A Kind of Religion
Rev. Simon Phipps, N. P. Birley, Richard Williams
Raven Among the Weeds John Bayley War in the Yemen George Martelli
Enemies of Advertising John Basing, Tom Waddicor, T. A. Layton, S. R. Green. L. E. Ball, Ian Rodger Malaysia George Edinger
Watt's Watt • M. J. R. Healy American Influences H. T. Bennett A KIND OF RELIGION SIR,—Many of us, like Colin MacInnes, are 'dis- satisfied with churches, dissatisfied with rationalism, and, of course, with ourselves.' But we are in no way dissatisfied with Christian faith. So, like him, we are in a similar condition of hopeful perplexity.' (An excellent description of that creative doubt which is a truly Christian characteristic.) This mixture of dissatisfaction and faith, -resulting in 'hopeful pr,-- –:ty,' leads us to think, like him, that 'human progress consists not in "revivals" but in fresh, perilous creations.'
The best work being done by the churches is where, in various parts of the world, they are being drawn into 'fresh, perilous creations.' This is hap- pening wherever they are approaching the world not from outside with 'the answers,' but from within in search of the real questions. It is our task humbly to discover the nature of the secular situation and its central issaes from within, and then painstakingly to relate the insights of Christian thinking to the situation so discovered. Where this goes on, people 'in a similar condition of hopeful perplexity' in industry, education, politics, social work, tech- nology begin in a new way to consider the possible relevance of the Christian view of things. With secular experience and Christian insight thinking things out together in this way, there is the possi- bility that 'something quite else may be coming made of both, and seeming, when it comes, like neither.'
The instinctive rejection of much organised re- ligion by the widespread religious instinct which Mr. Maclnnes rightly recognises, is one of the most hopeful signs for true religion today. It provides not only the Church but the world with one of its great opportunities, if only the' two will get together to grasp it.
*
Previous page
