Christianity and Problems of To-day: Lectures Delivered Before Lake Forest College on the Foundation of the Late William Bross

In Short

This volume collects five lectures delivered at Lake Forest College in November 1921, celebrating the inauguration of President Herbert McComb Moore. Written by prominent public intellectuals, scholars, and churchmen, the speeches examine how Christian principles can be applied to pressing post–World War I challenges. The contributors address educational reform, international diplomacy in the Far East, the rise of modern industrial discontent, and the social structures needed for human flourishing. The collection remains a vital document of early twentieth-century American thought, showing how leading minds sought to reconcile traditional faith with modern social science.

The Story

The book opens with John Huston Finley invoking the ancient legend of Enoch's Pillars to propose a bold strategy for global education. Finley argues that the modern world must construct a universal curriculum to pass on the best of human achievement to the next generation. Facing the massive debts left behind by the Great War, he suggests that nations redirect debt repayments toward building schools, printing shared textbooks, and fostering a planetary consciousness among youth. By grounding education in high moral ideals rather than nationalistic hatreds, humanity can break the endless cycle of conflict where fathers are forced to bury their sons.

Charles Foster Kent takes the stage next to reframe the historic ministry of Jesus. Rejecting the artistic tradition of a wan, impractical ascetic, Kent portrays Jesus as a practical social planner who intentionally established a joyful, organized community at Capernaum. This fraternal model sought to satisfy human desires for self-expression through service, education, and healing. Kent demonstrates how early Christianity gained its kinetic power through aggressive social outreach, laying out a systematic program designed to outlast temporary political movements.

Robert Bruce Taylor shifts the focus to individual spiritual life and public morality. He notes that while modern secular institutions like service clubs have arisen to promote good works, true social transformation requires an awakened heart. Taylor highlights the liberating joy Christ brought to a world formerly paralyzed by fear and demonic superstitions. He insists that every generation must restate its evangelical faith in contemporary terms, bridging the gap between old scholars and young idealists.

Paul Elmer More confronts the growing rift between traditional religion and modern evolutionary sociology. He criticizes secular thinkers who view physical discontent as the sole engine of progress, warning that a purely materialist outlook fuels an unchecked appetite for power and luxury. Without a spiritual framework to cultivate humility and peace, societal discontent inevitably decays into animal rapacity and systemic greed.

Finally, Jeremiah W. Jenks applies Christian ethics to international diplomacy, focusing on the Washington Naval Conference and tension in the Far East. Analyzing the friction between the United States and Japan, Jenks assesses regional issues like immigration, birth control, and administrative control in Korea and China. He calls on world leaders to abandon deceptive statecraft and embrace direct, transparent principles, arguing that international stability depends on recognizing that whatever truly benefits humanity is right.

How It Unfolds

The education of the race John Huston Finley introduces the ancient legend of Enoch's dual pillars, which preserved human knowledge through a global deluge. He calls on modern leaders to synthesize a world curriculum that will unite children across national boundaries.

The practical social plan Charles Foster Kent analyzes the temptations and early ministry of Jesus to demonstrate that he pursued a clear, organized social program. He emphasizes the vibrant, joyful life of the Capernaum community as a model for modern social reform.

Spiritual health and secular service Robert Bruce Taylor addresses the rise of modern civic clubs that attempt to do good outside formal church structures. He argues that while civic goodwill is valuable, lasting moral action must spring from a personally transformed heart.

The danger of material discontent Paul Elmer More critiques evolutionary theories of sociology that reduce human progress to physical dissatisfaction. He warns that stripping life of supernatural hope leaves society defenseless against the relentless pursuit of material power.

Ethics in global diplomacy Jeremiah W. Jenks examines the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and Japan in the Pacific. He argues that lasting peace in Shantung, Manchuria, and Korea can only be achieved if nations apply the ethical standards of Jesus to statecraft.

The People

• John Huston Finley: The opening lecturer who envisions a global educational system funded by refunded war debts. He wants to lift humanity out of provincial hatreds, but faces the obstacle of national pride and inertia; he ends by offering a vision of planetary consciousness.
• Jesus: Analyzed by multiple speakers as a practical, strategic leader rather than a passive mystic. He seeks to build a lasting, joyful community that fulfills human needs, facing opposition from entrenched religious leaders and political temptations, ultimately establishing a model of self-sacrificing service.
• Paul Elmer More: A literary critic and philosopher who opposes purely materialistic theories of social evolution. He seeks to defend spiritual values against secular sociologists who view discontent as the only source of progress, ending with a call for moral restraint and humility.
• Jeremiah W. Jenks: A political economist who applies Christian ethics to foreign policy. He wants major powers to resolve Far Eastern disputes through honesty and mutual respect, confronting imperialist aggression and secret diplomacy, and concluding that true national self-interest aligns with the general welfare of humanity.

In Its Own Voice

"For no man in his senses would prefer war to peace; since in peace the sons bury their fathers, whereas in war the fathers bury their sons."

John Huston Finley quotes the captured King Croesus to emphasize the biological and spiritual necessity of maintaining peace across generations.

"The Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath..."

Jeremiah W. Jenks cites this Gospel declaration to show how Jesus made the actual welfare of humanity the ultimate test for all moral and legal codes.

What It's Really About

The collection centers on the question of how religious faith can remain a vital, organizing force in an increasingly secular, industrialized world. The contributors resist the idea that religion is merely a private, otherworldly solace. Instead, they argue that spiritual values are essential for restraining human greed, guiding international diplomacy, and building effective social institutions. Across their different fields—education, sociology, theology, and political science—the authors share a conviction that material progress without a moral foundation leads to conflict and societal decay. The text ultimately asserts that true human progress requires both an awakened individual conscience and a commitment to the collective good.

Why Read It Today

Christianity and Problems of To-day offers a fascinating window into the intellectual climate of the early 1920s, capturing a moment when scholars were striving to rebuild global stability after the devastation of World War I. Readers interested in the history of social reform, American Protestant thought, or early international relations will find the lectures remarkably prescient, particularly in their discussion of global education and Pacific geopolitics.

The book does reflect its era, which presents some minor difficulties for modern readers. Jeremiah W. Jenks's analysis of Far Eastern politics employs the paternalistic diplomatic terminology typical of Western academics in 1921, and Paul Elmer More's philosophical arguments rely heavily on classical Greek concepts like pleonexia. Additionally, the lecture format means the prose ranges from sweeping rhetorical speeches to detailed economic policy analyses.

Nevertheless, the collection remains deeply engaging. It challenges the modern reader to consider whether material advancement alone can sustain a peaceful society, offering an earnest defense of moral responsibility that still resonates today.