ing American History (Garden City: Doubleday, 1967, 392 pp., $5.95). Those interested in ecumenicity should be aware o f three books. The Ecumenical Revolution: an Interpretation of the Catholic- Protestant Dialogue by well- known ecumenist writer Robert M. Brown (Garden City: Double day, 1967, 388 pp., $5.95) will give the uninitiated a good intro duction to the movement and to the initiated an up-to-date picture of changes and movements with in ecumenism. Conservatists will welcome two books which reveal the shortcomings and fallacies of ecumenism: C. Stanley Lowell’s The Ecumenical Mirage (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967, 205 pp., $4.95) and The Protes tant Revolt: Road to Freedom for American Churches (Arlington, Virginia: Crestwood Books, 1967, 326 pp., $3.95, paper). T he comment is often heard: “ I don’t like history!” This generalization is often stretched to cover church history as well for it is a division of the larger field. Can a Christian conscien tiously say that he does not like chur ch h i s t o ry ? I doubt it! Church history is found in the New Testament. The four Gospel accounts record the earthly life and ministry o f Jesus Christ, the Saviour and Lord of the church. The Acts of the Apostles recount the founding of the Christian church, the establishment o f in dividual congregations, and the activities of early Christian lead ers. The epistles contain source material for the writing of the first century church’s history. The Book of Revelation in the let ters to the seven churches out lines the present dispensation of the church. Certainly a Christian cannot be disinterested in these things written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Every Christian is helping to “GREAT THINGS HE HATH DONE!”
BOOK FEATURE THE CHURCH
IN ACTION
by Dr. James H. Christian opposition to Christianity, believ ers should read the heart-moving, courage-imparting historical novel by Myron Augsburger o f the great Anabaptist leader Michael Sattler and his wife, who were martyred, in 1527, for their faith in Christ, Pilgrim Aflame (Scott- dale, Pennsylvania: Herald Press, 1967, 288 pp., $4.00). Several denominational studies may be noted. Conrad J. Bergen- dorff has written The Church of the Lutheran Reformation: a His torical Survey of Lutheranism (St. Louis: Concordia, 1967, 339 pp., $9.00). Two publications deal with Moravianism: When the Spirit Came: the Story of the Moravian Revival of 1727 (Min neapolis: Bethany Fellow sh ip , 1967, 94 pp., $1.00, paper) and Moravians in Two Wor lds; a Study of Changing Communities (New York: Columbia, 1967, 302 pp., $8.75). Cornelius J. Dyck has edited, especially for young adults, a history of Anabaptist-Menno- nite life and thought from the sixteenth century to the present, entitled An Introduction to Men- nonite History: A Popular His tory of the Anabaptists and the Mennonites ( Scottdale: Herald, 1967, 324 pp., $3.75, paper). Theo dore F. Adams presents a broad view of their work in Baptists Around the World (Nashville: Broadman, 1967, 128 pp., $1.50). O.K. and Marjorie M. Armstrong have made history live in their thrilling account of Baptist lead ers and activities which have con tributed largely to American life in The Indomitable Baptists: A Narrative of Their Role in Shap
R ecent church history books provide coverage broad enough to interest any reader. They range from historical novels to doctoral dissertations, Protestant ism to Catholicism, revivalism to ecumenicity, biographies to de nominational studies, and early to modern church. Only a few, however, will be mentioned. Several interesting biographical titles appear. Two deal with earli er outstanding American Baptists who contribute much both spirit ually and politically: Luther Rice: Believer in Tomorrow by Evelyn W. Thompson (Nashville: Broad- man, 1967, 234 pp., $3.95) and Isaac Backus and the American Pietistic Tradition by William Mc- Loughlin (Boston: Little, 1967, 252 pp., $2.50, paper). Presbyte rians will welcome William An derson Scott: No Ordinary Man, the biography o f one o f Califor nia’s greatest pioneer ministers by the well-known author Clif ford M. Drury (Glendale: A. H. Clark, 1967, 352 pp., $6.50). Scandinavian readers will want to peruse The Journals of Eric Norelius, a Swedish missionary on the American frontier, edited by G. Everett Arden (Philadelphia: Fortress, 1967, 207 pp., $2.75, paper). Methodists will be glad to know that Franklin Wilder has w ritten Immortal Mother, the story of Susanna Wesley (New York: Vintage Press, 1967, 230 pp., $3.95). Followers of the Gra- ham Crusades will be interested in Ethel Waters’ autobiography, His Eye is on the Sparrow (New York: Pyramid, 1967, 278 pp., 75tf, paper). Because of growing
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THE KING'S BUSINESS
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