The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Next Step in Religion, by Roy Wood Sellars

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Title: The Next Step in Religion
An Essay toward the Coming Renaissance

Author: Roy Wood Sellars

Release Date: April 8, 2010 [EBook #31920]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE NEXT STEP IN RELIGION ***

Produced by Al Haines

THE NEXT STEP IN RELIGION

AN ESSAY TOWARD THE COMING RENAISSANCE

BY

ROY WOOD SELLARS, Ph.D.

Author of "Critical Realism," "The Next Step in Democracy," etc.

New York

THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

1918

_All rights reserved_

COPYRIGHT, 1918

BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY

Set up and electrotyped. Published, August, 1918

TO

HELEN STALKER SELLARS

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED

FOREWORD

The purpose of this book is positive and constructive, although it may
not at first appear such to the reader whose inherited beliefs are
freely challenged. But let the reader ponder the fact that the deepest
spiritual life has always concerned itself with the appreciation and
maintenance of values. He who acknowledges, and wishes to further,
human values cannot be said to be irreligious or unspiritual.

The center of gravity of religion has been openly changing for some
time now from supernaturalism to what may best be called a humanistic
naturalism. The history of this change is traced in many of the
chapters of the book. There have been many steps forward in the past,
for every age must possess its own religion, a religion concordant with
its knowledge and expressive of its problems and aims. The sincerity
and adequacy with which this necessary task is done measures the
spiritual greatness of the particular age.

I have called the book _The Next Step in Religion_ because the time is
ripe for one of the great steps forward. The setting of religion must
be adjusted to man's knowledge. Let it not be feared that man's
spiritual life will be injured thereby. Rather will it be made saner,
healthier and more creative.

The first phase of religion reflected man's helplessness and fear. He
peopled his surroundings with conscious powers,