The WORLD Of RELIGION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22030, 9 February 1935, Page 7 (Supplement)

The WORLD Of RELIGION

By PHILEMON

The approaching visit of Dr. Toyohiko Kagawa to New Zealand awakens interest in the spread of Christianity in his native country, and a striking article in the Missionary Review of the hy the. Rev. Dr. Axling, give some information. With Dr. Kagawa as its leading spirit, a " Kingdom of God* 1 movement was begun in 1930, with the aim of bringing the claims of Christ before the Japanese people. It was to be prosecuted for three years, but in 1933 it was decided to continue it for another two years. Over a million of peoplo have attended the meetings held, of whom 750,000 were non-Chris-tians. Of these thirty thousand publicly enrolled themselves as inquirers, seeking instruction in the Christian way of life, without pledging themselves to the new Faith. Six and a-half million copies of the " Kingdom of God" weekly newspaper have been circulated throughout the country, and 50,000 copies of the New Testament sold. Many other Christian publications have been freely circulated. . Under the enormous industrial development going cn in modern Japan there, has been a rush of population to the cities and teu million people now live and work iu these centres. Wellplanned efforts are on foot to reach this masa of population. Forty-four per cent of the people still live in rural areas, and an attempt is in progress to capture the 11,000 villages by sending into them village lay readers, both male and female, specially trained in Peasant Gospel Schools. A hundred of such school have been attended by some 2000 young men and women, who have returned to tho villages to establish Christian work. Special attention has been given also to the student world, and at various educational institutions 00,000 students have been addressed by selected speakers. The past five years have been a time of unprecedented unrest in Japanese life, and, says Dr. Axling, the " Kingdom of God" movement has, apart from direct gains secured to Christianity, steadied the young Christian Churclp, kept her evangelistic spirit keenly alive, maintained her morale at a high level, and prepared her to seize every opportunity which the future may hold. Successor to Dean Inge Dean Matthews is getting into his stride as successor to Dr. Inge at St. Paul's, and " Eutyclius," writing in Truth, London, gives an unconventional description of the man and his message. He speaks of the Dean's "protestaut" head and of the " curiously perpendicular profile" as he sits in his stall. The lips are full, " as of youth not yet worn down," the chin is determined but not obstinate. In the pulpit there is a sturdy independence and a quiet selfconfidence. He is " a manly man in a man's church.*' The voice is deliberate and "dry to begin with." There is no thought of making a personal impression. The preacher in his freedom holds his stole with each hand and talks familiarly. His theme is Love. His text: " Owe no man anything but to love one another." Love is the universal obligation, the debt always in process of payment, hut never discharged. In the form of goodwill it is due to all men and must overpass every barrier of colour or nationality. It is the spirit in which alone the problem of Peace can find solution. And in all the difficult contacts between men as individuals love must always determine human actions. " The hand is raised, two fingers pointing. Shall the perfect goal of love be reached?" cries the preacher. " Never here, but yonder, where those who have loved move nearer to the God of love." A modest sermon, sums up Eutychup, given over to a stupendous principle, by " a man strong enough to he quiet." . , Religion In United States

Some figures issued by the Association of American Religious Statistics seem to indicate hopeful .progress in the United States. The association which in noted for its exhaustive research and

careful analysis presents an annual re" port which is eagerly anticipated. Thq, report for 1933 is just issued. It shows that in that year there were over 60,800,000 church members, in the States, being an increase of 065,000 aver 1932, and that there had been a continuous increase during the past four years, A department of Columbia University, New York, has published a list of the best-selling hooks during the past, sixty years. It, states that "Books of religious undertone outsell all others of a serious strain." The first-seller, over the period, was "In His Steps," by Charles Sheldon* of which eight million copies were sold between 1898, when it; was first published, and 1933. During the same period fourteen and a-haU million copies of the English Bible were sold by the American Bible Society and twenty-two million New Tcstameuts. It looks as though, with a little less selfcriticism and a little more zeal and adventure the Church might achieve a large success. Baptist Enterprise

There is evidently no lack of enter--prise in the New Zealand Baptist Church. "We have so great a work to do that we must start in on it quickly, losing no time at all,'* says the editor of the New Zealand Baptist.' Thy Church is falling into line witn the keeping of a Baptist World Alliance the date being in Christchurch, Febrtw ary 23, and in Dunedhi, March 2. The Auckland date seems net yet fixed. It is the Jubilee of New Zealand Baptist Missions, and the Church proposes to raise £6OOO for work in India. An. open eye is to be kept for opportunities of extension in the Dominion, and churches which have hitherto received financial aid are asked to forego this in whole or in part to enable new causes to be begun. A Dominion-wide effort is being made to increase the Sunday School rolls from 8200 to 10,000, between March and May. The editor of the Jsew Zealand Baptist starts the year off with an article on " Religion and You," full of hope and appeal, in which he says: " Men who are religious can never really be pessimists. Men who are not, can never be anything else." The following moving incident, regarding William Booth, taken from Mr. St. Jonn Ervine's " God's Soldier," is worth preserving. The old General lay dying, blind, but indomitable, and Colonel Smith came to gee him. " Can I do anything to comfort you?" asked the Colonel of the frail old man."Yes," said the dying soldier of the Kingdom, evidently recalling in his last weakness the triumphs of bygone days, " Take me to a meeting • • , and . . • and let me hear again . . . dear old Lawley say; ' General, « i • hero . . . comes , .• . another one' for God.' " The Methodist Conference

The annual conference of the New Zealand Methodist Church is to assemble in Dunedin on February 21, when, at the opening session, the new president, the Rev, J, H. Haslam, of Hamilton, will deliver his inaugural address. Mr. Haslam has a wide reputation as a scholar and a thinker, and is keenly interested in the movements of present-day thought and social endeavour. It is anticipated that he will give an important lead to his church and follow it by an influential year of office.

The " Old Shepherd of the Cotswold Hills," who took part in the Empire Christmas Broadcast, was Mr. Walter Walton Handy, brother of Mr. J, Handy, of Papakura, and uncle of the Bev. F. J, Handy, of Balclutha. He is a local preacher of the _ Methodist Church of many years standing, The life of 3p|, Harold Williams, the. distinguished, correspondent of the Times, which' has been written by to widow, a Russian lady of culture, wul be shortly published in England. Dr. Williams is a son of the Rev. W. JWilliams, of Mt. Albert, and the atory of his life is eagerly awaited by a. large circle of friends in the dominion.