Toynbee Notes New 'Man-Worship' Threat

A form of man-worship, more insidious than that of the ancients since it does not symbolize itself in gods and hence is not recognized, was cited as the chief threat to religion by historian Arnold J. Toynbee last night.

Speaking in the second of his four Hewitt Lectures at Sanders Theatre, Toynbee cited modern technology and the totalitarian state as "revivals of manworship in the form of collective human power."

"Man has never reached such a degree of collectivization as under our modern technology," Toynbee asserted. "But the pursuit of collective human power is opposed to the higher religions, which hold that the individual soul is precious, so it is hard to see how they can coaxist permanently," he added.