1978 Vol. 105 Nos. 1 & 2 Double Issue Faith and Thought Journal of the Victoria Institute or Philosophical Society of Great Britain Published by THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE 130 WOOD STREET, CHEAPSlDE, LONDON EC2V 6DN Tel: 01-606-2471 Autumn 1978 ABOUT THIS JOURNAL FAITH AND THOUGHT, the continuation of the JOURNAL OF THE TRANSACTIONS OF THE VICTORIA INSTITUTE OR PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY OF GREAT BRITAIN, has been published regularly since the formation of the Society in 1865. The title was changed in 1958 (Vol. 90). FAITH AND THOUGHT is now published three times a year, price per issue £1.50 (post free) and is available from the Society's Address, 130 Wood Street, Cheapside, London, EC2V 6DN. The price of recent back issues (when available) up to the end of vol. 100 is 80p (post free). FAITH AND THOUGHT is issued free to FELLOWS, MEMBERS AND ASSOCIATES of the Victoria Institute. Applications for membership should be accompanied by a remittance which will be returned in the event of non-election. (Subscriptions are: FELLOWS, £7.00; MEMBERS, £5.00; ASSOCIATES, full-time students, below the age of 25 years, full-time or retired clergy or other Christian workers on small incomes, £1.50; LIBRARY SUBSCRIBERS, £5.00.FELLOWS must be Christians and must be nominated by a FELLOW.) Subscriptions which may be paid by covenant are accepted by Inland Revenue Authorities as ·an allowable expense against income tax for ministers of religion, teachers of RI, etc. For further details, covenant forms, etc, apply to the Society. The Constitution and Aims of the Society were last published in FAITH AND THOUGHT, vol. 98, No. 1. EDITORIAL ADDRESS 29 Almond Grove, Bar Hill, Cambridge, CB3 8DU. © Copyright by the Victoria Institute and Contributors, 1974. UK ISSN 0014-7028 FAITH 1978 AND vol. 105 THOUGHT Nos.1&2 A Journal devoted to the study of the inter-relation of the Christian Revelation and modern research AGM The Annual General Meeting of the Institute was held at Chelsea College, London, S.W.3., on Saturday', 20th. May 1978. The President, who was about to leave for an extended visit to Australia, had sent his apologies for absence and, in the absence of the Vice-Presidents, the Chairman of the Council presided at the meeting. The Minutes of the previous AGM, which had been published in FAITH & THOUGHT, Vol. 104, No. 2, were taken as read, and adopted. On the nomination of Council, the President and Vice­ Presidents were re-elected for a further term of office. Dr. R.E.D. Clark, Mr. Gordon E. Barnes, and Mr. Paul Helm, retiring members of Council, were re-elected for a further period of service. 2 Faith and Thought, 1978, vol.105(1,2) It was reported that Dr. Michael Collis had accepted cooption to the Council; but, as the Council had been unable to give the statutary notice to the AGM, his appointment would have to be ratified at next year's AGM. The Chairman paid tribute to Mr. Francis Stunt, whose death had been announced during the past year, and who had served the Institute so valuably as Treasurer. His wide guidance of the Society's financial affairs and his generous support of the Institute's work from charitable trust funds had enabled the Institute to survive a period of grave financial difficulty. No suitable successor had yet been found; but the Assistant Secretary would continue to administer the finances. The Secretary to Council presented the Annual Accounts and Auditor's Report for the year ended 30th. September 1977, which were adopted nem. aon. Members were reminded that, as the Accounts, are no longer published in the Journal, they could obtain a copy by applying to the Assistant Secretary. Messrs. Metcalfe, Blake, and Co. were re-appointed as Auditors. The Chairman of Council presented a brief report summarized below. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT The Chairman firstly drew attention to the saving in the production costs of the Journal during a period of marked inflation and expressed the Institute's gratitude to the Editor for the economies he had been able to. achieve without any reduction in the quality of the Journal. These economies had helped to reduce the excess of expenditure over income for the year to £99, a figure lower than for many years. He pointed out, however, that the income recorded in the Accounts included some donations, which would not necessarily be repeated in future years. So the Institute still had some way to go before its regular income met the costs of its present level of activities - without any future expansion. The only satisfactory solution to the problem was to recruit more members. The level of recruiting during the year under review had been disappointingly low: sixteen members had joined, but the Institute had lost fifteen by death or resignation. The Chairman again appealed, as in previous years, to members to do all they AGM 3 could to recruit friends and colleagues. The Chairman reported that Council was considering the possibility of launching an appeal to establish a fund to be used primarily to meet editorial expenses and eventually to provide a research grant to assist the academic wishing to work in an area relevant to the Institute's interests. It was envisaged that the research worker· might combine his research activities with editorship of the Journal. Members would be informed of the finalized plans, and invited to assist in publicizi~g the appeal. In recent years it had become difficult to convene a quorum for meetings of Council, because several members live far from London. Although such members could seldom attend meetings, they could still make a useful contribution to the work of Council by means of correspondence. Council would not therefore wish to lose such members or, in future, be inhibited from nominating a suitable person for membership just because his home is at a distance. It is therefore considering increasing its size in the hope that more members could attend meetings. Such a change would require an amendment to the Constitution. It may be, therefore, that the time had come to review the Constitution to see whether, in the light of changing circumstances, other amendments were desirable. For example, the AGM had become a poorly attended formality. Should it therefore take some other form? Is it still desirable that it be normally held on the Saturday immediately preceding Queen Victoria's birthday? The Chairman invited members to examine the Constitution and inform Council of their opinions. They would find the Constitution, as last amended in 1967, printed in FAITH & THOUGHT, Vol. 98, No. 1, 1970. Lastly, as on some previous occasions, the Chairman appealed for greater participation by members in the affairs of the Society. Apart from recruiting already emphasized, nominations for Council and Editorial Committee would always be appreciated by Council; and indeed any suggestions that might enhance the value of the Institute's work. Symposium The. AGM was followed by a Symposium on Sexual Ethics at which four papers were presented. 4 Faith and Thought, 1978, vol. 105(1,2) Peter E. Cousins ~.A., "BIBLICAL TEACHING" (Editorial Director - Paternoster Press) O.R. Johnston M.A., Dip.Ed., Dip.Th., "HISTORIAL DEVELOPMENTS" (Director - Nationwide Festival of Light) John Honey M.Sc., M.Ed., "SEX EDUCATION AND COUNSELLING" (Lecturer - King's College London) Gerald Hughes B.D., "PASTORAL CARE" (Director of Religious Studies - Rugby School) The first of these papers :is printed in this issue. Editorial Mr R.D. Doidge of Brookside, 219 Mottram Road, Stalybridge, Cheshire, SK15 2QX, writes "If any member living within 35 miles of my home is interested in discussions of creational and biblical interest I would welcome an opportunity for contact." News&Views WINNABLE WAR Three summers ago Kenneth Brecher, the anthropologist, appeared in Malcolm Muggeridge's BBC2 "Stop to Think" programme (14 Aug. 1976). He described how, full of Western pride, he went to live with a small isolated tribe (I think it was in Brazil) who accepted him graciously. The wonderful thing about these people, he said, is that they are completely self sufficient. Before his two year stay was ended they had utterly shattered his earlier belief that News and Views 5 Europeans are superior to natives by reason of their wonderful know-how. The natives pointed to aeroplanes in the sky and asked how they are made. In factories, Breacher said, yet it was all talk, talk, talk,: he did not know how to make one. They watched him scribbling on paper, a stuff unknown to them before,and realised that it might· prove useful. "What does one make it from?" they asked-"From wood" he replied. "Here is wood in plenty" they said, pointing to the trees, "Please make us some".But he did not even know how to start! These native people know how ,to get literally everything they need from nature: they pity the poor ignorant Westerner who has no idea how to provide for his needs. How right they are! How many of us, using raw materials of nature only, could make shoes and clothes, or the slimplest shack to live in, or find food to eat, or recognise plants of medicinal value? Remember - no cheating! Cloth, needles, nails, screws, hammers, saws and the paraphenalia of the DIY shops, do not grow on trees. With civilisation our independence withers away: our dependence on others becomes absolute. A very few in Western society have been trying to learn the art of self-sufficiency, but for the bulk of us this would be impossible, not only because of ignorance but because of lack of space.