A Loving God - God in Human Life - Human Potential - Suicide & Despair - Heaven & Hell - Spiritual Renewal - The Future of the Church - The Destiny of the Human Family In 1937, minister and historian Rev. Hugh Cowan reflects at the end of four decades of ministry on the some of the big ideas of the Christian faith. He recounts some of the changes he has observed in Christian thought in the first half of the 20th Century. In this book, Cowan explores the realities of life and death as experienced with his congregations. Many of the challenges he discusses are just as relevant today. "This world's a stage, a poet once sung, and on it each man must act his part. Another poet has said, "Change and decay in all around I see." Two poets, one sees in human life a great drama, and every member of the human family performing a part in that drama; the other sees in human life, change and death. In the great drama of human life, the producer of the drama is God; the Lord Jesus supplies to the stage its light; while the Spirit of God is the One who trains and disciplines and practises the actors so that each may do their part wisely and well, even perfectly. The members of the human family, the actors on the stage, some do their part wisely and well, never perfectly; some do their part not so wisely and not so well; others do not do their part at all; while still others are out in rebellion to destroy the good influence and effect of the drama, if they can." Reverend Hugh Cowan (1867-1943) graduated from Manitoba College, earned a M.A. from Knox College in Toronto and a B.D. from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He served congregations in The Presbyterian Church of Canada and later The United Church of Canada. Cowan's writings include local histories in Ontario, an historical adventure novel and this book on the progress of Christianity. http: //en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Cowan Introduction by Grant D. Fairley