Social Teachings of the Christian Year; Lectures Delivered at the Cambridge Conference, 1918
New York: E.P. Dutton & Company, 1921. First edition. Original brown cloth, gilt title to front board, blind-stamped title to spine, uncut, original printed dust jacket. Last two leaves unopened, upper front corner bumped, slight spine toning, gentle edge-wear, chip to inner front flap. A near-fine copy. Item #1204
"A HARMONY BETWEEN THE PRECIOUS TRADITIONS OF SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE AND THE NEW LIFE ASTIR IN OUR HEARTS"
First edition collecting Vida Scudder's lectures on the Social Gospel, delivered at the Cambridge Conference in 1918. An excellent copy in the scarce original printed dust jacket.
Centered on the Christian liturgical calendar, Scudder's lectures are "for those in the habit of following the Seasons of the Church's Year through the Anglican Prayer Book. More specifically still it will make its strongest appeal to persons who are awake to the social gospel." While teaching English literature at Wellesley, Vida Scudder helped to found the College Settlements Association and she also was active in the Society of the Companions of the Holy Cross, a group of Episcopalian women. Written at the retreat house of the Society, the brief Preface ("Adelynroad, South Byfield, Mass. / Holy Cross Day / September 14, 1920") admits, "Christians of a liberal turn of mind and an affection for the Prayer-Book! This may seem a restricted group, but it is larger than some people think."
The book consists of a short Introduction, Chapter I: The Season of Advent, II. Christmas-Tide, III. The Season of Epiphany, IV. Septuagesima to Let, V. The Season of Lent, VI. Passion-Tide, VII. Easter-Tide, VIII. Whitsuntide, IX. Trinity-Tide, X. The Eucharist. The scarce printed jacket was inscribed for presentation in pencil on the front panel "At last my dear Grace, the promised book has arrived. I hope you may enjoy it. Helena." Long out of print, a new edition has recently been published as part of The Library of Anglican Theology: "Believing that the world could only be made more just if Christians unleashed the kingdom that waited germinating in the Church’s liturgy and creeds. Social Teachings of the Christian Year is the unflinching articulation of this conviction. Carefully sifting through the liturgy of the Book of Common Prayer, Scudder reveals to us the luminous face of a God who forswears dominating hierarchy within a Trinitarian life, and she asks why the world can’t look more like that God" (Seminary Street Press).
Price: $150.00