Allan Hunter

Allan Armstrong Hunter, California student at Union Theological ,Seminary, has found a voice. A contributor to magazines, he makes (in The Forum) this point: the young priest or preacher is not interested in debates about theological dogma (virgin birth, etc.); the young priest is interested in questions which he scarcely dares face, and those are the questions of " social justice." Are the rich too rich; the poor too poor? Since the church does so little to educate young men and women to marry intelligently, has it a right to forbid divorce? Birth control? Perhaps H. G. Wells is right--250,000,000 people is enough to be on earth at any one time.

Mr. Hunter says that the big Christian leaders sidestep such questions. And the young minister does not know whether he should be discreet and get a good job, or whether he should follow his conscience boldly and get into trouble.

Dr. Harry Emerson Fosdick is a professor at Mr. Hunter's seminary. Dr. Fosdiek is supposed to be a " radical." But apparently Dr. Fosdick's pupil believes that he is radical about things which do not count and that he has very little to say about those things--questions of social righteousness--which do count.

Mr. Hunter has not yet gone further. He has not asked: " Suppose some great religious leader did say something about social injustice-- what good would it do? "