SUMMER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 258, 29 October 1921, Page 13

SUMMER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY.

About 50 ministers and liome missionaries oi the Presbyterian Church in the Auckland province'attended the Summer School oi Theology yesterday. At the morning session the lecturer (Rev. Hector Maclean) dealt with the subject of "The Function of Prophecy." Ho said that the word prophet had degenerated in use until it meant merely a foreteller of the future. It did not mean that in Hebrew religion. The prophet there was not interested in the future as such, but in the future only as the outcome of the present. It was the present which concerned him, and he showed his greatness by being able to pass a judgment of God upon it. To do that was a greater thing than to foretell. The moment prophecy was conccivcd by people to be a mere prediction of future events, that moment it became merely magical and lost all connection with religion and morality.

Professor R. E. Davies lectured on the Scriptural basis for the doctrine of the | Atonement, maintaining that any theory inen propose should be examined in the light of the teaching of Scripture. He proceeded to examine some of the theories that are widely held to-day, pointing out both their strength and weakness. He maintained that there is no theory that is adequate, and stressed the importance of recognising the fact of the Atonement itself. In the afternoon the Rev. D. D. Scott spoke to ministers on "The Problem of the Fourth Gospel," and the Rev. C. J. Tocker to home missionaries on "The Preparation and Delivery of Sermons." The third lecture under the auspices of the Presbyterian Summer School of Theology, on "Christian Citizenship," was delivered by the Rev. J. W. Shaw, M.A., to a large audience at St. David's Hall, on Friday evening. The Mayor, Mr. J- H. Gunson presided. Mr. Shnw said that one of the greatest problems was how to make religion 2 vital factor in community life. Granted that the Church could do something worth while in this direction, the conscience of the State, the Church must clearly and emphatically declare Christian principles. Also it should emphasise the fundamental obligation of citizenship —the vote. There could be no satisfactory Christian citizenship that did not Tegard the vote as a stewardship. The foundation of the State lay ultimately in the marriage laws. The Church should stand for character in all things, and ii Auckland they should be clearly anc definitely on the side of clean politics.