5 DECEMBER 1947, Page 15

CHRISTIANITY IN WORLD AFFAIRS

Sm,—I have read with sympathy and interest the letter of the Reverend W. G. Hargrave Thomas dealing with the need for a world conference of Christians. Another gathering of a somewhat similar kind, though not necessarily at first on a more than national scale, is, I feel, desirable. It should take much the same form as the Conference on Christian Politics, Economics and Citizenship, which was held at Birmingham not many years after the first world.war. It was, as many will remember, an inter- deneminational conference, and its aim was to discover how the principles of Christianity could better be applied to politics, economics, international relations, the use of leisure, etc. The conference published some very valuable reports, and the study circles held in connection with it pro- moted much valuable thought and happy and inspiring fellowship. The one great mistake, which deprived the conference of much of the perma- nent value it might otherwise have possessed, was that of allowing it to take the form of an isolated effort instead of the first of a series of gather- ings, held at intervals of a few years, in which progress could be reported and difficulties considered in the light of experience. With the world in its present chaotic state, with economic problems of the gravest kind, it is surely desirable that Christian people, in a spirit of repentance, humility and faith, should once more endeavour to seek help, not only from mutual counsel, but from a Power higher than themselves.—Yours very truly, Crowholt, Woburn, Bletchley, Bucks. BEDFORD.