Gleanings from the World of Books

“Only the more rugged mortals should attempt to keep up with current literature.” In these words George Ade has pretty well expressed the feeling of those confronted with the vast harvest of books in any one of several fields. But though trying to keep up with today’s tremendous publishing pace may require great stamina, it is a rewarding pursuit.

A review of this past year’s religious publications reveals a number of significant trends: (1) the heavy volume of new books; (2) the increasing difficulty in distinguishing some “religious” books from purely secular volumes; (3) the continuing preoccupation with ecumenicity; (4) the rising popularity of the new morality; and (5) the growing body of material dealing with the nature, authority, and mission of the Church. Evangelicals will want to take special notice of these trends, for they reveal a situation in the Church that evokes concern, and point to opportunities for those determined to proclaim and maintain the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The great number of books being sold is itself an opportunity for evangelicals to consider. Last year in the United States approximately 20,000 new books were published. In 1966 Americans spent $2,295,000,000 on books. This impressive figure shows that despite competition from television and various other forms of recreation, many Americans are filling their leisure hours with reading. Yet less than 10 per cent of the books Americans bought were religious.

The heavy demand for books is not confined to America or to the English-speaking world. Increasing literacy throughout the world and advances in translation have resulted in a wider market for books all over the globe. And this means that there is now a larger market than ever before for the proclamation of the Gospel through the printed page. Evangelicals must supply this market with books that are sound in theology, thorough and interesting in content, and competent in literary style. Herman Melville once said, “To produce a mighty book, you must choose a mighty theme.” Certainly Christians have a mighty theme to write about. The opportunities for propagating this theme in a myriad of places and a variety of tongues through books may never be greater.

A second factor worthy of note is the growing difficulty in defining a “religious” book. It is only natural that the increasingly hazy distinction between religious and secular in the speculations of the theologians would be reflected in the world of books. Increasing preoccupation with social and political issues has yielded a crop of “religious” books that do not make a distinctively religious contribution.

This phenomenon holds out a twofold challenge to evangelicals. First it issues a call to action in the realm of social issues. Social concern is a legitimate outgrowth of the Christian Gospel. Evangelicals hold that a change in individual hearts through Jesus Christ will lead to change in society and answers to the social problems that confront us. It is time for us to show by our actions that this is so; in the name of Jesus Christ we must give of ourselves to meet both the spiritual and the physical needs of our neighbors. At the same time evangelicals must clearly articulate—verbally and in print—a biblical theology that rejects and refutes “religionless Christianity.” We deal not with an anonymous Christ who confronts men in the structures of society but with Jesus of Nazareth, who died and rose again and calls men to repent and become citizens of the kingdom of heaven through a personal relationship with himself.

A third characteristic of religious publishing today is the great stress on ecumenicity. Although there are signs that the good ship Oikumene may be entering rough waters (see, for example, page 38 of the February 14 issue), many books on the subject continue to appear. And there is a new openness between Roman Catholics and Protestants; houses that in the past published only Protestant writers are now publishing works by Roman Catholics and Catholic houses are publishing Protestant works.

Ecumenical concern is also an area of opportunity and challenge for evangelicals. The biblical idea of unity must be clearly articulated and its practical outworkings investigated. And we must not only define Christian unity but also demonstrate it in our relationships with others of like precious faith. The prevailing mood of dialogue between Roman Catholics and Protestants should call forth the best efforts of evangelical scholarship. As Dr. Bromiley says elsewhere in this issue, the increasing quality of Roman Catholic publications challenges evangelical Protestants “to address themselves to the task of producing a comparable body of historical and theological writings—partly in harmony, partly in dialogue, and partly still in tension, with their Roman Catholic counterparts.”

Other popular areas of discussion during the past year have been the new morality and situation ethics. The weight of popular opinion is on the side of those who deny the necessity or authority of moral absolutes. Some more thoughtful advocates of this view still espouse a high view of morality, but others affirm a freedom that amounts to little more than total license. Although evangelicals must face the real problems raised by this teaching, it is important also that they expose its shaky biblical foundations and faulty logical superstructure.

A fifth trend in religious publication is the Church’s self-examination. Perhaps as never before, churchmen are raising questions about its nature, its mission, and its authority. There is a continuing disenchantment with the institutional church and a growing tendency to see the mission of the Church in purely social categories. But the most basic question at present is that of authority in the Church. Many Protestants have been delighted to see Roman Catholics questioning authority within their church and have acclaimed it as the beginning of a new reformation. But this is not the case. The Reformation of the 1500s was founded upon the authority of Scripture. Today’s reformation is in many instances a rebellion against all authority, including the authority of the Bible. Evangelicals are confronted with the responsibility of affirming the supreme authority of Scripture. Then on this foundation a doctrine of the Church and its mission can be built.

The world of books reflects faithfully the serious problems and errors confronting the Church. But where there are problems there are also opportunities—opportunities for proclaiming the truth of God’s Word through the effective use of the printed page, the powerful affirmation in spoken word, and the faithful witness of consistent Christian lives.

A rash of fatal accidents has afflicted the missionary aviation enterprise. Five accidents claimed seventeen lives in three months.

This series of tragedies calls attention to the question whether single-engine planes are adequate for missionary use. Thus far, missionary aviation has used them exclusively. But a special committee of the United Christian Missionary Society (Disciples), which lost three missionaries in an October crash, now recommends that the replacement be a twin-engine craft. The committee included two missionary pilots.

Cost has undoubtedly discouraged the use of multiengine planes. But many experts in missionary aviation also doubt their desirability on principle. They contend that planes with more than one engine are so much more complex in both maintenance and operation that remote and rugged areas safety may actually be reduced.

One group of evangelicals has been convinced otherwise and has for several years been struggling to build and win certification for a twin-engine plane especially suited to missionary service. The creators of Evangel 4500 may be a bit ahead of their time, but missionary aviation is bound to profit from their experience.

January, February, Et Cetera

If February has sped by faster than other months, it’s not really the fault of shorter days; there are simply fewer of them. But even months luxuriously long (remember January?) never seem to provide enough days for everything demanding attention. And with spring not far behind, those who face special demands on time—ministers, for example—may begin to feel like Henry Reed’s soldier, who sat in class mourning that japonica

Glistens like coral in all of the neighboring gardens,

And to-day we have naming of parts.

Some people respond cavalierly to fleet-footed time:

Gather ye rosebuds while ye may,

Old Time is still a-flying.

Others wonder about the value of trying at all if

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage

And then is heard no more.

Such futility follows the disintegration of a life not properly timed to itself, to others, or to God. More than 300 days remain in 1969, and each one begins the rest of life. Each of those beginnings requires a rethinking of that day’s priorities and a recognition of that day’s potential, a requirement best fulfilled in reflection. The Psalmist wrote, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not.…”

Gun Control And Crime Prevention

The President’s diligent efforts to halt the crime wave in the nation’s capital will be helped measurably if the Congress enacts strong gun-control legislation.

As soon as control of guns is mentioned, fanatics point to constitutional guarantees of the right to bear arms. Need we remind them that this right can be nullified, as was the 18th Amendment? But the choice is not limited to guns or no guns. Restrictive legislation that would keep guns—particularly hand guns, which figure so prominently in bank and store robberies and personal stickups—away from criminal elements is the better solution. There is no valid reason why the sale of hand guns should not be limited on a national basis to persons who have secured a permit and whose guns and fingerprints will be on file with law-enforcement agencies. Nor is there any reason why the use of a hand gun in the commission or attempted commission of a crime should not constitute prima facie evidence of guilt. And surely the possession of a hand gun without a permit should be punishable by a jail sentence.

The tiresome argument that gun-control laws won’t stop criminals from getting and using weapons will remain unconvincing and unprovable until gun control is tried and shown to be ineffective. The right to bear arms need not be infringed for decent citizens, and present constitutional guarantees need not be repealed.

Christian citizens have a high stake in the prevention of homicides, so many of which are caused by hand guns. They should make their opinions known to their congressmen, and thus help to counteract powerful lobbyists who oppose control of these deadly weapons.

Cashing In On Credit

As more and more people rely on credit, interest rates become increasingly a matter of ethics. To draw an absolute line separating the exorbitant from the reasonable is not possible, of course. But who can doubt that innumerable people have been robbed ragged by loan sharks? We can legitimately disagree as to what is a proper rate of interest—say between 5 and 10 per cent. Surely, however, to charge 24 to 36 per cent or more per year is to take unfair advantage of the borrower. If the risk is that high, it ought not to be assumed. Indeed, the impulse buyer whose credit status is risky should not be able to buy on time.

The Old Testament considered loans among the Israelites to be entirely within the framework of charity and neighborliness and ruled out interest charges altogether. The Israelites, however, consistently violated this command. Some Jews even gave their children as sureties. The prophets regularly indicted the money lenders for their wretched practices. Jesus approved of the principle of investment to earn a return, but issued some of his sharpest criticism against those who exploited their neighbors. We are especially concerned over those most liable to be victims—the poor and the uneducated.

Mr. Nixon And The Vatican

A persistent rumor that circulated around Washington after the advent of the new administration was that President Nixon might appoint an American ambassador to the Vatican. The rumor gained strength when it was announced that the President’s European trip would include an audience with Pope Paul VI.

We do not wish to complain about something that is imagined rather than real—unless the rumor was a trial balloon. But this country has enough problems without getting into a hassle over sending an official representative to the so-called Holy See. Increasing numbers of Roman Catholics are challenging the ecclesiastical authority claimed by the Vatican. What good reason is there for a pluralistic society to confer diplomatic dignity upon a religious organization that owns a 109-acre tract of real estate and on this minuscule basis claims political sovereignty?

Latent antipathies could lead to an overt Catholic-Protestant confrontation, as the campaign of the Rev. Ian Paisley in Northern Ireland shows only too well. To appoint an ambassador to the Vatican would badly weaken, if not jeopardize, President Nixon’s “forward together” theme.

Waging War On The Weed

We may be catching our last glimpses of beautiful Marlboro country. That specimen of masculinity who has worn a hole in his shoe walking a mile for a Camel may be able to sit down and rest permanently. Salems may be taken not only out of the country but off the tube.

If the Federal Communications Commission has its way, cigarette manufacturers are down to their last pack in radio and television advertising. In a 6-to-1 decision the FCC has proposed a ban on cigarette commercials. “We are faced,” its statement says, “with a most serious, unique danger to public health.… In the case of such a threat, the authority to act is really the duty to act.”

But the final decision is in the hands of Congress. An act forbidding the FCC and the Federal Trade Commission (which proposed a similar ban last year) to regulate cigarette advertising expires July 1, and unless Congress renews this law, both agencies will be free to carry out the ban. Congress now finds itself in a touchy situation. On the one hand are the clear facts pointing to cigarettes as a menace to public health; on the other hand is the powerful influence of cigarette producers, who spend $244 million a year on television and radio advertising.

Some opponents of the ban claim the FCC has overextended its boundaries (see news, p. 47); they see the action as an entering wedge to government control of all advertising. Yet the FCC has stated clearly that it has no intention “to proceed against any other product commercials.” Its unique action in this case is in full accord with its commission to regulate television and radio broadcasting in the public interest. This bold move is a means of dealing with a clear threat to public health.

It is an indictment of the Church that a government agency has taken the leadership in this vital issue. Strange indeed that in this matter of life and death the voice of the Church has been pitifully weak, if not silent. Churchmen often gather in smoke-filled rooms to draft resolutions protesting the useless waste of life in Viet Nam, only to ignore completely smoking’s heavy contribution to 75,000 deaths a year in the United States—more than twice the number of Americans killed to date in the entire Viet Nam conflict. Here is an opportunity for the clergy to speak out—by example and in action—on an issue directly related to human welfare. In fact, Christians should be leading the way—after all, it’s what’s up front that counts.

Evangelism In The Air

An encouraging number of American evangelicals are realizing anew the urgency of working together for evangelism. This is seen, for example, in the enthusiasm being shown toward the U. S. Congress on Evangelism, scheduled for Minneapolis September 8–14. More and more Christian people sense the great potential of corporate planning in the perennial battle to win men to the Saviour. We hope that each denomination holding a convention this year will see fit to give evangelism priority status. Adequate consideration of the topic is certainly a pressing matter.

Evangelism Under The Southern Cross

Billy Graham’s health prevented him from fully carrying out evangelistic commitments in New Zealand and Australia a year ago. Now he has returned to make good his promise to conduct mass campaigns in both countries. He and his team will hold meetings in Auckland February 27-March 2, in Dunedin March 9, and in Melbourne March 14–23.

No one can dictate how the Spirit of God should work, nor is it possible to predict the manner in which he chooses to do so. Yet the desperate need for a spiritual awakening around the world is obvious. God has done it before and can certainly do it again. And if a fire is lighted in Australia, we can pray that Graham will bring some of the same fire back to New York City’s Madison Square Garden in June.

The Therapy Of Lent

Some Christians dismiss Lent as a legalistic accretion to the Christian calendar. They feel that if something is worth doing, or doing without, then the practice should not be limited to forty days in the year.

To be sure, if one approaches Lent out of a sense of duty or obligation, the spiritual effectiveness of the exercise will be diminished. If on the other hand the Christian sees the approach of Easter as a reminder to think more seriously of his behavior, then Lent can be something more than cottage cheese and hot cross buns.

The therapy of Lent can be physical and mental as well as spiritual. Most of us eat too much and meditate too little. At the very least, Lent is a good time to begin correcting the imbalance.

Ending Campus Chaos

The dreary tale of illegal student and non-student occupation of university properties has been repeated on the campus of the University of Chicago. May we recommend that any student who engages in this pastime be expelled at once; that any non-student be arrested and sentenced to jail; that no other institution admit any student who has been expelled for such activity unless he post a $10,000 good-conduct bond guaranteeing that he won’t repeat his indiscretion. Such measures might enable academia to return to the pursuit of knowledge and encourage the use of processes created to bring about peaceful change rather than strong-arm tactics.

Liberating Women

Another “sex barrier” fell this month when Diane Crump made her debut as a jockey at Hialeah Park. Think what this means. Housewives can at last find exciting and creative fulfillment at the local track—provided they can keep their weight down. Can’t you just see our young mother quickly bundling off the kids to school so she can iron her silks in time for the first race?

Among other things, the Civil Rights Act sought to guarantee equal opportunity regardless of sex. This seems a laudable enough objective, but one that common sense tells us has its limitations. Let’s face the fact that there are jobs for which women can theoretically “qualify” but which they cannot reasonably perform as well as men—and vice versa. To pressure employers to give people work for which they by nature are ill equipped to handle only introduces confusion. Blurring God-given distinctions between male and female will ultimately add to the despair of both.

Inclusive But Exclusive

Christianity is at the same time the most inclusive and the most exclusive religion in the world. John 3:16, one of the most familiar verses in the Bible, makes it clear that it was God’s love for the world—all mankind—that motivated him to send Christ to the cross. No man is beyond the boundaries of God’s love; there is no respect of persons with him (Acts 10:34). He does not regard one man more highly than another on the basis of ethnic origin, economic status, or even moral behavior. Those who are the least likely objects of God’s affection—the publicans, the harlots, the sinners, the “lost”—Jesus came to seek and to save (Luke 19:10). We are reminded that it was “while we were yet sinners” that God demonstrated his love by sending his Son in our behalf (Rom 5:8).

The Scriptures make it clear that any man who responds in faith and obedience to the person of Christ will know the forgiveness and life God offers to all. Jesus said, “Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:37). Both Peter and Paul stated that “whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13). No one is excluded from this invitation.

On the other hand, the Christian faith is radically exclusive. The man who comes to God must come on God’s terms—he must come through Jesus Christ. The same verse that speaks of God’s love for the world limits eternal life to “whosoever believeth in him” (John 3:16). Jesus said, “No man cometh unto the Father but by me” (John 14:6). Repeatedly Jesus indicated that one’s attitude toward him determines one’s relationship to God. (e.g. John 5:30–47; 8:42–47). John states that “whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father” (1 John 2:23), and “he that hath not the Son of God hath not life” (1 John 5:12). Peter proclaimed, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

It may seem narrow and unloving to speak of the exclusiveness of Christianity. But is it unloving to warn a man who is in danger? Dare we deceive needy men by distorting the truth of God to accommodate their vanity? If we really love men we must faithfully confront them with the truth—that there is no way to God that bypasses Jesus Christ, no approach to the Father that avoids the Son. To offer any other hope is to deceive and to destroy.

The narrow way that leads to life is open to all; but it is narrow, and a man can set foot on it only through Jesus Christ.

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