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¶ Solidly came out for political freedom. "No one form of government has a universal claim on Christians, but there are several conditions which Christians, by active participation in political affairs, should stand for . . . Every person should be protected against arbitrary arrest or other interference with elementary human rights. Every person should have the right to express his religious, moral and political convictions . . ."
¶ Strongly supported economic freedom. While the state should act against "depression or inflation", there is a danger that "the union of political and economic power may result in an all-controlling state." There has been "a fresh recognition of the importance of relative freedom in enterprise . . ."
¶ Strongly condemned Communism. "Christians . . . may contribute to the creation of the necessary conditions for coexistence . . . [But] this . . . does not alter the mission of the churches to bear witness in the face of all atheistic and self-righteous ideologies ..."
¶ Suggested that the way to fight Communism is for Christians to "work for social justice and political freedom for all ... "
¶ Pointed out that "enemies of essential human freedom appear on both the political right and left."
In a complementary report on foreign policy, the assembly viewed with alarm the H-bomb, suggested that its use should be banned.
What would Evanston accomplish? No one could say as yet how many of the world's amiable nonentities or dedicated Communists (in Canterbury's phrase) the assembly would move to become dedicated Christians. But the churches at Evanston showed that they could speak with a strong voice on the century's great issues, and had eloquently reasserted the sovereignty of God's kingdom over modern man's confused structures and frustrated ambitions. Concluded one assembly report: "The church knows that in obedience and prayer our efforts will bear fruit. For God has called us to freedom, to be servants of one another through love. And He who calls us is faithful, and He will do it."
* In four final volumes to be published by Oxford this fall.
† Some earlier ones: Edinburgh (1910 and 1937), Stockholm (1925), Lausanne (1927), Oxford (1937), Amsterdam (1-48), Lund (1952).
*In 597 a monk named Augustine arrived in Thanet, Kent, sent from Rome by Pope Gregory the Great to revive Christianity in England, where the Germanic gods were riding high. On Christmas Day of that year, Augustine is said to have baptized over 10,000 converts in the neighborhood of Canterbury.
* Henry, 37, a barrister, caused a stir in 1948 when he married a Roman Catholic girl; Francis, 35, is headmaster of St. Edward's School, Oxford; Charles, 33, teaches at Harrow; Humphrey, 31, is a TV producer; Robert, 28, is an M.D. currently serving in the Royal Navy; and Temple, 24, teaches at Repton.