Reconstruction in theology Author:Henry Churchill King Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER II THE REASONS FOR THIS FEELING OF NEED OF RECONSTRUCTION If it be granted that the need of a reconstruction of theology is recognized, it is impo... more »rtant that the reasons for this feeling of need should be seen. I. NOT A RATIONALISTIC SPIRIT IN THE CHURCH In general it is not, it should be noted in the first place, a rationalistic spirit which calls for this reconstruction. There are, no doubt, rationalistic critics of theology; but a barren rationalism is certainly not the real motive to reconstruction felt in evangelical circles. The history of rationalism shows all too plainly that it ends in religious impoverishment and indefiniteness and in a knowledge without zeal.1 The evangelical church knows well, with Van Dyke, that "the unveiling of the Father in Christ was, and continued to be, and still is the Palladium of Christianity. All who have surrendered it, for whatever reason, have been dispersed and scattered. All who have defended it, in whatever method, have been held fast in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God."1 1 Cf. Hyde, Outlines of Social Theology, p. 63 ; Gordon, The Christ of To-day, p. 27. II. NOT THE REACTION ON THE CHURCH OF AN ANTI-RELIGIOUS AGE Nor is the motive to reconstruction to be found in the reaction on the Church of what is called the anti-religious or anti-Christian spirit of the age. Dr. Van Dyke's characterization of our age as an "age of doubt," seems to me at best misleading, and to be poorly borne out by the evidence he himself alleges. An age should be characterized by that which distinguishes it from previous ages. And it is very hard to face the large and steady gain of evangelical church membership, and still affirm that this is distinctively an age of doubt. Dr. Van Dyke's own triumphant ...« less