CHRISTIANITY IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22284, 9 June 1934, Page 4

CHRISTIANITY IN THEORY AND PRACTICE

'* A Now Orthodoxy of Jesus and Personality." By Dr A. T. Cadoux. London: Ivor Nicholson. (7s 6d net.) "He Died Again." By Andrew Buchanan. London: Barker, (lis net.) "I Was a Pagan." By V. C. .Kitchen. London: Hodder and Stpughton. (7s 6d net.) Faith of a Heretic Dr Cadoux says that he had intended to give this title to his "New Orthodoxy ot" Jesus aud Personality." It might have been wiser to have done so, because the present title is somewhat cumbrous and may cause some people to turn aside from the book. That would be a pity, indeed. To have a faith as positive as that of a fundamentalist, along with a mind open aud free toward all that science or Biblical criticism may have to say, is, in his opinion, quite possible. Right at.the beginning Dr Cadoux says that lie believed in God only tentatively and by proxy until he saw three things:— 1. The faith in God and His goodness was but the open statement of a faith implied in all our personal activity. 2. That the achieved goodness of Jesus empowers this faith to stand in the open as our conscious and permanent possession; and •'. ' " . 3. That it.hot only does this, but persuades us of such goodness in God that the faith that Was implied in our highest occasions becomes the effective truth of life. ■:-..'..' From this it will be seen that there Is no attempt to defend nor to amend ,the. existing definitions of Christian thought. Rather is Christian philosophy presented from a new angle. On some points the expression of views is not much, if .at all, different from the accepted phraseology of the most conservative. On others—the death of Christ, as a sacrifice, for example—his form of statement will cause some protest; But let it always be remembered that the modern world is issuing a challenge for a reasonable explanation of accepted Christian belief and that challenge is worth accepting. On one thing Dr Cadoux will help an earnest soul who feels the need of meeting the demands of his opponents. He will help him to see the impact of anti-Christian thought, and that will help him to meet it. To Secure Peac« Mr Andrew Buchanan has Issued a direct challenge to the Christian Church in his book, "He Died Again." The war to abolish war has proyed as futile as futility can ever.be. Statesmen are not alone to blame for the fact that promises to abolish' war have, not been fulfilled. The bltote, he says, is to be laid upon our lack of real Christianity. Can Christianity in any circumstances justify killing? Is there a reHgious excuse for murder? Get down to fundamentals, says Mr Buchanan; clear away the hypocrisy with which we drug our , consciences; realise that patriotism may involve race suicide. The Unknown Soldier who visits people hoping that he can prevent another war as useless as that in which he was killed leaves us in no doubt of the change of heart which we need. The book is written from the depths of a man's heart. Not many who read it will be quite unmoved. Some will rave against it; some will rave against the folly of men who seem heedless of the trend of thought. There are "poignant passages in the book and word pictures that haunt the. mind, and bring tears to the eyes. ',..'. , The Group Movement Again Mr Kitchen, who writes "I. Was a Pagan," was a New York advertising agent, who for 40. years had chased what, he calls his five "P's"—pleasure, possessions, power, and applause. There,came a moment when he realised that these were not satisfying his deepest instincts and tried other ways without success. Then he met the Oxford Group and through its means learned to have a new consciousness of God and of himself and his place in life. The readjustments which he had to make wer« many and they took more than a little while. For the guidance of other pagans this particular pagan,' turned Christian, has written this book that all who read may know what has happened to him and exactly how it happened. In some respects this is the best of the Group books, we have read. Mr Kitchen's "sharing" ia done ip no niggardly spirit. He is a most interesting character whom no one will regret meeting. There are some : points with which the alert reader will disagree—vigorously. But-sentences like, this: "In life generally He taught me that, while it is easy to be honest in money matters and easy not to lie, it was not gp easy to refrain from witnessing beyond my experience . . . and to keep my guidance uncoloured. by personal desireg or opinions," or. this: "If 'this book fails to bring you or some other reader-.to talk to me in ■'. person—or to some other Group member, minister, or evangelist, who can show you the way to relate your 'sins to the remedy in Christ's atonement, and who can.thus lead you into a personal experience of the still living Christ, this book i% distinctly noncreative. It has failed to further the business of real life." Sentences, like, these should brfing a glow of pleasure and make up for others which cannot 'be termed edifying. The book is well worth bringing to the notice of readers interested in matters of spiritual religion. , G. H. J.