(!tnurnrbia m~tnln!lirul ilnutltlg Continning LEHRE UNO WEHRE MAGAZIN FUER EV.-LUTH. HOMILETIK THEOLOGICAL QUARTERLy-THEOLOGICAL MONTHLY Vol. X April, 1939 No.4 CONTENTS Pqe The Means of Grace in Roman Theology. Theodore Graebner ...... 241 Der Pastor als Synodalglied. F. Pfotenhauer ................ _ ... _ .... _ ....... _ 250 The False Arguments for the Modern Theory of Open Questions. Walther-Arndt ... _... ... . .. _ .... _.............. . ..... _ ... _ .. __ .... _. 254 Sermon Study on 1 Cor. 10:16, 17. Th. Laetsch ......... _ ..... _ ........ _ ...... 262 Evil Spirits ... _ ............... _ .................. ................................. ....... ............. __ ....... 2'16 Predigtentwuerfe fuer die Evangelien der Thomasius-Perikopen- reihe ... _._ .... _._ ....... _ .... _ ................ _ .... _ .......... _ ..... _ ......... _ ........ __ ........ %'19 Miscellanea ... __ . __ ._ .... _ .... _ .... _ .... _ .... _ .... _ .... _ .......... _ .... _ ... __ ... _ ... _ ... _._ 293 Theological Observer. - Kirchlich-Zeitgeschichtliches ... _ .... _ ..... _ .. _ 29'1 Book Review. - Literator ......... _ ... _ .......... _ ... _ .... _ ... _ ... _ ... _. __ .. _._. 309 BIn Predller mua n1cht aIleln wei- tift. aIIO duI er cUe Scha1e unter- welM. wle de rec:hte ChrIsten lOIlen _In. sondem aucb daneben den Woe!- fen we""". duI de cUe Scbafe nlcht l!I8l'Uten und mit fabcber Lehre ver- fuehren und J:rrtum eblfuehren. Ea 1st keIn DIne. du cUe x-te mehr bel der Xlrcbe behael& deDn die JUte Predlit- - Apologfe. An. ... Luthiif'. If the trumpet live an uncertaJn sound who IbaJl prepare blmNlf to the battle? - J Crw.l4.'. Published for the Ev. Luth. Synod of Missouri. Ohio, and Other States CONCORDIA PUBLISHING BOUSE, St. LoaJs, Mo. BCHIV Book Review - ~itetlltut 309 Book Review - 2iteramr Abraham to Allenby. By G. Frederick Owen. With illustrations. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 351 pages, 6X9. Price, $2.50. This book came to the reviewer's desk after he had laboriously col- lected a bibliography on the history of the Holy Land through four mil- lenniums, the result of his efforts being collated in a list of some forty titles. It stands to reason that many of the monographs of this list pre- sent detailed information on certain phases of the history of the Holy Land which are needed for the expert in the field. At the same time it became evident that this one book contains practically all the information that the average pastor or teacher will actually need in a lifetime of teaching. The author, writing on the basis of the information gained as a member of the Palestine Oriental Society and in the American Schools of Oriental Research and with a bibliography of more than a hundred titles to offer information on the subject, has succeeded in a most remarkable manner in condensing the historical data connected with Palestine from the days of the patriarchs to the present British protectorate. From the standpoint of the man in the field the book will certainly suffice for all teaching needs. Not only is the account, based on the Bible, sound and conservative, but the chapters on the rise of Mohammedanism, on the crusades, on the four centuries of Turkish occupation, and on the present status of the Holy Land are very satisfactory. The illustrations are, for the most part, new and unusual, and the reference notes, like the bibliog- raphy, are very comprehensive. Only a few small queries had to be placed in connection with the chronology of Jesus. All in all, a splendid book for the pastor's library. P. E. KRETZMANN ':Dcr ~llfj)6u!j6rief. ~on ~aul ~e @5eur. @uftab @5cl)!iitmanns ~er!ags6uc~~ l)anblung, ~ei1J3ig unb ~am6urg. 107 6etten 51f2x8Y4. ~reis, farto~ niert: RM.2.20; geb. 3.00. ':Dcr ,f.1e6riier6rief. ~on ~o~annes @5ef)neiber. :Derfe!be ~crlag. 131 @5eiten 5lj2X8Y4. ~rei5, fadonied: RM.2.60; geb. 3.40. :Diefe neueften !Biinbe in bet @5erie ,,!Bibef~ilfe filr bie @emeinbe" finD \lJie~ Derum bon bem @5tanblmntt dnes fonferbatiben .\1:onfeHionafismus aus ge~ [d)deben. \le @5eur, bet [d)on bie @efangenfclJaft5briefe belJanbe!t ~at, bietet 1)iet dne ~lusfegung bes ~afobusllrtefes, bic aUf grUnbftef)er ~inficf)t in Die ~roll!eme bes !Briefes betu1)t unb biefen tuirflid) in gemeinberftiinbHcf)er ~eife aus!egt. 'Ulmn aud) fUr ben :Durd)fd)niWlle[er lleted)net, fo finb bod) bie ~usfU~rungen burcI)llJeg [0 griinbfic[), bat [dof! bet tDijfen[cf)aftfief)e 5t~eofog bie! @ellJinn bon bem @5tubium biefes !Buef)es \laDen roirb, namenHtef) fUr !Bibemaffen. ~in3elne @5cf)liiffe bes ~erfaffets [inD [0 flat unb beftimmt, bab fie fief) faft unllJiflfiitlicl) bem @ebad)tnts einptagen. 50 bet @5at: ,,~afo6us fte~t im .\1:ampfe rotDe, bie tote ffieef)tgfiiubigfeit, Die q:lau[us coenio Hat abllJeift (B. !B. @al. 5, 6 unb l.\1:ot. 13) . .!l'einer bon beiben fennt dnen @fauben o~ne ~erfe obet ~erfe o\lne @fauben./I (16. 60.) - :Der .\1:ommentar Uber ben fef)llJietigen S'Jebtiietbtief, bon ~o~anne!l 310 Book Review - mteratur I5cI)netber beforgt, ift burd)ltleg fe~r anflmd)enb, menn et aud) me~r sau!;l f fr ~ ~ run g aIS sau!;l reg u n g bringt. l5onbetIid) gefaUen ~at uns bie ~tmirung bOll ideot. 11, mo bet merfaffer rid)tig fagt: ,,~s ~at fid) babel nid)t in iebem fj'all 1l11l idei!sglauben ge~anbelt, mo1,Jl abet urn Dffenbatungsglauben, bas !JeiUt, um dnen @laullcn, bet ,um @egcnftanb @ott, fein Dffenbatungsmort unb fetne Dffenoatungstat !Jatie." (15.99.) :;Sebet ~aftot, bet fid) bie anbern SSiinbc ber "SSibe(1)ilfc" angefd)afft l)at, mitb biefe beiben SSanbe aud) befiten wollen. ~. ~. ~ ret m a 11 n Walther and the Church. By Wm. Dalhnann, D. D., W. H. T. Dau, D. D., and Th. Engelder, D. D., Editor. Foreword by F. Pfotenhauer, D. D. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 140 pages, 5Y4X7¥2. Price, $1.00. Much has been written in praise of this fine centennial contribution, and indeed it deserves all that has been said in its favor. When Dr. Wal- ther and his colaborers organized in our country (on the basis of the Bible) a Church governed by strictly democratic principles, they accom- plished a feat which even Luther's Reformation could not achieve; for they went back to that church polity which the apostles in Christ's name established in their own time. The Baptists and Congregationalists come nearest the Lutherans in recognizing congregational independence. Our fathers did not exalt the local congregation above God's Word, though they restored to it the full freedom which it possesses according to Scripture. But Dr.Walther did more. He not only established a true church democ- racy but also adequately trained (through the ministers he educated) the several churches rightly to govern themselves in accordance with God's Word, and thus the seeming disorganization proved itself the most potent organization. Today the simple, elementary principles regarding the Church, its function, and management, stressed by Dr. Walther in the book before us, require new emphasis, for there is danger that we forget that, while the local church in its peculiar sphere is sovereign, it is altogether subject to God's Word and bound to its sister congrega- tions by the commandment of Christian love. A "strong central govern- ment," "better organization," a "more efficient machinery," will not benefit us at all if we do not in true faith obey God's Word and in true love serve Him and the neighbor. The grave dangers of our age, threat- ening us from every side, invite careful study of this new book by both our clergy and laity. It is the product of four prominent theologians in our Synod. Each has written an essay of rare worth: Dr. Pfotenhauer, a most instructive Foreword; Dr. Dau, an excellent appraisal of Dr. Wal- ther as a man of God and fighter of His battles; Dr. Engelder, an estimate of Dr. Walther as a true Bible theologian; and Dr. Dallmann, one show- ing Dr. Walther's high respect for the Christian congregation as such. All three essays are real gems of literary art. The book also contai,'1.s synopses of three works of Walther: The Voice of Our Church on the Question Concerning the Church and the Ministry; The Proper Form of an Ev. Luth. Congregation Independent of the State; and The Ev. Luth. Church the True Visible Church of God on Earth. There is also a "Sy- noptic Review" of each essay and, lastly, a detailed index. The first two works of Dr. Walther are presented with more illustrative material than Book Review - ~ttetQtut 311 is the last, of which hardly more is offered than the bare theses. But even so the book gives the reader an excellent idea of what Dr. Walther taught on the various subjects in question. Whether the volume will sell or not depends largely on our pastors and teachers and their interest in the questions which it discusses. If the topics which it presents are properly set forth in our voters' and other meetings and, besides, are studied in our advanced instruction classes in school and Sunday-school, the book will prove itself a great blessing to our Church. Then, too, we shall rightly observe the centennial of the coming of our Pilgrim Fathers, not outwardly merely, by means of festive services, but inwardly and truly, by putting to practise the important truths which our pious Fathers have taught us from God's Word. J. THEODORE MUELLER (Believe. Addresses on the Apostles' Creed. By Howard W. Ferrin. Fleming H. Revell Co., New York, N. Y. 174 pages, 5X7. Price, $1.50. Order through Concordia Publishing House, 3558 S. Jeffer- son Ave., St. Louis, Mo. Howard W. Ferrin is president of the Providence Bible Institute, Providence, R. I. His book, now in its second printing, was written in defense of the orthodox faith. He expresses his theme in a well-written foreword in these words: "Christ and His redemption, and not meta- physics, furnish the one unifying principle to all life, thought, and action." His division of the Apostolicum for the purpose of detailed discussion is in twenty chapters, each of which covers a fundamental doctrine of the faith. His treatment is scholarly, yet popular enough for the layman, the language is excellent, the illustrations are to the point. All in all, it is a splendid testimony to the Christian faith, and one will find com- paratively few points in which one must disagree with the author. Cer- tainly, one can only hope that the author will accomplish through a wide distribution of his book what he states in these words: "We hear much in these days about the reconstruction or moderniza- tion of Christian theology. While we may and do admit that the garb of truth will inevitably change from generation to generation, we hold that the truth itself remains the same. We also hold that the language of the Apostles' Creed expresses, in words that can be understood by all, the great verities of the Word of God, which are essential to an intel- ligent understanding of the Christian faith. Therefore we feel that a reaffirmation of our belief in these cardinal truths at this time will help to settle many whose minds have been disturbed by erroneous religious teaching, perplexing philosophy, and science falsely so called." W.G.POLACK Christ in His Suffering. By K. Schilder. Translated from the Dutch by Henry Zylstra. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, Mich. 1937. 467 pages, 6X8%. Price, $3.00. Having first been issued in the Netherlands in 1929, this book, so the publishers say, earned for its author a phenomenal reputation. Dr. Schil- der, a graduate of the University of Erlangen, was elected by the General Synod of his Church (Reformed) as professor of Ethics and Dogmatics in Kampen, Holland, a position he still holds. The work before us consists of sermonic essays or meditations on the Passion of our Lord 312 Book Review - \3itetlltUt and is praised as being "distinguished by flashing exegetical insight. a wealth of reflection, and a host of richly provocative suggestions." It must be admitted that the author writes in a forceful, searching, way, avoiding what is hackneyed and platitudinous. What he submits rests on deep and reverent meditation. The underlying theology naturally is that of the Calvinistic churches. Reading the chapter on the institution of the Lord's Supper, one sees not only his adherence to the Reformed view of the Sacrament, but the discussion of the manner in which the Sacrament was given is typically Reformed, inasmuch as the Nestorian tendency of Calvinism to separate the two natures of Christ is in evi- dence. The founding of the Sacrament is explained as originating in the Messianic consciousness of Jesus. (P.234.) While the Sacraments of the Old Testament, so the author says, were instituted by direct com- mand of God, by a voice from heaven, as it were, here "no voice is necessary. Christ is so permeated with the Messianic consciousness that He acts on the basis of infallible certainty as He takes the bread from the table and, by blessing it, segregates it from any other bread in the world. And He takes the wine from the table, pronounces thanks over the cup, and in that way lifts that wine out of all other liquors of the world. Thus He accepts bread and wine as the means which God Himself allows Him to use, so revealing Himself as the Messiah, who knows unhesitatingly what He may do." A Lutheran theologian loyal to the Confessions of his Church would have written differently on this point. He would have said that the Man Jesus instituting the Sacra- ment is the true God and that hence we have as direct a divine origin for the Sacrament of the Altar as Israel had for Circumcision and the Passover. In conclusion, to characterize this work properly, it must be added that here we have the first one of three books on the suffering of Christ. What is treated in this volume is the account of the suffering of Jesus up to, and including, His being made a captive in the Garden of Geth- semane. W.ARNDT American Lutheranism Surrenders to Forces of Conservatism. A thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the University of Minnesota by Carl Mauelshagen, university· system of Georgia, Atlanta, in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Planographed. 252 pages, 6x81f2. For particulars address Dr. Carl Mauelshagen, 1830 Peachtree Road, Atlanta, Ga. If we review this expanded doctor's thesis at this place, it is to bring to the attention of our readers what we regard as a most timely contribution to our present Saxon Centennial literature. Dr. Mauels- hagen was connected with the university system of Georgia, his home being in Atlanta. His thesis was submitted to, and accepted by, the Graduate Faculty of the University of Minnesota and was published in its present form in 1936. In his Foreword the author writes: "The subject-matter of the monograph proved of such generaJ. inter~st that. a departure from the usual structure of a doctor's dissertation seemed advisable. The manner in which the outstanding leaders of the Lutheran Church in America and Germany are involved in the story convinced Book Review - ~itetatut 313 me that it is a subject which should interest the general reader as well as one interested in church history. With this in mind, I have attempted to present the material in its historical setting by tracing the interplay of religious and cultural forces in America and Europe with their reper- cussions among Lutherans in the Old and New World." We believe that the writer has accomplished his purpose very well. He has done exten- sive reading in the special field here treated, as the long list of illustra- tive footnotes and the abundant bibliography, which evidently he has studied with great care, strikingly show. The work is thorough and scholarly and covers in its fourteen chapters the following topics: Rea- sons for German Immigration 1820-1860; Germany from Despair and Materialism to Spiritual and National Regeneration; Early American Lutheranism to 1850; The Spiritual Status of the Lutherans in the West; Germany Awakens to America's Spiritual Need; The Saxon and Prussian Lutherans; Awakening of Confessional Consciousness within Lutheran Ranks in the United States; The Missouri Synod - Its Organization and Polity; The Cohesive Forces in the Missouri Synod; The Conflict within "Old Lutheran" Ranks - "Buffalo" vs. "Missouri"; The Missouri Synod and Its German Implications; The Scandinavian and German Lutherans; The General Synod Succumbs to Conservative Lutheranism; Retrospect of the Missouri Synod. To these chapters the author has added a Con- clusion, in which he recapitulates his finds and contemplates fue futu.~. The present reviewer was unable to examine each statement as to its historical verity, but upon the whole the presentation of historic trends and developments is accurate and truthful. In connection with Mauels- hagen's monograph Dr. Bente's two volumes on American Lutheranism may be studied with excellent profit. J. THEODORE MUELLER Sabbath and Immersion. By O. Boettcher. Concordia Publishing House. Tract No. 98. 24 pages, 5X7¥4. Price: Single copy, 10 cts., post- paid; dozen, 96 cts., and postage. This tract is a reprint of a series of articles which appeared in the Lutheran Witness fourteen years ago. The material is as up-to-date now as it was then. In convincing paragraphs Pastor Boettcher shows that fue position of the Seventh-day Adventists is untenable. Over against the various immersionists, fue antipedobaptists, the Pentecostals and their baptism with fue Holy Spirit, the author marshals Scripture with telling force. This tract will be welcomed by fuose pastors especially whose people are being troubled by any of the groups treated in the tract. The tract deserves a prominent place in the tract-rack of every congregation. F. E. MAYER 'Jit~ten hie jffieItfitdJcttfonfetcn"ett ltad) urd) einm e1nsigen ~Jtunb sur illicIt tcbelt fiin~ 314 Book Review - 53itetatut nen.' II Unb "bet ~t3bifd)of bon [antetbutt) etfliitte in D!;fotb, ,bab bie Uber. ragenbe lBebeutung bet .!l;itd)e C\:l)rifti in dnet rul)elofen lilleft mieber Bum :Ilurcl). imlCl) tomme. :Ilarum 6ammlung aUer [fJriften bet (grbe, nia)t unter ll.ler3id)t aUf ifJte 60nbetgaben unb .befenntniffe, abet mit rraftboUer &jetausfteUung, ball es nod) eine grobe [fJtiftenl)eit aUf (grben gibt, gecint untcr bem :8ejJter [fJrifti! :Ilann witb aud) bie lilleU aUf fie l)oren, unb bie 6taaten merben auf fie l)oren'." 310eitcns mitb naa)9Cloiefen, ball bie 53eiter Dieier lBemegung bie ~ufgabe ber 5U' filnftigen lillertfitclJe batin feljen, bat fie burd) bas ~bangelium (burd) i lj r ~ban' ge[ium) cine 'illeltberbejferung, ffieformcn aUf bem jJoHtifd)en unb f03ialen @ebiet ljerbeiftilJte. ,,:Ilie @runbtlJefen ber gan,en D!;forbet, ja bet \lan3en iifumeni. fcljen lBemegung finb nad) bem offi3ieUen lBerid)t ber Dbfutber .!l;onfmn, ('The Churches Survey Their Task,' 15. 99 unb 227): SJ1ur um bas ~bangelium I)erum, bas ljei\1t, in ber ~itcl)e fann bas ?!.lolt fid) midlicl) einigen, unb um bicfen :DHtteIlJunft ~crum fann aUeilt ll.liHfetgemeinfd)aft entfte£)en. ~lfo bieten ftd) biefe ~ita)en aU biefer irbifd)en Illufgabe an, unb 3mar 1. jebem ?!.loU unb 2. ber ?!.lii lfergemeinfcl)aft." :Ilas ,Biel ift, mie es !J3rof. lBafer bet ciner anbetn @clegenl)eit au§brilcftc, "to Christianize nationalism, to nationalize Chris- tianity, to Christianize internationalism, to internationalize Christianity". (6.32.) ,,:Iliefcn 53enten gefJt e!! nid)t um ba!! IEbangelium. ~!l gefJt ilJnen bie!· mefJr barum, bie lillc!t mit meltltd)en ~JHtteln 3U berbejfetn, fie \lefetHd) 3U tefor. mieten, bit curojJiiifd).amerifanifd)e .!l;uHur aUf biefem 'illege 3U erncuetn." (6.20.) ~TIenn es im ll.lorlllort fJei\lt: ,,'!lie beiben stagnngen [Db forb nub (gDinbnrgl)J bien ten ber IErfitrlung bes :traumes, aUe nid;triimifd)en 'illeftftrcf)en 3Ut Unter' maurung bet eng l i f d) en 'ill el t mad) ift ell n n g all oenutenl/, 10 enl' l)aften mit uns battiber eines UrteilS. Illoet bas ift gemill, Diefe ®e!Hunfeten3en Iiegen unter bem lBann bes cal bill i ft i f d) e n lillafJnes, bab dne &jaUlJtauf· gaue bet .!l;itcf)e aUf 1Jolitifd;em !MeDiet liegt. 6 0 gibt C\:anteruutt), cine ~aulJb ftabt bes [albiniSmus, aUf aUe U'aUe ben :tOll an. - :Dlancf)e ~usbrilde in biefer treffIid)en 6d;tift l)atten etroas gematigter fein tiinnen. lillir mad)en nebenoci aUf bie bief em &jefte angeftigte lBtid)etau3eige auf. metffam. @l mitb uns aUe intmffieren, ball ber 6d)riftenbetein ((g .. fl:!iitnet) biefc betben 6d)tiften an.eigt: :Il i e ted) t e @ e fta It ei net b 0 m 6 t a ate una b fJ Ci n gig c neb. ~ I u t f). 0 r t 5 g e 111 e in b e. :IlargefteUt bon D. C\:. U'. lID. 'illaft~et. !J3tcis: lBrofd)iert, RM. 1.50. - :Il i e ~ ita) e f rei bum 6 t a ate. 6ed)sunbfed)3ig 53eitfCite mit biorifd)en lBeroeiSj'teUen, entnommen aus D. [. it. 'ill. ®alt~ets jjteferat lI:Ilie red)te @eftalt ufm. 1I :Dlit einem mormort bon D. ,otto lilliUfomm. !J3teis: lBrofd)iert, 60 !J3f. st fJ. (g n \l e 1 b e r ~er ~am\lf bet bcutfdjen rnt~crifdJen g:rcifirdjen im 19. Zi'afjrfjunbert. mon &jeinrid) :Dlartin. [fJt .• .fl:aifet.ll.ledag, :DlUnd)en. 1937. 68 6eiten. !J3reiS: RM. 1.50. :Ilies lBiid;le!n ift &jeft 56/57 ber 6d)riftenrei~e I/lBefennenbe .fl:itd)e", in @e. meinfcf)aft mit @eotg :Dlet3 unb &jermann 6affe fJerau!lgegeoen bon [fJtiftian 60U. :!:ler ?!.lerfaff et befa)i:eiot ben ~hl fa ng ber ebangeHfd).lutljerifd;en itreUh:d)en in !J3reuben 1mb &jejfen burd) ben .fl:amlJf gegen bie Union bon 1817, ben in 6djlefien befonbets :;5ofJann @ottftieb 6d)eibe!, !profeffot ber stl)eologie an bet Uniberfitiit lBteSlau, unb mit i~m bie beiben UniberfitCit5lJrofefforen &jufd)fe unb i5teffens ftil)rtcn, miifJrenb in &jeffen llluQuft ll.lUmar, !profeffot ber :tfJeologie in meat, burg, nnb fein jtingerer lBtuber, ®UfJelm milmar, :Dletro1Jolitan in :Dle1fungen, bie ffienitenten leUeten. sr b e o. ~ 0 ~ e r Book Review - \literatUt 315 Research Memorandum on Religion in the Depression. By Samuel C. Kincheloe. Social Science Research Council, 230 Park Ave., New York, N. Y. 158 pages, 6X9. Price, $1.00. May be ordered through Concordia Publishing House, 3558 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, Mo. This book is worthy of the most careful study, since it presents the results of a study which was planned and carried out with scientific thoroughness. It will give pastors who are trying to evaluate the new social movements of our day with reference to the Church abundant material for meditation and for action. The author, who is Associate Professor of the Sociology of Religion at the Chicago Theological Sem- inary, offers the following chapters: Church-membership and Atten- dance; Church Finances; The Clergy; Secularization: General Con- siderations; The Message; Program and Activities. We find a number of pertinent remarks concerning the Lutheran groups, including the Mis- souri Synod. Some of the author's conclusions are challenging, if not always fully convincing, and one is tempted to quote at length from some of the sections, especially under the heading "Secularization," where we find the following sentence, for example: "Even before the depression missionary funds had begun to decrease, the church-school enrolment had decreased, and churches seemed to be having difficulty in securing attendance." (P.51.) We recommend this book to all pastors who are trying to understand the changes which have influenced church-life during the last twenty years. P. E. KRETZMANN Facts that Undergird Life. By Paul E. Scherer. Harper & Brothers, publishers, New York and London. 181 pages, 5lJ4X7%. Price, $1.50. The preacher of these so-called sermons is a pastor of the United Lutheran Church and is known to a larger audience by his radio broad- casts. We have tried hard to find in these messages a clear Scriptural presentation of how the sinner is saved, but we have failed to find it. In reference to the outstanding fundamentals of the Christian religion the speaker is evasive, at least not clear. A sample from his "sermon" on "The Mysteries of the Cross" is herewith given: "But not only is sin persistent in spite of the way in which we try to ignore it; it's dreadful. People doctor it up and make plays out of it for an evening's amusement. They put good clothes on it and write a novel in which, as Channing Pollock has pointed out, it's smart to be dirty and cynical and disregardful of everything upon which every decent civilization has to be founded and by means of which this civilization of ours must endure, if it does endure. "Even you and I frequently enough regard the whole thing with precious little concern. We condone it in ourselves and sometimes shake our heads with secret admiration for the men and women who seem to get away with it, as we say, in the grand manner: who covet largely and cheat broadly and murder magnificently in armies! While by reason of it all, what we call society is crumbling in front of our eyes. It's the only thing in the whole wide world that makes our going difficult. People who spend their time being afraid of disease and poverty and loneliness and pain are 'fools and blind' to pass sin by with nothing but 316 Book Review - ~itetatut a shrug. When a man once really sees how life is, he'll get down on his knees and make a prayer of that cry: 'God in heaven, will nobody say anything?' "The mystery of it is that two thousand years ago one Man did say something by dying; and there's still nothing else to be said. The night before, in Gethsemane, He trembled; and it wasn't at death. Of that I'm sure. He was no coward, less brave than the women and children who have since died for Him. It isn't human weakness you stumble on in the prayer He prayed, 'Father, if it be Thy will, let this cup pass from me,' and in the sweat that was like great drops of blood. That's not the slack in the fiber of a man's courage: that's the tautness in God's face staring without any veil into the abyss of human sin; it's the tor- tured knowledge of God standing on the brink of its own appalling leap to get under the farthest estate to which any soul can fall, as the eagle is said to dart with the swiftness of the wind to spread her wings beneath her fledgling when it drops; 'Father, if it be Thy will,' and then to walk off, with eyes wide open as He did, into the yawning mouth of the Thing! "That's one of the mysteries of the cross, that in some unaccountable way it has got itself related to the eternal, caustic, mordant mystery, for all our attempts to gloss it over, of human sin. And it brings me to another: that in some fashion, equally unaccountable, it has got itself related to the eternal, triumphant mystery of human assurance in the face of that sin. I do not know how it happened, and no one else does. The theories about it have never satisfied anybody very long. It's the fact that interests and concerns me. And that fact, simply stated, is just this: that the only complete and final answer to the riddle of lust and greed and selfishness and injustice and cruelty which life has ever discovered it has found on Calvary. Nowhere else have men learned to stand as straight and look so steadily into those evil eyes with as little terror." (Pp. 171, 172.) The reader of these words asks, What does the preacher really teach concerning Christ's death on the cross? Speaking on the text 2 Cor. 13:14, the preacher says: "I offer no apology for attempting to set before you the three basic conceptions which have upheld now for twenty centuries the life of the Christian community. Paul records them in the so-called New Testament bene- diction, which is a sort of threefold idea of God held in solution, not crystallized yet into any doctrine, with no effort at definition, just the bare statement of an experience which any man may have of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Ghost; not an abstruse philosophy, out of touch with life; not simply a revelation, to be received on the authority of a book and recited in a creed, - but an insight, an insight into the nature of that ultimate reality which undergirds the universe; a judgment of essential values- values inherent in the very process of living, values without which life cannot continue long or prove valiant and victorious. This that we call today the doctrine of the Trinity is really just a home-body bit of philosophy in its overalls. I want you to watch it at work." (P.30.) In the concluding paragraph on this text the preacher gives this summary: "'The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost.' I wonder if you see any more Book Review - S3itcratut 317 clearly now how that ancient doctrine of the Trinity, because it was first an experience, still conserves and interprets the most immediately valu- able of all the truths that undergird our life: faith through Christ in the human soul; our belief in a friendly world held fast in a Father's love; and this knowledge, which no failure can ever betray, that you and I may turn back now into the thick of things, and even if the vision tarry, we can wait for it there with quiet eyes, for it will come; and it will not be late!" (P.35.) Whatever these so-called sermons may be, they certainly do not clearly present the Scriptural way to salvation. It makes one feel sad to know that they have been delivered at all, and especially, that they have been published by means of the radio to people so sadly in need of the old Gospel- and here they do not get it. J. H. C. FRITZ Cross and Affiiction. By R. C. Rein. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. 64 pages, 5lj4X7lj2. Paper cover. Price, 25 cts. We gladly recommend this booklet to all our pastors for their own personal use in troublous times and for preparation for sick-calls and other pastoral visits. We ought to place this book into all homes within our Synod. It offers twenty-six meditations, ten on "The Christian's Cross," sixteen on "The Christian's Affliction." A number of suitable prayers and Scripture-readings are added. TH. LAETSCH Wives of the Bible. By W, B. Riley. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. 119 pages, 5X7%. Price, $1.00. Their Names Remain. Seventeen Women of Old Testament Days. By Mary Hallet. The Abingdon Press. New York. 132 pages, 4%X 6%. Price, 75 cts. The reader may find some fine thoughts, penetrating delineations of character, and practical applications in these two books. Riley bases Christian character on faith in the atoning work of the Son of God. Miss Hallet knows of no such foundation. The story of creation is to her a myth, Eve's life "veiled in legends and symbolism," Sarah "appears to us as the first unquestionably historical woman of the Hebrews," p. 19. Riley's book, in the opinion of the reviewer, is marred by too many stories, and both authors become guilty of frequently reading too much into the Biblical records rather than being satisfied with expounding the story as it is found in the Bible. Interpretation consists in letting the facts speak, not one's own imagination. TH. LAETscH A Virtuous Woman. By Oscar Lowry. Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. 160 pages, 5%X7lj2. Price, $1.00. Pastor Lowry writes on sex life in relation to the Christian life, warning against the pitfalls of modern society, its immoralities and im- purities. Many of his stories would gain in value if they were not so vague as to time and place. Unfortunately he places the use of tobacco and intoxicating drinks in the list of sinful things to be avoided by Christians. Still we can recommend the book as a sane exposition of the problem of sex life. TH. LAETscH 318 Book Review - 2iteratut Proceedings of the Thirty-Sixth Convention of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1938. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Price, 25 cts. We have here two timely and instructive essays, written with a great expenditure of time, thought, and care, such as the importance of the subjects demands. "Union Movements in the Church," by Professor Hoyer, covers the various attempts made within the Church to unite the various dissenting parties, some of which attempts were God-pleasing and therefore successful, most of which, however, were carried on in the unionistic spirit and therefore disastrous in their results. The last sec- tion of the essay (the first part of which was presented in 1933) treats of the "Union Movements in the Luthel'an Church in America." The essay concludes with two warnings: "There is, on the one hand, the danger of establishing a union without true unity. . .. History shows us that true Lutheranism simply cannot exist in an atmosphere of doc- trinal indifference. . .. Luther: 'Verfiucht sei die Liebe und Eintracht, wegen deren Gottes Wort darangegeben wird, urn sie zu erhalten.' (IX, p. 555.)" "There is danger of assuming another attitude, that of standing so straight that we lean over backward. Let us not give just cause for the accusation that we are deliberately separatistic, that we refuse to unite with others because we want to be different. . .. Luther said: 'It is indeed true that we ought to have patience even though every- thing in doctrine be not realized at once (as this has not occurred even among us).''' (XVII, p. 282.) - The second essay, "Social Problems and the Gospel," by Professor Kowalke, sheds light on a matter concerning which there is much confusion of thought among churchmen, perhaps among us, too. On the one hand, "those efforts that would turn the Gospel of Christ into a social program devoted to the correction of social evils and that would persuade men that the kingdom of heaven consists in a solution of social problems, are, according to Christ Him- self, conceived by the devil and are an offense unto Him .... The king- dom of heaven that He proclaimed was something quite different from the bread-and-fish paradise dreamed of by men." On the other hand, "the Gospel does touch the social problems and does solve them in its own way - by making new creatures of men who shall live before God in righteousness and who by their lives as children of God refrain from creating conditions of life that others might suffer from, and who patiently bear whatever cross of social problems God sees fit to im- pose. . .. Thirdly, we know that God withholds that consuming wrath only because of those sinners who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb or who are yet to come to the knowledge of Christ through the preaching of the Gospel." TH. ENGELDER Lutheran Schlllll ,Jm.nnaL Edited by the Faculty of Concordia Teachers College, River Forest, nl., with the Cooperation of Representatives from the Field. Published monthly, September to June. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Terms: $1.50 per annum any- where in the world. Our Lutheran School J Durnal, formerly Schulblatt, should hardly require a special notice of this kind. In a former generation it was Book Review -l3iteratur 319 practically self-evident that a pastor subscribed not only for the pro- fessional magazines in his own field (Leiwe und Wehre, Homiletisches l'IIagazin, Theological Quarterly, later the Theological Monthly), but also the professional magazine for teachers, since he must be concerned about the matter of schools and teaching for himself and in order to understand the work of the parish-school. The School Journal in its new form not only invites but practically compels every pastor who is interested iII the entire field of teaching (and which pastor can afford not to be?) to subscribe for, and study, this well-edited magazine. Its scope has been so broadened as to offer all professional people a fine oppor- tunity to remain abreast of the tiInes. The Editorial Section, the articles, the Music Department, the reviews, - all hold a definite appeal and should attract and hold readers. P. E. KRETZlVIANN Recreatk'1. b Lh:tteh and CGn~im::·il:y. Edited by Warren T.Powell. The Abingdon Press. 136 pages, 41hx6%. Price, 75 cts. The subtitle of this little book is "The Values and Theory of Play, Its Influence upon Character, Its Objectives and Programs." This ambi- tious title is satisfied in the discussion, much of which is taken from Charles D. Giauque, Raymond W. Porter, and H. D. Edgren, and shows a c2refnl study of the principles involved. A few sections will not have much value for the Lullieran pastor, and we definitely disagree willi llie author when he suggests at least one sermon a year on recreation. But the book contains so many excellent suggestions that it is well worth studying. The paragraphs on the objectives of recreation (p. 55 f.), on the characteristics of various age levels (pp. 61-(4), the hints for picnic contests (p. 92 f.), the suggestions on discipline (p.ll5), and the bibliog- raphy are alone worth the price of llie book. P. E. KRETZMANN BOOKS RECEIVED From M. A. Donohue & Co., Chicago and New York: Adm.-esses. By Henry Drummond. 363 pages. Price, 75 cts. ~, ~pping Heavi . By Mrs. C. Prentiss. 359 pages. Price, 75 cts. ,pi for the lliLstel"s Use. By Frances Havergal. 159 pages. Price, 75 c .. 1th Christ in the Scho{ll of Prayer. By Andrew Murray. 307 pages. Price, 75 ds. From the United Lutheran Publication House, Philadelphia, Pa.: Green Timber. By Esther Gerberding Hunt. 220 pages, 5%X7%. Price, 75 cts. From Concordia Publishing House: I'\~ Redeemer. er Evening Service for Congregation and Children. By A. C. Mueller. 14 pages, 6X9. Price, 5 cts. From the Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Mich.: When God Died. A series of meditations for Lent, h'1.cluding descrip- tive messages on the Seven Sayings on the Cross. By Herbert Lockyer, D. D. 118 pages, 5X71Jz. Price, $1.00. 320 Book Review - lJUeratUt From Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich.: These Men Live! Candid-camera Bible Characters. By William Ward Ayer, D. D. 135 pages, 5X7%. Price, $1.00. Let the Fire Fall. By Paul W. Rood. 131 pages. Price, $1.00. All the Days. By Clark J. Forcey. 163 pages, 5%X7%. Price, $1.00. The Christ We Need. Fifteen sermons. By W. T. Conner, Professor of Systematic Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. 124 pages, 5X7%. Price, $1.00. From the Stockton Press, 516 N. Charles St., Baltimore, Maryland: 1,000 More Snappy Sentences for Church Bulletin Boards. Com- piled by Rev. Paul E. Holdcraft, D. D., S. T. D. 54 pages. Price, 35 cts. From the Abingdon Press, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: The Fulfilment. An Easter Choralogue. For Use in the Churches. Arranged for Reader, Organ, and Choir. By Oswald W. S. McCall. 15 pages. Price, 35 cts. From the Methodist Book Concern, New York, Cincinnati, Chicago: Income, Outgo, and the Kingdom of God. A Study in Personal and Family Economics. By Samuel E. Carruth. 62 pages. Price, 25 cts. Living and ~'king in Our C(mntry. A Unit in Week-day Religious Education for Christian Citizenship Series for Grades Five and Six, By Edna M. Baxter. 199 pages, 51/2X8¥2. Price, $1.00. From Meador Publishing Company, Boston, Mass,; From Son-Lit Shores. By James Falk. 200 pages. Price, $2.00. The Last Struggle. By Rev, J. Kromolicki. 182 pages. Price, $1.50. From the Judson Press, Chicago, Los Angeles, Kansas City, Seattle, Philadelphia: Yet We Can Hope. By Lee A. Howe, Jr. 156 pages. Price, $1.50, NOTICE TO OUR SUBSCRIBERS In order to render satisfactory service, we must have our current mailing-list correct. The expense of maintaining this list has been materially increased. Under present regulations we are subject to a "fine" on all parcels mailed to an incorrect address, inasmuch as we must pay 2 cents for every notification sent by the postmaster on 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 notification to each individual periodical. Our subscribers can help us by notifying us - one notification (postal card. costing only 1 cent) will take care of the addresses for several publications. We shall be very grateful for your cooperation. Kindly consult the address label on this paper to ascertain whether your subscription has expired or will soon expire. "Apr 39" on the label means that your subscription has expired. Please pay your agent or the Publisher promptly in order to avoid interruption of service. It takes about two weeks before the adqress label can show change of address or acknowledgment of remittance. When paying your subscription. please mention name of publication desired and exact name and address (both old and new. if change of address is requested). CONCORDIA PUBLISIDNG HOUSE, St. Louis, Mo.