Full Text for CTM Book Review 7-10 (Text)

(ttnttrnr~tu ijJ4rnlngirul muut41y Continuing LEHRE UND ~EHRE MAGAZIN FUER Ev.-LuTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. VII October, 1936 No. 10 CONTENTS Page Walther als Xirchenmann. L. Fuerbringer .......•.....•.. 721 Walther, a Christian Theologian. Th. Engelder ••.••••.•••• 731 Walther the Preacher. J. H. C. Fritz. . • • . • • • • . . . . . • • • • . •• 743 Suggested Thoughts on tht; Q.uestion: Can We Escape Both Traditionalism and Liberalism 1 o. A. Geiseman. .••.•.• , 749 Der Schriftgrund fuer die Lehre von der satisfactio vicaria. P. E. Kretzmann. • • • • • •• 752 Dispositionen ueber die erste von der Synodalkonferenz angenommene Evangelienreihe .................... 755 Miscellanea. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 770 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches ..... 774 Book Review. - Literatur. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 789 Ein Predlger muss nlcht aUein weideR, also dass er die Schare unterw~loe, wie eie rechte Christen BOllen sein, sondern aueh daneben den Woelfen wekren, dass sie die Schafe niOOt angreiten und mit falscher Lehre verfuebren und Irrtum ein· fuehren. - Lulher. Es ist kein Ding, das die Leute mehr bel der Kirche bebaelt denn die gute Predigt. - Apologie, Arl. 2.i. If the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himselt to the battle? 1 Cor. ~,8. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING ROUSE, St. Louis, Mo. Book Review. - ~iteratur. 789 Book Review. - £itCftltUf. 'lJn~ ~l1dj bet &nfiinge. ~aflitct 1-11 \}es crftcn Q3ud)es Iffiofe. i}'iit i}'reunne unn meriid)ter ncr ~mbel ausgetegt bon Mag. © e t t m u t ~ ~ r e ~ r ~fat~ rer in 5\)orflat. GranDer meteinsbud)~anbtungr 6tuttgatt. 172 6eiten 6X8%,. ~teiSr ~einen: RM.3.80. 5\)ies ift dn medtoitrbigesr abet bod) intmffantes unb le~mid)es Q3ud)r be~ fonbers fiit cinenr betr toie bie meiften )jefet bi~fer ,Beitfd)tiftr bie 6tBd~arbtfd)e 'llidfe bet m:uslegung tennl. 5\)aiJ mud) Metet toeniger m:usLegung als m:ntoenbungr (ettete oft in gans monerner 'llieife in bet i}'orm fl~ilofofl~ifd)er mettad)tungen. 5\)er mcrfaffer offenbarl cine fe!)r freie 6tellung gegen nie ~nfflitation net 6d)rift unn ofletiett mit ben 5\)otumenlen J, P, E unb anbem. \Reaenfent fanb es niitigr an 5\)utenben bon 6tellen ~ralle3eid)en an ben \Ranb 3u f etenr aud) bei einer 18eaie~ung aUf ein ~aufenbjii~rigeiJ \Reid) (6.162). mon bet meffianifd)en 'llieis. fagunll ®en. 3r 15 fagl ber merfaffet 3unad)ft: l15\)te fird)tid)em:uslegung ~at batin bon aUers !)et ein ttiiftlidJes ~t"otebangelium (et[tcs ~bangeHum) bon Gr~ri[tus finben toollen. 'lliit [d)toiicl)en a1Jer ben ~e!;t aO r ioenn toit bas milb unfagbatenr 31lniicf)ft l)offnungslof~n @rUllens nicl)t fel)enr bas jid) f;lietauftut: Ram fl f r ~ 0 b est am fl f r bon ® e f d) 1 e ·d) t 3 u @ c f d) 1 c d) f.!! m:ber nad) bicfer metftoiirbigen 5\)atlegung bringt bet merfaffer in ieinen ~atagt"afl~enr bciitelt IImibHfef)er m:usblici llr eine feine m:u§fiif)tungr in ber er ben ~e!;t bes ~roteban~ \Jeltums aUf ~~fum antoenbet. 5\)a jinben wit 6iitc wie biefen: rr~n bie[em m:b[d)nitt bes l:lcbeniJ ~~fu [ef)en wit 3um erftenmal in bet @efd)ief)te bie !ffieis~ [agung bom gtaufigen Ram~f 3toifef)en Weibesfamcn unb 6ef)langen[amen in ilJtct gansen ~iefe erftillt." (6. 64.) ~iJ finbet jid) bie! SUlertbolles in bem muef)e r in bet toiittlief)en i'tberfetung bes ®runbie!;tes fotoof)l toie in ber bilbeneid)cnr geluiif)1ten 6flraef)e bes merfaffers. Wet fief) intenjib mit bem 6tubium bet @eneiis befattr toirb bies mud) nid)t of)ne 6egen geotaud)en tilnnen. ~. ~. R te t man n. A Portrait of Peter. By J. Alexander Findlay. The Abingdon Press, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago. 214 pages, 4%X7. Price, $1.25. The universal complaint that a large portion of the contemporary theological literature is light and superficial cannot be directed against this book. The author, lecturer in Greek Testament, University of Manchester, England, has something to say, and, without recourse to rhetorical flour- ishes and stylistic fireworks, says it well. What is here offered rests on studies that extended over many years and were reenforced by residence .and travels in Palestine. In nine chapters the life and character of St. Peter, his teaching as brought before us in his epistles, and the lessons contained in it for modern disciples of our Lord, are discussed. On many an episode and passage the author, by keen analysis and penetrating thought, throws a remarkable flood of light. As illustration I might quote from page 86: HAll three temptations recurred in the ministry of Jesus: the suggestion that He should turn stones into bread, after the feeding of ihe five thousand; that He should cast Himself down from the Temple, .in the demand for a sign from heaven; and that He should surrender io a prospect of world power, in Peter's well-meant protest. The form is 790 Book Review. - l3iteratur. different, but the idea behind the suggestion is the same in each case." There are many points, however, in which conservative Bible Christians will disagree with the author. His conception of the character of Second Peter, which he holds to' be unauthellltic, though fragmelllts of occasional writings of Peter are incorporated in it (cf. p. 191), will not have to be rejected as doctrinally erroneous, because Second Peter is an antilegomenon; but there are some things which we cannot classify and overlook as mere idiosyncrasies. We are pained to find sentences like this one with reference to Peter's' walking on the sea, as told by St. Matthew: "As it is not men- tioned by :Mark, who gives us Peter's own version of the events of that night, we may wonder whether it is actual history. It looks like a history of the course of Peter's association with Jesus in the days of His flesh, told in parable form by the first evangelist" (p. 62) . Though he warns us against too ready acceptance of what the masters of "form criticism," such as Dibelius and Bultmann, set forth (p. 65), and though he makes a strong point in favor of the reliability of our gospels by reminding us of the vast difference between them and the apocryphal gospels, which latter admittedly are largely the product of inventive fancy, he himself is not quite immune from their seductive speCUlations. In the appealing last chapter the objective meaning of the Cross is somewhat submerged. W. ARNDT. The King's Own Honors Roll. The Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. By Gha1'les J. Bolls, D. D., missionary in India for ten years, dean of the New Zealand Bible Institute, Auckland, N. Z., Dean of Education the Kansas City Bible Institute, Kansas City, Mo.- Fleming H. Revell Company, New York. 453 pages, 5% X9. Price, $3.00. We have here, according to the publisher's blurb, "a study of the first seven chapters of the Book of Revelation, which deals with the unveiling of the person of Jesus Christ in His four great capacities as Administrator, Executor, Mediator, and Adjudicator. His unveiling is a panorama of the invincible Christ, in His leadership through the ages, as He identifies Himself with those whose names, by virtue of their faithfulness, are in- scribed in the Lamb's Book of Life." The author himself, in explanation (p.lO), tells us that he is depicting the significance of Jesus for the "ecclesiastical, governmental, national, and social realms." Our first crit- icism of the book is that it takes the reader into a haze where he no longer knows in which direction he is traveling. Enthusiasm and rhetoric we are given a-plenty, but not enough "dry light." The sentiments ex- pressed are often beautiful and true, but one frequently fails to see why they must be uttered in a book purporting to give an explanation of Revelation. The second criticism is that the work is chiliastic, the writer being a champion of the so-called premillennial view. At that, the reasoned exposition of this view, which some searcher might be anxious to obtain, is not furnished. ~With the author's aim to weave a chaplet to be placed on the brow of our heavenly King we are altogether in sympathy, but the defects of the book just mentioned must not be overlooked. While the wOTk covers merely Rev. 1-7, the author speaks of a later volume in which the remaining chapters will be considered. W. ARNDT. Book Review. - ~iteraliei betttitt et aliet aucf) bie ~njt.cf)'t, bab bas 13ut~ettum nicf)t bie ganie, bolle lffi(1)t~eit bejtte. lIS!::>abei jtnb wit aliet gewifl, bab bie fommenbe ~in1)eit nur fo 3uftanbe fommen witb, bab bie anbem aUf i 1) t e m lffiege weitetgefli~tt wetben, nicf)t aUf unfem libet:tteten. . .. ~icf)t nut: fie wetben unet~iitt ~eues edeben, fonbern aud) wit. II lffiit fiinnen ben 6at aUf 6eite 115 nicf)t betfte~en: lIS!::>ie tiimifcf)dat~oltfcf)e ~itcf)e ift flit uns immetbat aucf) cine bef onbm 0ieftalt bet ~itd)e (;\;~tifti, bie i1)te dgenen 0iaben unb in mand)et ©inficf)t ecf)te ftbedegm1)eit libet uns 1)at. ~ucf) wenn einma! bet 0iegenfat 3wifcf)en uns lilietwunben ift, witb bie tiimifcf)~ fat~olifcf)e ~itcf)e dne :;Slingetin :;S~fu bon eigenet ~tt li !eib en, bie nelien uns fte1)t luie cine 6cf)weftet neb en bet anbern." lffias bamit gemeint ift, bafl bie tiimifcf)~fat1)olifcf)e ~itcf)e in mancf)et ©inficf)t ecf)te ftliet!egen1)eit liber uns ~at, betfte~en wit: jte 1)ateben 6tlide bet lffi(1)r1)eit, bie wit nicf)t 1)aben. ~bet wenn nun bet 0iegenfat libetwunben ift, bie !ut1)etifcf)e ~itcf)e bon i1)t bas ~iitige unb fie bon uns bas ~iitig'e gefernt 1)at, wie fann jte bann nocf) eine ~ i g e nat t bejtten? S!::>ie ffiebe bon bet IIfommenben ~in1)eit" libtigens entftJticf)t bet fcf)wiit~ metif cf)en ~twattung, IIbab einma! e i n ©it:t unb e i n e ©etbe f ein witb". (6.119.) 0iana entfcfJieben betwhft ~lt1)aus ben 6at: lIS!::>ie ffieltgionen finb teUweif e lffia1)t1)eit, tdlweif e nicfJt. . ., lffias flit eine unmiigltd)e ~ettacf)tung!" (6.67.) ~bet babei fann et fagen: lIS!::>ie ffieligion ift in bet metfe1)tung eben bocf) 0iottesbet1)iiUniS ... , 6ie ift nicf)t teines mmfcf)enwed, ... fonbem aucf) in bet metfe1)tung ~usbtud bet lffi(1)t1)eit." man fiinnte bies aUt ~ot recf)t betfte1)en. ~liet butd)aus faqd) ift es im mcf)t bes butcf)aus fa!fcf)en 6ates: 1160 ift bas fU1)ne lffiott maL 1, 11 3U betfte1)en: ,mom ~ufgang bet 60nne biS 3um mebetgang ift gtob untet ben mii!fem mein ~ame, unb an jebet 1)eHigen 6tiitte otJfett man teine 0iabe meincm ~amen.' man mcint ben 0iiiten, abet aud) in biefet mede1)mng ift bas aUftid)tige DtJfet bet ©eiben aUf ben e in e n wa1)ten 0iott be30gen." (6. 71.) :;Sn bet 13e1)te bon bet ffiecf)tfettigung fli~tt ~lt1)aus tefotmiette ffiebe. ~t labt bas ~bangeltum nicf)t cf)tift03enttifcfJ, fonbem t1)e03enttifcf)1 aUf. l10iottes 0i 0 t t 1) e it aIS 6inn bet \JtecfJtfettigungsle~re 13u~ t1)ets" - was ~eibt bas? IIlfficnn 13ut~et bas ~bangeIium als dn 0i e bot 0i 0 t t e s 1)iitte, bann wubte et: jett ge~t es nicf)t me~t nut um bicfJ unb bein ©eH, fonbern um 0iott feIbft, um bie ~utotitiit feines lffiiUens. . .. :;Snbem bas ~bangelium 13ut~et in bet iJ'otm bes 0iebotes 0iottes begegnete, edannte et 3um etften male ben t ~ e 0 3 e n t t i f cf) en(;\; ~ a t aft e t bes ~bangeHumiJ - unb Mefet gewann i~m ben 0ilaubena!S 0ie~otfam gegen 0iottes 0iott~eit ali. II (6.11.) lIS!::>as ~bangeHum ift auetft unb 3u!ett bas lffiott bon 0iottes 0iott~eit." (6.125.) IIlffiit edennen: 13ut~ets ffiecf)tfettigungsle~te ift 3U tief in feinem 0iebanfen bon 0iottes 0iott1)eit begtlinbet." (6. 19.) lIS!::>ie t~eo3enttifcf)e mnie bet ffiecfJtfettigungs!e~te ~at bennod) in bet ebangeTifcf)en %1)eo!ogie nicf)t bie ma[Jgelienbe ~ebeutungetlangt, bie i~r 3ufommt. . .. S!::>iefet t~eo3enttifcf)e 0iejtcf)tstJunft witb bann lief onbets in bet %~eologie (;\; alb ins ftad betont. ~ei bet ~e~anblung bet ffiecf)tfettigung in feinem bogmatifcfJen ©autJtwede ftef1t et bem 0iebanfen, bab allein bie ffiecf)tfettigung aus fteiet 0inabe bas 0iewiff en 3um iJ'tieben litinge, ben anbem, t~eo3enttifcf)en botauf, ba[J al1ein ber ffiecf)t~ fettigungsglaube bie ~ ~ t e 0i 0 t t e s unangetaftet laffe." (6. 29. ) ~s ift batum ntd)t berwunbetHd), bab ~1t~aus "im gansm au ~tunnetil (;\;~tiftologie wie au feinet Dffenbatungsre~te liliet~autJt" fein "fteubiges ~inberftiinbniS aus~ 796 Book Review. - £iteratut. i~red)en fann". (15. 171.) i)enn mrunner berroitft ben l5at} 9Jleland)t~ons: "Hoc est Christum agnoscere, beneficia eius cognoscere" aus biefem ®runbe: "It contains the germ of the whole anthropocentric point of view of later Lutheranism. Man occupies the center of the picture, with his need for salvation, not God and His glory, His revelation." (The Mediator, 15.407 f.) @eld)ell ift nun "bas .\';)ers bes ~bangeliums"1 SUuf 6ette 135 ift ell bie motfd)aft bon ber ~rliifung burd). ~l)riftum, aUf 6ette 125 ift ell ®ottes ®ottl)eU. :ras fine iit bie lutlJerifel)e, bas anbere bie bialeUifc!.Heformierte me3eief)nung. SUltl)ClUS iit auel) "mit mrunner in ber IUbfel)nung bct communicatio idiomatum gan3 einig" (6. 181), unb "ag e!;Uuj'ibe ef)riftologifd)e meftimmung ift bas i)ogma bon ber SUnl)~~oftaj'ie un~artbar". (15. 180.) ~ll iit tief au oeflagen, bab bie ®elel)r" famfeit, ber ~tnft, bie ~ntfef)ieDenl)eH unb bet ~ifet bes merfaffers biefer ~tuffa~e nid)! aUeroege ber lutf)erifef)en 6ael)c 3Ugute lommt. - lUus bem trefflief)en SUrtitel "Unb tllenn ell fofmef) geroefen ift" lJat bie illldronummer bieier 3eilfcf)rift ciniges milgeteilt. ::t l). ~ n gel b e r. Q.leliete ber ~irdie. :;Sm SUuftrag bes oa~erifef)en ~farrerbmins gefammelt unb l)erausgcgelien bon D t t 0 '!l i e ~. 9Jlit einem ®efeitlvort bon 53anbes" oifef)of '!l. 9Jl ei fer. ~rfter manb: ® e li et e f ii r b i e ® 0 t t e s " b i e n ft t be r .R: i r d) e. merlag bes ~fatrerbercins ber ~b.~53utl) . .R:tref)e in matjem red)ts bes lRlJtinll, %iirnoerg. 1935. 480 unb XV 6eHen 8XIO. ~reis: :;sn .\';)aloleinen geliunben, mit ®olbtitel Y.lO; in ®an3" leber mit ®olbfel)nitt M.20. (.fin oetannter ~eolog bet ®egentllatt lJat bor einiger 3eit gefel)tielien: "meten ift fef),rom .R:unf±. ®eroib, oeten im .R:iimmetletn, ball fann ieber ~~ttft; aber beten, bab cine gan3e ®emcinbe miloeten fann, bab bie ®emeinbe erlJooen witb 3U ®olt, bllb es cin ®ebet ber ~infa1t, fin lJetliges lRatuf)ojJfer bes ®ebet§ aliet ivirbF ba§! au ®ottes ::tlJton auffteigt{ tllo flnb biefe meter?" mon biefem GIlefid)tsl.JUnft aus ift bitfes fcf)iillC, llUel) fef)iin gebrudte unb ausgeftattete @erf cntftanben. '!ler l5ammIet unb .\';)erausgeber lJat fief) fef)on friilJer aUf biefem ®ebiete betutigt{ unb roir lJllben ben erften mllnb feines !!Bedes ,,®eoete ber mater", mit bem Untettitel ,,'!lie ~tlangenenfofleften bes meit '!liettief)"{ in biefer Beitfc[)tift (4, 718) vejjJroef)en. (,I'r gelJt bon bem ®ebanfen aus, bafl cin ?j.lfllmr iifters in bie 53age tommt, bllil er ®eoete fiir bef onbm ®e1egenlJeiten georauel)en miief)te unb folef)e nief)t in feiner SUgenbe finbet unb bllb er iiOet~llujJt an bet .\';)llnb unb unter ber SUnleitung guter ®eoete ein reef)tes ®ebetsleben fiilJren foU. stiatum lJeibt es llUd) im morroort unter ben ,,~l'attifef)en SUnfeitungen 3U bem @eOtllucf)1 bes mucf)es": ,,'!ler ~fartet lefe, bielmelJr er oete, in bemfelben f 0 lange, viS ell ilJm fo bertraut ift, bail er 3U jebem feiner ~tebigttebte bas biefem ent" f~reef)enbe ®ebet leiel)t finbe±'" '!lie SUustllalJl ift nus bem reid)en @evetsfd)at ber \llln3en .R:iref)e gettoffen tllorben. @ir finben unter ben ®ebeten folef)e bon bem .lriref)enbatet mllj'ilius, bon ben ::t~eologen bes ffieformationsaeitarters melt '!lietri~ unb :;SolJann 9JlatlJefius{ ®ebete bon menjllmin 6d)mold, 53iilJe unb anbern, fteHiel) aud) bDn ffieformierten, bie tlleniger geeignet finb. 115iele unb berfd)iebene IUgenben iinb ausgenutt rootben. 60 finben tllit' turae unb liingere ®ebete fUr bllS .R:ird)en" jnlJr, llUgemeine ®ebete unb ®ebete fUr oefonbere \'reiem unb \'refie. @ir finben I5tUde, bie man in bas allgemeine .R:iref)engebet nus oefonbmr meranlaffung gut .einfef)alten fann, sum metf~iel cine \'rUrbilte fUr bie .R:onfirmanben ober .R:ranten= gevete. @ir lafen tin felJt fef)ones 9leuialJrsgeoet "in fef)roeret 3eit". '!lie 6~rllef)e Book Review. - 2itetlltut. 797 ift imme. gewa~!t. ~ll ift nid)t tine gefud)te, antiquiede 6vt:ad)e, abet aud) nicf)t bie 6Vtad)e bet 6eften unb bet @affe. ~m ganaen finb ell 919 @ebete, bie bat~ geboten werben. ~lm ~lnfang finbet fief) dne genaue ~n~a1tlliibetfid)t aUf fUnf 6eHenj am 6d)IuB ftcl)t bet Duel£ennad)weill aUf fUnfae~n 6eHen unb tin met~ aetd)nill bet 6d)tiftfteUen, bie in ben @ebeten aum ~ullbtucf lommen, aUf fieb3e~n 6dten. 5Nefe ~ngaben 5eigen, iuie teief)~aItig bie 6ammlung ift. lllienn wit nut eine fold)e 6ammlung in engHfd)ct I5Vtad)e ~atten! lllih: gebenlen geIegentIief) einmal ball dne ober anhere @eliet ,um ~obtucf au otingen. ~all @eoet "oei groBer :ttDcfen~eH" (S3utgetanet, ~(r. 15, 6. 252) ftammt ba~et. ~et !.pteiS ift filt bas grOBe, aud) in tird)!id)em 6tiI gebunbene mud)' fid)etHd) nid)t au ~D.d). 13. ir U t b ti n get. The Nature of Religion. By Edward Oaldwell Moore. The Macmillan Co., New York. 1936. 368 pages, 5Y2 X 8. Price, $2.50. To one who is specializing in the history and philosophy of religion this book will offer some interesting thoughts for discussion. The author is Plummer Professor of Christian Morals, Emeritus, in Harvard University, and his book contains many stimulating pages. But no man can write an adequate philosophy of religion who does not believe in a special revelation, in the absoluteness of the Christian religion, and in the supernatural in- spiration of the Bible. This writer clearly does not hold these three tenets. Statements like the following, taken from the book, will bear out this judg- ment: "The very preposition used in the title 'The Gospel according to Mark' shows that the apostle [?] was not necessarily the author of the whole tradition which he embodied." (P.16.) Passing over the naivete of this remark, we have others of the same type. "We do not for a moment think that 'In the beginning' all the animals just as we know them were there assembled to receive tlleir names or that the trees were just the same that we ourselves could familiarly name. History is longer than that, and the history which went before history is longer still." (P. 35.) "An histor- ical view of Scripture ... does not believe in their [sia] miraculous origin save in the sense in which the movement of the Spirit of God upon the souls of men is a part, and the greatest part, of the mystery of life." (P. 88 f.) The entire book abounds in passages of this type, many of which show a strange lack of understanding of the tenets held by orthodox Christians. But if one is working in this field and desires to study as many monographs as possible, he will not want to omit this book from his bibliography. P. E. KRETZMANN. Voices from Calvary. By Han'y Rimmer, D. D. Wm. B. Eerdmans Pub- lishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich. 142 pages, 51f4 X 7%. Price, $1.00. The author of this series of seven addresses is a Fundamentalist, and therefore the material offered is, by and large, true and acceptable. But these are not expository sermons, and therefore the doctrinal sections are frequently diluted by moralizing sections. There'is frequently more imagina,- tion than Biblical history. And the author believes in the final restoration of Israel as a part of the millennial dream. A discriminating pastor may use this volume for stimulation, but will hardly pattern his Lenten ad- dresses after the samples here offered. P. E. KRETZ MANN. 798 Book Review. - £3itetlltut. Paul before Caesar. From the Legal Viewpoint. By Irving Gaines Roddy. The Judson Press, Philadelphia. 144 pages, 5114 X 8. Price, $1.00. The author is a member of the New York bar and is at the same time a Baptist minister serving a church in Pocatello, Idaho. In this well- written book he first discusses Roman jurisprudence and the provincial system, also the various officials that were vested with civil and criminal jurisdiction. Then he considers in detail the experiences of Paul under the Roman system of law, his conduct under trial, the nature of the charges raised against him, and the two trials in the court of Emperor Nero. Mr. Roddy makes clear that Paul was tried on two separate counts- complicity with the incendiaries (burning of Rome) and treason. On the first count he was acquitted (2 Tim. 4,16.17); on the second he was sen- tenced to death. But "his mighty mind as a divine compass still directs the course of Christendom upon the high seas of human experience as the Illultitudes of earth move onward toward the eternal harbor" (p. 142). TH. GRAEBNER. ~a~ lReidj QJott~ nub bie lReidje bcr main!:. ~in ftbetblid bon Lie. ~ a t 1 £3 u b mig lR u n g e. Wtit einem ®eleittllott bon D. \13 au 1 ~l {t ~ a u s. metIag bon ~. lBette1smann, ®titerslo~. 122 €Seiten 4% X 7Jf2. \13reis: 2 RM. !fiet fid} ftit lJ~UofOlJ~ifd)e lBeltud)tungen tiber bie im ::titer genannten j}ragen inteteffiett, befonbers menn fie in bet j}otm fd)roietiget lBUbet unb met~ gleid)e batgeboten merben, fann fid) an biefem lBud)1 etbauen. Ob man aUen ~usfii~rungen bes merfaffers lieifthnmen mitb, ift fraglid)" namentnd) nid)t feinem ,81ueifd an ber!fiortinflJitation (€S. 32). :Dan ber lut~etifd)e %~eolog mand)mal j}rage3eid)en fellen mut, fann nid)t ausbleiben teilS megen bet oft tiitfel~aften SDarfteUung, teilS roegen foldjer ~usfagen, bie fidj in ber borliegenben j}affun\l nid)t mit ber !Sd)dft in ~innang litingen laIT en. \13. ~. ~ te II man n. ~ie djtiitlidje Drt~llemeinbe. €Sl)nobalberid)t. mer~anblungen bet ~bangelifd)~ £3utfJetifd)en €Sl)nobt bon Wtiffouti, O~io u. a. !Staaten Q\rafilianifd)en :DiflrUts Anno Domini 1936. 88' €Seiten in bem tililid)en j}ormat. \13reis: 1$200. ~id}t nut bie 53e~rber~anblungen biefes Q\eddjts, geleitet bon P. ~. SJ. !fiart~, bie ~iet unberfiit,t hargeboten roerben, finb bon grotet !fiidjtigfeit, fonbern aud) bie Q\etid)te tiber bielJJ1iffionsfelber biefes ausgebefJnten :DiftrHts. \13aftoten, bie bief es lRefetat ftubimn, roer'oen fid) fuuen, bat ebenfaUs in €Stibametita 'oie !autm !fiafJrfJeit bes !fiottes ®ottes aUd) tiber 'oiefe j}rage ge!e~rt mit'o. \13. ~. ore t e tl man n. Forty Happy Years in Japan. By George P. Pierson and Ida G. Pierson. 130 pages, 5X7%. Price, $1.25. Fleming H. Revell Co., New York. Order through Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. This is the story of two Presbyterian missionaries who labored in Hokkaido, northernmost of four great islands of the empire of Japan, between 1888 and 1928. It is an inspiring account of workers who believe in the power of divine revelation and whose aim is to save souls for Christ. Our pastors will find the book filled with interesting material; it describes the details of bringing the Gospel to all classes, high and low, that ~\Yill Book Review. - ~itetatut. 799 aid them in their mission-study groups. Challenging are the "twenty-one demands" of Japan (meaning what Japan really needs) with which the authors close their story, e. ,g., "Japan demands God's revealed truth as it is revealed in thc Bible and not pale humanistic, vague, or distorted modernistic versions of the tnlth, nor the half-truths already in the possession of her people. She will not be charmed by comprises. She is weary of speculation. She demands something real, unconformable, heaven- sent, Spirit-born." "Japan demands an explanation of evil, its origin, nature, effects; a definition of sin a.nd the way of deliverance therefrom; ... something more convincing than the negative of those who say, to quote Dr. Hugh T. Kerr, 'Sin is an inferiority complex; the inherent goodness of man can work his own destiny. We do not need to postulate God; He is a project of our wish-thinking. Oonversion is infantile re- gression; prayer is emotional release; religion is pathological.' To one who has been summoned to stand on the rock beside the Lord God the invitation to go down and join himself to the pronouncers of these dicta is not attractive." VY. G. POLACK. ~ltd)t 1mb ~cibe in Slitd):e llub 5d):n(e. frad)bIatt filrebangelif d)~ rut~erifd)e ~aftoten unb ®emeinbefd)urre~rer in E>ilbamerUa. mit frteuben begtilten wit' biefe~ neue t~eorogifd)e ;JoutllnI unfeter ~rilbet in E>ilbametUn. SDa uniet eigenes SSIatt, ba~ OONCORDIA THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY, vbgleid) filt bie gnnae E>~nobe beftimmt, ie~t fd)on fe~t ftad - unfem Wleinung nad) BU fd)neU - ins (\'ngHfd)e ilfJetge~t, unb ba bide bet barin be~ tilflrten ~tobreme meflt fiit bielllrbeit in ~ot'bametifn gerten, fanben eil bie 18tilbet untet bem E>iibIid)en ~teU3 geraten, if)t eigenes ~rntt BU gtilnben. (\'S ift lieted)net filr ~aftoren unb BelJter. SDie erfte 9lummet Iiegt bot uns, unb wit miiffen iflt basefltenbe ,{3eugniS gelJen, bat fie dnen beutHd)en :ton bon fid) giht. SDas ~Iatt etfd).eint botIiiufig fiinfmar im ;Jnflt 3um ~e3ug~lJteiS bon 10$000 filr ~tafHien. ®ott fegne bail neue Untcmcflmen! ~.