Full Text for CTM Theological Observer 3-7 (Text)

Theological Observer. -mrcl)Hcl)<3eitgefcl)icl)Uicl)ell. 539 Theological Observer. -SNrdjndj~.8eitgefdjidjtlidje~+ I. )(m:eriktl. ~n~ bet el)nolle. Un±er ben goIbenen ~uliiliien biefe§ ~a~tc§ tuerben einige in ::Diftrift§6Iii±iern ertuii~nt, tuie bas ~aftor Dtau~§ im WOtt~ ::Dafo±a~ unb IDlontana~::Diftrift, ~aftor ::Diirfflers im IDlit±Ieren ::Diftrift unb D. :itljeo. ffiilngers bon unfuet Wnftart in @5t. ~auI. WOer es finb noclJ anbete au nennen: ffiecfer, )Brocfmann, €yrincfe (ber im Michigan Luthemn genannt tuitb) , ,£?el)ne, ,£?o@, licoacr, 21. ~foten~auer, @5c1jtuartl unb fillegener. filler filnfaig ;;Sa~re im filleinlierge bes ,£?(htn gebient ~at, tuitb mit Dtec1jt ein j8eteran genannt. -::Der :itob ~rof. Wuguft @5clJilUe§ bon unferm Eeljrer~ feminar in @5etuarb tuirb nic1jt nur in Welira§fa, fonbern in ber ganaen @5t)nobe fdjmeraHclj empfunben. ~r tum: ein treuet, anfpruc1jslofer Eeljrer unb ein eifriger ~rebiger. -j80n ber filleftfiifte fomm± bie Wac1jdc1jt, bat man in ~aft Dafianb einen ffiauplat filr ba§ fcljon Iiingfi getuilnfc1jte WIten~ ljeim gefunben ljat. ~m IDlittIeren ::Dif±rift ift ein f oIc1jes in ~enbalItJilIe eriiffnet tuorben. ~n ffieaber ::Dam, filli§confin, felene baS ::Diafoniffen~ ljofpitaI fein aeljnjiiljriges ~uliiliium. ::Die ::Diafoniffenarlieit ber @5t)nobar~ fonfereno tuiidjft Iangfam, tuitb alier aieIlietuuf3t geleHet. ::Det WHantifc1je ::Diftrift treilit iett fi)ftematifc1jc ilniffion§arlieit in ben gtoilen ,£?ofpitiilern fUr @5ef)tuinbfiiclJtige in ben I2Tbironbacfbergen. ::Der liJCiHionar, ~aftor (). @5iefer, liericlJ±e± bon f egensreief)er WrlieH. -::Die ilnainummer be§ Oolorado Lutheran ift omn groi3en steil ber c1jriftIief)en feinem ftellbetiteienben ±iitigen unb leil>ew ben @eijotfam fudjt man betgeofidj. ~en miffoutiern, fo naqe et fie qatte, ift et oiemIidj au~ bem ~ege gegangen. .9cut ein paarmaI roctben fie fura aogetan. ,,®eite 74 unb 75 fdjreiot er iu feinen tageoudjattigen SEericljten: .,8. ~eaemOet. SEei bem fdjauerIidjen ~ettet oin idj ben ganaen !rag au ~aufe (®ben~®eminar) getoefen. ~dj Ia~ alledei in ben tl)eoIogifcljen ~eden bon G£.1S.~. ~aItijet, bem faft fanonifietien "Sfitdjenbatet" bet miffouti~ £utijetaner, au~ bet mitte be~ botigen ~aijtljunbett§. ®r etinnetie miclj an SUiefo±l) unb Biil)e, ijatte mandj feinen, rraftbollen @ebanfen unb ur~ toiicljfige ®prad~e. ®cljabe ift nut, baB ncoen bet Shaft fo bieI ®ngigfeit Iiegf unb ber ftarfe @Iauoe ficlj bot aUem im "ffiidj±egeift" offenoart. Unb Ieibet ift ba~ noel) oi§ l)eute ein (£ijarafterif±jp;m bicfer @n!),J),Je bes l!.u±ijer~ tum~. man fann iijt eine getoiffe SEetounbetung nidjt betfagen: ~iet leot neoen bieI mettoiiffetung be§ G£qtiftentum§ tunbum ein eijdidje§ <§ifern um ben lual)ten @Iauoen, hie rdne Beijte; l)ier fuel)t man nadj m:nbetung unb Shtrtu§, ijiet aljn! man etiua§ bon "Sj;itdjc", gegeniiber bet 3erfpnt~ tetung be§ ~cnominationaIi~mu§. Unb menn man in m:merifa iegIidjem 2utijertum gegeniioer immer toieber lJa§ ®djlagrooti ijiiren fann "uuieti§~ mu~", fo ift ba~ burel)au§ nicljt autreffenb. ~ie tqeoIogifel)e BeijranftaIt bet ®l)nobe, bn? G£oncorbia~®eminar, mit 460 ®tubenten, me griiBie m:n~ ftart ber m:rt in ben gefam±en mereinig±en ®±aaten, oraudjte einen neuen ",G£ampu~". ~aau roaren iioet 4,000,000 ~ollar~ niitig. ®§ tourbe ein @)ammertag beranftartet, unb in ~itmdjfeit fam bicfe @)umme fofoti ein. ja noel) 'h million meljt. . .. ~a~ ift ()pferfinn, ba§ ift m:ftibi§mu§, bet ben anberet angloametifanifdjer Sfitel)en mdt in ben @)djatten fteIIt. ~a 1!Jirb gelegenHiel) feijr bieI gerooroen, bieI "geaeidjnet"; aoer man ijat naclj~ ljer feqt miiije, bie ®ummen auclj ±a±fiiel)HcIj aufammenauoefommen. ",~ie rui~erildjen ~af±oren fil~ren ein en±fagung~reiclje~ 2eoen, ba fie oft noclj meniger @e~aIt oefommen al§ anbere ~farrer, toeir bie @emein~ ben faft iioerall nodj einen 2eijrer befolben, ber ffieHgion§unterridjt etieHt. man fieij± 2utijet§ ffiiefengef±aIt ijinter mefer .llitclje ftel)en, unb e~ ift 1!Junberbar, toeIclje Sftaft in 1einer Wiiije au berfpiiren ift, fellift roenn 10 bieI menfcljItclje @)cljmael)ijei± unb ie 2eugmtng ber ~rrtllmslofigfeit ber iSef}rift ftol]! @ott ball! ~qron, fe~t bie jBernllnft, bie ,)illiffenfcljaft' llarauf, offnet alIer 2eqrtuilWh; unb @leief}guItigfeit in beaug aUf llie 2eqre 5tilt unll 5tor nnb heib± llie (fljtiften aus ber SHtef}e, bie nief}t menfef}Iief}e lffiei!3ljeit, fonllern @oHes )illod qoten tuolIcn. ~n bem ~Ciellctgang llet Sl:itclje in unicrn ~agen ift niemanb meljt fef}ulb alB bie ~aftoren unb ~tofefforen, bie iqre eigene ober anberet imenfef}CI1 )illeis~ ljeit flir qoqet aef}ten als bal> in aUen stlingen llnfeqlliare )illoti ber @5ef}tift. ,,)illeqe 11nf> aoer, tuenn tuit \])irfIiclj, rote Lic. )ill. mu±ma\3t, na!)e baran wiiren, unfere bisqetige iSieflung au falfef}gliiubigen SHref}en aufilllgeben unb l1etllerbIid)en unioniftifef}ett Q;inffiilienmgen @eflOt 3U geben. SDabol: beljiitc un!3 @loU in @nabenl" Q5. "Atrocious Exegesis." -A report from Washington tells of an ad­dress delivered by the Chief of Army Chaplains, Colonel J. E. Yates, before a meeting of seminary students on the subject "The Church and the Govern­ment." The account says that the colonel pleaded "for the recognition of the fact that war is a necessity and probably always will be and that dis­armament is akin to the application of poultices to conect a blood dis­order." We are told that he flung ridicule at pacifists and used strong terms, calling them "half-baked, visionary, and blatant." What struck us particularly, however, was that he quoted the words of Jesus "I came not to send peace, but a sword" to prove that ,Tesus Himself was an advocate of war. The correspondent reporting the address calls this a case of "atrocious exegesis," and he certainly is right. A person need not be a pacifist to see that Jesus certainly did not speak these words to en-·courage the waging of war. A. Religious Teaching at Our Universities. -In the Lutheran of March 24 Dr. John A. W. Haas of Muhlenberg College Bounds a warning which should be given the widest publicity. Taking as his title "A New Religion," he ~ays: -"There is a movement in our American universities and colleges which deserves the special attention of the Church. It is stated that institu-542 Theological Observer. -.Rird)tid)~.8eitgefd)id)md)e~. tions not under the control of the Church are introducing courses in re­ligion. Even the State universities are following the general trend. The opinion therefore is held even by church-members that the full religious needs of the students are met in these universities and colleges. Con­sequently they are as good as the church colleges in their religious teaching and influence. "But what is actually happening is that a new type of rationalistic religion is being developed. The general courses are in the psychology of religion, the comparative religions, the philosophy of religion, and in some kind of religious education. Now, in the mere psychology of religion there is no appreciation of religion outside of the human mind. It is not taught as a reality which comes to man, but as a creation of the mind of man. In comparative religions all religions are put on the same level as mere human, historical developments, and Christianity is not rep­resented in its full content and its unique superiority. The philosophy of religion is human speculation about religion, but it does not touch real religious life. The heart of the Gospel is not unfolded in the av­erage course on religious education, but modern educational principles are applied often in a manner to injure the substance of the Christian faith. "The Church's Value Ignored. In all of these courses there is no valuation of the Church. In fact, the tendency constantly is to criticize the Church. The individual student is rather led to frame his own phi­losophy about religion and to call this intellectual structure religion. There is therefore a constant discrimination against the Church and its work. The attitude toward worship is often indifferent. The necessity of worship is not stressed, but is left to individual choice. The result is that the mass of students rarely attend chapel. They only come when an outstanding orator visits an institution. The great voices which to­day are mostly heard in universities and colleges are the voices of hu· manistic and rationalistic preachers, who have abandoned much of the Gospel. They are the men who are always correcting the Gospel by modern science and philosophy. "Ll Perversion of Chapel. An extreme example of this new religion, which after all is not really new, is found in one of our technical schools. I have recently heard the professor of religion and philosophy thus state his aim: 'We usc our chapel to read not only from the Bible, but also from the writings of Buddha and other religionists. Often we have no prayer because we do not want to force the religious mood. If a student is an atheist or agnostic, we give him literature of this type and let him work out his position. To a Catholic we show the works of Thomas Aquinas. A Protestant is introduced to the works of Schwenkfeld. No religion is to be judged as either true or false. All are to be studied impartially.' This is the limit to which this movement is going. What is the duty of the Church in the light of this rationalism posing as religion? How is the Church building up its institutions? How is it directing its youth? Does it make no difference where young people go to college? Is the in­road on faith of no importance? Are we aiding the student-pastors? Are we meeting this modern challenge through the deepening of the faith of our people 7" Theological Observer. -.Ritd)lid)~.8eit\lefd)id)md)es. 543 This is well said. That the religious teaching dispensed at the uni­versities of our country in some instances is of the most pernicious type all who have looked into the matter a little and are still loyal Bible Chris-tians will agree. Are we sufficiently alert? A. Church-Membership and Men of Science. -On this topic the Commonweal of March 23 presents an article which, though written from the Catholic point of view, is of interest to us Lutherans also. The writer, James J. Walsh, says: "The December number of the Soientifio Monthly, which is one of the two journals received by all the members of the Amer­ican Association for the Advancement of Science, has a very curious article on 'Scientific Eminence and Church-membership.' It is written by two men, Dr. Harvey C. Lehman of Ohio State University and Paul A. Witty of Northwestern University, Illinois. Among other things it brings out the fact that only about twenty-five per cent. of the outstanding scientists in America report church affiliations in their self-dictated biographical sketches in Who's Who? The smallness of this percentage is emphasized by the fact that about fifty per cent. of all the individuals whose names appear in Who's Who? provide this information with regard to church affiliations. The writers go on to say that the twenty-five per cent. who give information on this subject are associated in most instances with the relatively liberal denominations. The Unitariaus and Congregational­ists provide strikingly greater numbers of church-members who are re­search workers in science than do the Catholics, the Lutherans, and the Baptists. And as their ultimate conclusion the writers declare that 'the conspicuous dearth of scientists among the Catholics suggests that the tenets of that Church are not consonant with scientific research.''' Con­tinuing, Mr. Walsh says that here we have a good illustration of the old saying, "Figures do not lie, but figurers can reach any conclusion that they are intent on and then support it by figures." He holds the rela­tively small percentage of Catholic scientists is explained by this, that "Catholics in this country have almost without exception come from the poorer classes, and most of them continue to have to make a hard struggle for existence." Congregationalists and Unitarians, so he points out, coming from the oldest families in the country, are usually "the descendants of wealthy folk, free to devote themselves to anything they care to do, and not under the iron necessity of supporting a family and perhaps also con­tributing to the support of father and mother." To prove that Catholics have produced great scientists, he mentions Mendel and his famous re­searches in biology, Pere Licent, a Jesuit missionary, "who discovered the flints of Ordos," Pere Teilhard de Chardin, Professor of Geology in Paris, "who in 1923 discoycred at sites in China and Mongolia human industrial remains together with fossilized bones of animals many of which are ex­tinct," the great Pasteur, and others. It seems to us that the point con-cerning Congregationalists and Unitarians is well taken. A. Eschatology being Discussed Again. -Writing in the Bibliotheoa Sac1-a, Prof. Werner Petersmann, Th. D., discusses the subject "The Redis­covery of Eschatolog-y." What he has to say about the emphasis given this subject at the beginning of the present century by ~ew Testament scholars and now by the Barthians is very interesting. "Ve quote one of his para­graphs: -544 Theological Observer. -.Rit4Jli4J~Seitgef4Jid)md)es. "The eschatological reorientation of theology starts in the New Testa­ment field twenty years before its reconquering of faith and dogmatics. Its rediscovery happened by ways of 'historical' lahor in the 'Life of Jesus research.' It was the awakened and trained 'historical sense' in Biblical science which protested against naively reading and interpreting one's own 'modern' ideas and ideals into the historical documents of the primi­tive Christian era. It taught the theologians to become attentive again to all that is different, foreign, strange, and miraculous in this past in contradistinction to the present age. Thus the 'expectation of the ap­proaching end of the world' was conceived again as the proper center in the K ew Testament message. The historically true 'eschatological' por­trait of Jesus was put in the place of the customary modernized 'liberal' Jesus picture, in which the apocalyptic features had almost entirely been effaced. For the present-day faith and dogmatical theology, however, the rediscovery, particularly in the 'archaizing' accentuation of the 'historians,' meant at first a schockingly negative result. It meant to them a removing of Jesus a great distance away from the modern thought-world into the ancient Jewish spirit and its being strangely interwoven with its time. 'A fundamental element of Jesus' thought-world appeared to be an error, zeitgeschichtlich conditioned, intolerable to the modern world view, at best to be interpreted as an unessential framework of the real message of Jesus' (M. Dibelius), namely, the expectation of an early cosmic catas­trophe in the conceptions of the ancient world view. 'l'hat, however, was -and is! -evcrything else than a satisfactory 'dogmatical' evaluation and application of the 'historical' rediscovery. Should the real center of the primitive Christian Gospel be something unessential? Here, then, Karl Barth has first of all applied the 'systematic' lever of faith and theology just as mightily as twenty years before him Johannes Weiss and Albert Schweitzer applied the 'historical.' Thus the rediscovery of 'historical' theology was suddenly received and incorporated positively into believing and thinking: eschatology, which historical Biblical science had already recognized for a long time and brought to light as the kernel of the 'his­torical' Biblical religion, was now finally reconceived and reacknow ledged also as the essential-permanent kernel of the Biblical message as such and therefore also of our own normative Christian faith. Thus faith and dogmatical thinking can now lean again upon (cum grano salis) such re­sults of recent historical Biblical research or can at least again receive and draw affirmations and suggestions from them in a very fruitful posi· tive manner. 'A thoroughgoing relativizing of all thoughts and things which are not the last and final, a readiness for last questions and an­swers. a waiting for, and a hastening towards, final decisions, a listening for tIle sound of the last trumpet whieh l'roclaims the truth beyond the grave: that is the knowledge of God which, as the final conclusion to, and content of, the Old Testament, comes to light in the New Testament' (Karl Ba.rth); for 'if one may at all speak of assured results in historical Bible research, then among the few recognitions that can claim this title, the first is that the entire New Testament thinking is orientated eschatologic­ally at the "end of history"; the "how" of this conception varies not in­considerably, but about the "that" and the "what" there is a perfect una­nimity: faith means hoping for the reign of God, for the new Aeon, the Theological Observer. -.!titcl)lid)~8eitgtfcl)icl)tlid)e~. 545 world where the "knowing and doing in part" ceases, where "there shall be no more suffering and crying and also death be no more," for the "time" when God will be all and in all, and "we shall be like Him because we shall see Him as He is'" (Emil Brunner)." Perhaps we ought to add a few words. When Johannes Weiss and Albert Schweitzer pointed out that Jesus had taught the end of the world was coming, they merely repeated what Bible Christians had been saying ever since the Christian Church has been in existence. These critics added the wicked comment that Jesus expected the end to occur within a year or two, a view resting on erroneous exegesis and contradicted by the analogy of faith. But it is very cheering to see that these men, who were (and are, for Schweitzer is still living) entirely free from every sort of dogmatical bias, endorsed as a genuine teaching of ,Tesus the clause of the Apostles' Creed "from thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead." Christ is ruling in the midst of His enemies, Ps. no, 2. A. Fellowship While Disagreeing. -Our readers may have seen ref­erences to the "National Seminar on Religious Liberty and Mutual Under­standing" held recently in 'Washington, when Jews, Protestants, and Cath­olics conferred with one another. In writing on this topic, the Lutheran Standard refers to an editorial in the Baptist, which hails the fact that people are finally learning the "technique of disagreeing." The editorial had stated: "To some degree, though slowly, the world is discarding that idea (namely, that those who differ in their religious ideas can hold no fellowship with one another, still less cooperate) and is substituting for it the principle of fellowship without surrender of conviction. It is cer­tain ... that men will never discover how much they have in common unless they get together, and it is as certain they will never see more clearly eye to eye unless they occasionally look out through the same window. . .. It is imperative therefore that we should learn to disagree without being disagreeable." That is the language of men to whom the Scripture truths do not represent holy, precious things, as close to their heart as their own good name and the honor of their parents and other dear ones. How can any Christian smile complacently while the atone­ment of Christ, on whieh all his hope rests, is being ridiculed? How can he permit people who fellowship him to trample under foot the deity of his Savior? If we were dealing here with mere matters of speculation, we could understand the attitude of the Baptist and endorse it; but the Christian says: "I know whom I have believed." The Lutheran Standard correctly points out that it would not avail much to send a large rep­resentation of conservative Protestants to such gatherings as the one just referred to. The Liberalists would be just as liberal in spite of such par­ticipation by the Conservatives. Let those who possess the truth render deal' testimony in the circle where God lIas placed them and not rely on conferences and other measmes of diplomacy to win over the Liberals. A. What Is Modernism? -Under this heading John Horsch in the Gqspel H e1-ald, a Mennonite periodical, takes issue with a fellow­Mennonite, apparently a nc·w convert to the errors of Modernism. The Jfeply of Mr. Horsch is extremely enlightening. Mr. Horsch says in part: "Under tI,e caption 'FllnUD.mentalism, Modernism, OJ:' Christ' an article 35 546 Theological Observer. -.Ritd)(id).3eit\Jefd)id)tnd)e~. appeared in a recent issue of an American Mennonite weekly written by a Mennonite mintater, a graduate of Witmarsum Theological Seminary in Bluffton, O. The tenor of the article may be judged from this quotation from it: 'It was Jesus' "Modernism" which took Him to the cross rather than His "Fundamentalism.'" "The writer of the article defines the Modernist as one who defends new ideas and new things, while the Fundamentalist is given to the maintenance of that which is old. According to this definition it would have to be admitted that Jesus was a Modernist, as well as Abraham and Moses. Christian missionaries would be Modernists among non-Christian peoples, and the same would be true of all Christian workers among those to whom the Christian message is not familiar. If this be Modernism, it would behoove us to repent of disapproving it. Is this not an obvious attempt to confuse the issue and to hoodwink the unwary reader regard­ing the true nature of Modernism? "Persons of average intelligence are, as a rule, informed of what is meant by Modernism. It is the modern apostasy from the Christian faith as represented by such men as Harry Emerson Fosdick, S. Parkes Cadman, Shailer Mathews, and many others who deny the Christian doctrines of God, Christ, sin, salvation, etc. In passing, it may be noticed that Shailer Mathews in his most recent book defends a view of God concerning which another Modernist writer says that it does not essentially differ from non-theistic humanism or, in other words, from atheism. A certain Mod­ernist who holds the same view of God has recently made this blasphemous statement: 'If God is not content to have Himself interpreted democrat­ically, He may as well go out of business.' "The wri.ter of the article states that both Fundamentalists and Mod­ernists need Jesus. Taking Jesus, he says, would include that 'they stop their foolish controversies over Fundamentalism and Modernism.' He sig­nificantly overlooks the outstanding fact that one of the principal points of the controversy has to do with Jesus Himself. Is there not an abysmal difference between the Jesus of the Modernist and the Jesus of the Funda­mentalist? Is it not of the utmost importance which Jesus we choose? The Jesus of the Modernist is not God from eternity; He was not born of a virgin; He did not come into the world to make atonement for the world's sin. In other words, He is not the Redeemer of mankind. He was merely a good man who died the death of a martyr. "In that case a personal relationship to Him would be impossible to-day, for He would live only in the same sense as any departed saved person lives, the human soul being not subject to death. Thc idea of Jesus as a personal Savior and Helper to-day would have to be abandoned. Harry Emerson Fosdick would be right in denouncing the worship of Christ as idolatry. "Now, such a Jesus never lived. He exists only in the imagination of the Modernists. The most charitable view which Modernists may take of their Jesus is that He did not know whereof He was speaking when He made the claims concerning Himself which He did make. In other words, He was at best a blind leader of the blind. His claims, if they were false, would be indications of mental derangement, unless they were made for the purpose of deception. Such is the substitute for our Savior Theological Observer. -.Rird){id)~-8eitgefd)id)md)e~. 547 which Modernism offers us. And when believers in the Jesus whose divine existence they are personally experiencing testify for Him and protest the Modernist falsifications, the Modernists raise the cry of 'foolish controversies.' "Furthermore, the writer of the article in question says it is necessary to take truth wherever truth is found. and he adds: 'But the Funda­mentalist has his mind made up and doesn't want it contaminated with truth.' "The Fundamentalist believes that God has revealed essential truth in His Word which cannot be found elsewhere and that other sources of truth are inadequate to disclose to men the deep things of God which alone lead to true Christian experience. "The saille writer says further: 'The Modernist is just as sincere as the Fundamentalist.' However, this is not primarily a question of sin­cerity. Saul of Tarsus was sincere when he persecuted the Church. Gandhi may be sincere in his boasted worship of idols. Many, it is true, have been actually persu!l,ded that lYIodernisill is superior to Funda­mentalism. But how can we believe in the sincerity of the Modernist when he constantly attempts to confuse the issue and to give his Modern. ism the appearance of the old faith? "Only a few years ago the existence of Modernism among the Men­nonites of America was staunchly denied. Noone will deny it to·day. What is going to be the final outcome, we may ask, of the attitude of tolerance toward Modernism which is in evidence in certain Mennonite groups? Is it possible that the Church is lacking backbone to such an extent that she has lost her protest when the Most Holy of the faith is trampled into the dust under a semblance of advancing the cause of the Lord? Is the fact to be persistently ignored that a Christ-denying Church is not a Christian Church though it may continue as a religious body observing Christian forms?" J. T. M. II. .Am; laub. mOnt jiegt auf ber ~nfcl lmarta. .x?ietiiliet un±etlireitd ba£l ".x?an~ nDbetjef)e 6Dnntag£llilatt", toie lDit in bet ,,;itljwIDgifef)en Ouarialfef)tif±" fe!jen, fDIgenben ~etief)t: ,,@in etlDa£l merflDiithlger 6treitj'ali aMf ef)en ber !Regietung bDn marta, toelef)e befanntIief) @:nglanb untetfteljt, unb bem piipftrief)en 6tuljI ift jett lieigeIegt IDDrben. 'Iler Eeiter bes U'ranai£lfane:rorben£l aUf maHa, ein ita~ Iienijef)et @5taa±0angeljotiger, toie£l bot eitro anberiljaIli .;'5aljten einen U'tan~ aisfanermonef), ber in marta lieljeimatet lDar, fief) aliet gegen hle ,otbnung be£l ,otben£l betgangen !jaite, au£l malta au£l. 'Ilie !Regierung untetfagie eine betariige WuslDeifung, ba es boITig unerltagIief) fei, lDenn rin Wus~ liinbet dnen @:ingeliomen aus maHa betbanne. ,oblDoljI ber EeUet bet !Regierung bon mana feIlif± fat!joIifef) ift, btoljte et mit bet Wu£llDeifung be£l Eeitet£l bes U'tanai£lmnetotbens. 'Ilaraufljin toarf bet piipfHief)e 6tuljI bet !Regieumg bDn marta offene meIeibigung bet Sfitef)e unb .x?anbeln gegen hie llletfaffung bOt; umgefeljri fpraef) bie !Regietung bon marta bon einem mif3brauef) bes ptiefterIief)en Wmtes au poIitifef)et Wgitatwn. :!lie @:ttegung auf bet ~fel toutbe fo grof3, baf3 @:nglanh bie eigentrief) fiiITigen 9Ceu~ lDaljlen auffef)ieben unb bie llletfaffung aU\3et Shaft fe~en mu\3te. .;'5ett ift ber 3'rieben lDieber~ergefteII±, inbem @!nglanb in ben miidtritt ber mar~ tefifdjen megierung, bie lffiieber~erfteITung ber lEerfaffung unb bieoalbige ~ogaltung ber meulDaglen einlDilIigt. ~udj lDirb erlfiirt, baf) bie megie. tUng megr @Jdju!b an ben @Jtreitigfeiten ~abe alfJ bie ljSriefter. .\!nan ge!)i tuog! nidjt fe~r, lDenn man meint, baf) @!ngfanb fidj nur befJgaTh fo nadj~ giebig aeig±, tuei! c§; befiirdjtet, burdj ein fdjarfefJ lEorge~en gegen mom jeinen tuidjiigen 3'Iotienihltpunfi im .\!nHteImeer ilber~aupt betIieren 3u fonnen." ljSrof. ~. ~. IDcel1er bemedt fe~r ridjtig gier"u: ,,;vie in ber ~uUe Unam Sanctam befinier±en ~UfJfptiidje mom§; finb tueber abrogiett nodj mobi~ fiaier±. Uub ben antidjtiftifdjen ~nmaf)ungen fann nur nadj EutgetfJ .met~obe erfolgreidj begegnet lDerben: Sola gratia, sola Scriptura, sola fide." ~. @ine freif{nnige QHaulien~erf{iirun!J. SDer "Eut!). ~erorb" tent uufJ bem ,,@!bangeHfdjen ljSteffebienfi miebetlanb" ba5 3'olgenbe mit: ,,~eteig feU etridjen ~aljten tuurbe in ben miebetIanben geforbett, baf) audj Die Iibetafe 5tljeofogie au einem ~efenntnifJ fommen foUe. lEerfdjiebene lEet. fudje finb bereit§; untemommen lDorben. .lliir3Iidj erfdjien ein bemedenfJ~ lDerte~ ~iidjlein bon Dr.lEorf±er (§Jetau§;geber: m. lE. SDe )tijbftroom in Eodjem), ba§; ben )tite! ±riig± ,3'reifinnige &lauben5erfriirung'. ;vie @!n±~ lDicUung betIiiuft in §JoUanb iil)nfidj tuie in ber @JdjlDei3 unb anberfJtuo: Buerf! fiimlJf± ber 3'reifinn leibenfdjafHidj gegen ~efenn±niffe; bann wmmt er nidjt batUm l)etUm, feTher ~efenn±niffe 511 berfaffen. SDiefe neue @Jitua. Hon ift immerl)in e~tIidj; fie 3cigi nun offen, toafJ friil)er abgeleugnei tuutbe, niimIidj baB ber 3'reifinn eben nidj±fJ anberefJ ift aIfJ ein ~denn±nifJ neben l1nbem unb nidjt bertuedjfeIt lDerben barf mit ,objefiiber lIBiffenidjaft~ Iidjfeit'. " ~. )to .\!n. lIBie~1t!ten ben ~ofepfju~ iilierfei!cn. ;vcr "Eu±l). §Jerofb" beridj±et aufJ einer .mitteilung in ber "mef. S\'.~B.": "SDer ~ofe\Jl)UfJforfdjer Dr. lIB. ,\,lobber in ~uHum gibt im ~anuarljeft ber lEier±crjl1l)rfJilei±fdjrift ,Onber @!igen lEaanber' (~eraufJgeber: ljStof. Dr. ~aitiema in &roningen) eine ljSrobe babon, lDie iiiDifdje ftbetfetungfJfunf± mit iljr unangenegmen )te!;ten um~ jpringt. ~ofeplju§; fdjrcibt in ber berill)m±en @Jterre feiner ~rdjiiologie bon ~@!fw: ,Um biefe Bcit feMe ~@!fUfJ, ein tucifer .\!nann, lDenn man iljn fo nennen barf; benn et boITbradjte ungfau:bHdje )taten unb lDar ein ,\,lel)rer bon .\!nenfdjen, bie gem bie lIBa~rl)eit annaljmen. @!t 309 benn audj bieIe ~uben unb ~ciben au fidj. ;viefer tuar ber C£ljrif±u5.' SDer ofterreidjifdje ~ube iiberfett Diefen )te!;t folgenbermaf)en: ,Um biefe 3cit trat ein getuiffer ~@!fw aUf .... -unb biefJ tuar lEeranlaffung 3U neuen Unruljen -, bet fidj ben ~nfdjein einefJ lDeifen .menfdjen gab, tuenn man il)n einen .\!nenfdjen nennen barf, bet Ungel)euerIidjf±e arrer IDlenfdjen, ben fetne ~ilnger cinen @Jogn @ottefJ nennen, ber lIBunber getan l)aben foIT tuie nodj nie ein .\!nenfdj. eft tuar niimIidj ein Eel)ter in betbliiffenben Shtnftftiicren fiir fordje, bie gern bafJ Unget])oI)n±e anne~men. Unb er berfiil)r±e bieIe ~llben, aber audj biele &ticdjen unb luurbe bon iljnen filt ben C£gtiftu§; gel)aIten.'" ~. )to .\!n. New Turkish Version of the Gospels and the Acts. -An item of absorbing interest is brought to us in the Bible Society Record of March, 1932, report.ing on t.he present status of the effort of the Bible societies to give to the Turks the Holy Scriptures in their language. The report, written by the Rev. C. T. Riggs, who at present is superintending Theological Observer. -,Ritcf)(id)~Seitgefd)icf)mcf)e§. 549 the work of the Levant agency of the society in Turkey, says in part: "The issue of the gospels and the Acts in the new version and in the new Turkish alphabet marks an epoch in the history of the Turkish Scriptures. As th.e Turkish Government had forbidden any further printing of any­thing in the Arabic characters formerly in use, it was essential to replenish our stock with Scriptures in the Latinized alphabet. At the same time two developments in the language made necessary a new translation. A strong movement has been in operation for some years past to eliminate from use as many as possible of Arabic and Persian words and phrases and to substitute wherever possible Turkish words instead. The other tendency was toward a simpler style of Turkish, corresponding somewhat to the change from Addisonian English to that of to-day. 'Ve can now say that, the new translation, made under the auspices of the American and the British and Foreign Bible Societics, has successfully met the demands. of the day. The gospels were first issued in strong paper covers, separately, as each gospel was completed; and this was followed by the Acts, separately. '1'hese five books have now been bound together and issued in cloth as one book, and the sales are surprising even the most optimistic. Of the single gospels, Matthew is nearly exhausted. Out of an edition of six thousand less than one hundred remain at this wTiting. The other gospels are also selling well; but owing to the fact that hard times prevent most people from buying any books at all, they have not gone off.so quickly. Many testimonies have come in from Turks who have read this translation that it is splendid, that they can now understand it as they could not understand the former translation with all its Arabie and Persian and obsolete forms, and that it is an attractive book. . . . It is interesting to note that the most severe criticisms are those that come from non-Turkish Christians, who are so accustomed to the old version that they consider the present language unworthy to express the sacred thoughts_ But the 'Turks themselves are the more competent judges. Those of other races must get used to the modern language with all its apparent crudities., since it is accepted by the Turkish scholars. Work is progressing as rapidly as feasible with the Psalms, which should be ready for the press in less than two months. The translators have prac­tically completed their work on the epistles." In the same connection the Bible Society Record relates that the Turks are now beginning to read the Koran publicly in the Turkish language, too. A letter from Rev. Riggs says: "Friday, January 22, was a memorable date in Turkish Moslem annals. On it the Koran was read for the first time in the service in the Turkish language, followed by a prayer, also in Turkish, in place of the sacred Arabie tongue." This innovation, so he adds, has aroused great enthusiasm and brought un­precedented crowds to the mosques where such readings took place. This indicates not only that a new day has dawned in Turkey, but that Satan is mustering his forces to counteract the sweet influence of the Gospel. A. (fin tlitfifdju '!lie~feit~tf)eD{J)g. ~ie n \lUIg. ~bAMIj. ~itdjenaeitung n born 6. mat beridjtet: ,,~ie ® j) tHo fig f e it rnadjt audj in Der :itiidei g Banb 1 SDa !Onnen fie nur (tntiiiufdjungen ljoIen. SDe~" Ijaili gefj± ber 2ianismu£l immer ltJeiter aurtier. ~eute finD 174,000 ZSuben 1m Banbe. j80r bem strieg ltJaten e£l ficljer 100,000. '1la£l ift ein lmeljr bon 70,000. )fia£l ift bas gegentioer ben gro\3en ~erf1Jrecljungen bon bamag?' H ZS. :it. lm. Theological Observer. -SHt4Jn4J<~eitgefd.Jid.JmdJes. 551 l:!nt~etaner nnb !Refurmierte in nfterreidj. lBor einiger 2eit ging bie IDlelbung buref) fhef)Hef)e [lIii±ter, ball bie 2ut~eraner unb meformierten in ,bfterteicf) cine fircf)Hef)e Union gegriinbe± fjiitten. $£liefe Wacf)rief)t, iuie fcf)on ftiifjer in biefen ®parten mrs angebeute±, tlJirb je~t aI£l untlJafjr iiuriicI~ getlJiefen. ~in genauerer lBeticf)± liber bie ganae ~ngelegenfjei± tlJirb lJieIen llnferer Eefer tlJUffommen Wn. ,;sn ber ,,~.~. 2. Sf." Iefen tlJir baruber: "S£)urcf) einaeIne [lliitter ge~t Die ~lacf)ricf)t, aI£l fjiilie bie ijfterreief)ifcf)e &enetaIf~nobe bom 6. bi£l aum 12. S£)eiiember 1931 mit bem 91eubau ber Sl!itef)enberfaffung cine ,Union' atlJifcf)en Eutfjetanern unb meformierten ue~ ief)Ioffen. ~ruef) bie ,WIlgemeinc ~lJangeIifef)~2utfjerifcf)e ~iref)enseitung' (1931, 52, 1246) tlJeill atlJar au berief)ten, ba13 biefe ,Union' nur bertlJa!tung£lmii13ig fei, meint auer boef), ball ifjte Wo±tlJenbigfeit angeficf)t0 be£l ~riifteberfjiiIt~ niJfe5 Deiber stircljen (260,000 2ut~eralleL gegen 13,000 merormierte) nief)t tibetaIl berftanben tlJerben tlJurbe. S£)afjer fei fjier folgenbe ~uffliirung geftattet: ",;sm aUen ,bfterreief) (ofjne llngarn) umfa13±e 1918 ber \1Sroteftan±i£lmu£l ungefiiI)r 460,000 Eut~eraner, ilumeift S£)eutfef)e, unb 124,000 meformierte, grollienieiI£l :itf djeef)cn, beibe in uefenn±ni£;mii13ig gefonbertcn, buref)au£l auf ®elbftbertlJaIiung aUfgebauten mref)en. ®eIuft bie aUe feef)£l ~aljre aufam~ mentretenben 2anbe§f~noben tlJaten geitcnn±, euenfo bie obetl±e, bom ®taate crnann±e firef)Tief)e [leljotbe, bet ~lJangeIifef)e nberfircf)enrat. WUt am: [le~ tafung gemeinfamet Wngefegenfjeiten ±taten bie genannten ®~noben unb nbeditef)entiite au gemcinfamen ®i~ungen aUfammen. 97;eben biefet ±fjeo~ yetifef)en ®ef)eibung fjatte fteiIidj bie \1Sta;r;1§ unb bie Wot bet S£)ialPota mandje engete )(1caieljung gemupft: ~£l bUbe±en fief) ,gemifef)MonfeffioneUe' @e~ meinben ,~ug£lvutgifef)en unb §.?elbetifdjen [ldenntniffe£;' aumeift mit Iutfje~ rifef)er IDCeljtljeit unb untet ru±~erifef)em Si!itef)entegimen±, aber mit fotg~ fiirtig beaef)±etet teformietter ?Rinbetljeit, bet namentridj mcngion£l~ unb Si!onfitmanbenun±el:ridj± fotlJie lieim fjeifigen ~uenbmafjr -ljie unb ba logat bei bet ~fartethJafjl -meef)nung getragen murk $£liefe metfjiiItniffe btaef)~ ten e£l mit fief), Dall bi£l in bie jiingfte 2eit noef) ernftfief) barlibet gef±titten murbe, Db bet fa mnf±boil geaimmette bi£;~etige metfaffung£;bau atlJei obet nUt eine einaige Sfitef)e umfa13±, cine Btage, bie namentnef) in ben @enlein~ ben ptaftifef) au bielfaef)en ~u£leinanbetfe~ungen gefiiljri fjat. ,,5i)er )ffiegfaU ±fcf)eef)ifdjen @ebie±e£l llnb bie ~ttlJetbltng be£l aumeif± Iu±fjetifef)en [lutgenlanbe£l berfcljov naef) bem Umf±ura ba£l fuiif±elJet~ii1tni£l noef) meljr iiuungunften bet meformierien. )ffiiifjrenb ba£l 2u±I)et±um ~nbe 1930 in 110 @emeinben 261,238 ®eeIen auftlJie£l, beraeidjne±e bet tefot~ miette stirdjenhei§ urn biefelbe 2eit in 6 @emeinben (babon 3 in )ffiien) nut 12,301 @Iieber, au benen fief) bann noef) 1,392 au£l iiurigen nt±fef)aften geferrten. $£liefet ±atfCief)lidjen en±fptaef) abet feine£ltlJeg£l bie recf)tlidje 2age; benn nodj ftanben ben meformiet±en au£l bet aUen lBetfaffung aUe ftiifjeten 9teef)±e au, !ua£l fief) 3. lB. buref) rine befonbete lBerucffief)tigung in bet ober~ lien ~itef)enreitung unb feIbf± in bet ®~nobe