“To the churches, Christianity has become a question of fidelity to a church and creed, and not to the spirit of Christ.”
High Point: The chronicle of a young idealistic minister on his first congregational assignment in the early 20th century.
Low Point: The ending is just a little too pat and convenient.
Author: Harold Bell Wright
Publication Date: 1909
Genre: Fictions
Project Gutenberg: The Calling of Dan Matthews
LibriVox: Not available
Movie/TV Adaptation: The Calling of Dan Matthews (1935)
“To the churches, Christianity has become a question of fidelity to a church and creed, and not to the spirit of Christ.”
This quote, from a conversation between two key characters, sums up the conflict explored in Harold Bell Wright’s The Calling of Dan Matthews. Set in the early 20th century, Wright puts organized religion on trial as a young idealistic minister encounters his first congregational assignment.
The new pastor’s journey makes fascinating reading as he attempts to work through his church members’ old attitudes, and he struggles against the constant politics. Unfortunately, the ending is little too pat and convenient.
Wright uses one character—the Doctor—almost as Thornton Wilder used the Stage Manager in Our Town. The Doctor is much more involved in the plot than the Stage Manager, but frequently provides sage observations about the pastor and the town in which they reside. It’s an effective method for shaping the reader’s perspective.
The author is rather cynical in his approach to churches, and he tends to paint most church members with one broad brush—one that’s not very positive.
The Calling of Dan Matthews is well worth a read. Enjoy the journey.
Quotes
| To the churches, Christianity has become a question of fidelity to a church and creed, and not to the spirit of Christ. |
