Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 105:419 (Jul 1948)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

The Spirit of Chinese Culture. By Francis C. M. Wei. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. 186 pp. $2.75.

The author as President and Professor of Philosophy at the Hua Chung University in Wuchang is well qualified both by race and education to discuss Chinese philosophy in relation to Christianity. He has lectured in this country at Oberlin Graduate School of Theology, at Union Theological Seminary, New York, and at Yale Graduate School.

The author begins with a treatment of Christianity and Chinese culture, presenting it as a problem of relation. After tracing Confucianism in its historical and philosophical contribution, Buddhism and Taoism, he closes the book with a plea for interpretation of Christianity in terms of Chinese culture.

Much valuable information is given in this volume. Without question too little attention has been paid to the culture and philosophy of China. Of particular interest is the tracing of the history of Christianity from its beginnings in China. His treatment of Chinese religions and philosophies is excellent on the whole and worth the price of the book.

In his major thesis, however, the review finds the author to have signally failed. His definition of Christianity as principally a moral and ethical movement and his interpretation of the death of Christ as a moral example only, are a fatal defect in his solution to the problem. While all will agree that Christianity must be presented in the most attractive way to China, this cannot be done at the expense of its principal doctrines. While his suggested doctrinal presentation of Christianity to China will perhaps offend the Chinese less, it does so at the expense of the cardinal doctrines of the faith. There can be no amalgamation of the best in Chinese religion and philosophy with Christianity. When Christianity ceases to be distinctive and absolute in its claims, it ceases to be Christianity.

John F. Walvoord

On the Meaning of Christ. By John Knox. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York. 117 pp. $2.50.

The author of The Man Jesus Christ and Christ the Lord presents this volume as a fresh approach to the significance of Christ for the Christian faith. The book, written by the Baldwin Professor of Sacred Literature at Union Theological Seminary, New York, consists of the William Belden Noble Lectures delivered at Harvard University in 1947.

The author is definitely of the liberal school of theology. While he accepts the death and resurrection of Christ and affirms that the creeds of the church adopted at Nicaea and Chaldedon were satisfactory for the great majority of the...

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