



Produced by Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ for Project
Gutenberg








                    THE CHURCHES AND MODERN THOUGHT

                     AN INQUIRY INTO THE GROUNDS OF
                   UNBELIEF AND AN APPEAL FOR CANDOUR


                                   BY
                             PHILIP VIVIAN


                        "Men are never so likely to settle a question
                         rightly as when they discuss it freely."
                                                            --Macaulay.


                                London:
                              WATTS & CO.,
                17, JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET STREET. E.C.
                                  1911







                                   TO
                          MY WIFE AND CHILDREN







CONTENTS


Preface to First Edition

Preface to Second Edition

Preface to Third Edition


Chapter I.

THE GRAVITY OF THE PRESENT SITUATION

    Sec. 1. The Truth of the Matter
    Sec. 2. The Attitude of the Laity
    Sec. 3. Christianity and Science not Reconciled
    Sec. 4. The Genesis and Character of the New Outburst
    Sec. 5. Apologetics "Found Wanting"
    Sec. 6. More Things Which Confuse the Issue


Chapter II.

THE EXTRAORDINARY STATE OF APOLOGETICS WITH REGARD TO MIRACLES

    Sec. 1. Preliminary Remarks
        The View of Science
        Why Have Miracles Ceased?
        Belief in Miracles Essential
    Sec. 2. Miracle Apologetics
    Sec. 3. The Fundamental Miracles
        The Resurrection
        The Ascension
        The Incarnation
        Concluding Remarks


Chapter III.

THE DESTRUCTIVE CHARACTER OF MODERN BIBLE CRITICISM


    Sec. 1. Clashing Views on Bible Criticism
    Sec. 2. A Summary of the Results of Bible Criticism
    Sec. 3. By Whom the "Higher Criticism" is Accepted
    Sec. 4. Admissions by Orthodox Apologists
    Sec. 5. Some Remaining Difficulties
        We Must Accept the Whole or Reject the Whole
        Silence of Historians
        Thoughts on "Tradition" As God's Method for The Transmission
                of Truth To Posterity
        The Alleged Sinlessness of Jesus Christ
        The Ignorance of Jesus Christ


Chapter IV.

THE GRAVE SUSPICIONS AROUSED BY THE STUDY OF ANCIENT BELIEFS

    Sec. 1. The New Theological Theory of a Progressive Revelation
    Sec. 2. Parallels in Ancient Religions, and Some Remarks
            Upon Them
        Krishna and Buddha
        Parallels Other Than Krishna and Buddha
        Are the Krishna and Buddha Legends Borrowed from Christianity?
    Sec. 3. Parallels in the Beliefs of Primitive Man, And Some Remarks
            Upon Them
        The Religions of Ancient America
        Vegetation Gods
        Why Men Eat Their God
    Sec. 4. The Solar Myth
        Jonah and the Whale
        Anticipations of Christianity in Solar Myths
        The Christian Theory Ignored by Science
        The Sun As a Symbol
    Sec. 5. Concluding Remarks on Christian and Anti-Christian Theories
        Argument from Essenism
        Argument from Mithraism


Chapter V.

IRRECONCILABLE DIFFICULTIES CONNECTED WITH EVOLUTION

    Sec. 1. Preliminary Remarks
        The Doctrine of Evolution
        Darwinism
        The Average Person's Ideas on the Evolution of Man
        The Attitude of the Church
    Sec. 2. "Nature Red in Tooth and Claw"
    Sec. 3. The Bible Account of Creation Irreconcilable with Science
            in Each and Every Respect
    Sec. 4. Proofs of our Animal Origin
        The Extraordinary Affinity of Bodily Structure
        The Revelations of Embryology
        The Tale Told by the Useless Rudimentary Organs
    Sec. 5. The Overthrow of the Doctrines of the Fall and Original Sin
        The Importance of the Question
        An Instructive Criticism
        The Bishop of Worcester's Theory
        The Archdeacon of Manchester's Theory
        The Rationalist's Theory
        Conclusions


Chapter VI.

THE FAILURE OF THEISTIC ARGUMENTS

    Sec. 1. Preliminary Remarks
        Theism, and Who Are Theists
    Sec. 2. The Existence of a First Cause--An Uncaused Cause
    Sec. 3. The First Cause an Intelligence
        Design and Directivity
        Directivity
        Design
        Differences of Opinion Among Theistic Apologists
    Sec. 4. The First Cause a Beneficent Intelligence
        A Personal God
        Divine Immanence in Nature
        A Fact in History
        The Past and Present Position of the