Full Text for CTM Book Review 5-4 (Text)

arnurnr~tu UJ4rnlngtrul !lnut41y Continuing LEHRE UNO ~EHRE MAGAZIN FUER EV.-LUTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. V April, 1934 No.4 CONTENTS P age Die rechte NItte in der Liturgie und Ordnung des Gottes- dienstes. L. Fuerbringer. . . . . . . . . . . . • . • . • • • . . . • . . • • . • 257 The Story of the German Bible. P. 1-:. Krctzmann . • • • • • • • •• 265 A Defense of Luther against Edgar A. Mowrer. Thea. Buenger .••••••• 296 Predigtstudie ueber 2 Tim. 2. 8-13. T. La.t5ch ••••••••• 305 Sermons and Outlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 313 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches . . .. 322 Book Review. - Literatur . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 329 Bin Predlger mua. moot alleln wridm, &00 duJ er die Schafe untenrel8e, wle lie rechte 0hristeD sollen rein, IODdem ancb daneben den Woelfen wehr_, duJ lie die Behafe nlcbt angreifen und mit faJacher Lehre verfuehren und Irrtum eln· fuehren. - Lulh r . Es 1st keln DIDg, du die Leute meIIr bel der Klrche behaelt denn die gute Predlgt. - Apologie, Art. ~. If the trumpet gin an I1DCertatn 8OUDcl, who shall prepare himaelf to the battle, lOor. lJ, 8. P ublished for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo. Book Review. - S3itetatur. 329 Book Review. - 2itCtlltUt. The New Testament in the Light of the :Believer's Research. By P. E. Kretzmann, Ph. D., D. D., Professor of New Testament Inter- pretation, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo. VV. B. Eerdmans Pub- lishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 1934. 112 pages, 5X8. Price, $1.00. Order from Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. In publishing this contribution to the discussion of questions having to do with the New Testament, our esteemed colleague has made all of us his debtors. We are here introduced to the mature conclusions of a scholar who has given much of his time to the critical questions which every student of the New Testament must face. In addition, important doctrines are touched on. In the first chapter the inspiration of the New Testament is discussed, and the old Biblical doctrine of the inspiration and the inerrancy of the Scriptures is defended. The second chapter speaks of the Freer Manuscripts and the Oxyrhynchuspapyri, which have aroused much interest and discussion during the last decades. The third chapter speaks of the Koridethi Manuscript, which is held to be the best witness for the Caesarean readings in the gospels, and, besides, the latest discoveries in Egypt (the Beatty collection) are described. Then there follows a chapter in which the question is investigated, When was Jesus born Y and the historical material available is placed before the reader. Chapter five treats of the earliest Christian congregations at Rome and Antioch, throwing the light of the Scriptures and of history on these venerable churches. Chapter six has as its topic the much-discussed question of the chronological sequence of the Pauline letters, and this quite properly in the next chapter is followed by an investigation of what can be ascertained as to "the place and the time of the Captivity Letters of Paul" (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon). The last chapter of the book has the heading "The Last Twenty-five Years of Peter's Life," in which proof is submittted that Peter actually was in Rome, while at the same time it is pointed out that this does not imply an endorsement of the Roman claims as to a sojourn of Peter in Rome which lasted twenty-five years. This brief survey has shown, we trust, that this little work is remarkably rich and varied in content, and we heartily commend it to all who are interested in the questions and facts touched on. What makes the book so valuable is that not only solid scholarship is aimed at, but that the author throughout accepts the Scriptures as the infallible Word of God, standing on which we can defy the world. W. ARNDT. Sermon Outlines on the Cross of Christ. Specially designed for pre- Easter devotional and evangelistic campaigns. By O. O. Orawford. 172 pages, 5X7ljz. Bound in paper. Price, $1.00. Published by the author. The author of this book is clearly a Fundamentalist, one who believes in the inspiration of the Bible and in the atonement through the blood of Christ. It is true that there are a few places which should be corrected by the user of the book. The author's presentation is not quite adequate with regard to the humiliation of Christ (p. 45 f.) and with regard to original sin (pp. 16. 105). He finds no intimation of infant church-member- 330 Book Review. - l3itetatut. ship in the apostolic writings (p. 125), and his comparison between the Old Testament and the New is inadequate in many respects (pp. 125-127). He quotes with approval from Brown, Beliefs that Matter, although Brown's entire book offers only an emasculated Gospel. There is a slight mistake on page 109, where the author states that the word malefactol' is derived from two Greek words. - But after one has made these corrections, he may well use the rest of the book to the best advantage. It is, on the whole, a fine compilation and arrangement of pertinent material, some of which is indeed a trifle fanciful, but most of which is valuable, also on the doctrinal side. The author makes a splendid statement (p. 80) con- cerning the falseness of the so-called evolution of religion. On page 83 he correctly states that expressions such as "the religions of mankind" are, technically speaking, misnomers. "Confucianism, Brahmanism, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, etc., are in reality systems of philosophy. Christianity is the only religion, because it is the only system which makes possible reconciliation between creature and Creator." There are splendid sections on. the mysteries of Christianity, on the fulfilment of Old Testament pre- dictions regarding the Messiah, but in particular on every phase of recon- ciliation through the Cross. .Any pastor who wants to be stimulated along the lines of Biblical thinking will derive much benefit from this book. P. E. KRETZMANN. A History of the Christian Church. By Lars P. College. Thomas Nelson and Sons, New York. Price, $2.50. Qualben. St. Olaf 1933. 590 pages. This book marks progress in a field in which it was greatly needed. It is "prima,rily intcnded as a text-book for college and seminary classes." It will serve its purpose well in high-school, academy, and junior-college cla,sses, possibly not so well in seminaries; a, splendid book for reference in young people's societies; very serviceable to the man who has not made a speciality of church history and wants to review and refresh his memory of knowledge acquired in earlier days. - .After an introduction, in which the definition, scope, and divisions of church history and the value of a, study of church history axe set forth,. the author speaks on 23 pages of the world into which Christianity came, stressing pa,rticularly the organic rela,tion between Christianity and the Old Testament; the forma,tive period of the early Church to 590 .A. D., III pages; the medieval world, 590 to 1517, 51 pages; the Reformation and Counter- Reformation, 159 pages; Protestant and Catholic thought in the last three centuries, 56 pages. The last third of the book is devoted to the Church in the New World. There a,re thirty chapters, many of them divided into several sections; each section followed by test questions and special topics for study, and each chapter by a, list of books for colla,teral reading. The author is a Lutheran, and he views history throughout from the standpoint of a, Lutheran. Correlation between church and secular history is well presented. It is by fa,r the best book on the market for its purpose. We recommend it highly and have no doubt that a second edition will soon be necessary, in which case some typographical and a, very few other errors might be corrected. - The whole make-up of the book is excellent and the price seems very reasonable. THEO. HoYER. Book Review. - S3iterntur. 331 The New Church and the New Germany. A Study of Church and State. By Charles 8. Macfarland. The Macmillan Company. New York. 1934. 209 pages, 5%XS. Price, $2.25. Order through Con- cordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. This fairly accurate description of the conditions obtaining in the Church in Germany owing to the existing relation of Church and State and of the recent momentous events marking the struggle between the powers of the State and the protesting parties, more particularly between the "German Christians" and the "New Reformation Movement" groups, is based not so much on the accounts appearing in the press as on the author's long acquaintance with German men and affairs and recent per- sonal observation. It covers the political background; the German churches before the organization of the German Church Federation; the German Church Federation, how constituted; the new Evangelical Church of Ger- many; the Free Churches under the Third Reich; the Jewish problem and the Aryan legislation; the Roman Catholic Concordat; the conflicting parties - the "German Christians," the "New Reformation Movement," Karl Barth and his followers; non-Christian Teutonic cults and bodies; the Youth Movement. There are four appendices: the Constitution of the Evangelical Church of Germany, the Marburg Statement on the Aryan Paragraph, an abstract of the Statements of the Erlangen Faculty, and the Roman Catholic Concordat. The main issue at present, the relation be- tween Church and State, receives full treatment. It is summarized in the statements: "The New Reformation Movement and the 'Gospel and Church' parties (two groups not entirely identical) feel that the 'German Chris- tians' are disposed to tie Church and State together as closely as possible, while they themselves insist on a 'free Church within the State.''' And: "We may look for a revived conflict on this vital issue between Church and State." In this connection this statement is of interest: "It is difficult to estimate the relative strength of the two groups. A responsible official of the German Church estimated in October that of approximately 20,000 pastors there appeared to be 2,500 or more in each group, the other 15,000 not having alined themselves definitely enough to be designated as belong- ing to either camp." Naturally, Dr. Macfarland, General Secretary Emer- itus of the Federal Council, cannot evaluate one of the tragic developments of the present crisis: the ease and complacency with which the thirty- four German Evangelical Landeskirchen, classified as Lutheran, Reformed, or "United," entered the German Church Federation of 1922, thus establish- ing "a closer union of Protestantism" (p. 21), and then took the next step, forming the new Evangelical Church, pronouncedly a unionistic Church. And in this connection Dr. Macfarland, most guilelessly, tells the Lutheran bodies involved what we have been telling them for many years: "In this union of the Lutheran and Reformed churches each retains its own confession. In the several states of the Reich there are similar unions, and indeed there were even suoh, at least to some extent, before the present national union." (P.41.) 'While we deplore the lack of confessionalism among the German pastors and churches, we certainly admire the firm- ness and Christian heroism many of them are showing in their stand against the aggression of the caesaropapistical groups. We agree, in a- mea- 332 Book Review. - ~itetatur. sure, with the concluding paragraphs of the book: "The profoundest sen- sation has been that of admiration for the great body of the German pastors - among them not a few originally highly motivated 'German Christians' - who have withstood the mighty sweep of material force with spiritual power. They, too, had assented to, or were compliant with, or accepted with toleration, a human domination of all else, which is perhaps the most consummate in history. But they would not and will not yield the Christian Church, Gospel, and ministry to human monarchy or monarch. . .. They have revealed a courage in a moment of seeming utter defeat which will command the admiration and respect of the entire Christian world." - The survey is brought up to the second reorganization of the Church in late December. What has developed since then and is bound to develop in the near future will necessitate some supplementary volumes. TH. ENGELDER. puellcn :jUt @efdjidjte be~ fitdjlidjeu ttntemdjt~ in het ebangeHfdjen ~itdje <;!)eutfdjranh~. mon D. :;y 0 ~ ann Wt i d) a e 1 !R e u. ~tfter steil: OueUen 3Ut @cfd)id)te bei$ .Ratecl)gmui$untmicl)g. III. Ofb, 1J10rb~ unb lilleft" beutfd)c .ltatecf)iSmen. 1. Illllteilunll: .\'diftotifd)"btbliograpl)ifd)e ~inlcitunll. 3tveitc .\'diHfte. 3tveite ~ieferung. merlag bon ~. lBertersmann, @iiter§Lol). 1933. 358 @5eiten 6%X9?\t. \l!reis: M.18, tartoniert. 5Dies ift tvieberum dne IllbteUung Des treffHcl)en OueUenmerfS Des ge{e~rten metfafferi$. @emiignHd) finb OueUenmerte afg ttocfene lillette betfd)rien, bie l)iid)" ftens fiir ben @5pe3iaHften lillert ljaben. 5Das mag bei mand)en fotcl)en lilleden bet \:yaU fein, trifft aIm gana gemiu nid)t in be3ug aUf bas gegenmCirtlge lilletl au. 5Det merfaffer betfte~t es, butd) feine eingeftreuten lBemetfungen unb feine mo~t" gemCiljtten 3itate unsein lebenbiges lBilb bet bamatigen met~Cittniffe au cnb mer fen. lillie genaumitb man 3. lB. mit bem fircl)tid)en ~eben in ben ~iinebutget @emeinben befannt, menn man Heft, mai$ bet merfaffet @5eite 816-882 3ufammen" getragen ljat! Wtan begegnet ba bem fiir bie @infiiljrung ber lReformation in ~iineburll fo eifrillen .ltanatet Otto \:Yiirfter. ·Wtan fief)t Utbanu!! lRgellius an bet Illtbeit, Illuslellungen bell ~ntf)etfd)en .Ratedjillmull au fd)reiben. Wtan madjt bie lBetanntfd)aft bes treffHd)en ~offiuiJ, .RontdtorS am ~oljanneum in ~iinefmtg, bes gebiegenen \l!Cibagogen unb lJThetljobifeti$, ber nidjt nur S~atecl)iSmen", f onbern aud) \l!erifopenauslegungcu fiir feine @5cl)ft{er fef)rieb, ber fief) fonbertief) aud) bet .\'debung b~s ftrd)tid)en @efangei$ mibmete. Wtan fie~t gleicl)fam bi.e .Rinbet unb jungen ~eute gUt @5djuleeiten. Wtan befvmmt einen @inbltcl in ben @5tunbcu" v1an bell ~oljanneums. Wtan nimmt mit ber @emeinbe, Die berfammen ift, @ottes lillvrt gu ~oren, am @ottesbienft teil. Wtan ~iirt ben ftCiftigen @emeinbegefang unb bie jugcnbHef)ett ~ljilte, Die allerbingi$ fetbft 1550 noel) Bum gtouen steil tatei" nifd)e 2iebet fangett. ,\tUta, bit ane 3eU lebt mieber auf, unb man etbaut fidj an bem frifd)en ~eben, bai$ butdj bie !Reformation ~utljers in aUen @auen 5Deutfdj" lanbs, in .ltird)e unb @5djule unb .\'daus, mieber bemerfbar murbe. Unb man banlt @vtt, bau man oefrelt ift bon ber \:YinfterniS bes \l!apfttnms, bie in bet .ltircl)cu" vrbnung fiir @;alenoetg bom :;yaljre 1542, mie folgt, gefd)ilbert mitb: lI~as ~Clben mit, elje benn bas ~bangenum miberumb aufffam, gctvuft bom ~atecl)ismo, 5Dai$ ift, bon ber .!tinber 3ud)t? ~as muften mit bom recl)tcu btaud) bes .\docl)mitbigen IllbenbmalS ~ lillo letete man ted)t bon bet )l)itbc ber ljeHtgeu staUff ~ ~o ~(lt man red)t Ileljanbert ben Illtticlel bon bergeIlung bet @5iinbeu? mon ber :;YuftifiC(l" Hon? mon rec~tfd)affnett gutcn lilletclen~ mon bem ~emgett ~teu~~ @5einb nid)t bie @eifUidjeu mit lautmn \:Yabe1n bmbgangen ~ 'lillat es nid)t baljin fomen, bas Book Review. - S3iteta±ut. 333 man betgebung bet fUnbe bmb gett, nicf)t on metdlicf)en nacf)teit be~ betbinfts (£I)tifti, betfaufft I)at? Illiiifte aber i~emanb foIcf)~ leugnen, 60 fage er bn~, lIDarumb benn bet ~bras in ~eutfi9lanb fo gemein worben fel)1" (6. 909.) ~as lUIetf berbient weite metbreitung. ~. 13 a t f cf). futijer~ !&erfe in ~uBlUllijl. 6ecf)ftet !Bnnb: 13 utI) e r 5 1.8 r i e fe, I)ernu~~ gegeocn bon ~ ann if! iR U d e t t. metIng bon Illialter be @ltul)ter & (£o., !Bedin. 1933. XII unb 440 6eUen 5X7%, in 53einwanb mit ~edef~ unb iRiidentiteI gebunben. q:\teis: M. 8. ~n biefer fdjiinen, I)nnblicf)en ~usgabe ift wieber ein neuet 1.8nnb etfdjienen, bet 53utl)ed !Briefe barbietet, natUtIidj nidjt aUe !Briefe, bie l3utger gefcf)tieben gnt - biefe filUen jn in unfem 6t. l30uifer musgabe awei grobe !Banbe -; aber es ift eine gute ~uswal)l getroffen worben. moUftiinbig aUfgenommen flnb bie !Briefe l3utl)ers bon ber Illinttbmg, bie bes ~al)res 1527 unb bie aUf bet .Roburg gefdjriebenen, fer net fiimtncf)e !Briefe an 6tnujJit unb an l3utgers ~gefr.au .Riitge. ~ie 1.8riefe werben bargeboten, wie S3utger fie gefdjtieben ~at, fateinifcf) ober beutfcf); nut ift bie ffiedjtfdjreibung moberuet, ebenfo bie ~ntetjJunftiou. 6e9r wertboU flub bie ~nmetfuugen. Uub q:\tof. D. O. (£Iemen in ,8widau, ber S3utl)erll famtncf)e 1.8riefe fUr bie grobe Illieimntet 53utgerausgalie fJcatbeitet, 1)('It hem ~er~ nusgeber mnndje ~ienfte geIeiftet. lUIir miidjten Ubtigens bei biefer @lefegen1)eit einmaI bemetfen, bab biefer ebengenannte berUl)mte l3ut1)erforfcf)er, wie wir aus jJribaten SffiitteUungen tniffen, fidj fel)t \lUuftig Uber unfere 6t. 130uifer ~usgabe ausgefjJrodjen 9at, bie fid) jett audj in bet ,8widauet ffiatfd)ufbibfiotgef befinbet. ~r benutt bei feiner ~rbeit gem aud) unfere 6t. S30uifer ~usgabe. 1.8eim q:\rUfen bes bor!iegenben 1.8anbd unb gefegentndjem 53efen - wer lann 53utger~ 1.8riefe aud) nur burdjbIiittem, ol)ne immer wieber feftge~a1ten au werben1 - fief unfet !Bnd unter anberm auf ben lmaen, fd)Bnen 1.8tief an .Ratge l3utger, ben ber ffie~ formator an feine um il)n befotgte ~ausfrau bon ~gfeben aus wenige ~age bor feinem ~obe fdjrieb. ,,53ies ~u, Hebe ~etl)e, ben ~o~annem unb ben .Rfeinen .RatedjiSmum, Dnbon ~u au bem Sffial fagteft: ~~ ift bod) nUes in bem !Budj bon mit gefagt. ~enn ~u willft fotgen fUr ~einen @lott, gerabe aIS Wate et nidjt aUmadjtig, bet ba fonnte 3e~n ~oltor Sffiartinug fcf)affen, wo bereinige nUe erfoffe in ber 6aaIe obet im DfenIodj obet nuf lillolfg !8oge1l)etb. l3ab mid) in tyrieben mit ~einet 60rgei icf) ~ab' dnen beffem 60r\1er, benn ~u unb aUe ~ngeI finb. ~et Hegt in ber .RrljJjJe unb 9iinget an einet ~ungfrnuen ,8iten, abet fttet gfeicf)~ wo~f aUt rei9ten ~anb @lottes, bes allmacf)tigen mnted. ~arum fei in {l'rieben! ~men.1/ (6.419.) (6t. 130uifer musgabe XXI b, 3195.) ~. {l' U t b r i n get. Christian Stewardship and Its Modern Implications. By the Rev. Paul Lindemann. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 46 pages, 6X9. Price, 15 cts., net, postpaid. A tract on stewardship! Ah, money, of course! some will exclaim. That, however, has been our very mistake - to connect stewardship chiefly with money. Says the writer of the tract, Pastor Paul Lindemann: "Most people think of Christian stewardship in terms of money rather than in terms of life. Stewardship-teaching in our own circles has been primarily financial instead of educational. It has busied itself with the raising of funds rather than with the building of character. It has not been kept entirely clear of legalism and has laid an undue emphasis on mechanical methods and systematization rather than on the principles of joyous liberty 334 Book Review.- mtetatut. and spontaneous service which the recognition of the true principles of stewardship implied. And yet the attitude towards our money represents only one of the phases of our stewardship. True stewardsip comprehends the responsibilities of a Christian in all the many relationships of life. It takes into account every phase of human living. It involves the re- sponsibility of the individual to God in the matter of all his possessions- time, talent, energy, money, and life itself. .All of man, with all his powers and endowments, belongs to God. All of life, in all its interests and ramifications, belongs to God and is without qualification to be placed in His service. Man is carrying out God's design regarding him when he yields himself as an instrument to carry out God's world plan; other- wise his life is being mislived." Concerning our preaching Pastor Linde- mann says: "Our sermons have been doctrinally clear and satisfying. We have given to our people solid soul food. There is absolutely no doubt about it that the Lutheran preaching is the best preaching of the day; and yet we venture a suggestion for self-examination as to why we are not applying the implications of stewardship with sufficient clarity. We preach the truth from heaven, and we preach it in all its glory, and we permit our people to draw the inferences. The trouble is that these in- ferences are not drawn. The pulpit statements are accepted as general theories. But do we not often fail clearly to portray the practical appli- cation? Do we show our hearers the courses along which they may exer- cise their faith, how they may live it out in their daily lives and in the work of the Church? Do we tell them, You profess to belong wholly to Christ? You believe that you can truthfully say, For me to live is Jesus. You believe that you can honestly sing: Take my life and let it be, Con- secrated, Lord, to Thee. Do you mean it?" Corncerning the financial difficulties of our Synod the author of the tract says: "Why is it that the too earnestly applied remedies of systematizing our finances and of educating our people have not brought the expected and desired results 1 There can be absolutely no doubt that our efforts along these lines have been in some measure successful and that they have in a striking degree stimulated the flow of funds into our treasuries. But after all, these two measures are more or less mechanical in character. Christian giving, as we have pointed out, needs a heart stimulus. It is animated not by logic and reason and synodical patriotism and pride of achievement nor even by a sense of duty, but its actuating impulse must be love." In this tract of forty-six pages what is called the lar,ger stewardship is presented in its various phases and its modern implications. Pastor Lindemann writes in an interesting way; what he says is not only sound, but is worth while, and he does not mince words in stating facts. Our pastors will not only for themselves find much information and encouragement in this tract, but also an abundance of sermon material. We hold that a thorough in- doctrination of our people in reference to the larger stewardship is much needed in our Synod. We are convinced that not until this has been done, will some of our serious troubles - not only nor first of all our financial troubles - be removed. Pastor Lindemann's tract is a valuable contribu- tion to this end. But let us remember that what is said in the tract must, if it shall serve its purpose, be read, studied, and appUed. J. H. C. FRITZ. Book Review. - .l3iteratut. 835 Outlines for Mission Lectures. request for the Missionary ing House, St. Louis, Mo. postpaid. By Prof. E. J. Friedrich. Written by Forward Endeavor. Concordia Publish- 47 pages, 5X7:Jf2. Price, 15 cta., net, These texts and outlines are not intended to be used for the usual "mission service," as the name might indicate, but for special sermons which are needed just at this time to arouse us to a realization of the present conditions in the Church and in the world in the light of the Word of God. So says Professor Friedrich in his foreword: ''What our con- gregations need is a clear interpretation, in the light of the Scriptures, of the present perplexing world situation, a restatement in concrete terms of the Church's duties, a bold, but sympathetic avowal of the fact that, taken as a whole, we are failing in the discharge of these duties, an arous- ing of the indifferent, a comforting and strengthening of the faithful, who everywhere are losing heart at present, and finally sincere repentance and earnest reconsecration on the part of each and everyone. In short, we must get to the very heart of the matter; and this can be done only by bringing the Word of God to bear upon the present situation." Because the sermons are to serve this purpo~e, they ought to be preached at the services which are attended by the largest number of people, on Sunday mornings. They could well be preached from Sunday Septua- gesima to Sunday Judica. "It will no doubt be found expedient at most places," says Professor Friedrich, "to treat the matters pertaining to our present emergency in the regular Sunday morning sermons. This can be done without debauching the sermon or degrading it to the level of a mere lecture or talk. After all, many of our sermons would be far more effec- tive if they would come to grips with the great problems of the Church and the individual church-member instead of treating the truths of the text objectively and without pointed references to existing conditions." We heartily agree. What is needed at all times, and espeoially to-day, is that the divine truths be applied to the needs of the people. We hope our pastors throughout Synod will send for these sermon outlines, which cost but the trifling sum of fifteen cents, and will use the large amount of sermon material given after they themselves have thoroughly worked through the texts. Now is the time for the Church to speak; she dare not remain silent in reference to the great needs of men in the Church and in the world to-day. The following texts and sermon themes are presented: 1 John 5,19, "The Whole World Lieth in Wickedness"; Is. 40,9, "The Lord's Chosen Servant for the Salvation of the World"; Num. 13, 26-14,1, "The Alarming Attitude of the Church in the Face of Its Present Glorious Opportunities"; Lam. 3, 40-42 a, "How can a Faltering Church be Restored to Fulness of Power and Missionary Zeal?"; Is. 54, 2-4 a, "The Healthy Church in Action"; I.uke 19, 12-27, "The Fundamental Facts of Christian Stewardship"; John 1, 35-37. 40-42a, "Personal Missiou-work"; Rev. 3, 7-9, "I Have Set before Thee an Open Door." J. H. C. FRITZ. 336 Book Review. - iJitetatur. ~er~anbrungen ber neunile~nten ~a~re!6l1erfatnmrun!J be!6 ~e~a!6=~iftrift!6. 80 6eHen 5%X8%. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. !j.\reis: 15 ~g. ~iefer lSetief)t ift oefonners mettbolI, nief)t fomo~l megen bet ilbHef)en @c< fef)aftsber9anblungen unb ber l.lJtiffionsoetief)te (oogleicf) biefe bem oRitcf)enlJiftotifer gute ~ienfte leiften fiinnen) ars oefonbers megen bet ~9tbetlJQnblungen. :tlJcma biefer ~rbeit mar bie .s')iif1enflllJtt ~lJdfti, unb bet lRefetent, ~iteftor 6tubtmann, lJat nief)t nur dne grilnbHcf)c, fonbern auef) elue :elJt etbauHcf)e ~toeit genefed. iffier fief) Uber bie 6ef)riftle1)re bon ber .s')BUenfa1)rt orientimn milI, finbet in biefem lSerief)te aUes, mas et niitig 1)at, bie ~atftef1un\J aUet 6onbetTe1)ten fomolJ! mie bie boUe ~arlegung ber ~(1)rlJeit auf @runb bet 6ef)tift. !j.\. ~. oR te t man n. Historical Prism Inscriptions of Ashurbanipal. By Arthur Carl Piep- korn. The University of Chicago Press. 109 pages, 7X9¥.!. Price, $1.25. Here is a speoimen ernditionis, part of the work done by a graduate of a few years ago in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the doctor's degree. But it is not merely such a specimen.: for the text gives us an opportunity to form a good idea of conditions during the reign of Ashur- banipal (668-626 B. C.), who was noted not only for his great wars of conquest, but also for his hunting prowess and for his interest in liter- ature, his great library baving been excavated by George Smith. A typical passage (on page 29) shows the boastfulness of the great Assyrian ruler: ''I, Ashurbanipal, the great king, the mighty king, king of the universe, king of Assyria, king of the four world regions, duke of Babylon, king of the land of the Sumerian and the Akkadian, grandson of Sennacherib," etc. - Further studies of prism inscriptions are to follow. P. E. KRETZMANN. NOTICE TO OUR SU:BSCRI:BERS. In order to render satisfactory service, we must have our current mailing- list correct. 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