Torchbearers Of The Gospel
Men of Fire, by Walter Russell Bowie (Harper, 1961, 244 pp., $3.95), is reviewed by William Bedford Williamson, Rector, The Church of the Atonement, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here is a book which should be read by every clergyman, indeed, by every Christian. It will encourage and gladden his heart and make him proud to be the inheritor of the faith lived and taught by such heroes, “the torch-bearers of the Gospel.” The author sets the tone of his work in his brilliant, precise, and commanding foreword with the challenge that since the first Gospel, “the Word made flesh,” was not a book but a life, so the eternal fire of the Gospel witness is transmitted as “flame leaps to flame (p. 204), from person to person.
Walter Russell Bowie is a skilled craftsman who now adds another unique work to his Story of the Bible and Story of the Church, to name only his popular productions. Men of Fire is an exciting, readable combination of biography and church history. Dr. Bowie demonstrates the art of measuring history against the stature of great men as he literally calls the roll of the “giants” in church history from St. Peter to Thomas A. Dooley, M.D. and spells out their contributions and accomplishments with such vividness that the reader accepts the warmth of their witness as a living reality.
As if to underline the sound, scholarly, and evangelical nature of his work, Dr. Bowie presents his first “man of fire,” St. Peter, with New Testament flavor and accuracy as a leader and a “most vivid and conspicuous figure …” The author observes that “it is equally plain that at the Council (of Jerusalem, Acts 15) he (Peter) was not the official head; it was James … who was presiding” (p. 7). Dr. Bowie deals with other Petrine questions fairly and honestly, always insisting on his evangelical note of St. Peter as “the rock apostle” whose testimony and witness to the power of Christ in him and the Church became the main source-authority for St. Mark’s Gospel-in-writing. He rejects Roman Catholic claims of the primacy of Roman bishops and primal Roman succession.
Thrilling drama is relived throughout these pages: the martyr’s death of Polycarp (p. 24) otherwise too easily forgotten; the martyrdom of the translator John Tyndale (p. 124); and the stirring missionary narratives, for example, Dr. Grenfell (p. 215) are among the many dramatic high spots. Discussing the little-known work of the reformer William Farel (the man who recruited John Calvin to all-out reformation effort) as head of a group of “protesting” missioners in Switzerland, Dr. Bowie uses colorful and artful words. He calls this band “the commandos of the Evangelical crusade, the assault wave of the Reformation advance” (p. 149).
Every Protestant will profit from the reading of Chapters III through XI. These magnificent biographies and narratives will help overcome the uncritical resistance among many non Roman Christians to the major labors and accomplishments of the pre-Reformation bishops, scholars, monks, and missionaries under the banner of catholic Christianity. All will applaud the author’s friendly and yet accurate handling of Reformation heroes. Luther, Calvin, Knox, Wesley appear in true historical perspective and in a context that makes the most of their unique contributions. Dr. Bowie follows a pattern that is growing in modern Christendom (and I hasten to commend it) of picturing Francis of Assisi as more of a reforming fire than as a somewhat aimless mendicant ascetic and slightly insipid ornithologist.
Pauline influence on the honor roll listing of the “men of fire” is thrilling to observe in this inspired writing. St. Paul’s great theme, “Christ in me,” has helped Christians of all generations to remark (with the Emmaus disciples), “Did not our heart(s) burn within us” as the eternal flame of the living Christ is clearly revealed in His disciples. The influence of St. Paul noted in Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley is proof of the Pauline heritage and evangelical fervor stemming from the inward fire of “a man in Christ.” Dr. Bowie quotes Phillips Brooks to clinch his thesis that “Preaching is the bringing of the truth through personality” (p. 204).
The author’s use of contemporary biography of Christians “on fire” is accomplished with consummate taste, as without undue sentimentality he tells their stories within the context of their chosen field of work and under the banner of their own branch of Christendom. Dr. Bowie brings us into the twentieth century with narratives of the labors and witness of modern medical missionaries: Grenfell (Anglican), Schweitzer (German Evangelical), Seagraves (American Baptist), and Dooley (Roman Catholic); who, “like their great forerunners, are witnesses to the eternal truth which came to them from Christ: that he who seeks his life shall lose it, and he who risks his life for the gospel saves it …” (p. 236).
WILLIAM BEDFORD WILLIAMSON
A Definitive Life
Federal Street Pastor: The Life of William Ellery Channing, by Madeleine Hooke Rice (Bookman Associates, 1961, 360 pp., $6), is reviewed by Calvin D. Linton, Professor of English Literature and Dean of Columbian College, George Washington University.
“A poor little invalid all his life, he is yet one of those men who vindicate the power of the American race to produce greatness.” So writes Ralph Waldo Emerson of William Ellery Channing, American prophet of Unitarianism, the social gospel, the natural goodness of man, the doctrine of salvation through education and economic reform, the necessity for labor unions—and one of the first Americans to achieve the respect and admiration of Europe’s intellectuals. “Channing is unquestionably the finest writer of his age,” said the English periodical, Fraser’s Magazine, in 1838. Boston in the 1830s and 40s saw a stream of visitors, great and near great, all come to see the man who preached that Christianity is “a temper and a spirit,” not a doctrine; who taught that the Gospel consists of “practical truths designed to enlarge the heart, to exalt the character, to make us partakers of a divine nature”; and who wrote urgent appeals for the support of one “Mr. Adam of Calcutta,” a missionary who had gone to India as a Baptist but who had been inspired by “learned Hindoos to inquiries which had resulted in his adopting a more rational form of Christianity.” It was the temper of the times. Revolutionary social reform, eighteenth-century deism, the “cult of sensibility,” the seeming victories of science and “reason” over supernatural religion—all were coming together in that atmosphere of which Wordsworth wrote that “bliss was it in that dawn to be alive, but to be very young was very heaven.” (Wordsworth, incidentally, took Chaning for a tiring walk in the Lake Dissct when Channing visited England.) Mrs. Rice, associate professor of history at Hunter College, has written a scholarly, comprehensive, highly-readable biography, complete with excellent bibliography, footnotes (gathered at the back of the book), and a useful index. The work should be the definitive life of Channing.
CALVIN D. LINTON
Fine Firstfruit
The Pre-Conquest in England, by M. Deanesly (Oxford, 1961, 374 pp., $6), is reviewed by Geoffrey W. Bromiley, Professor of Church History, Fuller Theological Seminary.
This volume is important as the first of a new series of five works which, written by different scholars, will together constitute a new Ecclesiastical History of England.
Yet it is also important in its own right, for to one of the most obscure and difficult periods Professor Deanesly things a wealth of learning and clarity of judgment to give an informative but vivid and readable account of the early British and Anglo-Saxon churches.
Two minor criticisms may be made. First, the story tends to fade with the work of Dunstan, though perhaps the gap left here will be filled in Volume II. Secondly, we detect a slight tilting of the scales in favor of the Roman rather than the Celtic mission at the time of the conversion of England. But perhaps this is because it did in fact prove to be the dominant trend.
In general, we must certainly be grateful for this historically-excellent firstfruits of the new series.
GEOFFREY W. BROMILEY
New And Better
New Testament Survey, by Merrill C. Tenney (Eerdmans, 1961 [revised ed.], 488 pp., $5.95; also London: IVF, 464 pp., 25s), is reviewed by W. Boyd Hunt, Professor of Theology, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Faculty members of the Graduate School at Wheaton College have rendered conspicuous service in producing texts for survey Bible courses. Last year Harper brought out Schultz’ The Old Testament Speaks. Now Eerdmans has published a new and much more ambitious edition of Tenney’s New Testament Survey.
This is a day of elegant textbooks, and this volume is evidence that religious publishers are aware of the fact. More than 70 illustrations, some full page, liven up the book’s appearance. The format is impeccable and pleasing. No device has been spared that would make the volume more serviceable. There are charts, appendixes, and bibliographies.
In addition to the new look, new content has also been added, particularly with reference to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the text and transmission of the New Testament. This is in every sense a “new, revised, enlarged, and illustrated” edition of a proven and popular work.
This is also in every sense a conservative work. The emphasis is decidedly devotional. Critical problems are minimized. There are no references to many of the most prominent names of past and present New Testament scholarship. At the same time, Dean Tenney does not try to do all the thinking for his readers. His handling of eschatological issues is particularly restrained.
This volume is a splendid achievement. Both author and publisher deserve hearty congratulations.
W. BOYD HUNT
Religious Groupings?
The Religious Factor, by Gerhard Lenski (Doubleday, 1961, 384 pp., $5.95), is reviewed by Earl L. Douglass, Editor of the Douglass Sunday School Lessons.
Gerhard Lenski, associate professor of sociology at the University of Michigan, has presented a prodigious and detailed study of how various religious groups in the United States differ in their political and economic outlooks and in their competition for economic advancement. His research, carried out by the Detroit Area Study, apparently involved years of effort and pondering over social and religious problems. He asks whether American society is turning into self-contained sub-communities divided by faith and race.
Reading for Perspective
CHRISTIANITY TODAY’S REVIEW EDITORS CALL ATTENTION TO THESE TITLES:
* The Man God Mastered, by Jean Cadier (Eerdmans, $3), Splendid biographical portrait of Calvin, mastered by God, but triumphant over his foes and physical weaknesses.
* Christianity Divided, a symposium (Sheed & Ward, $6), Eminent Protestant and Roman Catholic thinkers meet in discussion not of things which unite but of things which divide them.
* Essence of Christianity, by Anders Nygren (Muhlenberg, $2), A clarification of the meaning of love as it relates to the atonement in the Lundensian view.
Dr. Lenski deals with the white Protestant, Negro Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish groups, and believes that membership in one of these groups does in a marked fashion determine whether a man will or will not enjoy his occupation, indulge in installment buying, be thrifty, vote the straight ticket, favor the welfare state, oppose racial integration in the schools, have a large family, complete his education, or rise in a class system.
No one should attempt to read this book unless he is prepared to do a lot of hard thinking. Although his style is clear, the author tries to pack so much information and evaluation into every sentence that the reader has to have considerable mental energy to get through the work. But if one wants a book that rings with authority and is tempered by a judicious use of data, then he will find this book remarkably rewarding.
Most of the material is oriented either to doctrinal orthodoxy or what the author calls devotionalism. These, he finds, are usually opposed to each other and approach problems differently. Lest one should get the idea that the book is purely theoretical, I hasten to point out that such everyday situations as the attitude people have toward their work, toward the forces involved in the labor movement, installment buying, freedom of speech, foreign affairs, drinking, child raising, and so forth, are all dealt with in these 350 closely-written, informationpacked pages.
Dr. Lenski examines the influence of religion, education, and science on the patterns of American family life. He reviews the Catholic situation with a frankness not usually manifested by present-day scholars who might be termed academic in their consideration of problems. There is an excellent chapter on the clergy and the place they occupy in the formation of group attitudes and actions.
The chapter on conclusions summarizes the author’s findings, suggests application of the theories which the author regards as sound, and offers predictions as to the results which the changing composition of the American population will bring forth.
There can be no doubt that Dr. Lenski deals with considerations which should be matters of profound concern to all students of modem life, especially clergymen. The author’s devotion to his task, the intelligence with which he has pursued his inquiries, and his determination to let facts, and only facts, speak for themselves commends this book to every fair-minded person.
It is well written but scientific and academic in its vocabulary. For those who are willing to give time and mental energy to the examination of profound issues, this book will prove highly rewarding.
EARL L. DOUGLASS
For The First Time
Gnosticism. A Sourcebook of Heretical Writings from the Early Christian Period, edited by Robert M. Grant (Harper, 1961, 254 pp., $4), is reviewed by Herman C. Waetjen, Assistant Professor of New Testament, School of Religion of the University of Southern California.
New and vigorous research is being concentrated on the origins and the development of Gnosticism. Some of the stimulus may be ascribed to the 1945 discovery of the fourth century Gnostic library at the ancient site of Chenoboskion near Nag Hammadi in Egypt. More of it, however, seems to be due to the vital role various scholars from von Harnack to Bultmann have attributed to Gnosticism in the development of early Christian thought and theology: as, for example, the Gnostic myth of the redeemed Redeemer.
A number of good monographs on Gnosticism have appeared in recent years. Among them is R. M. Grant’s Gnosticismand Early Christianity, a sober study of early Gnosis which attempts to show how Gnosticism emerged out of Jewish Apocalypticism and came to be introduced into Christianity and the Hellenistic world.
Now Professor Grant has provided something of a companion volume for this earlier work. Gnosticism, as the subtitle indicates, is a sourcebook. It is a compilation of selections from the writings of early Church Fathers who strove to refute the countless Gnostic heresies that were springing up in the Church like mushrooms; as well as selections—and this forms the greater part of the book—from the available Gnostic writings themselves.
In this way Gnosticism is allowed to speak for itself, and therein lies the value of this work. For the first time students of the New Testament and the history of Christian thought have an anthology of Gnostic literature. Undoubtedly, the book will be expanded as time goes by and more Gnostic writings are translated. But in the meantime, Professor Grant and his associates are to be congratulated for this valuable handbook.
HERMAN C. WAETJEN
Bible In British Schools
The Scripture Lesson, edited by J. W. Harmer (Tyndale Press, 1961, 312 pp., 15s), is reviewed by Kathleen M. Wilson, Lecturer in Divinity, City of Coventry Training College, Warwickshire, England.
The relations between Church and State in education, as in other fields, differ vastly between this country and the United States. In Britain the Education Act of 1944 states that religions instruction must be given in every school, and that the school day must begin with collective worship. Both clauses are subject to safeguards respecting parental wishes and the freedom of teachers. But without the cooperation of the teacher the religious clauses of the 1944 Act are merely empty words. Unfortunately the attitude of many Christians towards scripture teaching in state schools is destructively critical. This is depressing in a job where problems and difficulties, especially for young teachers, easily obscure the opportunities and joys.
“The Scripture Lesson,” however, avoids this pitfall, and is full of constractive help for the teacher who is require to give religious instruction in accordance with the Agreed Syllabus. It is produced by teachers for teachers. The original edition, published in 1945, has been regularly of use to the reviewer, and this new edition, thoroughly revised, promises greater usefulness both to specialist and non-specialist teachers. The chapter on church history has been extended, and that on archaeology has been re-written. This edition is illustrated with new material on teaching methods and visual aids.
There are a few surprising omissions: no chapter on school worship, amazingly few references to contemporary problems and situations, no classified list of films to complement the chapter on visual aids, as the classified bibliography complements the rest of the book. Neither is there mention of such teaching aids as the ubiquitous tape recorder. But these are minor defects in a book which could help the theological specialist adjust his wave length, and build up the background knowledge of the sympathetic non-specialist on whose effectiveness the implementation of the Act largely depends. The value of the book should stretch beyond Britain as the syllabus is not narrowly national in content.
KATHLEEN M. WILSON
West Of Wesley
John Wesley, Friend of the People, by Oscar Sherwin (Twayne Publishers, Inc., 1961, 234 pp., $5), is reviewed by Clyde S. Kilby, Chairman of the English Department, Wheaton College (Illinois).
The one really commendable thing about this study is the long list of quotations, most of them excellent, about John Wesley and about the spiritual poverty of the century in which he lived. The book is, in fact, little more than these quotations.
Otherwise I find it singularly irritating. It appears to have been written hurriedly. The style is nervous, at times downright bad. (That the author really can write is apparent in a few of the later chapters.) The organization of the material is often distressingly poor as to chronology, and chapters sometimes include subjects foreign to their titles. There are numerous small discrepancies, as for example, on page 116 we are told that Wesley always lived on 28 pounds a year and gave away the rest, but on the next page it is said that he never spent upon his personal needs more than 30 pounds a year. Why confuse the reader even on such minor details? There are many instances of this kind of thing.
Far more important, however, is the impossibility, for me at least, of reconciling Dr. Sherwin’s sympathetic, even enthusiastic, attitude toward Wesley as a great Christian with his conclusion to the study. “What vital message does Wesley’s voice bring us today?” asks Dr. Sherwin, and his answer is, “The religions of the race of men may differ, but moral law—the brotherhood of all men—is an altar at which we can all worship.” John Wesley was what he was because of his belief in Jesus Christ as Saviour. This is Wesley’s vital message to his own age and to ours, not the bloodless moralism that Dr. Sherwin proposes.
CLYDE S. KILBY
Not For Laughs
The Loss of Unity, by Hoffman Nickerson (Sidgwick & Jackson, 1961, 360 pp., 21s), is reviewed by G. S. M. Walker, Lecturer in Theology, Leeds University, England.
Despite appearances to the contrary, this book is intended to be serious. I say “despite appearances,” because the reader might be pardoned for setting it down as a work of comic fiction when he finds chapter titles like the following: “Dutch Scholar lays an Egg,” “Charles’ Aunt versus Royal Theologian.”
Mr. Nickerson deals with the period from the voyages of discovery to the close of the Council of Trent, with some afterthoughts on the present situation. Though his theme is the cultural weakness produced by religious division, he ignores the one really radical cleavage (that between the Greek East and the Latin West) which became a prototype for almost every Iron Curtain. Instead, he concentrates on Western Europe, and towards the end of the book he virtually admits that his main thesis is inaccurate, for he speaks of “our religious tradition” as a recognizable entity which can still be contrasted with other cultures.
The various strands in the story are well co-ordinated, and there are some vivid pieces of descriptive writing. Mr. Nickerson is at his best when he describes the rig of sailing ships. But as soon as he reaches terra firma his knowledge begins to falter. His account of the Church on the eve of the Reformation is woefully inadequate. Savonarola is not even mentioned. The Bohemian Hussites are called “a local affair … which showed no signs of spreading,” at a time when they had been in active correspondence with the Scottish Lollards. And Rome is given less than her due; familiar papal scandals are duly recounted, but far too little is said about those evangelical Catholics who were trying to reform the Church from within before Luther had been heard of.
The inadequacy of Mr. Nickerson’s knowledge is indicated by the irrelevance of his bibliography, some of which is also out of date. He miscalculates the length of the indulgences attached to the Wittenberg relics by 100,000 years. He says that to destroy images in churches was “a violation of all Christian tradition, for even the persecuted Church in the catacombs had made pictures of Our Lord.” In point of fact, the earliest pronouncement on images, that of the Council of Elvira, had prohibited them; it was not until A.D. 692 that canonical permission was first given for pictures of Christ’s human form; and for more than a century thereafter, violent dispute continued. Even more wildly, Mr. Nickerson states that it has always been “an essential part” of the Church’s teaching that only bishops can ordain. Now, quite apart from the powers which Jerome ascribes to the presbyters op Alexandria, there have been cases of valid ordination performed in India by presbyters of the Eastern Orthodox Church; in the West, the majority of the schoolmen believed that under special circumstances presbyters could ordain, and there have in fact been as many as four papal bulls allowing them to do so. It is never wise to confound the teachings of the Catholic Church with the sectarian prejudices of a particular brand of Anglicanism.
Luther, according to Mr. Nickerson, was just a foul-mouthed peasant, and the princes who supported him were pigs and swine. Rabelais, on the other hand, is charming in his obscenities which, since they came from a pen untainted by heresy, are like “the wholesome smell of stable manure.” Mr. Nickerson displays an odd assortment of antipathies which strangely recall the Syllabus of Errors compiled by Pius IX. He believes, for example, that democratic socialism is incompatible with civil liberty, that Higher Criticism is “mumbo-jumbo,” and that Calvin worshiped the devil. It was only to be expected that a man who approves of Rabelais should disapprove of Puritan morality. But Mr. Nickerson places himself in bad company by the theological point on which he has chosen to attack Calvin; on this particular point, only the Albigensian heretics agree with his attack, whereas Augustine, Anselm, and Aquinas, to name but three, are “devil worshipers” of the first water.
All in all, it is a pity that Mr. Nickerson did not study more of the facts before he wrote this book. It is not merely that historical writing demands a wider knowledge and a better-balanced judgment than he is able to command. The really tragic thing is this: he does want to serve the cause of Christian unity, and he imagines that these ill-informed polemics will promote that cause.
G. S. M. WALKER
Count How Much?
Beliefs That Count, by Georgia Harkness (Abingdon, 1961, 125 pp., $1), is reviewed by John Warwick Montgomery, Chairman, the Department of History, Waterloo University College, Ontario.
It is the conviction of many that American popular theology has in recent years been moving more and more in the conservative direction. The questionable character of this generalization is well illustrated by Georgia Harkness’ latest book, which contains such statements as: “The Bible is not in every word an infallible revelation of God, but a record made through human instruments” (p. 50); and “Biblical scholars no longer believe that the Gospels are exact accounts of the words of Jesus, since these, writings were compiled forty to seventy years after his death and thus reflect only the memories and interpretations of the early church” (p. 28). The Christology of the volume is generally of an imitative nature, and the theological criterion of truth employed throughout the book appears to be a rather naive consensus gentium (e.g.: “We come now to say a few words about the disputed subject, the reality of hell and the possibility of everlasting punishment meted out by God. Here opinions differ greatly among Christians, and anything we say must be tentative”—p. 114).
The book achieves its purpose as a commentary on certain episcopal affirmations read at the Methodist General Conference in 1952, and underscores the fact that American Methodism still has much to learn both from the evangelical beliefs of the Wesleys and from the solid Reformation scholarship of such contemporary English Methodists as Philip S. Watson.
JOHN WARWICK MONTGOMERY
Simeon Stylites
More Preaching Values in the Epistles of Paul, Vol. II, by Halford E. Luccock (Harper, 1961, 225 pp., $3.95), is reviewed by W. G. Foster, Minister, the First Presbyterian Church, Florence, South Carolina.
“We’re tenting tonight
On the old camp ground.”
Using this bit of an old Civil War song to focus attention on 2 Corinthians 5:1, Halford E. Luccock expressed his Christian hope in these words: “And we are in a tent, a temporary habitation. We look forward to moving day, to a permanent home, to a house not made with hands.”
Moving Day has come for Simeon Stylites, Luccock’s pen name in his weekly column in The Christian Century, but not before he left another “values” book that will be valuable to every minister who is seeking penetrating insight into some familiar text, a fresh approach to some vital issue, or a mental catapult that will set the imagination soaring.
Vivid, pithy, unusual, pertinent, homey—but rarely doctrinal or exegetical—describe these preaching values that Dr. Luccock has found in II Corinthians, Galatians, Philippians, and Colossians. Those who have developed a taste for Dr. Luccock’s style will find these as delightful as previous offerings, and close who have not yet enjoyed Luccock could give him a try.
Included in the book is an appreciation of the author, written by Dr. Ralph W. Sockman. Dr. Sockman feels that Dr. Luccock was a man who kept a balanced perspective on quest and conquest, on “know how” and “know why.” These values serve to prove the point well taken.
W. G. FOSTER
Our Best Hope
The Company of the Committed, by Elton Trueblood (Harper, 1961, 113 pp., $2.50), is reviewed by William Haverkamp, Minister, Second Christian Reformed Church, Kalamazoo, Michigan.
Trueblood’s books are never dull. This little volume presents the mature thinking of the author on the role of the Church in the survival of our civilization. If the Church is to play a significant part, she must be cherished, criticized, nourished, and reformed. Trueblood holds that the Church of Jesus Christ, with all blemishes, divisions, and failures remains our hope of spiritual vitality.
With a candor that is born of genuine concern, the author tears away the superficial marks of success and points to a situation that is disconcerting. He points to provinces that are lost to the influence of the Church and later makes suggestions for recapturing these provinces. He issues the call for full commitment.
One may not share Trueblood’s basic view of the Church, nor may one be able to assent to all the solutions he offers. But there is no doubt that reading of this book will stimulate genuine concern about the Church and its role in the modern world. It will give many a churchman a deserved jolt, and if it does that it will have accomplished the author’s purpose.
WILLIAM HAVERKAMP
Behold, … All Ye That …
Christ and Selfhood, by Wayne E. Oates (Associated Press, 1961, 252 pp., $4.50), is reviewed by Theodore J. Jansma, Chaplain, Christian Sanitorium, Wyckoff, New Jersey.
The central theme of this book has a clear evangelical sound—Man becomes truly himself, what he was created to be, through his redemptive encounter with Jesus Christ. In Christ God meets man with love and forgiveness, resolves the alienation and estrangement of man’s existential predicament, and provides the focus or integrating principle for meaningful living. “The redemption in Christ aims to remove all subterfuge, artificiality, fictitiousness, and counterfeit attempts at selfhood in order that through forgiveness and reconciliation the genuinely human existence to which we have been called might be brought into focus” (p. 249).
In developing this theme the author draws on a rich and varied source of psychological and theological literature, and suggests many stimulating insights. However, the book is disappointing to the evangelical reader because the author emphasizes the Incarnation and Resurrection to the almost complete exclusion of the Crucifixion, a characteristic of much “encounter” literature. This omission of the Cross is fatal because it robs the Incarnation of its purpose and the Resurrection of its victory. True, man needs a genuine encounter with the Incarnate Son of God and the Living Lord, but the redemptive efficacy of that encounter is in the expiatory, atoning, justice-satisfying transaction of the Cross. Psychological dynamics need to be understood, but insight is no substitute for moral cleansing. Subjective commitment is essential and may even result in “peace of mind” apart from a genuine encounter with the crucified Saviour (a non-Christian commitment may also produce an integrated selfhood), but it is hollow from the evangelical viewpoint apart from the objective transaction of the Cross.
THEODORE J. JANSMA
Pastoral Letters
Answers to Anxiety, by Herman W. Gockel (Concordia, 1961, 179 pp., $3), is reviewed by Robert Strong, Minister, Trinity Presbyterian Church, Montgomery, Alabama.
The Missouri Synod Lutherans have set the pace among the denominations in the use of TV to present the Gospel, and Dr. Herman W. Gockel has been the key figure in the undertaking. In this his latest book he deals with the Christian’s problems born of anxiety. Each chapter is a letter to a composite figure named Mark. Not as a psychiatrist but as an experienced pastor Dr. Gockel brings the Scripture helpfully to bear upon such questions as: “What if I should die right after I have committed a sin and before I had an opportunity to ask God for His forgiveness?” This is an excellent book for young or new believers.
ROBERT STRONG
Sunday School Lesson Commentaries
The Standard Lesson Commentary for 1962, edited by Orrin Root and John W. Wade (Standard, 1961, 448 pp., $2.95); Tarbell’s Teachers’ Guide, edited by Frank S. Mead (Revell, 1961, 384 pp., $2.95); Peloubet’s Select Notes, edited by Wilbur M. Smith (Wilde, 1961, 550 pp., $2.95); Uniform Lesson Commentary, edited by Arthur H. Getz (Muhlenberg Press, 1961, 320 pp., $2.95); Broadman Comments, edited by H. I. Hester and J. Winston Pearce (Broadman, 1961, 437 pp., $2.95); Rozell’s Complete Lessons, edited by Ray Rozell (Rozell, 1962, 318 pp., $2.95); Higley Sunday School Lesson Commentary, edited by J. A. Huffman (Lambert Huffman, 1961, 527 pp., $2.95); The Douglass Sunday School Lessons, edited by Earl L. Douglass (Macmillan, 1961, 475 pp., $3.25); Jesus and the Ten Commandments, by Ralph G. Turnbull (Baker, 1961, 79 pp., $1); Points for Emphasis, by Clifton J. Allen (Broadman, 1961, 215 pp., $.95); Illustrating the Lesson, by Arthur House Stainback (LeRoi Publishers, 1961, 109 pp., $1.50), are reviewed by Alvin B. Quail, Dean, Whitworth College.
The International Sunday School Lessons continue to be widely used among the various religious denominations. It is possible in this review to describe some of the Uniform Lesson Series along with certain teaching aids that commend themselves because of the scholarship and care which they manifest.
The Standard Lesson Commentary for 1962 is the ninth of a yearly series. Eight pages are devoted to each week’s lesson. The commentary begins with statements concerning “Jesus and the Gospel” and “The Law of God and the Love of God.” Each lesson is developed by presenting the scripture reference first. The biblical text is followed by the lesson background and a verse by verse explanation of the text. There is a section on “Discussion and Application” with several key questions and answers for daily living. The entire treatment is Bible centered and well organized for learning.
A distinctive feature of the Tarbell’s Teachers’ Guide is that the lesson text is in both the King James and Revised Standard Versions. The effective use of visual aids is described and accompanied by audio-visual reference materials which are correlated with each Sunday’s lesson. In addition to historical and biblical backgrounds there are notes on the printed text and interesting topics especially prepared for intermediate, seniors, young people, and adults. A list of home daily Bible reading has been prepared to parallel the lesson topic for each week.
The early part of Peloubet’s Select Notes contains audio-visual selections for each lesson, followed by a bibliographical section. Each lesson begins with a general biblical reference followed by the printed text reference which comes later in the lesson treatment. The beginning outline also contains a Bible devotional reading and scriptural references to accompany suitable topics for all age levels. An introductory approach is suggested for younger and older classes. There is an outline of each lesson followed by a thoroughly-developed exposition for each topic and Bible verse. The commentary is comprehensive in its treatment.
In the Uniform Lesson Commentary four writers combine their efforts, each preparing a quarterly commentary. The background of the lesson is presented first. This is followed by “Comments on the Text” in which each Bible verse receives attention. The “Gist of the Passage” is next in order, followed by “Lesson Sidelights” and a series of questions to ponder during the week. Daily Bible readings of the next week are at the conclusion of each lesson. This book consists of biblical expositions which are topically outlined. The entire lesson commentary is concise in its presentation.
The introduction of Broadman Comments relates Jesus to the Ten Commandments, followed by teaching aims for the quarter and each week’s lesson. A list of supplementary reading is provided for the entire quarter. The lessons are organized with a section devoted to the “Lesson in … Word,” and one on “The Lesson in Life.” A suggested approach to the lesson is given in conclusion. There is a brief listing of suggested visual aids. One should write to the publisher for information on where the visual aids may he secured.
The early part of Rozell’s Complete Lessons contains a foreword to teachers, outline of the lessons for the entire year, and an introduction to the first quarter. The Scripture is first presented followed by a lesson introduction. lesson is developed basically in a topical manner with a careful correlation with the Bible. The concluding statement contains a summary and a transitional statement in preparation for the next week’s lesson. A special feature “For the Teacher Only” is provided in the early part of each lesson. The editor has stressed fresh applications and gives directions for using the blackboard.
The Higley Sunday School Lesson Commentary is organized to include Scripture text, daily Bible readings, teaching outline, and an exposition of each Scripture lesson verse. An object lesson is carefully prepared with a theme, materials, and procedures for each week’s consideration. A special feature of Higley’s is the “Pump Primer.” At the conclusion of each lesson the “Pump Primer” provides 10 stimulating questions for the student. These may be handled by the teacher in a variety of ways. The topics for each week are expressed and developed appropriately for the age levels ranging from primary to the adults.
The Douglass Sunday School Lessons begins with a list of lessons and Bible references for the four quarters. Next is a comprehensive statement of the “Value in the Uniform Lessons.” This is followed by “A Word to Teachers in Procedures” and a quarterly introduction. The Scripture presentation is accompanied by a lesson plan topically outlined. Instead of using a verse by verse seatment, the topics receive comments with a careful buttressing of biblical references. The lesson concludes with suggested topics and questions for discussion. The hints for teachers, which appear at the end, are closely related to the materials first presented. The entire commentary evidences scholarship and organization.
Jesus and the Ten Commandments is the first book in a Bible Companion Series for lesson and sermon preparation. The author brings to his commentary a rich background of pastoral ministry and experiences in preparing the “Gist of the Lesson for Sunday School Teachers.” The writing is done in a scholarly and careful manner. Jesus and the Ten Commandments is a commentary of particular value to teachers of youth and adults.
Points for Emphasis is a pocket commentary which has been carefully organized to include the essential references and topics for each lesson. Even though the treatment is concise there are comments on each phase of the lesson. There a section for practical application called “Truths to Live By.” This lesson “compact” may be easily carried in a small purse or coat pocket for ready reference and convenient study.
The foreword of Illustrating the Lesson states that this is not a commentary. There is, however, a well-prepared outline of the lesson with appropriate Scripture references. The distinctive feature of the lesson treatment is the large number of excellent illustrations which accompany each topic of the lesson.
ALVIN B. QUALL
Persuaders
Persuasion and Healing, by Jerome D. Frank (Johns Hopkins Press, 1961, 282 pp., $5.50), is reviewed by Orville S. Walters, Director of Health Services and Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Illinois.
In the topsy-turvy world of psychotherapy where scarcely anything is really what it seems, quotes from Alice in Wonderland seem especially apt as chapter headings for this “Comparative Study in Psychotherapy.” Dr. Frank, with Ph.D. and M.D. degrees from Harvard, is Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University and a recognized authority in the field of psychotherapy.
In its treatment of psychotherapy alone, the book would be a solid contribution to the literature of the field. Dr. Frank begins with a broad survey of psychotherapy in America, then presents his own conceptual framework for psychotherapy as being the correction of the patient’s unconscious “assumptive system.” He deals in turn with the psychiatrist himself, then with psychotherapy as practiced individually, in groups, and in the mental hospital. The book closes with a comprehensive view of “American Psychotherapy in Perspective.”
The author’s theoretical orientation appears to be a combination of the Freudian and Pavlovian systems with learning theory. From this eclectic position, he criticizes freely such weaknesses of psychoanalysis as its overemphasis upon psychological factors, its neglect of sociocultural forces, and its emphasis upon early life experience rather than current faulty interaction patterns. He objects to the all-inclusive scope of analytic theory and to the fact that its doctrines are by nature both irrefutable and untestable. Such “evocative” therapies as client-centered counseling or psychoanalysis probably influence patients as much as directive methods, Frank concludes, in spite of their claims for neutrality and objectivity.
Religious healing and revivalism are considered in two chapters that appear almost as artefacts interrupting the comprehensive sequence already described. Frank appears to have been strongly influenced by the views of the British psychiatrist, Sargant, as set forth in his Battle for the Mind. Like Sargant, Frank finds similarity between religious healing, religious conversion, and the political thought reform of the Chinese and the Russians. In each instance a “sufferer” is converted under the emotional pressures of a “persuader.”
In contrast with the rest of the book which is based upon first-hand experience and direct acquaintance with psychotherapy, Frank relies upon other authors for his information on religious conversion and seems to have little first-hand knowledge of religion upon which to base his psychologizing.
ORVILLE S. WALTERS
Book Briefs
House Without a Roof, by Maurice Hindus (Doubleday, 1961, 562 pp., $6.95). Story of people and history of Russia told to create greater understanding of present-day Russia.
The Service of Chaplains to Army Air Units 1917–1946, by Daniel B. Jorgensen (Government Printing Office, n.d., 344 pp., $3). This volume is a history of the development and service rendered by the United States Air Force Chaplaincy. With text and pictures it tells the story of men who, in the world’s strangest parishes, conducted services, rendered council, buried the dead, cheered the living, and improvised communion cups from sections of bamboo. This book opens a window on the chaplaincy.
Man’s Guiltiness Before God, by Thomas Goodwin (Sovereign Grace Publishers, 1960, 567 pp., $6.95). Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices, with The Covenant of Grace, by Thomas Brooks (Sovereign Grace, 1960, 316 pp., $3.95). Obadiah and Habakkuk, by Edward Marbury (Sovereign Grace, 1960, 763 pp., $6.95). Reissues of works of classical Calvinistic Puritan divines.
Ten Torchbearers, by Dorothy Heiderstadt (Thomas Nelson, 1961, 192 pp., $2.95). Ten interesting profiles of ten religious leaders (Roger William, George Fox, etc.) who planted their faith on American soil.
What China Policy? by Vladimir Petroy (Shoe String Press, 1961, 141 pp., $4.50). Yale research of arguments for and against recognition of Red China.
The Heart of Things, by Nathaniel Beattie (Revell, 1961, 119 pp., $2). Minister and surgeon describes striking analogies between facts of medical science and Christian truths.
Yankee Si! by Edmund W. Janss (William Morrow and Co., 1961, 182 pp., $3.75). The moving story of a dedicated American and thousands like him who have “adopted” starving homeless children the world over.
The Twentieth Century New Testament (Moody, 1961, 449 pp., cloth $3.50, paperback $1.29). This translation popular 50 years ago, forgotten, today revived.
Your God and Your Gold, by Leslie B. Flynn (Zondervan, 1961, 137 pp., $2.50). Money talks and the author describes its many voices.
The Christian Year, edited by H. W. Dobson (Bles, 1961, 312 pp., 18s.). Canon Dobson has added some notes and occasional devotional quotations to the Prayer Book Collects and J. B. Phillips’ translation of the Epistles and Gospels, but the book is valuable beyond strictly Episcopalian horizons.
The One Work, by Anne Gage (Stuart, 1961, 139 pp., 21s.). A journey towards the self. The author’s mystical reflections following journeys through the religious centers of the East; an illustrated work on syncretistic mysticism.
Chris’s Drama, by Nigel Richmond (Stuart, 1961, 212 pp., 21s.). The Nature of Spiritual Growth; an interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel. An interpretation of Matthew in terms of evolution and psychology and symbolism; the text is printed section by section, but new canons of interpretation would be necessary in order to classify this exegesis.
The Secret of the Plateau, by E. W. Crabb (153 pp.); The Caravan Family, by Elizabeth Ashley (150 pp.); The Delmore Feud, by E. J. Warde (153 pp.). All are Victory Press, 1961, 6/6. All are books for 10–15 year olds. Adventure stories with a Christian background.
Paperbacks
Challenge of the Space Age, by J. W. Klotz (Concordia, 1961, 112 pp., $1). The story and the challenge of man’s thrust into space.
How About Christianity?, by A. D. Haentzscel (Concordia, 1961, 117 pp., $1). A conversation about the things that frequently prevent thinking people from giving Christianity a fair hearing.
Life After Death, by Lehman Strauss (Good News Publishers, 1961, 64 pp., $.50); How to Win Your Family to Christ, by Nathanael Olson (1961, 64 pp., $.50). Condensations of originals for reading in one evening.
The Eucharistic Memorial, Part II—The New Testament, by Max Thurian (John Knox, 1961, 133 pp., $1.75). An ecumenical study in worship. First published in 1961 in French.
Prophecy and Religion, by John Skinner (Cambridge, 1961, 360 pp., 10/6, $1.45). A portrait of the prophet and an exposition of his prophecy. First edition 1922.
The Infidel: Freethought and American Religion, by Martin E. Marty (World, 1961, 224 pp., $1.45). An examination of the effect of such American freethinkers as Thomas Paine, Clarence Darrow, Robert Ingersoll, Ralph Waldo Emerson, et cetera, on the development of religious thought in America.
One to One, by Erling Rolfsrud (Augsburg, 1961, 116 pp., $2). Practical suggestions and tips on how to deal with and understand the deaf and the blind person.
The Servant Messiah, by T. W. Manson (Cambridge, 1961, 103 pp., 7/6, $1.25). A competent study of Christ as Messiah, modified since presented as the Shaffer Lectures at Yale in 1939.
The Church in the World, by R. R. Caemmerer (Concordia, 1961, 108 pp., $1). Study of New Testament strategy for church’s triumph over the world. First issued in 1949.
Training Lay Leadership, by Guido A. Merkens (Concordia, 1961, 68 pp., $.75). Helps and suggestions on how to be a leader in the church, although a layman.
How Far Down the Road? by Edward R. Sneed (Edward R. Sneed, Clayton 5, Mo., 1961, 176 pp., $1). A cry to salvage freedom for America.
Churches and Immigrants, by J. J. Mol (Research Group for European Migration Problems Bulletin, May 1961, 86 pp., $1.50). A sociological study of the effect religion plays in the adjustments faced by immigrants.
The Case for Protestantism, by Thomas C. Hammond (Thomas C. Hammond, 1961, 95 pp., 9s, Australian). Being a selection of radio broadcasts in Sydney, New South Wales.
Religion in America Past and Present, by Clifton E. Olmstead (Prentice-Hall, 1961, 172 pp., $1.95). Concise, colorful panorama of American religious life from colonial days to the present.
Teach Us to Pray, by J. W. Acker (Concordia, 1961, 133 pp., $1). Solid, quiet discussion of the nature and purpose of true prayer.
The Spirit of Life or Life More Abundant, by Tom Rees (Hodder and Stoughton, 1961, 192 pp., 4s. 6d.). Through short devotional readings, author seeks to make Holy Spirit a living reality for Christians today.
Rufus Jones Speaks to our Time, edited by Harry Emerson Fosdick (Macmillan, 1961, 289 pp., $1.95). An anthology, edited by Harry Emerson Fosdick, of Rufus Jones, Quaker, and leading historian of mysticism. (First edition, 1951.)
Reprints
A Lifting Up for the Downcast, by William Bridge (Banner of Truth, 1961, 287 pp., 5s). A paperback of 13 sermons on Psalm 42 by a seventeenth-century Puritan dealing with spiritual depression.
Matthew XXIV, by J. Marcellus Kik (Presbyterian & Reformed, 1961, 115 pp., $2). Concise, readable exposition of what is generally regarded as a difficult chapter.
Ancient, Medieval and Modern Christianity, by Charles Guignebert (University Books, 1961, 507 pp., $7.50). Christianity interpreted in terms of evolution.
An Exposition of the Epistle to the Hebrews, by John Brown (Banner of Truth Trust, 1961, 728 pp., 18/-). Combines devotional and exegetical thoroughness.
How Love Grows in Marriage, by Leland Foster Wood (Channel, 1961, 254 pp. $3.50). Love in marriage and how it matures, or should.
The Select Works of Jonathan Edwards, Vol. Ill (Banner of Truth Trust, 1961, 382 pp., 15/-). Treatise concerning religious affections.
Out of the Earth, by E. M. Blaiklock (Eerdmans, 1961, 92 pp., $2). Popularly-written book on archaeology and New Testament; each chapter, save one, revised.
Seventh-Day Adventism Renounced, by D. M. Canright (Baker, 1961, 418 pp., $3.50). Testimony of onetime staunch Adventist, now long dead (1919), against errors and heresies of Seventh-day Adventism.
