ess? If so, then it conforms to the
purposes of the coming of the Christ. On the other hand, if the
activity does positively lessen the resistance of the community,
reducing it ultimately to a lower scale of living characterized by
those things that are recognized as harmful, then it is not a
legitimate part of church work. It also follows that if such harmful
conditions exist in the community without a protest on the part of the
church or without some definite effort to eliminate them, then the
church is not living up to the high calling expected of it by the
Master. The term "spiritual" is, accordingly, much more inclusive than
has been popularly supposed, and one of the great contributions of
social science during the past few decades has been to bring to the
public mind the knowledge that man and his spirituality cannot be
dealt with individually but must be included in all those
relationships that affect the soul of the individual.

While the succeeding pages have to do with the social aspects of the
spiritual life of man, it must never be forgotten that the
regeneration or the quickening of the individual is at least half of
the task in community progress. The life of the honest, upright man,
whose soul has been set on fire by contact with the flame of divine
love, whose heart has been brought into harmony with the divine will
of God, becomes in itself a point for the radiation of impulses for
right living. And when these impulses are directed into useful
channels through a broadened understanding of sound objectives in
social progress, then real advance is possible.

There are many other phases of thought that act as a hindrance to the
advance of the spiritual kingdom in rural America, but these
illustrations will be sufficient to show what must be cleared away
before the broad program of the modern rural church can be
whole-heartedly accepted. In fairness to the writer it should be kept
in mind, as stated in the definitions given at the opening, that this
text has nothing to do with those vital elements of religious
organization and service which are intended to keep alive man's belief
in a divinity and in immortality except in so far as these beliefs
affect community relationships. The discussion of these subjects
falls, rather, into the realm of theology. It is hoped that at least
the principles underlying the movement toward broadening the program
of the rural church have been clearly, if briefly, stated, a