ON NOT LEAVING IT TO THE SNAKE

Adam and Eve made their big mistake, according to Harvard theologian Cox (of Secular City fame), not in eating the apple or whatever, but in allowing the eternal serpent to decide their fate rather than in taking that responsibility upon themselves. And everyone can see to what sort of condition that has led the heirs of the unfortunate couple: wars, violence, oppression, starvation, poverty, and so forth. The lesson to be learned from all this is that man is, on a very practical level, solely responsible for his fate, and that as soon as he recognizes that fact and begins to accept that responsibility, he will begin building a future that will be worthy of him. Professor Cox pursues his lesson, his thesis, and his moral through the theological, economic, and sociological aspects of the question, discussing the place of theology in a re-ordered society, the possibility of a Marxist-Christian cooperation in building a new world, and the general lines of a society in which it will be the serpent, rather than man, who will be banished from Eden. This is a realistic look at the present, and an inspiring prognosis for the future of mankind. Cox's message, as well as his reputation, will assure a wide distribution for the book.