CHRISTOLOGICAI: STUDIES
78. 6C1.,)
MR. BAKER follows up his excellent book Jesus by a more im- portant and definitely theological work on the doctrine of the Incarnation and its relation to the Christian view of the world. His object is to explain what it is that instructed Christians really mean by the chief tenet of their faith and what evidence they can bring to support it. His intended readers (if they are not deterred by his uncompromising title) are "ordinary non-Christian members of the intellectual classes " ; and no one who mixes -much in their society will '; doubt the need for intelligent missionary, or rather educative, , enterprise on their behalf. The book then is intended as a , bridge between Christian scholarship and the ordinary reading public. The argument begins with a discussion of theism - and its difficulties, which are shown to be sá serious that spiritual theism almost stands or falls by the belief that the Incarnation was- a real and historical event. "Only if the wisdom of God is the personal insight of Jesus, rather than the knowledge of an infinite. Einstein, canwe begin to rationalise the reality of history." The account of the historical Jesus accepts the whole of the Synoptic record and is followed by a discussion of the New Testament interpretation of Christ.
• There is not much here that is not already familiar to students ; and we note the tendency, always associated with the use of too familiar material, to slide into the sermon now and again.' This and the far too frequent quotations from contemporary. „ecclesiastics—who cut no ice with the reading public that Mr. Baker has in mind—seem to be the weakest points in his book.
Francois Mauriac's Life of Jesus, which has already achieved . great popularity in France, is in almost every respect a contrast . to Mr. Baker's careful work. It is the work of a novelist with considerable technical ability and a keen eye for effect. In his struggle to avoid the conventional, and to stress the sterner aspect of Our Lord's character and . teaching M. .Mauriac entirely loses the exquisite balance of austerity and gentleness so wonderfully preserved in the Synoptics and
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almost produces at tithes in impression ot roughness. This curious- mixture of - literary ,sophistication and Gallic piety will probably give pleasure - to some readers. but on the whole, as an English bishop lately observed of his own devotional experiments, it tends to " cOnvince- iine-ifrthe'-end tlfat-One cannot really improve on the Lord2s Prayer." _
EVELYN UNDERHILL.
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