Revolution in Understanding Between Christians

by STANLEY B. JAMES
UNOBSERVED. the wireless is UNOBSERVED.
a silent revolution in the relation of Catholics to tellgious communities and movements outside their own. There was a time. not very long ago. when Catholics in this country formed what might be almost called a ghetto cut off, as respects political, cultural and social interests from the national life. That condition has passed but there still remains a self-imposed attitude of aloofness from the religious concerns of our non-Catholic fellow-citizens. Whether this was wise and neces
sary I will not debate. Mv point is that the maintenance of that attitude has become practically difficult. And the reason lies in the fact that most households possess a wireless set.
Since that was the case, the rule which forbids Catholics to join ethers in worshtp has become largely Ineffective—ineffective. I mean, so far as such association would inform us as to what our fellowChristians believed, what they were thinking and what they were doing.
Because it is so easy to listen-in to Protestant services, hymn-singing and discussion of spiritual and 'floral problems, it has become impossible to continue living in a religious water-tight compel, tmetn.
Mere curiosity is sufficient to overcome any initial lack of inter
est. Besides, the pronouncements and discussions broadcast are not only informative as to the viewpoint of others but are valuable for their own sake as presenting the conclusions of thoughtful men and .women on problems with which all intelligent persons are concerned. So far as they go. the sermons, addresses and hymns rarely contain anything offensive to the Catholic conscience; it is what they omit which distinguishes them from the utterances of our own spokesmen and hymn-writers.
We may even welcome a certain freshness of statement in the expression of truths with which we are familiar. But what is most to be remarked, I think. is the earnestness and sincerity with which, without authoritative guidance, nonCatholic Christians are trying to adjust themselves to the conditions of the 20th century. 1 hey are doing some hard thinking and they are dropping the plumb line to depths previously left by them unexplored. Continental Protestant thinkers have sounded notes profounder, more philosophical than anything known to 19th-century Protestantism.
The inclination to sympathise with the devotional and intellec tual tendencies thus introduced to
us will be strengthened by the fact that the whole Christian world to day is facing a common danger.
Under these circumstances, controversy shows less acerbity. The
emphasis falls on that which we hold in common rather than on that which separates us. in what is said
regarding racialism, secularism, materialism we can heartily agree
with the speakers and arc glad to accept the alliance which their pronouncements implicitly offer.
A Change of Outlook And, remember, that the presentation of these views is going on all the time within our homes. Nor is it only the broadcasts of the B.B.C. which present them. Responding to a marked reaction against the religious apathy of the past. the popular press is giving larger space to the expression of Christian truth and to the discussion of spiritual problems. There is a constant output of books reflecting a genuine Christian spirit and these are reviewed sympathetically in daily and weekly papers. The question of education is being tackled with a serious concern on the part of many as to how youth ie to be morally and spiritually equipped to live in the modern world. It is ill no hole and corner that the views put forward are expressed but. as it
were, in the market place."
From tbrNe considerations, two problems emerge: What is going to he the effect on the Catholic listener and reader? And, whar shall we do about it?
It is difficult to answer the first question. I think it might he argued that the result should be the production of a more intelligent, robust and
informed Catholicism. The saying. " How little he knows of England who only England knows." can be applied to the Church, Knowledge, of the outside, Christian world, should enable us to understand better and love more the Church of which. by the grace of Clod, we are members.
It must be admitted that, from the standpoint of spiritual and intellectual progress, the water-tight compartment has disadvantages. We may be all the stronger for these impacts of outside influences, and challenges to our traditions.
The Weaker Plant
But, we cannot conceal from oursches that not all •are prepared to profit in this way. The weakling plant has to be shielded from rough winds. Many plants can survive the winter only by being kept in the hothouse. But it is the point of my argument that the glass-panes of the hot house have be= broken beyond repair and that there are leaks in the water-tight compartment which, under present conditions, we cannot mend.
That brings us to our second question—what is to be done? The practical answer lies with our teachers and preachers. It is they who must fit us to live in this new world that is growing up about us. If they show complete ignorance of. and indifference to, the religious, moral and cultural movements of the time, if their utterances are in no way affected by what the listener to broadcasts and reader of popular prints is told, then it will go hard with " the weaker brethren." It is for this awareness for which T plead, sensitivenese to the signs of the times, not that they may compromise the Truth hut that they may more effectively defend it.
One thing at least is certain: The conditions. as regards knowledge of non-Catholic tendencies and activi, ties, under which we are living today, owing to the 'agencies I have mentioned, are totally different from those of the generation whose Wisdom it was to ignore all that lay beyond the ecclesiastical frontier. A candid recognition of thc " silent revolution " is the first step to be taken.
St. Paul's. Cathedral Books, No. I. (Lund Humphries, 3s. 6d.) a splendid account of St. Paul's with 28 first-class pictures of Wren's great masterpiece. A promising opening to a series with immense possibilities.