These pages have been written in the firm belief that the Christian church has its great work still before it, and that it only needs to free itself from its entanglements and gird itself for its testimony to become the light of the world. Something of what it needs to do to make ready for this great future, this little book tries to show.

Through all this study the thought has constantly returned to the young men and women to whom the future of the church is committed; and while the book is most likely first to fall into the hands of their pastors and teachers, the author hopes that ways will be found of conveying its message to those by whom, in the end, its truth will be made effective.

W. G.

First Congregational Church,
Columbus, Ohio, December 17, 1907.

Contents

  1. [The Roots of Religion]
  2. [Our Religion and Other Religions]
  3. [The Social Side of Religion]
  4. [The Business of the Church]
  5. [Is the Church Decadent?]
  6. [The Coming Reformation]
  7. [Social Redemption]
  8. [The New Evangelism]
  9. [The New Leadership]

The Church and Modern Life

I

The Roots of Religion

The church with which we are to deal in the pages which follow is the Christian church in the United States, comprising the entire body of Christian disciples who are organized into religious societies, and are engaged in Christian work and worship.