Main Points

The claim has been made that the Bible is in every part the infallible word of God; that these words are His words as truly as though He had spoken them with his own mouth or written them with His own hand; that His having dictated them to inspired men is what gives them their authority. This view is untenable, as any one can see who reads the Bible without evading the facts. -from "Chapter IV: The Authority of the Bible" Lucid, reasonable, and humane, this is an interpretation of modern Christian theology-by a renowned thinker on religion-that is compassionate, sensible, and insightful. Eschewing absolutes and recognizing the need for thoughtful scrutiny and the allowance for human imperfection, this 1906 deconstruction of Christian belief, though a century old, remains highly readable, a source for believers and the doubtful alike to turn to for a new understanding of the faith that continues to drive our society today. OF INTEREST TO: Christian scholars, readers of religious philosophy, seekers after wisdom American clergyman and educator Charles Reynolds Brown (1862-1950) was Dean of the Yale Divinity School from 1911 to 1928. He also wrote The Social Message of the Modern Pulpit (1906), The Strange Ways of God (1908), and The Modern Man's Religion (1911).