| Show NEW STUDY NATIONAL MOVEMENT STARTED BY COUNCIL OF 70 convention to be held in chicago next spring present methods of instruction of the young considered inadequate the council of seventy a body of bible teachers in educational institutions of this country has issued a call for a convention to effect a national organization tor the improvement ot religious and moral education through sunday schools and other agencies the convention will be held in chicago in february or march of next year it will be made up of members and associate members of the council of seventy invited teachers ministers and editors invited pastors 0 churches and superintendents of sunday schools the origin ot the county of seventy dates back to in that year dr william it harper llian professor of hebrew in the baptist theological seminary at morgan park and now president of the university of chicago prepared a series cf text books for the study of hebrew and new testament greek la february 1881 be organized a correspond bace school under the name 0 the of hebrew starting with twenty members the institute grew rapidly in 1899 was effected and the society took the name of the american institute of sacred literature era ture in 1891 the headquarters of the institute was removed aiom new to chicago it was felt that alie institute should be a through which biblo scholars eng aKSEl in teaching in universities and wight cyme into contact people out of this situation grew tho council of seventy and under its general charge was placed the american institute of macrel literature its officers are prof frink K sanders dean 61 yale divinity school acting president william 11 harper principal clyde W votaw recorder and herbert L treasurer ier in speaking of the plan to form a national organization the biblical corll of november says editorially it lias become increasingly clear thit the instruction of the young in cclia ion and morality w aich is given in the sunday school the home and liy mothr means is inadequate to the present need and is not wholly in accord with th ebest present knowledge the gradual retirement of the bible from our common schools has decreased the amount of religious and moral instruction which the children receive the suchy school while in general it has progressed in its ideal its methods and is in essential respects bailin fa ilin to do it full duty many schools annl individual leaders arc continuing imperfect methods of instruction aro remaining to the new educational principles and ideals one treating religion as an isolated ito and optional element in individual development and closing their eyes to increasing knowledge for the bast twenty five years tharo has been a growing ion of the of the existing conditions and inucci thought and effort havo been expended by individuals and organizations upon the improvement of religious and moral education the time has iamo for a united effort to clarify develop and promulgate the great iileta so worked out andio combine the labors of those who are seeking to promote a higher ideal of substance and method in religious and moral instruction the work to be undertaken by such an organization organisation may bo indicated somewhat as follows 1 it may endeavor to define the true relation of religious and moral instruction st to other branches ot instruction indicating the part which religion should perform in the development of the individual and of society 2 it may seek to show how to correlate religious and moral instruction the instruction in history science and literature obtained in the public 3 it may present and apply the established results 0 modern psychology modern pedagogy and modern babl aidy as related to religious and moral teachings 4 it may indictee indic tte the proper place of the bible in religion and moral instruction st and act forth the general and methods of using tho biblo for wis purpose 5 it may dhow alie necessity and method of a graduation of pupils ag in public according to capacity and attainment and the and method of graded instruction 0 both material and manner of instruction will be nd idled to the of wal mental moral and spiritual intent which the pupil hag reached 0 it may indicate how thin abw aicher deal can ba worked out intha churches alie sunday school the chool and the home alo in young societies young mens and young christian lubi for bible tor gon eral culture and tho like 7 it may eek to create for the baue prided curriculum which will he lawr the methods of ft reli elong and capral education ii ii wor dance with the of biblical rol ethical 0 1 it may for the study A ai I 1 of the bible and of religion and ity in ancient and modern times the best available courses of lessons and alo best book according to their relative merit as judged by the new ideal and it may promote tho preparation of better courses ot lessons and better books in this licud 0 it may seek by all ideana to accomplish com alie adequate training of tench era to give religious and moral instruction by showing what amount and kind of knowledge arc required and how this may be attained what use is to bo ande of such knowledge in teaching children at the several stages of their growth what spiritual and moral qualifications ficat ions arc necessary for training boys and girls into men and women and what arc the best methods in the meny branches of this most important of all educational work 10 it may seek to unite in a common work all those individual and agencies which are laborin for this high geo tolmie er ideal and moral education by such union the wisdom strength and influence of each one will be increased and result s will be achieved which tho same individuals and agencies working separately could but slowly if at all such single handed work going on for many years now has prepared alie way for an advance step namely the unification of all forces which arc promoting tho movement the council of seventy seeks to create a national organization hoping that many once established it may enter upon a separate existence it is the sincere desire of the council f seventy that every one who is seeking cither indi I 1 or in association with others to work out the ideal of religious and moral education shall connect definitely avith the movement |
