The War and Unity: Being Lectures Delivered At The Local Lectures Summer Meeting Of The University Of Cambridge, 1918
Religion
The War and Unity: Being Lectures Delivered At The Local Lectures Summer Meeting Of The University Of Cambridge, 1918
Christian sociology; Christian union; Social change; World War, 1914-1918 -- Religious aspects
My vision sees it thus. A small Council of, say, five Bishops, and a
dozen other members. These dozen to be nominated, not elected, and to
consist of the leading and trusted men of each "party" with at least
two of our greatest scholars. It must be small, so that it may truly
"confer"--not drop into controversy--and meet regularly. It should issue
definite advice and suggestion, all of which would be unanimous, upon
which the whole Church could act, and act immediately. I am sure that
the amount of unanimity would be surprising, and the advice bold.
Perhaps the Archbishops and Bishops in accepting and issuing such
reports would require them to be read in every pulpit in the land, so
that the whole Communion understand what is going on, and each
congregation be spurred to do its part in its own locality.
The mere appointment of such a Council would be a notable step towards
unity and place the whole matter on, so to speak, a scientific footing.
The Church of England would then be wisely and consistently ordered to
the one end, and be thinking and acting as itself an unity; the danger
of sectional action would be reduced to a minimum, and the mutual
confidence of the sections be assured. Indeed it would be a hard blow to
the bad party licence too common hitherto amongst us. Further, the
Nonconformist communions would have a definite organ to approach on all
subjects making for friendliness, cooperation, and conference, and
sufficient certainty that the Church of England desired the peace of
Jerusalem very earnestly indeed.
(_c_) There are a number of issues on which all communions could begin
at once to work together. There is a real chance of abolishing war, and
establishing a more or less universal peace. The idea of the League of
Nations gains ground. Bishop Gore is already summoning the support and
labour of the Church to it. Here serious united effort of all Christian
bodies, of Europe and America, is obviously fitting and might be
decisive.
There are the hundred social problems confronting us. The very working
together upon these would be as valuable as the large amount of work
that so easily might be done.
Education! Word of lamentable memories. The present Bill, which all
Christian bodies have urged on, left in despair the vital question of
religious teaching until the Churches can agree upon it among
themselves. With all the lessons of the war, both to the appalling need
of such teaching, and of the necessity of bigger thinking, can they not
do it now? Here is a critical field for cooperation and
self-suppression. Only let the younger men be put to the task. The elder
will be the first to admit that long controversy and deepening
opposition have unfitted them for sincere agreement. The younger men are
fresh, and start with an eagerness to find the way out.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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