Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/353

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OCCUPATIONAL TYPES 335

peculiar conjunction of influences free thinking, on the one hand, and emphasis upon the importance of correct theo logical opinions, on the other. People who are without in tellectual freedom will, of course, not divide in their opin ions ; but unless theological opinions are considered of very great importance, there will be little disposition to contend about them and split the Christian body into fractions on account of them. Now, the trend in this industrial and commercial age is not toward uniformity of opinion in theology far from it ; but men, while holding their own opinions, are not disposed to trouble themselves much about the opinions of others in religion; and among business men this is especially true. Being of the " practical " type, such men think that the benevolent and ameliorating enterprises of Christianity are the matters of supreme importance. They are, therefore, disposed to fraternize and co-operate with all those who are interested in promoting these enter prises, without regard to differences of theological opin ion. Under the dominance of this type of mind we are wit nessing a most interesting and important double develop ment in Christianity theological disintegration, on the one hand; and on the other, integration around practical enterprises of the great religious groups, originally organ ized on the basis of theological differences. Within every one of these great groups, once theologically compact and solid, all sorts of theological differences now prevail, and yet each is kept intact by loyalty to certain institutions and denominational enterprises ; while between these groups the once sharp theological opposition has nearly disappeared, and the tendency to co-operate in the realization of common ideals is growing very strong. Chatting once with a busi ness man about these matters, I asked him how much in terest the business men of his acquaintance felt in the ques tions which divided the denominations. His reply, though slangy, is worth repeating: "not enough," he said, "to grease the pan with," but he declared that their interest in

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