Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 9.djvu/49

 EVANGELICAL SOCIAL CONGRESS IN GERMANY 35

In the Evangelical Social Congress the men are united who could earnestly undertake this task. Exactly at this time, when the Congress has, approximately, a unity of theological views, could it enter upon this task, because the historical and critical labors of theology are the presupposition for such an under- taking, only this theological school is in a position to carry on the historical method from theology into ethics.

But such a work cannot be accomplished with one or two lectures. It is necessary to go into details, and to discuss par- ticular moral and economic ideas, occupation and gain, usury laws and fair price, contentment and existing legal regulations, the worth of personality and the economic basis for a sound family life, property and labor, the wages conflict and the Ten Commandments, and much more, in order to enable the sermon to go to the core of reality and conduct.

There are also many questions which relate to the church as an external institution: administration of property, ecclesiastical taxes, and the like. The question must be met, whether the traditional practice is defensible or not from the standpoint of society, For example, in the city of Schoneberg, near Berlin, during recent years, the church as landlord has acted contrary to the common welfare like any common speculator, and there are instances in other cities. Such facts must be collected and criticised. New principles for the management of church prop- erty must be sought. The Evangelical Social Congress, a union of theologians and economists, is in a position to do this work.

Both forms of the problem are in the ecclesiastical field. If they are made prominent in the Congress, then the purely economic and political themes must retire to the background. That would be no loss, because, as already shown, there are other organizations to take up these themes. The peculiar ter- ritory of the Congress lies in Christian ethics and social history, and this ground it must cultivate if it would show proof of right to exist.

I cannot say whether Professor Harnack has the intention to guide the Congress in this direction. At present it seems that the meeting this year in Darmstadt will follow former lines.