BOOK NOTICES. 315 



National Religions and Universal Religions: By A. Kuenen, LL. D., 

 D.D.; i2mo. pp. 365. New York, Chas. Scribner's Sons. For sale by M. 

 H. Dickinson. $1.50. 



Works upon religious subjects have become within the past ityf years very 

 attractive and salable, which is due largely to the discussions between theologians 

 and scientists, causing a popular demand for more light upon this and all kindred 

 topics. Darwinism has extended to all branches of science, including the science 

 of religion, and while not all students regard the religious history of the world as 

 the *' expression " of a natural process of development "yet there are many who 

 do so regard it and who are finding evolution everywhere. 



Dr. Kuenen is a Professor of Theology at Liden who was requested to de- 

 liver the Hibbert Lectures for 1882, at London and Oxford, and whose work has 

 been put into English by Rev, Ph. H. Wicksteed in a manner creditable to himself 

 and satisfactory to the author. 



The general tenor of the book is to show that the spread of any form of re- 

 ligion beyond the limits of a single people and over many and diverse nations 

 gives it the character of universality as opposed to a national religion. His class 

 of universal religions comprises Christianity, Buddhism and Islamism, though 

 some writers exclude the last named. In discussing the subject he begins with 

 Islam ; concerning the origin of which we are best informed and of which we 

 have the most accurate and complete records He admits that the Koran (or 

 Qoran as he spells it) clearly shows what Islam is, but asserts that Mohammed's 

 development of it is confused and obscure; that Mohammed proclaimed the one 

 Allah, thus combating the polytheism of the great majority of the people of his 

 day, but that aside from this Islam was largely the individuality of Mohammed 

 modified by his contact with Judaism ; that the prophet of Allah is a reproduction 

 of Israel's great leaders and the Qoran a counterpart of "the book "or finally, 

 that Islam was the "kernel of Judaism transplanted to Arabian soil." As to its 

 universality he asserts that despite the fact that it spread all over Arabia, then 

 over a territory surpassing the Roman Empire in extent and still holds a certain 

 sway over 175,000,000 people, it lacks depth, elasticity, comprehensiveness, it is 

 but a side-branch of Judaism, made by an Arab for Arabians, levelled to their 

 capacity and adulterated by national elements calculated to facilitate their recep- 

 tion of it. 



We have thus given a meagre outline of the author's manner of treating this 

 branch of the subject. The remainder of the book is given to a similar consider- 

 ation of the popular religion of Israel, the priests and prophets of Yahwch ; the 

 universalism of the prophets ; the establishment of Judaism ; Judaism and Chris- 

 tianity ; Buddhism with a concluding comparison of the three religions of the 

 world as respects their universalism, the mutability of the Christianity as its com- 

 mendation and the future of Christianity. 



No work of recent date covers so much ground so thoroughly, none mani- 

 fests more minute and accurate knowledge of the subject and none is presented 



