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Mid-June 1930 CHRISTIA tTY TODAY ........ ::::::::~::::::::::::::::::::::~\~~:~::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::~....... ~ A PRESBYTERIAN JOURNAL DEVOTED TO STATING, DEFENDING III AND FURTHERING THE GOSPEL IN THE MODERN WORLD III SAMUEL G. CRAIG, Editor H. McALLISTER GRIFFITHS, Man.ging Editor Published monthly by THE PRESBYTERIAN AND MID-JUNE, 1930 $1.00 A YEAR REFORMED PUBLISHING CO., 501 Withenpoon Bldg., Phil •. , Pa. Vol. 1 No.2 EVERYWHERE • What IS Christianity? T may seem strange that in this year CHRIST-and, as though nothing was too professedly Christian schools of learning I of our Lord, 1930, men should be dis­ extreme to lack advocates, of a Christian­ essentially the same answer would be cussing the question, What is Christian­ ity without GoD. Moreover Christian given to this question. Such is not the ity? But whether it be strange or not, Science and New Thought and Theos­ case. The situation is rendered even the question is being everywhere debated ophy and Russellism and Mormonism and more serious by reason of the amazing and the most divergent answers given, Spiritualism-and what not ?-either call ignorance that exists among the rank and and passionateiy defended, even by those themselves Christianity or claim to in­ file of the Church. In no respect has the calling themselves Christians. Nothing clude its essential values. Surely if modern Church failed more signally than in fact is doing more to render matters everything that is called Christianity to­ in the exercise of its teaching function. "confused and confusing" in the sphere day is rightly so-called it must be con­ As a result there are multitudes in the of religious discussion at the present time fessed that the word, "Christianity," is a pews unable to discriminate between true than the fact that those who are carrying meaningless word, a word into which we Christianity and Christianity falsely so­ on the discussion have radically different can pour whatever content may suit our called. Do we need to look further to notions of what Christianity is. When converuence. account for the fact that so many mem­ the doctors disagree-men of equal abil­ The seriousness of the situation is bers of Christian churches fall easy vic­ ity and sincerity it may be-what is the greatly enhanced by the fact that diver­ tims to every popular expounder of a new plain man to do? Many will agree when gent answers to our question are being Ism, provided it is labeled with the Chris­ a "modern scholar says: "I can imagine a given within as well as without the tian name? The saddest phase of the man exclaiming, in no flippant spirit, that churches. It would be natural to expect matter is that multitudes are embracing it is more difficult to discover what Chris­ that in the pulpits of professedly Chris­ systems of thought and life that lack tianity is than to believe it when it is dis­ tian churches and in the class-rooms of everything distinctive of genuine Chris­ covered." tianity, that in fact are positively hostile to Some define Christianity as "the reli­ all that is distinctive of such Christianity, gion of JESUS," meaning the religion that IN THIS ISSUE: while cherishing the delusion that they JESUS Himself taught and practiced, and are Christianity's purest confessors and The Study and DeFense of the Bible in exemplars and as such its heirs and bene­ so look upon JESUS as little more than the Westminster Seminary............. 5 first Christian. Others think it little short R. Dick Wilson ficiaries. of blasphemy to speak of JESUS as a The Concentrated Life...... 6 Weare not indeed to suppose that our Christian at all, as such a mode of speech H. H. MacOuilkin age is the only age that has debated this erases the distinction between the Saviour IF One Resorts to Ordinary Logic. • . • 9 question. In the nature of the case it Gertrude Smith and the saved, between the Lord and His takes precedence of all others whenever Books of Religious SigniAcance: followers; and so define Christianity What is He"? . • . • . .. 11 Christianity becomes a subject of discus­ rather as the religion that has JESUS as Humanism •....•.•.•.•.......... 12 sion. Such questions as, Is Christianity its object. Some identify Christianity Voices From Many Quarters (Second true? What is the value of Christianity? with loyalty to a cause or ideal, some with Series) .•.•....•.............. 14 What are its claims on our belief and ac­ altruism, some with CHRIsT-like moral­ General Assemblies: ceptance? are meaningless until we know ity, some with man's religious and ethical Pres. Church U. S. A ..•..........• 17 what Christianity is. Christianity may Pres. Church in Canada. .. 22 life at its highest. We hear of a Chris­ Pres. Church in U. S.. _............ 23 or may not be true; how can we judge tianity without miracles, without doc­ United Pres. Church. .• 23 until we know what it is? It may be trines, even of a Christianity without An Important Appeal. • • • . • . • .. 24 worthless or beyond price; how can we 2 CHRISTIANITY TODAY June, 1930 appraise its nlue until we know the thing meanest, least developed specimen of a rational question, \Vhat is true? or with that is to be appraised? It mayor may man that exists. Otherwise there would the ethical question, 'What is moral? or not be entitled to our belief and accept­ be something in our definition that all with the practical question, What is valu­ ance; how can we decide until we know men do not possess. Surely when we able? \Vhen men argue that certain doc­ \vhat sort of thing it is? \\-henever ask, \\'hat is a man? we want to know trines are not truly Christian because Christianity has been discussed, there­ what constitutes a normal representative they are irrational or immoral or worth­ fore, this question has been central. This man. .-\nd surely when we ask, \"hat is less, they are forgetting that history and was the question at issue in the first cen­ Christianity? what we want to know is history alone can decide what doctrines tury between P ACL and the J udaizers, in not what is the most attenuated. content­ are truly Christian. Christianity may be the fifth century between ACGCSTIKE and less form of thought that can possibly be as false as some suppose, as worthless as PELAGICS, in the sixteenth century be­ called Christianity but what constitutes others suppose, as harmful as still others tween the Reformers and the Romanists, typical, representative Christianity. Vo/e suppose; but what has that to do with in the eighteenth century between the may learn much by questioning those who the question as to what manner of thing Evangelicals and the Deists. There is call themselves Christians, but we need it is? \Ne have no more right to ap­ this significant difference, however, in only remind ourselves of that diversity proach the question, \Vhat is Christian­ the situation in the twentieth century as of belief that exists among professed ity? with the assumption that it is the compared with previous centuries, at Christians to perceive how impossible it rational, moral and ideal religion than we least if we except the conflict between is by such a method alone to obtain any­ have to approach the question, What is Christianity and heathenism in the first thing like a satisfactory answer to our :'10hammedanism? with the same as­ three centuries. In . previous centuries question. sumption. vVe mayor may not agree the issue was, for the most part at least, In seeking an answer to our question, with those who think that the time has between more or less perfect and more it is of first importance that we realize come to abandon the religion founded by or less imperfect answers to our ques­ that it is an historical question, and that JESCS CHRIST and practiced ever since tion. Today, however, the issue is be­ history and history alone can supply us by His disciples, and substitute some­ tween answers that involve the very right with the right answer. Our question does thing better for it, but at any rate we of Christianity, as it has all but univer­ not differ in kind from the question, can discover what is truly Christian, what sally been understood, to exist. \"hat is Darwinism? In answering the is legitimately called Christianity, only by It is often assumed, especially by popu­ question, \Vhat is Darwinism? much help an appeal to history, more particularly to lar writers and the less responsible advo­ may be obtained from the writings of that period of history that is recorded in cates of Church union, that we can ob­ DARWIK'S disciples, but unless there is the New Testament. This is not to say tain a sufficiently exact answer to our constant reference to the writings of DAR­ that nothing is to be learned from the question by ascertaining what is held in \\,IK himself we may find at the end of the later historical manifestations of Chris­ common by those professing and calling day that we have substituted what is tianity. ATHANASICS and A.UGUSTIKE themseh'es Christians, what is held in merely called Darwinism for what is and ANSELM and LCTHER and CALVIN, common being regarded as essential and really Darwinism. And so in answering not to mention others, have not labored what is held in distinction being regarded the question, What is Christianity? unless in vain. But it is to say that everything as non-essential. Suppose, however, that there is constant reference to the :'( ew that is essential to Christianity must be among those who profess and call them­ Testament, in which alone the beliefs able to present New Testament creden­ selves Christians there are some who are which are specifically Christian are tials.
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