NAZI GERMANY

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 51, 2 March 1937, Page 10

NAZI GERMANY

EFFECT ON CHURCHES

BOUND CLOSER TOGETHER

DR. DICKIE'S VISIT

'The nationalistic youth movement encouraged by Herr Hitler in Germany, and the subjection of the Church to the State, have brought the Catholic and Protestant Churches closer together than at any time since the Reformation, according to the Rev. Dr. J. Dickie, of Knox College, Dunedin, who returned to New Zealand by the Awatea today after a visit to the United Statics of America, Great Britain, and the Continent. At Tubingen, in Germany, Dr. Dickie met Dr. Carl Heim, a theological writer whose works have been translated into English by Professor Dickie, of St. Andrews. Dr. Heim, said Dr. Dickie, was a fairly orthodox Lutheran and he was much concerned about the nationalist youth movement, which had no interest in religion. He was in full '-sympathy with Hitler's general policy and told Dr. Dickie that educated Germans regarded Soviet Russia as a potential danger. Christians in Germany, especially the more orthodox, were concerned about the attempt to subordinate the Church to the State, and Dr. Heim declared that the Catholics and Protestants were closer together because of Hitler's policy than they had been at any other stage since the Reformation. SOCIAL CLEAN-UP. Dr. Dickie passed through Switzerland to Italy, calling on Dr. Emil Blunner, a theological writer, whom he found full of enthusiasm and ho^e for the future of Christianity. In Italy he visited Milan, Florence, Rome, and Naples. "Mussolini has made a tremendous clean-up in social matters," he said. "In the towns that used to be full of beggars the beggars are now gone. The country appears to be behind Mussolini, but he must be afraid of something, because no one knows where he lives. There is a house called his house, but he does not live there."

Dv Dickie said that he was treated with the utmost courtesy, and consideration in all .Italian centres. He visited many churches and found the large Catholic churches filled with an unceasing flow of worshippers and sight-seers. . After visiting the two countries, said Dr. Dickie, he was satisfied that there was no more regimentation in Germany than in 1399, when he last visited the country. There was just as much evidence of militarism, however, and the young men lie saw on parade were a strong and vigorous type.

RELIGION IN AMERICA. When ■ Dr. Dickie left New Zealand last August he travelled from Auckland to San Francisco and spent a fortnight in the United States, visiting the theological colleges at Union and Princeton. He was present at the induction of Dr. McKay, a distinguished missionary of the Free Presbyterian Church, who was made president at Princeton. Dr. McKay delivered three lectures on the theological situation, and theic, Dr. Dickie said, showed the influence of Dr. Blunner. At the Union Dr. Dickie met Dr. James Moffatt, who was in New Zealand some time ago, and the president, Dr. Henry Sloane Coffin, who was his class-fellow in Edinburgh forty years ago. The Presbyterian Church was strong in the United States, Dr. Dickie said. The three leading Churches were the Methodist, Baptist, and Presbyterian and they appeared to rank in that order. The Anglican Church was not strong in the States, except socially. One striking thing about the Presbyterian churches i:i America was that the ministers all had good cars. There were no old and decrepit cars such as were seen driven by ministers in New Zealand. From America Dr. Dickie went _ to London, where he spent a fortnight -eading in the British Museum. He then went to Edinburgh to prepare and prese-t the Gunning lectures, which are to be published. He paid a short visit to Aberdeen, where he met, amongst other people, the new principal of the University and his former parishioner, Ishbel, the Marchioness of Aberdeen and Temair, who was, he said, a great worker for peace but not a-Dr Cl Dickie is leaving for Dunedin tonight. -