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State University Ten Educators Speak Amsterdam Conference Christian the AL\/I ~r Ill State University and Religion Ten Educators Speak A Symposium Amsterdam Conference of World Council Christian Training for World Tragedy Barthianism Neo-Modernism.? Glorious Heritage Heidelberg Catechism Voices Correspondence Books Verse TWO DOLLARS VOL. XIII, NO. 11-12 A TI;AR JUNE-JULY, 1948 The CALVIN THE CALVIN FORUM Published by the Calvin Fomm Boa1·d of Publication • EDITORIAL COMMITTEE VOLUME XIII, NO. 11-12 JUNE-JULY, 1948 Editor-in-Chief.......................... CLARENCE BOUMA Associate Editors ............... HENRY SCHULTZE HENRY J. RYSKAMP WILLIAM T. RADIUS Book Editor ................................ HENRY ZYLSTRA Contents Managing Edilor............ LAMBERT J. FLOKSTRA Editorial • An Educational Symposium.................................................. 22'i CALVIN FORUM CORRESPONDENTS ARTHUR ALLEN ...................................... Australia • HARRY R. BOER.......................................... Nigeria Articles CALVIN CHAO ......................................... .Shanghai Religion and the State University................................... J. CHR. CoETZEE............................... .South Africa SAMUEL G. CRAIG .............. Presb. Church, U.S.A. ....................................... ,. ................... Richard Bardolph 228 PAUL DE KOEKKOEK ..............Edmonton, Canada Symposium by Ten Educators............................................ 231 E. c. DE KRETZER ........................................ Ceylon F. w. DEN DULK ......................................Ethiopia The World Council at Amsterdam ...... Jacob T. Hoogstra 239 CHR. DE W1T ..............................................London MARK FAKKEMA ............ Nat. Assn. Chr. Schools Trained for Tragedy...................................... George Stab 242 BURTON L. GODDARD ...........•........................Boston EDWARD HEEREMA ........O·rthodox Presb. Church JACOB T. HOOGSTRA ........Ecumenical Calvinism • HERMAN J. KREGEL .......................... Tokyo, Japan The Voice of Our Readers FRED s. LEAHY ................................ North Ireland EGBERT LUBBERS ................................ Cairo, Egypt Barthianism and Modernism ................ '................................ 246 J. MOODY MCDILL ................ Jackson, Mississippi WILLIAM v. MULLER ................................. ~ .... Brazil "Our Youth in the Atomic Age" ........................................ 247 PIETER PRINS .................................... Netherlands Unintended Slight ........................................................... , ...... 247 ARTHUR v. RAMIAH .... :................•... .South India W. STANFORD REID .................. Montreal, Canada Weal thy Shepherds ........... ... ..... ... .... ...................................... 248 WM. c. ROBINSON•... Presb. Church in the u. s. JENO SEBESTYEN .................... B_udapest, Hungary Jo'HN N. SMITH .................................. New Zealand • WILLIAM A. SWETS ...... Ref. Church in America RAY w. TEEUWISSEN •......... France and Belgium From Our Correspondents LEONARD VERDUIN ............Ann Arbor, Michigan CHARLES VINCZE ................ Hungarian Reformed A Word of Farewell... ............................................................ , 248 JOHN w. WEVERS ............................•.....Princeton Irish Calvinists ........................................................................ 248 CORNELIUS ZYLSTRA ............Christian Education The Supreme Court Decision.............................................. 249 • Address all editorial correspondence to Dr. • Clarence Bouma, Editor THE CALVIN FORUM, Book Reviews Calvin College and Seminary, Grand Rapids 6; The Heidelberg Catechism .................................................... 250 Michigan. Address all subscription and cir­ c1.ilation correspondence to: THE CALVIN The Barsabbas Family........................... ,.: ............................ 251 FORUM, Calvin College and Seminary, Grand Rapids 6, Michigan. The Status of Reason............................................................ 251 • Towards Christianity ............................................................ 253 "Religious" Fiction ................................................................ 253 THE CALVIN FORUM is published monthly, ex­ cept from June to September, when it appears Comfort in Desolation............................................................ 254 bi-monthly. Subscription price: Two Dollars per year. Verse • • Leaves . in a Setting Sun............... ,.......................... ;..... 233 Entered as second-class matter October 3, 1935, at the Post Office at Grand Rapids, • Michigan, under the Act of March 3, 1879. INDEX 255' 226 THE CALVIN FORUM * * * JUNE· JULY, 1948 Editorial E ARE not often in the fortunate position be equally clear to our readers that this Supreme of being able to offer our readers a sym­ Court opinion has greatly increased the relevancy W posium as in this issue. But here it is. of the problem. No less than ten educators express their This decision, startling to many people of Chris­ opinion, each in rather limited compass, on a brief tian convictions, has· aroused and is still arousing a dealing with one of the great problems of our Amer­ twofold, quite divergent, response. on their part. ican educational system. On the one hand, there are those who are not at all Let us tell you how it happened. Down in Greens­ surprised that the highest court of the land should boro, North Carolina, you will find the Woman's have stated the case of religion and public educa­ College of the Upiversity of that state. Recently tion thus. These Christian people have held the this institution, as many other state universities, conviction for some time that the state on the one grappled with the problem of introducing courses hand must be neutral and on the other hand can­ in religion into its curriculum. The Chancellor of the not in reality be neutral in the matter of religion University appointed a committee to consider the and education. The "solution" of the problem for desirability and advisability of introducing such these people is that by private initiative or through courses. One of the men on this committee chanced the agency of Christian groups (Church, parental to be a comparatively young teacher in the depart­ groups, associations, etc.) educational institutfons ment of History and Political Science. He is a 1944 (primary, secondary, as well as higher) ought to Ph.D. of the University of Illinois, a member of a be founded and maintained. In these institutions Christian Reformed Church in Chicago,. trained in all subjects are then to be taught upon the presur>,­ Christian primary and secondary schools and an posi tions of the Christian religion as embraced by avowed Calvinist, though not a graduate of Calvin the group. College. Another group of Christians has been ·startled by the court's pronouncement, particularly because. it In the course of the deliberations of the com­ seemed to be a deliverance partial to the atheism mittee this young man, Dr. Richard Bardolph, de­ which Mrs. McCollum embraced and which seems veloped his own attitude toward the problem of the in this way to be vindicated. This group is already place of religious courses in a state university and asserting itself in various religious assemblies and took the pains to formulate his tentative convic­ papers and will, no doubt, not let the matter rest tions on the subject in the form fo a brief which here. They are insistent that, if "neutrality/' was submitted to the committee. Dr. Bardolph then "separation of Church and State,'' "freedom for all" took the initiative to send us a copy of this brief can be interpreted to mean that atheist Mrs. Mc­ soliciting our critical opinion as a CALVIN FoRUM Collum cannot be coerced to have her youngster group. He did not intend it for publication, but the receive "religious" education, neither can they be editor induced him to submit it for that purpose coerced to accept an essentially atheist interpreta­ and that it be made the basis for a symposium by tion of things for their children from teachers who a number of Christian educators. claim to be "neutral" in the matter of religion. We The editor's suggestion was endorsed by the en­ will, no doubt, hear more from this group, which tire editorial committee and a dozen educational includes many Fundamentalists. They will not fail leaders were invited to participate in this written to raise the question what the same United Sfates symposium. Nine of these have responded and their Supreme Court meant by its one-time declaration contributions appear in this issue immediately after that "this is a Christian nation." the brief of Dr. Bardolph. We shall l!>e happy to Meanwhile the problem as to the proper attitude receive letters of agreement, disagreement, appre­ on the part of the state toward religion in public ciation, or criticism of the views here expressed. education remains a knotty issue. For those of us If the response is what we expect it will be, we will who believe in a svstem of Christian education'free probably place a number of these reader reactions from all state cont~ol, the immediate solution of, our in the next issue. In this way we may approach own educational needs is simple and clear. But we the technique and interest associated with a radio are also citizens, Christian citizens, of this great round table followed by a question hour. We invite republic with its Chri.stian traditions for the guard­ our readers to swamp us
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