In a recent number of The Harvard
Theological Review, Professor Douglas Clyde Macintosh of
the Yale Divinity School outlines in a very interesting manner the religious
system to which he gives his adherence. For âsubstance of doctrineâ (to use a
form of speech formerly quite familiar at New Haven) this religious system does
not differ markedly from what is usually taught in the circles of the so-called
âLiberal Theology.â Professor Macintosh has, however, his own way of construing
and phrasing the common âLiberalâ teaching; and his own way of construing and
phrasing it presents a number of features which invite comment. It is tempting
to turn aside to enumerate some of these, and perhaps to offer some remarks
upon them. As we must make a selection, however, it seems best to confine
ourselves to what appears on the face of it to be the most remarkable thing in
Professor Macintoshâs representations. This is his disposition to retain for
his religious system the historical name of Christianity, although it utterly
repudiates the cross of Christ, and in fact feels itself (in case of need)
quite able to get along without even the person of Christ. A ânew
Christianity,â he is willing, to be sure, to allow that it isâa ânew
Christianity for which the world is waitingâ; and as such he is perhaps
something more than willing to separate it from what he varyingly speaks of as
âthe older Christianity,â âactual Christianity,â âhistoric Christianity,â
âactual, historical Christianity.â He strenuously claims for it, nevertheless,
the right to call itself by the name of âChristianity.â