Ends and Means in Religious Education 43
freedom as well as increasing insight, they do not teach that
mankind can find immediate release from Iinitude in such
measure as to resolve the dilemmas of history. On the con-
trary, the religious man is called upon to exemplify “loyalty
to loyalty,” to use Royce’s phrase. In difficult situations he
can only expect “one step enough,” as Newman wrote. In
fact, religious education has its most practical test in its abil-
ity to inspire conviction which holds fast to the highest and
best at the worst of times. Faith in God expects that present
trust in divine providence will lead to greater insight in the
end. The history of religion gives evidence that such a com-
mitment has had positive results even when insight was
limited. Human sacrifice and sacred prostitution, once widely
practiced, have been rejected in an increasing recognition
of the moral character of deity.
High religion, even as it encourages devotion and con-
viction, need not practice intolerance. Indeed, the test of
tolerance is not indifference but the Wilhngness to recognize
the worth of persons whose views are rejected. A minimum
of tolerance has been established on non-religious grounds.
Religion can contribute positively to the community of un-
derstanding necessary for a meaningful common life. In
Christianity itself, the ecumenical movement for Christian
unity has had such wide influence that no major Protestant
denomination regards religious education as a simply sec-
tarian concern.23 There is extensive interchurch cooperation
in the International Council of Religious Education in the
development of curriculum and program. Local and national
councils as well as the World Council of Churches represent
a recognition that denominational exclusiveness is inappro-
priate in view of the large common heritage of the major
Christian bodies.
More generally, it is probable that the world’s great reli-