Article February 18, 1922 Issue

Signs of the Times

with contributions from W. R. Matthews, Clarence H. Hamilton, Charles F. Dole

[Rev. W. R. Matthews, Dean of King's College, London, in the Guardian, as quoted by Public Opinion, London]

It used to be the fashion to enlarge on the joyous and free nature of Greek religion, its delight in beauty, and we were frequently edifited by comparisons between the joy of life of the old paganism and the gloom of Christianity. "Thou hast conquered, O pale Galilean, and the world has grown grey with thy breath." We now know that this constrast is based on a complete mistake. It is difficult to see how any one who had read the Greek drama or considered the idea of fate could have thought for a moment that this Hellenic religion was one of joy. And new facts have come to light which show that the real religion of the people, the living faith, was gloomy and pessimistic. It consisted in doing irrational and often disgusting things in order to propitiate irrational deities. So far from it being true to say that Christianity killed joy, it would be nearer the fact to say that men never really laughed whole-heartedly, carelessly, never really developed a sense of humor as distinct from a wry smile or a biting satire, until they became Christians.

Arguments and appeals of Christian men in the first and second century are not antiquarian lore; they are fresh and living to-day. The moral situation is not vastly different. There is great enlightenment but little power, high ideals but little moral energy, much moral philosophy but not much moral enthusiasm. And in the church itself the two attributes of power and a sound mind are tending to fall apart. Extreme liberal theologians seem to reduce Christianity to a system of morals; while on the other hand, much popular religion which has power over the multitude is little better than a return to magic and unreason. We need to keep before ourselves the News Testament synthesis—power and a sound mind.

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