Evangelic

FOR SINNERS ONLY--A. J. Russell--Harper ($1.50).

This book sold 52,000 copies in England in three months. Propaganda for Frank Nathan Daniel ("Soul-Surgeon") Buchman's "First Century Christian Fellowship," it is "a book about sinners, for sinners, by quite a big sinner." Though he may not be boasting, Sinner Russell is not explicit about himself, is concerned rather, in this rambling, 293-page book, to paint a glowing picture of Buchmanite activity.

While managing editor of London's Sunday Express (he does not name it, calls it simply "perhaps the most Virile and progressive London newspaper"). Sinner Russell's newsy nose became aware of a new religious movement at Oxford. He investigated it and it converted him. What he tells will mostly be old stuff to Buchmanites, but onlooking sinners will welcome this thoroughgoing if diffuse report on the Methodism of our day. Buchmanism, much more respectable than it was a few years ago, is apparently much less preoccupied by sex-sensationalism. Says Russell. "The words purity and impurity I heard occasionally at . . . Group meetings. Sometimes the word lust. But though I have attended hundreds of Group meetings, I do not remember hearing anything in bad taste."

Buchmanism's hard-worked tenets Author Russell cheerfully, anecdotally examines. He sheds light on Buchmanites' belief in "guidance": "Frank was 'guided' to say several unexpected things to me during that afternoon and evening. One thing he said at dinner interested me considerably. He had just taken a second helping of asparagus when I asked him to explain where common sense ended and guidance began. 'I don't pretend that every detail of my life is guided,' said Frank. 'For instance, I did not have guidance to take that asparagus. I was hungry, and like asparagus.' "

Many a Buchmanite, says Russell, takes no thought for the morrow, what he shall eat or wear, lives on a budget of faith and prayer. When Russell thought of visiting the U. S., cabled Buchmanite Ray Purdy about it, Purdy cabled back: "Come on a basis of faith and prayer. Check your decision with Frank." Russell came, visited the U. S. for six months.

Like other Buchmanite books. For Sinners Only calls many a good Buchmanite by name, often by nickname. Some noted Buchmanites mentioned: Princeton's Professor Philip Marshall Brown. Manhattan's Samuel Moor ("Sam") Shoemaker Jr., William Gilliland ("Bill Pickle"), onetime bootlegger to Penn State, Eton's Loudon Hamilton, Oxford's Canon Grensted. Author Russell naturally fails to mention such onetime Buchmanites as Princeton's Wilhelmus Bryan, Salem's Cornelius Trowbridge and Oxford's Murray Webb Peploe.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.