28 SEPTEMBER 1934, Page 36

THE CHURCH CONTROVERSY IN GERMANY

By Anders Nygren

Nothing could be more opportune than the appearance of this brief but adequate survey of the struggle in the German Protestant Church simultaneously with the installation of Reich Bishop Muller at Berlin. ProfessOr Nygren makes no secret of his sympathy with the dissident pastors, but lie deals with the controversy objectively, and since the story is brought down to the early days of September the volume (Student Christian Movement, 2s. 6d.) covers the Church conflict more adequately, in point of time at any rate, than any other existing in English. Personalities and principles are clearly distinguished, and where necessary documents are cited to illustrate a point of view—for example, the greeting sent by the German Christians Faith Movement to Dr. Muller on the occasion of his appointment as Bishop : " Now we have once more a bishop, and, what is most important, we have a fighting bishop,' a soldier bishop, one who knows how to wield the sword of the spirit, a S.A. and S.S. bishop, a bishop who possesses the complete confidence of the Fiihrer, a bishop for whom the hearts of the youth beat high, the protector of German Christians of the Faith Movement, a bishop of the Third Empire.-

Unfortunately, the translation is worse than indifferent. Many words and phrases can hardly be regarded as normal English at all. However, for example, the difficult phrase

Uberwacher der - wettonsehaulichen- Schutung" is to be rendered, it can hardly be held that " Watcher of education in the world-view" is the best equivalent possible, or means anything intelligible at all,