Religion and the WarYale University. Divinity School
Religion
Religion and the War
Yale University. Divinity School
World War, 1914-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- Religious aspects
A happy effect of the present stress is found in the growing
_rapprochement_ between the missions of a given national group,
and to a less extent between those of different nations. This is due
to the necessity for coöperation in order to make a reduced force
serve for the needs of an increasing work. In a few cases already a
desire to economize resources has led to readjustment of fields; in
others to a temporary filling of vacant places by missionaries of a
different denomination or nationality. The home constituencies are
thus being taught the beautiful lesson of the trenches as related to
true brotherhood and essential Christianity. Perhaps one of the best
discussions of this war as affecting the international and
interconfessional relationships of missions is that of Dr. J.
Schmidlin, a Roman Catholic professor of theology in the University of
Münster, found in _The Constructive Quarterly_ for December,
1915, from which we quote two sentences: "Thus that which has served
to separate missionaries who were comrades in belief and
confession--national solidarity and love of country--has also united
and reconciled children of the same country who were separated in
their belief. Surmounting all barriers of dogma and church polity, men
have learned to love and cherish one another, yes, even to recognize
that in spite of all that separates us there is much also that binds
us together."
Turning now from the effect of the war upon missions, a few paragraphs
may be devoted to considering post-bellum reconstruction in mission
lands. The Germans, even more than the Allies, are diligently studying
the many problems and possibilities of changes necessitated by the
readjustments that must surely come. The economic waste of the past
four years is almost inconceivably great; and to restore this waste
puts upon every nation an amount of production vastly greater than any
known in the past. Raw material, freedom of the seas that the
manufacturing countries may buy from every land and carry back for
sale and distribution the manufactured products, a new enlistment of
labor in countries where climate and primitive living make work
irksome and unnecessary, an uplift in desires and ideals that new
markets may be created, increasing intelligence and friendliness so
that coöperation may be willing and profitable--these are some of the
essentials of progress after the war.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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