“The story shows a confused sense of moral values, and fairly reeks with cheap sentimentality. Its style is common and its situations theatrical. Altogether it is a poorer performance than was to be expected even from the author of ‘The Christian’ and ‘The eternal city.’” W. M. Payne.
| — — | Dial. 38: 17. Ja. 1, ‘05. 180w. |
“Though the plot is horribly tragic, there are no melodramatic climaxes to detract from the dignity of the style in which it is written. There are exquisite touches of pathos in the descriptions, and in the delineation of character the author shows a keen knowledge of the various phases of human nature. It is intensely emotional, and certainly the strongest book that Hall Caine has ever written.”
| + + | Reader. 5: 499. Mr. ‘05. 450w. |
“Here, as in all his books, Mr. Caine has the power of wringing his readers’ vitals, yet not the power of convincing them that he is working out a tragedy rather than a melodrama.”
| + + — | R. of Rs. 31: 116. Ja. ‘05. 230w. |
Caird, Edward. Evolution of theology in the Greek philosophers. [*]$4.25. Macmillan.
This second course of Gifford lectures is closely allied to the first, delivered ten years earlier at the university of St. Andrew’s, which treated of the evolution of religion. This course treats of the evolution of theology in its first great period. There are lectures upon the relation of reason to religious faith; the three stages in the evolution of theology; the precursors of Plato, the two distinctive tendencies of Plato; Aristotle; post-Aristotelian philosophies; Stoicism; Neo-Platonism; Philo; and Plotinus.
“The theology of the earlier Greek philosophers seems inadequately treated. There is at times a tendency to interpretation which seems formal and doctrinaire. The book is entirely free from pedantry. Nevertheless statements occasionally occur which stand much in need of a reference to authorities. It may be questioned whether the author’s horror of mysticism does not lead him into misunderstanding and exaggeration. The advantages of a point of view steadily maintained throughout a discussion ... gives lucidity to the exposition and is a constant challenge to investigation of its adequacy.” H. N. Gardiner.
| + + — | Philos. R. 14: 204. Mr. ‘05. 3560w. |