310 THE PRESENT IMPORTANCE OF SCIENCE 



awaiting a day of judgment in the not distant future, to that 

 of a being originating as part of organic nature and set in a 

 universe without beginning and without end. The by- 

 product of this intellectual revolution was an emancipation 

 of the human spirit from the bonds of authority. Authority 

 indeed remains, but it is no longer the authority of book 

 or priest, however potent such authority may still appear to 

 be. In its place stands the authority of nature; and so great 

 has been the emancipation we have, as yet, recognized but 

 an insignificant measure of the changes in human thinking 

 which must follow. 



While we can best visualize the effects of the evolutionary 

 doctrine by reviewing its historical development, it is 

 equally important that one recognize what is happening 

 to-day; in what way this doctrine has affected theological 

 beliefs since the publication of Darwin's "Origin of Species" 

 (1859) ; what has happened in philosophy; and what changes 

 have occurred in our outlook upon the problems of society. 



In theology, the evolutionary doctrine is carrying us 

 from the concept of a single religion, revealed to man by 

 agents duly inspired, to the concept of a multitude of 

 religions of varying worthiness, but all the outgrowth of 

 yearnings which originated with human intelligence. In 

 other words, religion of whatever sort is a product of organic 

 evolution, just as human intelligence is a product of evolu- 

 tion. When religion is so regarded, we need not condone the 

 shortcomings of the fathers nor strive for metaphysical 

 explanations of sin and death, of sorrow and pain; since 

 these are but the present outcome of our origin from the 

 brute. We know in part whence we came, if not whither we 

 are going, and it is enough if we may, by our own efforts, 

 somewhat improve the material and spiritual state of our- 

 selves and our children. This point of view has been reached, 

 not by a sudden break with the past, but by a gradual shift 

 of mental attitude which makes the older doctrines impos- 

 sible of acceptance. The evolutionary concept has been 



