hungary, Transylvania, Russia, Wal- lachia, etc., but also gives a good account of the doctrines and principles of the sect. The movement was opposed not only by Catholics, but also by the Reformed. The author's chapter on Zwingli's merciless suppression of the movement in Switzerland is of special interest. He shows more- over that the Hutterites did not adopt the radical individualism and fanaticism of the followers of Muenzer, but that they differed from com- mon evangelical Christianity mainly by their belief in community of goods, "non-resistance," and their refusal to take oaths and to hold public office. They rejected infant baptism, of course, since to them Baptism was chiefly a public profession of faith. Much misrepresentation has been spread about the Hutterites both in former and modern times, and John Horsch has done the cause of church history a real service by trying to get at the facts on the basis of reliable sources. The bibliography is quite complete, listing not only books and articles, but also important manuscripts. The whole book is written in that charming, simple style which is peculiar to Horsch and makes all that he puts down on paper interesting and de- lightful reading. No librarian and historian ought to overlook this in- structive little volume. J. T. MUELLER. Discipleship. By Leslie D. Weatherhead. The Abingdon Press, Chicago. 152 pages, 5X7%. Price, $1.00. The Oxford Group Movement. By G. G. Gast. The Lutheran Book Con- cern, Columbus, O. 30 pages, 5%X7%. Price, 40 cts. Two outstanding discussions of the Oxford movement, or Buchillanism, one by an English promoter, the other by an American Lutheran critic. Weatherhead is a British Methodist, who has accepted Buchmanism as 494 Book Review. - S3ite.atut. the solution of the Church's ills. The familiar concepts of Surrender to God, Sharing (mutual confession), the Quiet Time, and the Guidance (im- mediate suggestions from God) are set forth with great earnestness and with unusual beauty of style. Professor Gast's book was written before the publication of Discipleship, but serves as a reply to it, point for point. Throughout, it takes the position of strong disapproval taken by our con- tribution of several years ago to CONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY. TH. GRAEBNER. Proceedings of the Seventeenth Convention of the Central Illinois District of the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States. 59 pages, 6X9. Price, 25 cts. This report, brief as it is, contains the business proceedings of the Central Illinois District in a form which will appeal to the historian. 'The doctrinal essay was read by the Rev. C. A. Weiss, his topic being "Lessons from the Life of King Saul." Here is excellent material for Old Testa- ment study, especially for Bible-class work. It would be most commend- able if many pastors would work out their own Bible lessons, preferably with the assistance of the many excellent doctrinal papers contained in many of our synodical reports. P. E. KRETZMANN. ~eMer"~rel1ier. ~otte 3ut lBefiunung unb mettiefung im ~nfd)lufl an Sd)tifb rootte auf aUe :tage bes ;;Sa!Jtes. mon ~ e t man n lB e 3 3 e 1. :Bui am· mengefteUt bon ;;s 0 !J ann e s Ut u 1> .p • e d) t. ~. ®unberbmet!ag, 6tutb gatt. 252 6eiten 4X6. i.j.lreB: .rea.toniert, Rm.2.40; einfad)et S3einenbanD Rm.3. lBeaael ift Sd)tiftt!Jeolog unb glaubt an Die ~rDifung, fo butdj ;;s~fum @;!Jti. ftum gefdje!Jen ift. ~ies lBildjlein ift inteteffant filt ben :t!Jeologen, bet lSeaBelg SDatfteUungsroeife ftubieren mod)te, abet taum .paffenb filt ben SDutc!)fdjnittSdjriften, ba Die SDatlegung nidjt einfad) genug ge!Jalten iit. ·~ufletbem ift Die ~u§legung unb ~nroenbung au ftatt nationaliftifc!), aIS bail fie bief auflet!Jalb ~eutfd)lanbs gebtaudjt llJetben fonnte. lSetont roitb au biel bas beutfdje mort unb au roenig hie d)tiftlidje ®cmeinbe. ;;sm il6tigen abet, roic gejagt, ift bas ){\ildjlein roo!J[ he§ 6tubterensroert. 5elbft roenn man filt beutfcl)ameritanifc!)e met!Jiiltniffe Den 6tH nicl)t !Jetilbetnegmen fann, fo fann man fidj bodj baran bilben. i.j.l. ~. oR ret man n. The Living Bible, Chapter by Chapter. A Devotional Commentary on Each of the 1,179 Chapters of the Bible. By AmoS' Wells, D.D. W. A. Wilde, publisher. 343 pages, 4 X 6. Price, $1.00. Daily Communion. By Sa'fYIIUel M. Glasgow. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub- lishing Co. 399 pages, 4X6¥2. Price, $1.00. The Day's Worship. Edited by Oha1'les B. Foelsoh. United Lutheran Publication House. 385 pages, PI! X 6'\;4. Price, 75 cts. Here are three handbooks for daily devotion, each different from the others. In the first the well-known Dr. Amos R. Wells, formerly editor of the Sunday·sohool Times, offers prayer summaries of all chapters in the Bible; and these may be used when the Bible is read chapter for chapter in daily devotion. That Dr. Wells is a Fundamentalist is evident on every page of his book. - In Da.i.ly Communion each page contains a complete Book Review. - £itetatut. 495 devotional exercise, including the text, meditation, and hymn stanza. The author evidently also belongs in the camp of conservative Christianity.- The last book likewise has a complete devotion on each page and covers the secular year, with special devotions at the end for the movable days, like Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, Easter, etc. Each devotion contains text, meditation, and prayer. The devotions were prepared by a number of Lutheran pastors and leaders and are grouped under weekly topics, like The Eternal God, God's Plan of Salvation, Sin, Temptation, Church, Family, Citizenship, etc. The language is chaste and churchly. W. G. POLACK. Graded Memory Course for Lutheran Sunday-Schools and Other Institutions. Published under the auspices of the Board of Chris- tian Education by Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 63 pages, 5 X 7. Price, 15 cts. We bid a glad and hearty welcome to this Gmded Memory Oourse published by our Board of Christian Education and express not merely our firm hope, but our conviction, that it will soon be introduced into all our Sunday-schools. The course is based on the Lelctionsbuch fue1' ev.-luth. Sonni[{gsschuZen, published in 1899 at Elmira, Ont., by Pastors P. Graup- ncr and R. C. Vorberg, the final edition of which was printed in 1908_ The sainted Pastor Wlll. Luke, in 1930, published a revised and extended edi- tion of this booklet under the title of Lelctionsbuch fue1' SchuZe und Haus. One of his last acts before his death in the fall of 1932 was to prepare an English version of his revision. This version forms the basis of our present course. The course includes the Primary, .Tunior, Intermediate, and Senior departments, so arranged that the Primary Department may continue the use of printed memory cards furnished by Concordia Publishing House. The memory material consists of Luther's Small Catechism, Scripture· passages, hymn stanzas or whole hymns, and prayers. At the end of every lesson reference is made to a number of Bible-stories. Since all the material for every lesson is correlated and all classes learn parts of the same lesson on a given Sunday, opportunity is given not only for brief Catechism talks, bu.t for concert recitation of the memory material, a splendid method of embedding the material in the minds of the children. While for obvious reasons one will not needlessly deviate from the plan suggested nor from the material offered, the course is sufficiently flexible to suit, with slight changes, practically all the varying requirements throughout Synod. Unless such changes are really important or actually necessary due to local conditions, they had better not be made, lest in· experienced teachers be confused. While naturally one may wish to have one or the other text included and wonder why other texts are chosen in preference to one's favorite texts, yet both the choice and omission of the Scripture-passages bespeak experienced, practical teachers, and if one feels that texts must be added, one may do so. Let us bear in mind here also, and here especially, the old German adage In de1' Besch1'aenlcung zeigt sich erst de1' Jj{ eister. Non m'uZta, sed muZtum. It was a happy thought to reduce the volume of new material in the Senior Department. How great the temptation for teacher and pupil to 496 Book Review. - l3itetatut. add to the material in this department! Yet how serious a mistake to grant the permission to teachers to teach, and to pupils to learn, new material before the fundamentals have been thoroughly assimilated. An- other happy thought was to break up long passages into short clauses, thus facilitating the understanding and memorizing of these passages. The course offers ample opportunity for reviews, which experience has proved to be so necessary for thorough indoctrination, reviews not only on special Sundays and in all grades, but occasional reviews by the various grades during the course of the year. THEO. LAETSCH. BOOKS RECEIVED. From l!'leming H. Revell Company, New York, London, and Edinbu1'gh:- Quiet Talks on the New Order of Things. By S. D. Gordon. 196 pages,4%X7. Price, $1.25. Christ for Me! And Other Addresses. By Charles Forbes Taylor. 96 pages, 5 X 7%. Price, $1.00. illeuc mrdjIidj'c gcitfdjrlft. &"detau~gegeben bon ~. lB e t \l b 0 It, :t~. b. {l a ~ n t, ~. in e it, l3. ~ ~ mel il t unb anbetn. s)eid)ett, l3eillaig. 44. ~a~t= gang, 11. &"deft. 48 !Seiten. lBorn~iiufet: "S)et Utfinn be~ l3iebeil ,~in' fefte lButg ift unfer ®ott' "; 3wei t~eoIogifd)e ®utad)ten (W{atbutg unb ~rIangen) fiber bie {lulaffung bon (,l:'~riften iitbifdJet &"detfunft au ben \ll:mtern bet beutfd)en eban= gerifd)en ~ttd)e; ~. :totma~len: "S)as st:l)ema bes iJtiimerhiefs" (I. st:eiO; lBetg. boH: ,,{leitfd)tiften,munbfd)au." - 12. &"deft. 48 !Seiten. ~. Ufmet: "S)et ~n' flltud) ber ®egentllatt an bie l.]:\iiDagogU"; ~. st:otma~Ien: "S)as st:1)ema bes iJtiimetbdef~" (6d)luil); ~. lBergboH: ,,{leitfd)tiften=iJtunbfd)au; ~. lBetgboH: ,,{lum ~bfd)luil" (bie {leitfd)dft erid)eint ~infort untet bem st:itel "l3utl)ettuml/). :tfjcu{ogie ber &egenwart. &"detausgegeben bon ~. lB e t I) , O. ~ b e r I) at b , !ill. ~ i d) rob t unb anbetn. s)eid)ert, l3eiNig. 27. ~al)tgang, 10. unb 11. &"deft. 51 !Seiten. ®erl). &"dein3elmann: ,,~leuerfd)einungen aUf bem ®ebiet ber iJteligions= 1ll)Uof olll)ie, S)ogmatif, ~tf)tr.1/ - 12. &"deft. 44 6eiten. &"d. !Stratl)mann: 1/9ceu= etfd)einungen aUf bem ®ebiet bes 91euen st:eftaments (I.]:\aliiftina; ~ubcntum; ~us= Iegung; 3ut: neuteftamcntlid)en :tl)co logie; aur ®efd)id)te bes Utd)tiftentums j aus bet satbeit bet fatl)oIifd)en st:l)eologie; I.]:\amgon). NOTICE TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS. In oTder to TendeT satisfactoTY service, we must have our cUTTent mailing- list C01'Tect. The expense of maintaining this list has been materially incTeased. Under pTesent regulations we are subject to a "fine" on all parcels mailed to an incolTect address, inasmuch as we must pay 2 cents for every notification sent by the postmaster o,n a parcel or periodical which is undeliverable because no forwarding address is available or because there has been a change of address. This may seem insignificant, but in view of the fact that we have subscribers getting three or more of our periodicals and considering our large aggregate subscription list, it may readily be seen that it amounts to quite a sum during a year; for the postmaster will address a nfrtification to each individual period- ical. Our subscribers can help us by notifying us - one notification (postal card, costing only 1 cent) will take care of the address·es for several publications. We shall be very grateful for youI.' coopeTati<>u. CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, ~Io. Kindly consult the address label on this paper to ascertain whether your subscription has' expired or will soon expire. "June 34" on the label means that youI.' subscription has expired. Please pay your agent 01' the Publisher promptly in order to avoid interruption of service. It takes about two weeks before the addTess label can show change of address 01' acknowledgment of remittance. When paying youI.' subscription, please mention name of publication des,iTed and exact name and addTess (both old and new, if change of address is requested). CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.