GOD IN HISTORY

For a generation Sherwood Eddy has been a recognized leader in Christian thought and action, not only in this country but all over the world. Eddy is best known for his forthright and courageous attempt to apply Christian principles to current problems. After World War I he was aflame with his devotion to pacifism, a position from which he retreated somewhat in the face of the issues raised by World War II. He has been a crusader for race relations, and an advocate of a more equitable economic system. While still devoted to such practical issues, in this volume Sherwood Eddy, like many of his contemporaries, turns to the realm of philosophy and theology in the attempt to discover sure foundations for the better world he would see us build. This volume might be called a ""Christian Philosophy of History"". Starting with the civilization of the Suerians, the author takes us through the history of the Hebrews, the Greek and the Romans, and then on to deal with St. Augustine, Hegel, and Marx and their contribution to the philosophy of history. Coming to modern history he treats the Renaissance and the Reformation, the American dream, and at some length with the Russian revolution and the development of communist philosophy in the U.S.S.R. The four principles through which, according to Eddy, God has been at work in history are justice, liberty, brotherhood and love. In dealing with Russia he supports the thesis that justice and brotherhood have been attained there but not liberty or love, while in the United States the reverse is true. Eddy is fair and objective in dealing with the problem of Russian-America relationships. This is a book which appeals most strongly to liberal Protestants, but it should have a wider reading in all circles. It is a selection of the Pulpit Book Club.