Brinton Religious Solution to Social Problem

7/29/2019 Brinton Religious Solution to Social Problem

1/32

PENDLE HILL PAM PHLET 2

A Religious SolutionTo The Social Problem

How ard H. Brinton

PEND LE HILL PUBLICATIONS

WALLINGFORD, PENNSYLVANIA


2/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON

A Relig ious Solu tio n To The Social Prob lem2

Pu blish ed 1 93 4 by Pen dle Hill

Repu blish ed electron ically 20 04 by Pen dle Hill

h t tp: / / www.pendlehill.org/ pend le_h ill_pam ph le ts .htm

em a il: pu b lica tions @pen dleh ill.org

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Howard H.Brinton, Ph.D., Professor of

Religion , Mills College; Actin g Direc tor , Pen dle Hill, 19 34-35 .


3/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


A religious solution to the social problem involves an

an swer to two prelim in a ry qu estion s wha t social problem

ar e we attem pt in g to solve an d wh a t religion do we offer a s

a solut ion? Since rel igion has assumed a wide variety of

forms it will be necessary, if we are to simplify and clarify

our approach, to adopt at the outset a defini te rel igious

viewpoint. To define our premises as those of Christianity

in genera l i s no t suf f i c ien t ly expl ic i t because h i s tor ic

Ch ristian ity ha s i tself as su m ed a wide variety of form s. For

the purpose of the present under taking I shal l approach

ou r p rob lem from th e origin a l poin t of view of th e Society of

F r iends , which , in many ways , resembled tha t of ea r ly

Chris t iani ty . Such an approach need not imply a narrow

s e c t a r i a n v i e w . E a r l y Q u a k e r i s m e x h i b i t e d c e r t a i n

characteris t ics common to many rel igious movements in

their ini t ia l creat ive periods. Later Quakerism has shared

th e fat e of oth er m ovem en ts in failin g to car ry on th e idea ls

of th e fou n der s. As for th e socia l pr oblem for wh ich we seek

a s olu t ion, it is th e fu n da m ent al dilemm a ou t of which m ost

present -day soc ia l p roblems a r i se . S ta ted as br ie f ly as

possible, w e s eek a remed y for exces s ive ind ividu alis m , and

w e require of this rem ed y that it sh all at the s am e tim e res pect

the h ard-w on rights of the ind ivid ua l.

The paradoxical character of this s tatement suggests

th at , if th ere be a s olu t ion, it m ay tu rn ou t to be a rel igiou s

on e, for religion feeds on pa ra dox. No m erely logica l sch em e,

ba sed wholly on s cien ce an d r eas on , will, it is p roba ble, do

more than submerge the individual through some sor t of

mechanical collectivism. Religion at i ts highest and most

creat ive s ta ge is , we sh a ll fin d, t h e on e s olven t for excess ive

in dividu alism wh ich a t th e sam e t im e en h an ces th e respect

for in dividu al p ers on a lity.

To ass u m e th at th e problem h as a re ligious solu t ion i s

n ot, h owever, t o offer a su bs titu te for econ om ic, sociological,

polit ical, or p sych ological an alysis a n d plan n in g. A bu ilder


4/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


wh o u ses s team -driven m ach in ery does n ot claim th at s team

alon e can bu ild a h ou se or a b ridge. Obvious ly, ma th ema tical

calculat ion, materials , tools , and ski l led workers are also

n eeded. By sim ila r token th e religiou s th in ker d oes n ot cla im

th a t religion a lon e can reform ou r s ocial order. It p rovides

power, not tools, nor blueprints. Many a social reformer

toda y is like a bu ilder wh o orders work ah ead at fu ll sp eed,

while th e fires a re goin g ou t u n der h is b oilers. We ar e seeking

a wa y to rekin dle th ose fires .

The Primit ive Christian Solut ion

Th e primitive Christian com m u n ity wh en it m et togeth er

for wors h ip was like a n early Qu ak er m eetin g in th e freedom

with which various members exercised their gif ts and in

t h e a b s e n c e o f a s e r v i c e p r o g r a m m e d i n a d v a n c e a n d

domin ated throu gh out by r itu al an d h u m an leadersh ip. Th is

is s h own in Pau ls s o-called firs t letter to th e Corint h ian s.

In both early Quakerism and early Chris t iani ty rel igious

grou ps were form ed whose ind ividu al mem bers were fu sed

togeth er a s fire fu ses m etals, b y a livin g in fu sion of th e Sp irit.

No outer mechanical bond was necessary. The coming of

th e Spirit was in deed t h e grea t m ira cle of ear ly Ch ristian ity.

Th e Lead er h a d dep ar ted in th e flesh , leavin g His followers

forlorn an d s cat tered. Su dd enly in th e flam es of Pen tecost

He had re tu rn ed seekin g fresh in carn at ion in th e body of

th e Ch u rch . At th e begin n in g it was th e person al leaders h ip

of J esu s which h eld His followers togeth er. Now a n ew tie of

a differen t s ort was form ed. Even tu ally this p erm eative bon d

held every Chris t ian community from Jerusalem to Rome.

It cam e m ost vividly to con sciou sn ess in th e agape or love

feast; a comm on m eal pa rtak en of reveren tly in remem bra n ce

of th e Las t Su pp er. Congregat ion s b ecam e u n ited with each

other a n d with th eir Lead er in a livin g organ ic com m u n ion.

Chr i s t i ans of the f i r s t genera t ion , says Dr . S t ree te r ,


5/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


trou bled th em selves little a bou t th e th eory eith er of doctrine

or of Church Order. . . . The most vivid fact of present

exper ien ce was th e ou tp ou rin g of th e Sp irit. (Primitive

Christianity , p. 73.)

In th e early Ch ris t ian m eetin g for wors h ip, th e Spirit

exercised th e sa m e fu n ct ion th a t th e sou l exerc ises in th e

body; it u n ited a n d coordina ted th e u n its of which th e wh ole

was com posed. By a n atu ra l process th e doct r in e arose tha t

th e chu rch was th e m ystical body of Ch ris t . Th e God of ou r

Lord J esu s Ch ris t , writes Pa u l, gave Him to be th e h ead

over a ll th in gs to th e chu rch which is His body, the fu lln ess

of Him that filleth all in all. (Ephesians I: 22,23). Man is

s a v e d , t h e r e f o r e , n o t t h r o u g h a n e x t e r n a l h i s t o r i c a l

t ran sa ct ion, as h as been declared in m an y Protestan t creeds,

bu t th rou gh th e Spirit of Ch ris t ins pir in g an d u n ifyin g th e

Chu rch . Salvat ion accordin gly becom es a social process in

wh ich th e group takes pa r t . It is n ot merely a t ra n sa ct ion

between God an d isolated in dividu als .

Sin is es tra n gem en t. Th e in dividu al in h im self is lon ely

a n d i n c o m p l e t e . H e i s s a v e d , t h a t i s , h i s i s o l a t i o n i s

overcom e, by fin ding a n d being fou n d by a greater Life wh ich

unites him at once with Itself and with his fellows. This

Life, he feels, does not come up from the biological level

below, like th e life of th e b ody. It p oss ess es a sp ecial qu a lity

wher eby it is r ecogn ized a s d ivin e an d com in g from a bove.

Only the upward glance senses i t . I t s presence f i l l s the

worshiper with awe and reverence. It creates new life in

h im an d n ew life in th e grou p. It is th e sa m e creat ive sp ir it ,

which has always brooded over the world, bringing order

out of chaos. Without Him was not anything made that

h at h been m ad e. In Him was l ife an d th e life was th e Ligh t

of m en .

Th e centr al doctr in e of th e great Ch u rch of th e Midd le

Ages held tha t man is saved in and through a Chris t ian

Society wh ich is th e bod y of Ch rist in sp ired by His Sp irit . In


6/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


th e ha n ds of th eologian s a n d p r ies ts i t becam e mech an ized

and was given a r i tual is t ic interpretat ion. But the Church

n ever forgot th at Chr ist was pres en t in His h ou se of worsh ip.

His presence was real ized in the sacrament of the Mass.

Nor was it forgotten th a t fellow Ch ristia n s cou ld con tribu te

to on e an others s alvat ion, th ou gh on ly a sh ad ow of th e early

belief rem ained in th e doctrin e tha t sin n ers m igh t h ave som e

share in the abounding meri t of the sa ints . The Cathol ic

Chu rch h as developed, m ore direct ly tha n is often real ized,

i n unbroken con t inu i ty ou t o f t he p r imi t i ve Chr i s t i an

Church .

T h e r e a r e m a n y w a y s b y w h i c h a n a g g r e g a t e o f

in dividu als ca n overcom e excess of in dividu a lity in its pa rts

an d be u n ited a s a whole. Th e mea n s m ay be biological, as

in th e fam ily an d th e t r ibe; they ma y be econ omic, as in th e

t r a d e u n i o n o r b u s i n e s s o r g a n i z a t i o n ; o r t h e y m a y b e

polit ical, as in the state. There is , however, as history hasrepeated ly sh own , no m ore dyna m ic nor effectu al mean s of

socia l in tegration th an th a t wh ich we call religiou s. Th e roots

of th e Ch u rch go deeper th an th e roots of fam ily, of s ta te , or

of an y other t ype of h u m an organ izat ion . Th e early Ch u rch

was a rel igiously integrated group bound together by an

invisible presence in the midst. The individuality of each

part was not thereby canceled out; rather i t was l i f ted upin to som ething high er, th rou gh wh ich th e ess ential pu rpose

of each in dividu al was fu lfilled. Ou t of th is h igher u n ity in

the Spirit , the lower types of organization were generated,

in c lu din g th e econ omic . Th e Ch u rch a t J eru sa lem a cted a t

firs t like on e la rge fa m ily. Th e com m u n ism in wh ich it began

was soon given u p, bu t th ere rem ained a con siderable degree

of economic in te rdependence . The poor were ca re fu l ly

provided for. Th e fact t h at other types of worsh ip a n d ch u rch

organizat ion soon superceded this original community of

sp irit on a b a sis of dem ocrat ic equ ality before God d oes n ot

d e t r a c t f r o m i t s s i g n i f i c a n c e a s a n i m p o r t a n t s o c i a l

phenomenon.


7/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


The Early Quaker Solution

E a r l y Q u a k e r i s m w e n t e v e n f u r t h e r t h a n e a r l y

Chr is t ian ity in its d epen den ce on a p u rely spir itu al type of

u n ity. Bapt ism was given u p becau se it was an u n n ecessary

extern al ad dit ion to an in n er sp ir itu al reality. Th ere is s ome

evidence tha t the agape or love feas t occurred in some

primit ive Qu ak er grou ps ,1 bu t qu ite early an d gen eral ly th e

su pp er of th e Lord was celebra ted wh olly in s i len t s pir itu al

com m u n ion. Th e Qu ak er m eetin g was a r eligiou sly in tegra ted

group . Th ere was n o bon d bu t th e Spir it , no creed bu t th a t

which ca m e fresh an d u pwellin g from th e Etern al Foun tain

of Tru th . Th e u n it was n ot the in dividu al bu t th e meetin g,

for i t was the sense of the meeting and not the sense of

th e in dividu al wh ich determ in ed th e cou rse of act ion .

As in ea rly Ch ris t ian ity, th e h igh er u n ity genera ted th e

lower types. Th ere was in ea rly Qu ak erism a large degree of

economic interdependence; the poor, the s ick and the

persecuted were ca re fu l ly looked a f te r by the mee t ing .

Fran cis Howgill th u s describes th e n atu re of th e bon d wh ich

u n ited th e early Qu ak er m eetin gs: Th e Lord a pp eared da ily

t o u s , t o o u r a s t o n i s h m e n t , a m a z e m e n t , a n d g r e a t

adm ira t ion , in somu ch th at we often sa id one u n to an other

with grea t joy of h ea rt : Wh a t? Is th e Kin gdom of God com e

to be with m en ? An d from th at da y forwar d ou r h earts were

kn it u n to th e Lord an d u n to one an other in t r u e an d fervent

love, not b y an y extern al covena n t or extern al form, b u t we

ent ered in to th e coven an t of life with God, a n d th at was a

str ong obligat ion or bond u pon al l ou r sp ir its wh ich u n ited

u s o n e u n t o a n o t h e r . ( T e s t i m o n y c o n c e r n i n g E d w a r d

Burrough. )

Th e Qu ak er doctr in e of th e In n er Ligh t h as som etim es

been interpreted as an extreme form of religious individ-

u alism . Th is s eem s a t firs t s igh t to be a n atu ra l dedu ct ion.

If m an h as a Ligh t with in , h e is , b y this view, in depen den t


8/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


of Church, Book, and Socie ty in his search for t ruth and

salvation. He is subject to no law outside himself, for his

f i na l au thor i t y i s an Inne r Gu ide . Th i s i nd iv idua l i s t i c

interpretat ion has arisen part ly from the mistaken bel ief

that Quakerism is the extreme left wing of Protestant ism

an d th e resu lt of Protesta n t d octr in es ca rried to th eir logical

conc lus ion . Accord ing t o t h i s v i ew , P ro t e s t an t i s m, i n

abolish in g th e Ch u rch a s a m ean s of sa lvat ion, su bs t i tuted

a d irect relat ion between m an an d God. Fearfu l, h owever,

of th e an ar chy resu lt in g from so extrem e an in dividu al ism ,

Protesta n t ism sou gh t for a m ean s of extern al con trol which

i t found ready a t hand in Bible and in creed. Quaker ism,

h owever, did n ot retreat . It p laced its whole depen den ce on

a direct relat ion with th e God Wh om it fou n d with in . Creed,

Bible , and r i tua l were dispensed wi th and re l igion was

reduced to pure interiori ty. Quakerism, according to such

an in terpreta t ion, is s im plicity. By a process of su btra ct ion

i t has el iminated al l that is inst i tut ional , r i tual is t ic , and

h is tor ica l an d h as th u s carr ied Protes tan t in dividu alism to

its logica l con clu sion .

There was, indeed, a Reformation Group in England

which fol lowed this pa th, but i t was not the Socie ty of

Friends. The Ranters , with whom George Fox had many

vigorou s dispu tes , declar ed th at everyone wh o con sidered

h im self in sp ired b y the Inn er Ligh t was a law u n to h im self.

To ha ve God with in was to be God an d s o becom e in capa ble

of sin or err or. Fox den ied t h e Ca lvin ist ic doctr in e of tota l

depravity, but he as vigorously denied this easy means of

at taining perfect ion. In his Journal , Fox relates that the

learned Jus t ice Hotham said to him that i f God had not

raised up this principle of l ight and l i fe which he, Fox,

p r e a c h e d , t h e n a t i o n w o u l d h a v e b e e n o v e r r u n w i t h

Ran terism . Th ere was , h owever, a Ran ter pa rty in th e early

Society of Frien d s. 2 Wh en a form of chu rch govern m en t was

s e t up t h rough mee t ings fo r bus ines s , t he re r e s u l t ed a


9/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


separat ion on the part of some who bel ieved in a purely

in dividu al form of gu ida n ce. Th is wa s t h e Wilkin son -Story

separ a t ion of 167 6.

Th e Society of Frien ds took th e position t h at th e sou rce

of gu ida n ce was n ot m erely an in dividu al ligh t b u t th e sen se

of the meeting, in other words a communal l ight . This

com m u n al ligh t wh ich i llu m in ed th e grou p was rea ch ed in

a spir i t of worship through which each individual aspired

to a s u per-individu a l level of rea lity wher e all in d ividu a l ligh ts

m erged in to one. It is d ifficu lt to m ak e th is p rocess clear to

anyone who has not ac tua l ly exper ienced i t . Ind iv idua l

ins ight i s not suppressed, but ra ther i t i s expanded into

som eth in g high er an d m ore in clu sive, ju st a s a view gained

from th e foothills is n ot den ied, bu t fu lfilled a n d in terp reted

by th e view from th e m ou n ta in top. Th e in dividu al view m a y

n o t b e w h o l l y i n e r r o r . I t i s s i m p l y f r a g m e n t a r y a n d

incomplete. The individual, provided, of course, that he is

in the t rue spir i t of a worship which orients him toward

som eth in g high er th an h im self, fin ds h im self sa yin g in th e

end , th at is ju st wh at I real ly m ean t bu t did not qu ite see

clearly.

Dean Inge says that Quakerism is an individual is t ic

m ysticism (Th e Social Teach in g of th e Ch u rch , p. 21 ), bu t

Troeltsch is r igh t in as sert ing th at th e Qu ak ers overcam e

th e na tu ra l an t isocial or ra th er in dividu al is t ic ten den cy of

m ysticism . (Th e Social Teach in gs of th e Ch ristian Ch u rch es,

Vol. II, p. 7 00 ). Th e grou p m eth od of ar rivin g at conclu sions

is th e on e u n ique con t r ibu t ion wh ich Qu aker ism ha s m ade

to Chris t ian thought and pract ice. Trevelyan (History of

England, p. 431) says that George Fox made at least the

most original contribution to the history of religion of any

Eng l i s hman . The Quake r me thod i s more t han j us t a

process of grou p th in kin g su ch as is d escribed in some recent

books .3 I t is a group thinking where God is present in the

group. Groups of ten tend to sag below the level of the


10/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


individuals of which they are composed. But the divine

presence insures an integrat ion on a higher level . A mob

can be fu sed in to u n ity by looking down ward to th e in fra -

h u m an in st inct ive level. A Qu ak er m eetin g aim s to become

u ni ted by lookin g u pward to the su pra -hu m an , tha t is to

som eth in g high er th an an y on e in dividu al or a n y collect ion

of in dividu a ls.

Th is is n ot a dem ocra t ic m eth od in th e na rrow sens e

of th at term , for th ere is n o dom in at ion of a m ajority over a

m in ority. If a good d egree of u n ity is n ot rea ch ed, n o action

is ta ken . It som etim es h ap pen s, of cou rse, tha t an in dividu al

who disa grees will eith er su bm it a s b est h e can or follow h is

own guidance a t a l l cos ts . More of ten he f inds tha t the

conclusion arr ived at expresses his own deepest insight .

The search for uni ty is not a search for a compromise nor

for the greatest common divisor of a number of diverse

opinions . I t comes ra ther as an integra t ion in which the

par t s a re not overbou rne , bu t t ran sm u ted in to someth in g

more complete, just as oxygen and hydrogen in unit ing to

form wat er ar e n ot destroyed, bu t t ra n sformed . Th is figu re

can be car ried fu rth er. As in t h e com bina t ion of oxygen an d

hydrogen energy i s re leased which can cu t th rough the

st ron gest st eel; so a grou p of pers on s if it be a ble to a rrive

at a h igh er u n ity genera tes a s piritu al en ergy which b ecom es

availab le for in calcu lab le pra ct ical u se in th e world a rou n d.

The H istory Of The Social Problem

Th e s ign ifican ce an d ch ar acter of th is Qu ak er m eth od

can be be t t e r unde r s tood i f we tu rn now to t he s oc i a l

problem. This problem can bes t be def ined through an

h is torical ap proa ch. It ar ises in a n age of t ra n si t ion wh en a

highly individual is t ic cul ture has run i t s course and the

time is r ipe for s ociety to pa ss over in to s om e m ore collective

form. A cha n ge su ch a s th is occu rred in th e ear ly Ch ris t ian


11/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


centuries when a decadent individual is t ic Graeco-Roman

cu ltu re p a ss ed over in to th e collective cu ltu re of th e Midd le

Ages . The Graeco-Roman cul ture a t i t s beginning was

centered firs t in t h e t r ibe an d t h en in a collect ion of t r ibes

forming the city-state. These were essentially religiously

in tegra ted com m u n it ies .

Eventua l ly , wi th the format ion of grea t c i t i e s , the

expans ion o f commerce , and t he w ide deve lopment o f

learning, individualism set in, until society lost all inner

coh esion a n d cou ld on ly be held togeth er by th e dictatorial

pol icy of a Caesar . Re l ig ion , which once had been an

integrat ive social force, degenerated into a skeptical or

pa n th eist ic ph ilosoph y, or in to a s olita ry negative myst icism ,

or in to a pa ss iona te effort to secu re pers ona l im m ortal ity.

Fin a lly when all in h erited reser ves of socia l u n ity ha d b een

exhaus ted ; when, in the ru th less s t ruggle for economic

advantage , weal th had become concentra ted in the hands

of a few, the whole s tru ctu re cru m bled to a ch aotic ma ss of

a toms a nd barba r ian s from the n orth walked in u pon th e

ru in s un de ter red .

Yet in th i s chaos and d i s in tegra t ion the re ex i s ted

is lands , re l igious ly integra ted groups of Chris t ians who

offered to th e world a n ew way of life. Th ey were n ot th in kin g

of a pu rely in dividu a l sa lva tion . Th ey h ad th eir gaze fixed

u pward a wait in g a Mess iah wh o ha d prom ised to descen d

an d inau gu rate a n ew socia l order . But th ey did n ot wai t

pa ss ively for His com in g. Th ey set u p exam ples of th a t n ew

promised socia l order in the i r own groups for there the

Messiah h ad already com e in th e Spirit . Th e vis ible Ch u rch

becam e the k in gdom of God on ear th a t leas t in germ, a s St .

August ine shows in his City of God. This Church, the

ou tward body of th e Messiah , grew an d increas ed in power

u n t il in th e twelfth an d th ir teen th cen tu r ies it dom in ated

the whole culture of Europe. In i tself i t united all things:

ph i los ophy , t heo logy , s c i ence , a r t , po l i t i c s , l anguage ,


12/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


educat ion. I t cut across nat ional boundar ies jus t as the

Leagu e of Nat ions at t em pts to do toda y.

Bu t, like a ll livin g things, th e Ch u rch reach ed its zen ith

an d d ecayed. Th e cu rr en t of life grew weak u n til th e wh ole

s t ru ctur e seemed to m an y on ly a life less m ech an ism . In th e

s ixteenth an d s eventeenth cen tu r ies a n ew era of t ran s it ion

set in. This t ime it was in the opposite direction from the

earlier tra n sition of th e fou rth a n d fifth cent u ries. A growin g

in dividu alism br oke u p t h e old d yin g grou p life expr ess ed in

chu rch, t ra de gu ild , an d feu da l sys tem. Th e Protes ta n t ism

of Lu th er an d Calvin ab olish ed th e Ch u rch a s a m ean s of

salvat ion and subst i tuted an individual relat ion between

m an an d God. Th e m echa n ics of Galileo an d Newton revealed

a world governed by law, not a world integrated by souls.

Th e Spirit h ad n o place in th e system .

Th e great h u m an is ts of th e Rena issa n ce un covered th e

bril l iant age of classical antiquity when man once beforeh ad u sed th e m atch less p ower of h is own individu al reas on

to discover t ruth, goodness , and beauty. Great explorers

o p e n e d n e w v i s t a s o f h u m a n w e a l t h a n d a d v e n t u r e .

Ph ilosoph ers d iscovered th at k n owledge is p ower to overcome

nature wi th the tools of sc ience; i t does not remain the

pa ss ive con tem plation of ch an geless t ru th . Man kind r eveled

in his powers like a giant refreshed with new wine. Theold s u pern atu ra lism with its other worldly s ta n da rds of life

was t h rown off like th e fetters of a p rison er. Th e seven teen th

centu ry was an age of gian ts wh ose ach ievemen ts increas ed

t h e g e n e r a l s e l f c o n f i d e n c e , B a c o n , S h a k e s p e a r e ,

Cervantes , Kepler , Gal i leo, Newton, Harvey, Descar tes ,

Pas cal, Locke, Sp in oza , Leibn itz, th e list cou ld b e exten ded

much fur ther . Qui te natura l ly there grew up a doct r ine ,

st ra n ge to th e Midd le Ages, th a t p rogress is in evita ble. Th e

discovery of biological evolu tion in th e n in eteen th cen tu ry

con firm ed t h is b elief.

In the nineteenth century individual ism in the well-

kn own form of liber a lism as ser ted th e righ t of every m a n


13/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


to freedom an d equ ality of opportu n ity. Am ong its principal

ph ilosoph ers were Mill an d Spen cer. Und er th e s t im u lat in g

in flu en ce of th is type of th ou ght a ra pid ad van ce was m ad e

in m an y fie lds of h u m an ach ievemen t , thou gh n ot in ar t or

religion . To be libera l m ea n t t o be willing to give to everyone

th e r igh t to ad van ce his own opin ions wha tever th ey m igh t

be . Th e resu lt was n ew ligh t on m an y qu es t ions . It m ean t

also the r ight of the s trong man to accumulate wealth in

whatever rank of society he might be, provided he played

accordin g to th e ru les of th e gam e. Th e resu lt was a ra pid

increase in the total amount of wealth. Yet l iberalism by

its elf, however im porta n t its a ch ievem en ts , is a n in comp lete

an d on e-sided p h ilosoph y of life. In defen din g th e right s of

th e pa rts it ten ds to forget th e r igh ts of th e whole. It s tan ds

for increased f reedom, but has less to say of increased

responsibi l i ty. This is i l lustrated by the fact that the so-

called liberalism of the present moment, though it st i l l

a t tacks al l forms of regimentat ion, has largely tended to

become react ionary. The doctr ines , once used to advance

reform , ma y also be u sed to retar d it .

With t h e rapid advan ce of h u m an ism an d in dividu alism

the s upe rna tu ra l ha s g radua l ly f aded f rom the p i c tu re .

Protestant ism venerated i t , but banished i t to Bible t imes

or the next world. Science could discover nothing higher

tha n h u m an reason , an d reason seemed capa ble of so lvin g

e v e r y p r a c t i c a l p r o b l e m . W r i t e r s o n s o c i a l t h e o r i e s ,

endeavor ing to be sc ien t i f i c , dec la red tha t en l igh tened

se l f i shness was enough to hold soc ie ty toge ther . The i r

economic man pursued h i s own in te res t s bu t he was

com pelled to regar d th e in terests of others in so far as th ey

a f f e c t e d h i s o w n . I n t h e n i n e t e e n t h c e n t u r y s c i e n c e

succeeded in reducing the world of matter to a swarm of

molecules and atoms each going i ts own individual way

regardless of any spirit of the whole. In the same way

scient ific econ omist s r edu ced s ociety to a collection of h u m an


14/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


at oms each pu rs u in g its own in terest. In politics also, scien ce

set the pace. As in mechanics the bigger swarm of atoms

exerts a greater force than the smaller , so in pol i t ics the

bigger swarm of human atoms prevai ls over the smaller

swarm . Qu est ions of r igh t a n d wrong are s et t led by cou n tin g

h ead s ju st a s in th e science of m echa n ics problem s a re solved

by cou n t in g pou n ds a n d feet .

I n e v e r y f i e l d o f h u m a n e n d e a v o r t h e p r o c e s s o f

atomizat ion continued. Art broke away from the whole of

cu ltu re a n d wan ted to b e ar t for ar ts s ak e. Religion declar ed

that i t would stick to i ts own field and leave polit ics and

social quest ions alone. Science declared i ts independence

of re l igion. The f ie ld of knowledge became complete ly

depa rtm en tal ized so tha t a professor of ph ysics was p rou d

to kn ow noth in g of ps ych ology.

It is a cu riou s fact th at s cience, the ch ief in str u m ent of

m an in h is victoriou s s t ru ggle agains t n atu re, was th e firs t

to be t ray h im an d h an d h im over , boun d h an d a nd foot, to

h is a dversary. Science declared th a t m an h as n o freedom of

will, bu t is t h e h elpless victim of blin d m ech a n ical forces;

th at in stea d of a fal len an gel h e is on ly a r isen an im al; th at

h is m in d (if a n y) is a m ere bu n dle of reflexes; th at h is m ost

exal ted emotions resul t from certain chemical compounds

exu ded b y his glan ds ; th a t h is m ost h ear t fe lt opin ions are

m an u factu red by the sc ience of propagan da. It is h ard to

unders tand why man has endured a l l these insu l t s f rom

science with such sereni ty just as we are puzzled by the

Calvinist who takes a kind of pride in his total depravity

an d e te rna l dam na t ion .

In sp ite of a ll, a gen era l belief in h u m a n self-su fficien cy

lin gered u n til th e World War. Th e sh ock of th is ca tas troph e

an d even m ore the ina bility of m an to learn an yth in g by it

or take any val id measures to prevent i t s recurrence has

given a terrific jolt to faith in the inevitability of human

progress . One thing yet remains, however, a fai th in the


15/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


in evita bility of s cien tific pr ogress . Th e Cen tu ry of Progres s ,

celebra ted a t Ch icago, clearly m ar ked a great a n d calculable

scient ific ad van ce. Here it was sh own th at if scien ce can n ot

make life significant, i t can at least make it comfortable.

But even this las t hope seems now to be vanishing. Vast

progress in th e mecha n ical m ean s of m an u factu r in g goods

ha s n ot brou gh t ph ys ica l com for t a s m u ch n earer as m ight

be supposed. I t has increased the ext remes of greed and

want and pi led up goods which the needy are unable to

b u y . T h e r e s u l t i s , a g i g a n t i c d e p r e s s i o n w h i c h s t i l l

con t inues . No wonde r t ha t pe s s imi s m i s r ep l ac ing t he

optimism of a generat ion ago. I t is the pessimism of the

isolat ed ind ividu al s ta n ding alon e in a fr ien dless u n iverse,

with no means of meeting the vast impersonal economic

an d p h ysical forces wh ich bid fa ir to overwh elm h im .

A group of modern humanis ts come forward a t th is

poin t with a r em edy. Th e excellen ce of th eir liter a ry ab ilities

somewhat conceals the naivet of their plan of salvat ion.

They ask m an to as se r t h is h u m an ity; to den y th a t h e is a

beas t or a m ach in e , to defy the tyran t Natu re an d to declare

h is in depend ence of n a tu ra l appet ite an d n atu ra l law. Bu t

they can point to no source of power through which this

declara tion of in dep en den ce can be m a de effective. Th ey can

only assert that this at t i tude is essent ial ly reasonable (or

human) . They do not seem to rea l ize tha t man can ra ise

h im self a bove th e an im a l level on ly by gra sp in g hold of th a t

which is higher than himsel f . Without external he lp he

cannot l i f t himself spir i tual ly any more than he can l i f t

himself physically. Man is not self-sufficient. He becomes

i n d e p e n d e n t o f n a t u r e o n l y i n s o f a r a s h e b e c o m e s

depen dent on tha t which is a bove na tu re .

The mode rn l i t e r a ry humani s t s a s k us t o t ake our

s ta n dar ds of con du ct from th e h u m an is t ic ages of c las s ica l

an t iqu ity or of th e Ren aissa n ce. Bu t th ese ages, u n like ou r

own , followed im m ediately u pon epochs when m an reach ed


16/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


u p to th e divin e, an d i t was lar gely from th ose epoch s th at

th e hu m an ism of th e pas t drew its r eserves of power. At th e

present t ime the reserves of power are becoming s lowly

exhausted, and the pull from below is becoming s tronger

th an th e pu ll from a bove. Th ree centu r ies ago ma n began to

lose his fa ith in th e su per-hu m an . Lit t le did h e kn ow th en

th at th is loss of fa ith in th e su per-hu m an would cau se him

to lose fai th in th e h u m an also. Losin g his grip on t h e h igh er

h e sa gs into th e lower.

This new fal l of man is not just a declarat ion on the

par t of sc ience tha t m an is e ith er an an im al organ ism , as

biology as serts , or a m ach in e as m echa n is t ic ph ysics would

h a ve u s believe. It is m ore th an a ch an ge of viewpoin t. If, in

th is God-forsa ken world, m an believes th at h e can n ot look

u pward for he lp h e ma y con clu de th a t h e can a t leas t look

down ward. Wh y n ot be a b eas t in fact a s well as in th eory

an d en joy th e sa t isfact ion of an im al ap pet ites with a clear

con science . Th e an im als are n atu ra l an d u n affected. Th ey

ar e n ot, app ar en tly, torm en ted b y a s en se of lon ely isola tion

in a m erciless u n iverse . Ou r h u m an isola t ion is d u e to ou r

art i f icial i ty and hypocrisy; our at tempts to be other than

that which, Freud tel ls us , we real ly are. Let us therefore

forget our t roublesome pretensions and indulge ourselves

in a h ealth y, s in cere sen su al ity.

Bu t can we forget? Th e sen su al ity of th e modern m an

is a d eliber a te, self-cons ciou s s en su a lity, n ot a self-forgetfu l

an ima l na tu ra ln ess . In h is end eavor to be a n a tu ra l beas t

h e becom es an u n n atu ra l m an . His enjoym ent of sen su ality

o f t e n d e p e n d s l a r g e l y o n t h e a t t r a c t i o n p o s s e s s e d b y

forbidden things. The fruit is sweet because it comes from

the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . This is shown

pa rt icu lar ly in th e sex literatu re s o volu m in ou s today which

l i v e s o n a k n o w l e d g e o f i t s o w n d e p r a v i t y . S u c h a

sop h ist icat ed sex in teres t is very differen t from th e hea lth y

sen su al ity of th e ba rn yar d. It is accordin gly no rea l escap e


17/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


from self-con sciou s in dividu ality. Its em pt in ess is illu st ra ted

by the nature of i ts principal medium, the s i lver screen,

which d epicts a civilizat ion a s s ou lless a n d u n sta ble as th e

shadows of which the pictures are composed. The moving

picture presents , in m ore sens es th an one, a two dim ensional

world with n o depth . In order to exist th is world m u st a lways

con tin u e in r est less m otion.

As n e ithe r h u m an ism n or sen su a lism a re aware of the

t ru e na tu re of th e socia l problem, th ey m ak e no a t tem pt to

m eet it . Th ey ar e con ten t to th in k of m an in in dividu al terms .

Th ere ar e, h owever, th ree im port a n t rem edies for excess ive

individual ism which recognize the nature of the problem,

the f i rs t is autocracy; the second, world denunciat ion or

asceticism; the third is a religiously integrated group. Let

u s con s ider each in tu rn .

The First Solution Autocracy

When men have lost fai th in themselves they tend to

seek refu ge in a s tr ong m an . Th e r ise of dictatorsh ips today,

wheth er of th e fas cis t or comm u n ist type, is eviden ce of th e

retreat of th e in dividu al an d h is fai lu re of n erve. J u st as

individual pieces of matter , not uni ted by an inner bond,

can be held together and coordinated by force external ly

a p p l i e d , s o o v e r - i n d i v i d u a l i z e d m e n c a n b e f o r c e d t o

cooper at e by th e power of th e sta te. Th is is th e oldes t of a ll

remedies , but i t is a lways a s ign of decadence. I t means

t h a t t h e r e i s n o l i v i n g p o w e r w h i c h c a n v i t a l i z e t h e

communi ty . The soul has f l ed and a mechanism i s l e f t

behind. Some ph ilosoph ers of com m u n ism , as for in s ta n ce

J o h n M a c m u r r a y , r e a l i z e t h i s b u t t h e y b e l i e v e t h a t a

dictators h ip is a prel im in ar y s ta ge to organ ic u n ity. Th is is

probab ly wrong. Mech an ism s p rodu ce mecha n ism s. We do

not know of any case where a mechanism has produced

life . I t may be that a rel igious f i re is burning beneath the


18/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


surface in Russia , fusing individual elements , but of this

we can n ot sp eak posi t ively as yet .

The retreat to a mechanical level is exhibited also in

th e recen t growth of extrem e n at ion al ism . Nation s are t oday

d e c l a r i n g t h e i r c o m p l e t e i n d e p e n d e n c e o f e a c h o t h e r ,

econ omic an d oth erwise, an d a re ar m in g to enforce it . Pas t

h i s tory has shown tha t in te rna t iona l anarchy i s usua l ly

overcom e by th e dictat orsh ip of one n at ion, a fter a career of

con qu est . As th ere is ap pa ren tly no p resen t p ossibility of a

Pax Romana, we must look ei ther to a balance of power

which sooner or later wil l become unstable and resul t in

war a s in 191 4, or to an organ ic u n ion of n a t ions , su ch a s i s

im perfectly foresh ad owed in th e Leagu e of Nat ions . Extrem e

i n d i v i d u a l i s m i n n a t i o n s i s a s i n t o l e r a b l e a s e x t r e m e

in dividu al ism in pers ons .4

The Second Solut ion World Renunciat ion

Th e second solu tion pr oposed for th e prob lem of over-

i n d i v i d u a l i s m i s r e n u n c i a t i o n . T h e i n d i v i d u a l i n h i s

lonel iness and isola t ion cannot contend wi th the forces

aga ins t h im and so he re t rea t s f rom the va in pomp and

glory of th is world. As lon g as h e is con fiden t of su cces s in

th is world h is religion is gen era lly a religion of a ction . Wh en ,

however, this confidence is lost , the pain of individuality

an d in ad equa cy is as su aged by com plete su rrend er to th a t

which is ab ove an d b eyon d th e world. Th e as cetic cru cifies

th e flesh th at h is s pirit m ay be pu rified a n d freed from ca rn al

bonds. The sol i tary mystic purges himself of al l that is

sens u ous in order tha t he m ay ach ieve u n ion with th e su per-

s e n s u o u s .

Th is s olu t ion was pa rt icu lar ly widesp read at th e t im e

when the Graeco-Roman civi l izat ion was crumbling into

in dividu al atom s. Wh en In dian cu ltu re ha d reach ed a similar

s ta ge the Bu ddh a p reached on e form of th is m ethod. Th e


19/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


doctrin e of rein carn at ion presen ts th e Bu ddh ist with a m ore

dif f icul t problem than that faced by the Chris t ian. The

Buddhist a ims not only at annihi lat ing his egoism in this

world b u t a lso in t h e n ext . Su fferin g an d in dividu al ity, he

h olds , are du e to desire . Elim in at e all desire an d n othing of

th e ego will rem a in which is cap a ble of su ffering. As a can dle

flam e dissolves in th e dar kn ess a n d goes ou t ; as a drop of

water loses itself in th e ocean ; so th e sepa ra te sou l by ceas in g

to exis t , en ters th e n am eless peace of Nirvan a. Th e process

by wh ich d es ire is e lim in ated a s ta u gh t by the Bu ddh a is

elaborate, but the end is s imple. The Buddhist overcomes

h i s i nd iv idua l i t y by des t roy ing i t . Th i s may s o lve t he

in dividu al prob lem bu t obviou sly it d oes n ot solve th e socia l

problem.

Th i s me thod o f wor ld r enunc i a t i on a s s umes many

in term ediate forms . It is n ot th e fas h ion today to ret ire to

th e wildern ess b u t th ere are m an y wh o refu se to figh t th e

ba t t le of life becau se i t no longer seem s t o th em im porta n t .

They are spectators , not part icipators , looking sometimes

cynical ly, sometimes with mild amusement at those who

st ru ggle to ma ke th e world b etter. It is good form toda y n ot

to take anything very seriously. This world is sometimes

in terest in g bu t gen eral ly borin g. It can n ot ha rm u s for we

can a lways sm ile a t it , kn owin g that a t a n y momen t we can

turn the dia l to a di f ferent wave length and hear another

tu n e. Th is s en se of fu tility arises b ecau se th e in dividu a l is

alon e. He h as fou n d n o great ca u se in which h e can forget

h im self, n o grou p in which h e can m erge h is life .

Th e doctrin e of retirem en t from th e world m ay, h owever,

become the very essence of a healthy, normal religion. As

th e body m u st s omet im es res t , so th e spir it can n ot a lways

str ive. There must be some area of calm into which the

wear ied s ou l ma y with dra w for ren ewal of s tr ength . Th ere

m u st be s ome qu iet t im e of wors h ip wh en th e cou rs e of life

is rese t by pi lot s tars . There must be some pause on the


20/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


jou rn ey wh en th e t ra veler ca n refres h h im s elf a t th e well of

eternal l ife. It is only when such a period of refreshment

ab sorbs al l th in gs in to itself th at religion becom es a m eth od

of esca pe. The soviets ca lled r eligion an opiat e of th e peop le,

and such indeed i t can be i f i ts w hole emph as is is on th e

oth er world. Bu t a life wh ich is wh olly th is-worldly is often

like a s t ream wh ich ru n s d ry becau se it is n ot ren ewed by a

sou rce b eyon d its elf. Th e worlds great religiou s lead ers an d

s oc i a l r e fo rmers have i n gene ra l d i s cove red a ba l ance

between a this-world religion of good works and an other-

world religion of retirement from struggle; a retirement in

wh ich s t rength a n d in s igh t are ren ewed.

The Third Solution The Religiously Integrated Group

I t is such a balance between world-affirmation and

world-renunciat ion that we discover in our third type of

re lease f rom over- individual ism. This has a l ready been

described as exis t ing in t h e ear ly Ch ris t ian comm u n ity an d

th e early Frien ds m eetin g. In su ch grou ps , when th ey live

u p to th eir h igh est ideal, th e in dividu al is n eith er su pp ressed

by au th ority n or elim in ated by ret irem en t . His in dividu al ity

is lost in that of the group but i t is regained on a higher

p l ane . In s ubmi t t i ng t o au thor i t y he f a l l s t o an i n f r a -

individual mechanistic level. In uniting with the spirit of

th e grou p h e rises to a su per-ind ividu a l organ ic level. Th is

word organ ic is often u s ed in a pu rely biologica l s en s e. It

is u sed h ere to design ate a t ype of social organ ism m ad e u p

of pers ons who a re bou n d t ogeth er n ot extern al ly by force

bu t in tern al ly by love an d fr ien ds h ip.

To a scientific mind which recognizes no categories

except those of mechanistic science it is incredible that a

unified group can be formed of persons who respect ful ly

th e freedom an d ind ividu al ity of one a n other. Th e an swer to

th is pa ra dox is n ot scient ific bu t r eligiou s. The cem ent in g


21/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


force is n ot on ly th e love of on e a n oth er. It is a lso t h e love of

God. If th e m em bers of th e grou p looked on ly to each other

they would reac t aga ins t each o ther l ike b i l l i a rd ba l l s ,

s t r ikin g an d rebou n ding. In stea d th ey look to th at wh ich is

ab ove th em a ll yet in t h em a ll; th ey look to th e Spirit wh ich

u n ites from ab ove.

This method has a long h i s tory . The t r ibe and the

patriarchal family were largely biological units but when

ind iv idua l i s m a ros e t hey cou ld no t depend who l ly on

biological ties. The tribal or family religion was of such a

character that the individual in part icipat ing in i ts r i tual

felt h im self u n ited to th e wh ole. In th e Chines e pa tr iar ch al

family the shr ine where the ances tors are worshiped has

been the most powerful of family bonds. The totem of the

tr ibe is worsh iped a s a sym bol of a n in tegra tin g life force. At

a t i m e w h e n t h e o l d G r e e k d e i t i e s w e r e n o l o n g e r

intel lectual ly accepted, Greek s tatesmen advocated their

worship as a means of unifying the ci ty-s tate . I t was the

worship of Jehovah which held Israel together and made

her victorious over her enemies. Many races and peoples

look back to some golden age when the individual found

freedom a n d joy as a m emb er of a group .

Bu t th is fa m ily or t riba l type of religion was tied closely

to the soil . Its gods were fixed in home or temple. When

com m ercia l expan s ion firs t cam e an d m en began to move

freely over th e eart h it b ega n to weak en . Hors es, iron , lar ger

ships , broke up the old groups and gave men new power

over th eir fellows. The r ich grew rich er a n d t h e poor, poorer.

Th rou gh th e disin tegrat in g force of comm erce wh ich m ixed

u p m en from widely scat tered places th e firs t great a ge of

in dividu al ism set in rou gh ly ab ou t th e seven th an d s ixth

cen tu ries B.C. Ma n y like Am os b ewailed t h e good old da ys

an d pr onou n ced a doom on greedy m ercha n ts who exploited

th eir br eth ren . Alm ost at th e sa m e t im e in widely sca t tered

places grea t re l ig ious geniuses appeared of fe r ing the i r


22/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


rem edies for th e declin e of s ocia l form s of religion . J erem ia h

preached a personal rel igion, a new covenant wri t ten not

on tables of s tone but on the hear t . In China , Confucius

and Laotze ; in India , Buddha and Mahavi ra ; in Pers ia ,

Zoroas ter; in Greece, th e first ph ilosophers an d th e n am eless

fou n der s of th e m ystery religion s; all app ear ed t o offer s om e

solven t for a n excess of in dividu a lity. Sin is es tra n gem en t,

lonel iness , separat ion. Salvat ion is a closing of the gap

between th e isolated life an d a h igh er life , an aton em ent or

at -one-m en t with deity. Th e rem edy is a red irection of will

(J u d a is m ) o r a m y s t ic u n io n (Ta o is m , O r p h is m ) o r

an n ih ilation of self (Bu dd h ism ) or social ad ju stm ent th rou gh

decoru m (Con fu cian ism ).

These methods of a id ing the i so la ted human a tom,

eith er to end u re exis ten ce or to dispose of it , h ave met th e

n eeds of m an y millions of pers ons , bu t it is d ou btfu l wheth er

an y of th em will widely ap pea l to th e occiden ta l world of th e

twent ie th century. Nor can we go back to the t r ibe , the

pa triar ch a l fa m ily, or th e sm a ll city-sta te. Th ere is, h owever,

one remedy which fully meets the difficulty and which is

con sis ten t with m odern life an d m odern con ceptions of th e

w o r l d . T h i s i s t h e r e l i g i o u s l y i n t e g r a t e d c o m m u n i t y

com pa ra ble to th at wh ich exis ted in early Chr is t ian ity an d

ear ly Qu ak er ism .

I t may we l l be a s ked why ins e r t t he ad j ec t i ve

re l ig ious? Are the re not a round us a vas t number of

as sociat ion s of al l sorts in which th e m odern in dividu al in

some measure overcomes his isolat ion; such associat ions

a s c l u b s , l o d g e s , p o l i t i c a l p a r t i e s , t r a d e u n i o n s , a n d

o r g a n i z a t i o n s f o r t h e a d v a n c e m e n t o r e l i m i n a t i o n o f

everyth in g con ceiva ble? Th ese, h owever, a re h eld togeth er

by wh at m igh t be ca lled a h orizonta l relat ion b etween m an

an d m an . Th ose wh o ha ve com m on interests fin d cooperation

and mutual adjus tment of individual des i res essent ia l to

su ccess . Such as sociation s ra n ge all th e way from a bu sin ess


23/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


corpora t ion organized through a sys tem of author i ta t ive

control , to a discussion group interested only in a search

for tru th . Th ese as socia tion s m ay con ta in r eligiou sly-m in ded

in dividu als bu t , with som e poss ible exceptions , th ey are n ot

religiously integrated.

I n r e l i g i o u s w o r s h i p t h e h o r i z o n t a l b o n d s a r e

su pp lemen ted by vertical bon ds leading up to a h igh er Bein g

who un i t e s men by d rawing them a l l t o H ims e l f . The

in tegration is on a h igher level. Wh en J esu s s a id, Wh erever

two or th ree are gath ered together in m y na m e th ere am I in

th e mids t of th em, h e did n ot mean th at h e would com e as

one in dividu al am ong oth er ind ividu als . His Spirit inclu des

but t ranscends each individual . I am the vine, ye are the

branches. I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.

Men can be united by al l fal l ing into the same pi t or they

can be uni ted by c l imbing by var ious paths to the same

m ou n ta in top. A lyn ching m ob is obviou sly in tegra ted on a

lower level than a religious meeting held in the spirit of

Chris t .

An u pward s tr ivin g towar d a h igh er world can , u n der

certain con dit ions, create the s tron gest h u m an bond s with in

th e world. Th is is th e fu n da m en ta l pa ra dox of religion which

resis ts a ll a t tem pts at ra t iona lizat ion becau se i t is crea t ive

of th e new an d u n pr edictab le. Social progress is a ch ild b oth

of this world and of a higher world. Each world is sterile

with ou t th e oth er. Th e oth er-worldly per son seek s on ly for

a fl ight from this vale of tears to a haven of peace and

secu rity; th e this-worldly pers on ign ores th e su pern atu ra l5

as m ere wish fu lfillm en t, a m ean s of esca pe for th ose u n fit

for life s s t r u ggle . Ye t th e h is tory of m a n kin d s h ows ,

especially in the great creative periods, that i t is only the

fert i le union of both worlds which can bring about a new

birth of a h igh er level of exis ten ce.

Protes tan t ism h as fa iled to br in g ab out s u ch a u n ion

because, by i ts very nature, i t seems doomed to be one-


24/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


sided. For a long t ime i t condemned this world as evi l ,

teach in g a pu rely in dividu al sa lvat ion th rou gh faith in Book,

creed, serm on , an d ritu a l. Now it is eith er swin gin g toward

fu n da m en ta lism , wh ich r evives th e old exclu sive depen den ce

on the su perna tu ra l an d t ran scen dent , or it is p reaching a

social gosp el devoid of ch a ra cter is tically religiou s elem en ts .

On e difficu lty is t h at Protesta n tism h as evolved n o religiou s

m eth od n or th eory for fu sin g the t wo. Cath olicism effected

a pract ica l synthes is of na ture and supernature near ly a

th ou sa n d years a go wh ich s at isfied th e m in d of th e Midd le

Ages bu t it carr ies in to th e presen t s o mu ch obsolete baggage

th at it can n ot lead in social or th eoret ical advan ce. In early

J u da ism , as described in th e Old Testam ent , th e conception

of a Holy Community integrated by a common worship of

J ehovah was developed by th e prophets a n d in large m easu re

actual ized. This Holy Communi ty was the parent of the

Chr is t ian Chu rch . In modern J u da ism , sca t t e red abou t as

it is over th e fa ce of th e ear th , th ere is l it t le opp ortu n ity to

revive th is a n cien t order.

Quakerism And The Ideal Com m unity

Qu ak erism comb in es in religiou s worsh ip two elem en ts

which a re usua l ly cons idered incompat ib le , a mys t ica l

approach to God and a social relat ion to our fel lows. The

lonely mystic knows only the vertical relation to God, the

social gospeler too often only the horizontal relation to

m an , bu t group m yst ic ism takes a ccoun t of both God an d

m an . In th e grou p we fin d th at we need ou r fellow worsh ipers

in th e search for God a n d we need God in th e search for ou r

fellows. Ea ch sea rch leads in to th e other. In th e s i lence of

livin g wors h ip we st rive to crea te a sen s itivity to th e Divin e

presence by removing selfish, individual desires. We find

t h a t t h e p a r t i t i o n w h i c h s e p a r a t e s G o d a n d m a n a l s o

separ a tes m an an d m an . Or we m ay firs t reach out in love


25/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


toward our fe llows in an end eavor to u n ders ta n d th em a n d

th e con flicts an d pr oblems wh ich trou ble them ; an d s u dden ly

som e win dow of th e sou l opens an d th e breath of a d ivin er

air com es in . Once m ore the Sp irit which h as brooded over

cha os from th e begin n in g h as sp oken th e creat ive Word an d

cha ot ic hu m an a tom s ar e reborn into the u n ity of a h igh er

life. We know that we have passed out of death into l ife

becau se we love th e breth ren . (I J ohn 3:14.)

T h e w o r d s o n e a n o t h e r o c c u r w i t h s u r p r i s i n g

frequ en cy in th e ear ly Frien ds writin gs. Fox in h is letters

often identifies the t ie which unites the worshipers to God

with the t ie which unites them to each other. Mind, he

says, that which is pure in one another which joins you

together; therefore, all Friends, obey that which is pure

with in you an d kn ow one an other in th a t which br in gs you

to wait on th e Lord; Frien ds , m eet togeth er a n d k n ow on e

an other in th at wh ich is etern al wh ich was before the world

was, feel the power of God in one another, that all may

be as one fam ily bu ildin g up one an other a n d h elpin g on e

another . 6 Pen n , in h is p reface to Foxs J ou rn al , sp eak s of

the ear ly Fr iends as t rea t ing one another as those tha t

believed a n d felt God pr esen t.

Th e group th at h as th u s foun d God h as s olved the social

pr oblem with in its elf. Non e of its m em bers h en ceforth fa ce

th e world a lone a s ind ividu als. Th e ties wh ich bind it togeth er

are not easi ly broken by material or economic forces . I t

can n ot ign ore the n eeds of an y of its m em bers . Bu t it is n ot

a Noah s ar k b u ilt to s a ve a few from a dr own in g world.

Experience pr oves th at t h ere is a lways genera ted a n over-

plu s of sp iritu al power which seek s ou tlet in a la rger field. If

th ere is n o goin g ou t from t h e grou p to t ra n sform th e world

in to a greater Holy Com m u n ity th en th e grou p is eith er dead ,

or it is a plan t-like exist en ce. If th e grou p is to resem ble th e

highest type of l iving things i t must, l ike them, modify its

environm ent. An in n er sen se of peace, secur ity, an d s piritu al


26/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


power is a t ta in ed in grou p worsh ip b u t it is n ot hen ceforth

conf ined to any par t i cu la r p lace or t ime . Each member

carr ies i t about in his hear t wherever he goes and ac ts

accordingly. He becomes an apostle of a new social order

pa t tern ed a fter th e type of procedu re which created a livin g

u n ity in h is own m ore lim ited group .

Th is type of social order is ba sed n ot on th e tyra n n y of

an in dividu al or a m a jority of in dividu als wh o u se violen ce

or th rea t of violen ce to en force th eir wish es. Differen ces a re

ad ju sted by a p rocess of in tegra t ion in wh ich n o in dividu al

is s u bm erged bu t in which every viewpoin t ta kes s ome place

or exerts som e in flu en ce in th e fin al ach ievem ent . Th e way

to bring about a new social order l ike this is to achieve it

firs t in ones h eart an d in t h e religiou s grou p t o wh ich one

belongs and then to l ive in i t wherever one may be. It will

t h e n b e a r o u s e d i n t h e h e a r t s o f o t h e r s a n d g r o w b y

contagion. Such a method involves serious r isk to those

who u n derta ke it for a pers on l ivin g in th is kind of a social

order becomes subject to the violence of those not in i t .

Neverth eless th is m eth od of vent u re a n d s acrifice is t h e one

me thod by which t he k ingdom of God p ropaga t e s and

repr odu ces its elf.

Qu akerism at its best p resents th is a n swer to the Social

Problem . It is n ot a plan ba sed on (th ou gh it does n ot exclu de)

econ om ic or p olit ical th eories, bu t a s ocial dyna m ic ar isin g

ou t of a certa in type of u n ifyin g exper ien ce. Th e h ist ory of

t he Soc i e ty o f F r i ends g ives ample ev idence t ha t t h i s

experience is int im ately bou n d u p, both as cau se a n d effect ,

with social reform s of a p ra ctical an d far -reach in g ch ar acter. 7

But the gen eral app licat ion of th e Qu aker m ethod h as h ard ly

begun. There are large areas of confl ict , part icularly in

in du str y, wh ich await pion eers of social progress .

There are some reasons why the present age may be

m ore favora ble to th e Qu ak er religiou s a n d s ocial meth od

th an th e seventeenth cen tu ry wh en th e Socie ty of Fr iend s


27/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


arose . In th e seventeenth cen tu ry, as we h ave a lready seen,

the man of wes tern Europe was jus t emerging f rom the

c o n t r o l o f a n o l d c u l t u r e a n d a c q u i r i n g a n u n l i m i t e d

c o n f i d e n c e i n h i m s e l f . A n e w c o n t i n e n t a w a i t e d h i s

exploi tat ion and a new science was ready to furnish him

with th e m ean s t o exploit it . Newton was a con tem pora ry of

Fox bu t Newton in crea sed while Fox decrea sed . As s cien ce

developed, m a n s faith in h is a bility to con trol his d estin y

grew an d fai th in a religion wh ich looked to th e su perh u m an

for help correspondingly lessened. The Society of Friends

retired into a sh ell of rigid disciplin e in order to pr eserve th e

pa ttern of life it h a d d eveloped. Bu t in th e las t few year s t h e

direct ion of th e cu rrent h as chan ged. Hum an ism , a mom ent

ago everywhere t r iumphant , s t ands baf f l ed and wi thout

resources before a crumbling social order. Man is losing

confidence in the power of science to save him. What is

even m ore s ign ifican t a n d p roph etic , the greatest scien t is ts

of today ha ve tu rn ed to ph ilosophy an d h ave discovered th at

th e older m echa n is t ic con ceptions describe on ly a s h ad ow

world. Th e deeper rea lity, th ey sa y, is organ ic an d its n atu re

is revealed not through balance or measur ing rod but by

th e m ystic vision.

An age of co l lec t iv i sm of some sor t i s apparent ly

da wn in g. Th e cen tr a l qu es tion is will it b e a collectivis m

based on external authori ty to meet a purely economic or

politica l n eed , or will it b e a cu ltu re th a t is, a collectivis m

ba sed on Spirit wh ich gu ides m en from with in . If th e secon d

alterna t ive is t h e h oped-for an swer we m u st r ealize th at it

can com e about , n ot th rou gh some su dden revolu t ion bu t

only th rou gh a long, s low process of growth . Becau se th e

Kin gdom of Heaven is a n organ ism an d n ot a m ech an ical

collect ivism J esu s com pa red i t to a t r ee wh ich begin s in a

very small seed. Like a tree, it cannot grow if it is cut off

eith er from th e Light of Heaven ab ove or from th e da rk ear th

benea th .


28/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


Th at th e case is far from h opeless can be sh own by a

comparison of the present t ime wi th the t ime in which

Ch ristian ity a rose. Th ere is th e sa m e excess of in dividu alism

an d a corr esp on din g effort to esta blish a collectivism ba sed

on a u th ority. Th ere is th e sa m e fai lu re of n erve, th e sa m e

cyn ic ism , skept ic ism , an d s toic apa th y, the s am e sen se of

fu tility in th e fa ce of blin d econ om ic a n d political forces . No

wonder th a t to m an y m en of th e firs t centu ry the s itu a t ion

seemed h opeless a n d th e on ly rem edy a su dden revolu t ion

an d th e com in g of th e Messiah from t h e clou ds of h eaven.

No wond er th at to m an y m en toda y a b loody revolu tion s eems

th e only rem edy. Bu t th e early Chr is t ian s d id n ot wait for

revolution. They set up the new social order in their own

religiou s com m u n it ies . Th ese com m u n it ies were the s eeds

of th e kin gdom . Th e Chu rch becam e th e kin gdom of God on

ear th , very im per fect of cou rs e, bu t a livin g en tity th rou gh

which men were ra i sed up to a h igher and a more than

in dividu al life . Th at th e Chu rch lat er com prom ised with th e

sta te an d a dopted som e of its m ethods does n ot detract from

its grea t achievement in offer ing a rea l solut ion to the

pr oblem of excess ive in dividu a lism . Th e h ope of bu ilding u p

a s ocia l order in which th e Sermon on th e Moun t wou ld b e

accepted for wha t i t obviou sly m ean s was n ever given u p.

In th e mon as tery a s in cere bu t ab ort ive effort was m ad e to

avoid compromise with the world and to create spir i tual

and economic interdependence in a rel igiously integrated

communi ty .

Th e world today a waits th at in dividu al or grou p which

can m in is ter to it s n eeds in th e sa m e way in wh ich th e ear ly

Chris t ian com m u n it ies a dm in is tered to th e n eeds of th e ir

t ime . The remedy for soc ia l d i s in tegra t ion i s no t more

centra lized a u th ority wh ich sooner or later is d estroyed b y

th e very forces wh ich it s ets in m otion . Nor is i t a r etrea t to

a monastery, nor to an at t i tude of indifference, nor to a

pu rely oth er-world m ysticism . We m u st h ave a kind of social


29/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


cem ent wh ich bin ds from with in so th a t th e u n ity formed is

n ot m ech an ical bu t livin g. Wh ere can we get it except from

the source whence i t has a lways come f rom, a type of

religiou s experience which a t on ce creates an d is created by

an organ ic social order? In th is ta sk we can ta ke only one

s tep a t a t im e. Mech an ical th in gs can be m ad e quickly bu t

livin g th in gs grow slowly. We a re a t leas t a ble to bu ild u p

sm all bi ts of th e kin gdom h ere an d th ere wh erever a grou p

of pers ons become u n ited a n d l ifted u p b y the Presence in

th e m ids t. If th ese grou ps a re livin g th ey will in creas e an d

m u ltiply for rep rod u ction is t h e la w of a ll life. It is ess en tial

th at we help bind u p th e broken wou n ds of th e world. It is

even m ore im portan t th a t we a t once se t abou t bu ildin g u p

a world in which th ese woun ds sh all n ot occu r .

Ch rist ia n ity, sa ys Heiler in The S pirit of Wors h ip, is

weary of individualism which weakens and divides; i t is

st rivin g to escap e from th e n ar row bon da ge of th e su bjective

into the wide freedom of the objective, the Universal; from

the limitations of the isolated individual to the fullness of

s trength of the great Community. Many are the seekers

sea rch in g for s u ch fu lln ess of st ren gth . Th ey will fin d it in

an u preach in g self-forgetfu l m in d wh ich u n ites a n d creates ;

in a m yst ica l in s igh t which s ens es both th e u pward p u ll of

Divine power and the frail tendrils of lonely human lives

reaching ou t for su pport ; in a s acram ent which is a t once

com m u n ion with God a n d with m an . Th is was th e ear lies t

h u m an sea rch . It will a lso be th e las t .

The Fundam ental Christian Doctrine

Can there be a soc ia l sa lva t ion which ignores the

Chris t ian doctr in e of th e atonem ent? To ma n y person s toda y

this i s not an important ques t ion, but i t s cons idera t ion

br in gs to bear on ou r cent ra l problem some in teres t in g an d

significant facts. The individualistic interpretation of the


30/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


aton emen t , as s e t for th in m ost Protes ta n t creeds , can h elp

u s b u t lit t le . But primit ive Ch ris t ian ity, as we ha ve already

s e e n , d i d n o t p u t i t s c e n t r a l e m p h a s i s o n i n d i v i d u a l

sa lva tion . It br ou ght a socia l gosp el to m eet a s ocial need .

In th e h is tory of ou r religion we fin d m an y at tem pts to

express in symbols the nature of that l iving power which

holds society together from within. The early Chris t ians

sym bolized it in th e love feas t ea ten togeth er in m em ory of

th e Las t Su pper . In th e firs t accou n t of th e Las t Su pper to

be writ ten (I Cor. 11), J esu s ta kes t h e cup an d s ays Th is

cu p is th e n ew coven an t in m y blood. Th ese words m ean

lit t le to u s today bu t to the m en who firs t h eard th em th ey

were fra u gh t with profou n d s ignifican ce. Perh ap s th eir m in ds

went back to the old covenant which was made between

J eh ovah an d Isra el at Mt. Sin ai . Here a cont ra ct was sea led

according to which the people of Israel formally adopted

J ehovah as th e ir God a n d pr omised to serve on ly Him an d

He, in turn, promised to a id and protec t them. The Old

Testa m en t , taking its n am e from th is contr act , was writ ten

to s how tha t J ehovah had a lways kep t H i s pa r t o f t he

bargain, but Is rae l had been unfa i thful many t imes and

h ad su ffered in con sequ ence. Moses sealed the con tra ct by

a n im pr ess ive ritu a l (Exod . XXIV). Th e peop le st a n d b efore

God who is represented by an altar. Victims are sacrificed

and their blood poured into bowls . Half of the blood is

spr inkled over th e a ltar . Moses th en reads th e terms of th e

agreem ent an d th e people sa y, All th at th e Lord h ath sp oken

will we do an d be obed ien t. Th e rem a in der of th e blood is

th en sp rin kled over th e people, with th e words beh old th e

blood of th e coven an t.

Th i s r i t ua l had a s i gn i f i can t mean ing . The b lood

represented life (Lev. XVII: 11,14). Two parties formerly

independent of each other are uni ted into a s ingle l iving

whole because each is made to share in the same blood,

th at is , in th e sa m e vital essen ce. To accom plish th is i t is


31/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


n ecess ar y tha t th e life of a th ird pa rty be s acrificed in order

th at its l ife , bein g sh ar ed in by th e oth er two, migh t u n ite

them into a s ingle l i fe . Before the covenant was sealed

J ehovah and I s r ae l we re mere ly con t iguous . Af t e r t he

coven a n t th ey were u n ited b y a livin g bon d, a th ird life, in

wh ich both s h ared .

Wh at more n a tu ra l tha n th a t J esu s , knowing tha t h is

own life wou ld b e sa crificed on t h e m orrow, sh ou ld th in k of

his blood as the blood of the new covenant creating like

the blood of the old covenant a l iving bond between man

an d God. His l ife was to becom e th at th ird th in g, bridgin g

the gap between the divine and human, thus overcoming

th at isolat ion of th e in dividu al , th e estra n gemen t, wh ich is

called sin . Th is is at on em en t, th e cen tra l doctrin e of th e

Ch ristian religion .

Th ou gh th e symb ols by wh ich r eligion s peak s ch an ge

from a ge to age, old t ru th s rem ain. It is in th at inn er bon d

of uni ty be tween man and God which Moses and Jesus

sym bolized b y blood th a t we m u st seek th e power of social

sa lvat ion . In th e ear ly Ch u rch J esu s s aved th e in dividu al

becau se it was His S pirit which was t h e sou l of th e Chr istian

c o m m u n i t y , a n d i t w a s i n a n d t h r o u g h t h e C h r i s t i a n

comm u n ity th at th e in dividu a l was s a ved from ins u fficien cy

an d isolat ion . Am ong th e early Qu ak ers i t was th e Chr is t

within, who was the Spirit not only within the individual

bu t a lso with in th e grou p a s a livin g wh ole wh o bridged th e

gap between th e sepa ra te in dividu al an d a lar ger wh ole of

life. In th e religiou sly in tegrat ed com m u n ity th e in dividu a l

finds his problem solved for he is no longer alone. He has

fou n d m an an d God, each th rou gh the o th er .

Bu t n ow in Ch ris t J esu s ye tha t once were far off ar e

m ad e n igh in th e blood of Chr is t . For h e is ou r pea ce wh o

h ath m ad e both one , and broken d own th e middle wal l of

pa rti t ion (Ep h . 11 : 13,1 4).


32/32

HOWARD H. BRINTON


Notes

1 . S ee Ba r cla ys Inner Life of the Religiou s S ocieties of theCom m onw ealth , p p . 3 7 5 - 3 7 7 . Barc l ay , t he Quake r

Apologis t, d efin es th e Love Fea s t a s to ea t a n d d rin k

together in the dread and presence of the Lord as His

people w hich cus tom w e sh all not cond em n.

2. In ea r ly Ch r is t ian ity the n ew foun d libe r ty from the law

of Moses gave rise to th e sa m e problem. Pau l twice war n s

th e Corin th ian s th at All th in gs ar e lawfu l; bu t a ll th in gsa re n ot expedient . (I Cor. 6:12 ; 10:23 .)

3 . Su ch, for in st a n ce, as W. S. Elliott, The Proces s of Group

Thinking.

4. It is in te res t ing to n ot ice in th is con n ect ion th a t the

Cou n cil of th e Leagu e of Nat ion s a rrives a t i ts d ecisions

much af ter the manner of a Quaker meet ing. As one

objection will, in m u st ca ses , ma ke a ction imp oss ible, itis u seless to ta ke a vote an d s o conclu sion s a re arr ived

at b y genera l assen t .

5 . Su ch words as su perna tu ra l an d other wor ld ly a re

unfor tuna te inher i t ances f rom an age when human

and divine were considered as dis t inct and separate

as oil and water. A life which is qualitatively higher is

n o more u n n at u ra l n or m ira cu lou s th an th e lower.6 . Th e s e qu ot a t ion s a r e ta k e n fr om B r a ys h a w, Th e

Quakers , p a ge 99.

7. Su ch a s re ligious liber ty, peace, the ab olit ion of s lavery,

tem pera n ce, prison reform , the care of th e in sa n e, etc .

Brinton Religious Solution to Social Problem

Documents

Transcript of Brinton Religious Solution to Social Problem