322 PROFESSIONAL RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 



Again, through the growth of these movements, the field for a dis- 

 tinctive religious career has been greatly widened, while adding to the 

 opportunities for specialization in religious leadership. Not a few 

 young men of commanding ability are giving themselves to a work 

 for boys, the problems of which are now in process of solution. 

 A high quality of ability is essential also to the man who takes up 

 the work of a traveling secretary for the colleges. In settlement work, 

 in the direction of all kinds of philanthropic and educational activity, 

 a trained man or woman is recognized as essential for strong and 

 profitable service. 



Lastly, we are forced to note that in no other way than by the 

 acceptance and vast enlargement of lay leadership can the friends 

 of religious education keep abreast of the demand for efficient direc- 

 tion. This does not imply any loss of influence on the part of the 

 ministry. There is no such diminution in the case of a true minister. 

 But the demand for trained leadership is too great for any one class 

 of men to supply. 



Let us notice briefly what is being done to train laymen for such 

 professional service as they may helpfully render on the score of 

 religious education. 



I would mention in passing the very interesting fact that the 

 Teachers' College of Columbia University has definitely included 

 within its curriculum for would-be teachers thorough-going courses 

 by Dr. Richard Hodge on the principles, methods, and literature of 

 religious education, and on the historical and literary study of the 

 Bible. 



It is also important to note the rapidly increasing number of 

 educational institutions of the first rank -among our universities and 

 colleges which furnish courses in the English Bible, the history of 

 religion, and in ethics, sociology, and pedagogy, which tend directly 

 to give the student confidence and power in religious leadership. 

 I have had the opportunity of following the history of fifteen years of 

 such work at Yale, to the conclusion that many are thereby led to 

 use a portion of their time in later life in promoting religious and 

 moral training. 



Inasmuch as the whole system of training the laity for efficiency 

 in religious leadership is a very recent development, we cannot ex- 

 pect any such well-ordered, historically-developed institution as the 

 school of theology to have made its appearance. As an earnest, 

 however, of what will soon be found in enlarged numbers, I instance 

 a few of the institutions which are giving to the laity a more or less 

 thorough training for leadership. 



Sometime ago the Young Men's Christian Association discov- 

 ered the need of training schools for secretaries and physical 

 directors. Two such are established and in operation; one at 



