Amusements in the Light of Reason, History, and Revelation
Book Details
Description
The Christian classic concerning the nature of amusements and the character of the theater.
Chapter 1. Amusements Are Designed by God
Chapter 2. Amusements Are Necessary
Chapter 3. Proper and Improper Amusements
Chapter 4. The History of the Theater
Chapter 5. Testimony Concerning the Character of the Theater
Chapter 6. The Testimony of the Church
Chapter 7. The Corrupt Character of most of the Actors is an Objection to the Theater
Chapter 8. The Character of the Plays in Use
Chapter 9. The Theater's Defense
Chapter 10. The Moral Influences of the Theater
Chapter 11. The Theater and Christian Life
Chapter 12. Can the Theater Be Reformed?
“Man has been called "the laughing animal." This definition, if not exhaustive, is at least philosophical and suggestive. In the crown of superior faculties with which the Creator was pleased to endow man, he placed this sparkling gem as a peculiar divine gift. Laughter is the efflorescence or sportive action of the nobler powers — reason, judgment, imagination, taste, and even of conscience itself.
“The sense of humor is a strong element in human nature, appearing in all grades of society, growing with advancing civilization and culture, adapting itself to all religions and philosophies, and running through all the experiences of life, like a golden thread, essential to the integrity of the whole fabric.
“The Creator gave man an eye that he might see, an ear that he might hear, and faculties for amusement that they might be used. The faculty proves the intention of the Creator. If God made man with a propensity to laugh it is clear that he intended him to laugh, that in itself it is right, and that it ministers to the highest good.”
