Does anyone know who wrote this?

[Kelp]

The glibness with which some men still trace what they are pleased to call the hand of God in history is enough to make unregenerate historians sneer, and to shock those of us whose religion teaches them that the ways of God are past finding out, and that you cannot draw morals from the fall of towers in Siloam or from the success or failure of pious rebels in Galilee. (Eerdmans's Handbook to the History of Christianity. Tim Dowley, ed. 1977. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids. Pg. 7)

The book only says "a church historian". I get the feeling it's either Shaff (sp?) or Pelikan. Anybody know?

[nikolai_42]

Hi,

You may have had your answer some other way, but Google's book site has that quote in 2 books. One, in the book you were reading, and the other in the following book:

Essays in Orthodox Dissent by Bernard Lord Manning; Independent Press, 1953; p29

CCEL (http://www.ccel.org/m/manning) has this to say of Manning:

Bernard L. Manning - (1892-1941), Church historian

Bernard Lord Manning was born in Lincolnshire, the son of a Congregationalist minister. He was educated at Cambridge University in Jesus College, where he later became a fellow and, for a period, college bursar. From 1933 to his death he was also a university lecturer in medieval history.

Although he never sacrificed his Congregationalist convictions, Manning had wide sympathies and appreciated many different Christian traditions. This is shown in his writings, which apart from obvious scholarship reveal his humor and wit. These are The People's Faith in the Time of Wyclif (1919), The Making of Modern English Religion (1929), Essays in Orthodox Dissent (1939), and The Hymns of Wesley and Watts (1942).

In the Cambridge Medieval History he wrote two chapters in the seventh volume on "Wyclif" and "Edward III" and "Richard II." He also published two volumes of sermons.

Apparently he was an historian and hymnologist. But he also wrote something called "Sermons of a Layman".

I don't know a thing about him, myself.

Hope that helps.