minuteness and comprehensive character of caste requirements make obedience to elders and society an easy and common virtue. The division of the community into strata, each of which has its recognized grade, promotes regard for social order and reverence toward acknowledged superiors. Under purely Oriental civilization, criticism of the social order is useless and uncommon, and duty is taught to be quietly filling one's appointed station in life. Modesty is an ornament to the average Hindoo woman, and is developed by the social law which allows young and middle-aged women to have little intercourse even with the men of their own households. Economy is carefully and systemati cally taught, because from very early childhood all girls, and to some extent little boys, are associated with the women who manage the household affairs. There is careful estimating the exact amount of grain and of all condiments required for every meal and for every expenditure. Exactness of thought and speech, and care in making and keeping promises, are not cultivated or highly appreciated. Exuberant imagination causes exuberance of speech, which often seems to Occidentals flagrant disregard of truth. But, barring testimony in litigation, the average man in India does not intentionally deceive, nor is he deemed untruthful by those who know what his language means.

Turning now to the small but influential section of the Indian people who are Brahmans, and members of a few other of the higher castes, one finds that much pains are taken in inculcating religion and ceremonial morality in that community. Here, especially, religion and morality are synonymous, and they cover every detail of life. It may surprise many to know that here, too, the inculcation of religion and morality is mainly done by women, so far as this does not depend upon books. The united family, in which three or four generations live together and share all responsibilities and privileges, is the typical family life in India. See a picture of the home life of such a family. From earliest years children see that parents and grandparents and all the members of the household are scrupulous about what are esteemed religious duties. Even in cold weather every one carefully bathes more than once a day. Many rise before dawn and go to bathe in streams. When the women cook, they carefully change their garments. Even little children, unless ceremonially clean, are not allowed to go near or touch the cooks. Whenever the men eat food, they bathe carefully and change their dress. After every meal the floor is cleaned in the regulation way. The metallic dishes are scoured and placed in order. Careful restrictions are placed on the sources from which water is brought. When the boys play or go to school, they are scrupulous about not having their persons

or garments touched, even accidentally, by any one who is not ceremonially clean. Great conscientiousness is developed as to fasting and feasting and the observance of sacred occasions. When sickness and death enter the household, additional responsibilities are incurred. Obedience is a virtue which is inculcated and developed by the assumptions and atmosphere of the home and of society. As girls grow older, they are largely confined to assigned quarters of the united family, and are not expected to speak with the males except under restrictions. Modesty is effectively taught. From very early days girls are taught industry by being required to do as much as they can in the various lines of domestic economy. Thus the average Brahman woman becomes a good cook and a good housekeeper, and has careful training for her position in life. All girls and little boys go daily with their mothers to the shrines for the performance of certain religious rites. At home they share in the care of the tulasi plant and in serving the idols in the home. When the family priest visits the home, the women and girls sometimes attend and notice the rites which the priest performs. It is pre-eminently Hindoo women who inculcate the Hindoo religion by repeating religious stories which they have heard, and by requiring all female members of the household and the younger boys to perform religious ceremonies and to observe sacred seasons in the prescribed manner.

The fathers of the higher castes do something in the training of their sons in religion and morals. Boys associate with their fathers, and thus learn to imitate the various religious acts of men. Usually, between the ages of six and eight, boys of the higher castes go through a service of initiation, and are invested with a sacred cord, after which they are taught to read sacred books and are permitted to read and learn about various religious doctrines. From this time on many boys go to schools, in which they are taught a good deal about religion and conduct. In households where special care is practised, even little boys are awakened before dawn and set to reading sacred books. They usually read these aloud. Sometimes the tufts of their hair are tied by strings to a nail or hook in the wall to keep sleepy heads from nodding. Purely indigenous customs among Brahmans required a boy soon after being initiated to leave home and to go and live with a religious teacher for a period of years. This practice is comparatively rare nowadays. To some extent in the village schools and in higher institutions, the Hindoo religion and Hindoo morality are taught to boys. A Hindoo college has been organized at Benares, under the leadership of Mrs. Annie Besant, to teach Hindooism much on the lines of higher institutions in Christian countries. Were the characteristic institutions of learning

in India succeeding in teaching the Hindoo religion to the rising generation, this new effort would not have been attempted.

The strong points in Indian customs of inculcating religion and morals are, that obedience, reverence, and conscientiousness are taught in all sections of the community by leading the individual from childhood to do those things which are required by his religion; that the arrangement of society helps boys and girls from early childhood to form their conduct according to the requirements of the spheres in which they are to live; that with very limited resources in books and schools a considerable degree of success is attained in securing that which is thus aimed at. These are points in which the more intelligent people of the West might well learn something from the customs of India. In no community will adequate success be attained in religion or morals where parents and elders depend mainly on teaching through books or even oral instruction, without, first, themselves practising, at home and in all relations of society, that which their theory of religion and morals requires; and secondly, in continuously and absolutely requiring all the members of the household from early childhood to conform their conduct to the teaching which they profess to accept.

IX. TEACHER-TRAINING

THE TRAINING OF SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHERS

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER-TRAINING ACCOMPLISHED BY THE

HARTFORD SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS PEDAGOGY

DEAN EDWARD HOOKER KNIGHT

HARTFORD SCHOOL OF RELIGIOUS PEDAGOGY, HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT

What is the Hartford School of Religious Pedagogy attempting in the training of Sunday school teachers? Put in one sentence, the answer would be, It is seeking to give a thorough preparation for the teaching ministry. In the position of the religious teacher, it recognizes a sacred office, no less sacred and no less important than that of the ordained ministry itself. To those who would enter upon the duties of this office it seeks to give a training which shall be adequate in its thoroughness of preparation for the duties involved. For twenty years it has been striving to fulfill this mission. During this time the work has constantly been enlarging in its scope, but has not changed in its fundamental principles. The work which is now being attempted is, therefore, the fruit of a long experience. To explain this work it is necessary to state principles as well as plans and methods.

The first thing to be determined by religious educators is the supreme end they have in view. This the Hartford School of Religious Pedagogy finds in the development of the well-rounded personality, of which the most important element is Christian character. Not what the boys and girls know, nor what they can do, but what they become, is the one all-important question.

Sunday schools exist in order to help all, both young and old, to become more like Jesus Christ.

By the side of this educational principle, the Hartford School of Religious Pedagogy would place another, that the chief means by which this supreme end is to be reached is, again, personality, or Christian character. Like begets like. Certainly, the most essential qualification of the Christian teacher is Christian character. He must be saying by his life, Come, let us journey toward the goal together.

Tributary to this dominant power are many means which the Christian teacher may use both for the development of his own personality and in his work for others. Among these are four fields of distinctive value. These four the Hartford school is seeking to develop in their

relations to the great problem of giving a thorough training to the teaching ministry. They are the Bible, as the incomparable textbook in religion and morals; Psychology, which shows us what the human being is and how he develops; the Home, as providing the chief environment in which the child develops and as being the most important element in the life of society; and Pedagogy, which, both as a science and as an art, seeks to make the best use possible of all this material for the development of the child in his full personality.

Sufficient progress has already been made in all these fields, so that material of great helpfulness is available even to the humblest teacher; so much land yet remains to be possessed as to demand the most lavish use of time and strength on the part of many in exploring the unknown fields. This school stands for the wise use of assured results, and for that patient and thorough investigation which will yield even greater results in the future. It believes, also, that there should be three distinguishing characteristics of study here, whether it be by the average teacher or by the most expert specialists. The study of the Bible, or of Psychology, or of the Home, or of Pedagogy, should be spiritual, scientific, and practical; spiritual, in that it should be undertaken in dependence upon divine guidance through the Holy Spirit, should have chief regard to the great essential truths in the field concerned, and should have its primary effect upon the student in growth of character; scientific, in that it should be conducted according to well-established principles and methods of investigation; and practical, in that it should pursue those subjects which are of the highest importance and of the greatest benefit to those concerned.

In all of these fields this institution would direct the attention of the religious teacher to the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth, which, besides furnishing a perfect model of what religious education desires to accomplish, also presents the best illustration of the chief means which it must employ. In the attitude of Jesus toward the Old Testament, his study of it, and use of the results of his study, is the model for the Christian teacher in his use of the Bible; in that home at Nazareth, humble as it was, were the essential elements of the ideal home; what human nature is, both in childhood and maturity, and what it may become, we learn best from Jesus' study of human nature, and from what he was, as child and man; how to teach, one may certainly best learn from companionship with the Master Teacher. As Jesus is supreme in personality, so is he supreme in those fields which bring the most important contributions that may anywhere be found for the development of the personality.

All that has thus far been said has application to all workers in