Strong Criticism of Mainwaring’s Book

Manawatu Times, Volume 69, Issue 211, 6 September 1944, Page 4

Strong Criticism of Mainwaring’s Book

DUNEDIN, Sept. 5. A report on Main waring’s book ‘‘Mao and His World,” prepared by members on the staff of the Theological College, Principal S. F. Hunter, Professor J. A. Allen, Dr. J. D. Salmond and Rev. H. J. Ryburn, was received by the Dunedin Presbytery to-night, and it was decided that the Presbytery was strongly of opinion that the book was written from the point of view of modern secularism and in its references to religion was often biassed and historically inaccurate. Attention was drawn to tho fact that the book, although marked by many admirable features, was open to criticism on a number of points including the following: its view of the origin and development of religion was generally unsympathetic; its treatment ot Judaism at the time of Christ was slapdash history; its account of the origins and founder of Christianity did not even approximately represent the view of any great branch of the Christian Church; and its account of Calvin, Calvinism and Puritanism was a caria caturs.