252 Evolution of Theology. 



God, and replaces the theologic immortality with an earthly beyond 

 instead of a heavenly above. It is astonishing to find this discus- 

 sion of the evolution of the god-idea conducted in a church. This 

 notable event begins the day of hope for the emancipation of the 

 human mind from superstition. 



Rev. Dk. Gustav Gottheil,: — 



I may say that I am a living example of the development of 

 Jewish theology. Perhaps Mr. Wakeman would say that the Jewish 

 race has been kept back three thousand years by its belief in a 

 personal God; but this belief, which I hold most firmly, has not 

 prevented me from studying and understanding philosophical 

 opinions on these questions. As respects a belief in evolution, I 

 am an agnostic, because, for one thing, evolution seems to have 

 come to a stop, satisfied, leaving nothing for the future to do. Are 

 we to progress no further in our thought? Abraham's idea of 

 God may have been as noble as the modern idea. We do not derive 

 our ideas of God from the outside world. There is in man a faculty 

 which can conceive of God. We must look to that for the origin 

 of theology — not to fetishism or idolatry. The lecturer has criti- 

 cised the Jewish fealty to God rather than to man. But really 

 this is the higher thought : We love our neighbor, not because he 

 is always lovable, but because God has imposed upon us the obli- 

 gation to love him. Why should you love humanity ? There is 

 nothing in nature from which to derive a law of obligation. 

 Modern thinkers speak the ethical language of the ancient religion 

 without believing in its God — apparently; though at heart they 

 do believe in him. The Jewish belief in rival gods was never held 

 by the noblest of our race. It was discarded by all as early as the 

 eighth century before our era. The Jewish God is the ancestor 

 of all theism. Man's moral nature must have been formed from 

 the conception of a moral God. Judaism, as the mother of Chris- 

 tianity, should be treated with more respect. Judaism has not 

 passed through the "three stages" of theological, metaphysical 

 and positive thought : it has remained theological throughout. Is 

 it the worse for this ? Monotheistic religions will furnish in the 

 future, as they have in the past, the energy for reforming the 

 world. As to immortality, I have a right to demand the continu- 

 ance of my existence, which has cost so much effort and endeavoiv 



Rev. John W. Chadwick: — 



"Who shall come after the King?" However much we may 

 disagree with Dr. Gottheil, we must all admit that his was a right 



