Current Literature
THIS BELIEVING WORLD. By Lewis Browne: "(Berm. 7s. ad.)-Mr.. Browne is obviously writing for that vast semi-educated public which wants its thinking done for it; They want to be " told," and Mr. Brovine tells them very .sappily, and on the whole fairly, " what happened " in the religious movements of Arabia, China, Persia, India, &c. There is a picture map of_India, with a circle near the Punjab labelled " This is where the Vedas were written," and another one in the Gangetic basin labelled " The Cradle of Buddhism," and a picture of Buddha- sitting hunched up rather uncom- fortably under-a banyan tree.- All this is very well in its way. and drastic simplification is necessary in a conspectus of this kind. But is it helpful to. say that Hinduism " among the low class folk has remained revoltingly primitive," while 'among the, high-class philosophers it has advanced" until certain of teachings are almost beyond comprehension " ? Neither statement is accurate, Ilowever,-the book is readable in spite of its shortcomings, and it attempts to be just to veryone all round ; no doubt a little comparative theology is better than none at all.
Previous page
