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Salient. An Organ of Student Opinion at Victoria College, Wellington, N.Z. Vol. 15, No. 10. June 11, 1952
Who is Stewart — The Mystery Solved
Who is Stewart
The Mystery Solved
An event expected to have a tremendous impact on student life at V.U.C. will occur this term. It is the visit from Australia of an outstanding scholar whose study has covered a wide range of knowledge likely to be of interest to all students and staff. Under the sponsorship of the Inter-Varsity Fellowship the Rev. David Stewart, M.Sc., B.A., B.D., will be visiting the College from June 27 to July 4.
It is unfortunate that in our college we have not, as the great universities such as Cambridge, Oxford or London have, a department concentrating on theological study. Although our various religious organisations strive to remedy this discrepancy, they do not have the benefit of a resident authoritative section whose studies centre round theological research. This causes a lack of balance in our scholarship in which our scientific and philosophical research becomes narrow and unqualified by the broadening inspiration of this vast subject which has exercised men's minds from the earliest ages, from the common man to the greatest intellect. Mr. Stewart's visit is hoped to stimulate in each student an interest in widening his thought to this full education rather than a restricted field of blind study.
David Stewart's visit will also give students plenty of incentive to find out for themselves where they stand in religious belief. Besides helping to broaden students' attitude toward their study it is hoped that this event will help those who have never felt the need to think on their position as to what or in what they believe, to clarify their ideas. There is little room in University life for those who allow their opinions to become their masters incapable of revision, whose idea of rationalisation is the finding of facts in support of what they already believe and who turn their eyes from anything liable to disrupt their pet theories. In the present state of social and political insecurity the student without a balanced and crystallised attitude is very liable to be overcome by seemingly perfect political theories or superficially acceptable philosophies which carry him away into a hard shell of impervious, restricted Intellect which may be very pleasant but certainly not worthy of the name of scholarship.
David Stewart is a graduate of both Sydney and Melbourne Universities and has included in his study fields of interest to many students. In 1943 he captured the Melbourne University medal for mathematics and gained 1st class honours in raido physics. He was for some time in charge of the research into shortwave transmission in the South Pacific area. From Sydney he advanced study for his arts degree in the extensive field of education. Also adding to his wide scholarship Mr Stewart gained a Bachelor of Divinity degree in 1950 after extra mural study in Chungking.
David Stewart is an ordained minister and served in churches around Sydney before travelling to Chungking with the China Inland Mission. He arrived in time to see the "liberation" of Chungking in November, 1949. After two years of fairly restricted missionary activity Mr Stewart returned to Sydney in 1951. Since his return he has been a touring speaker for the I.V.F. in the Universities of Brisbane. Sydney. Melbourne and Hobat.
In the May vacation V.U.C. students met David Stewart at the annual conference of the N.Z. Inter-Varsity Fellowship at Paekakariki. They found him a vitally interesting speaker with a virile interest in student affairs. He was extremely approachable and easy to talk to on any subject that the students raised. As a speaker he has a compact lucid style free of excess padding with a pleasant but not obtrusive humour. Mr. Stewart is a young man capable of solid exposition couched in an unassuming and erudite style making his lectures fascinating and thought provoking.
At his meetings Mr. Stewart will be able to appeal to all students no matter what their stage of scolarship or in what field their studies lie. With such subjects as "Stalin. Mohammed or Christ." "God: Mad or Bad" or "The Pros and Cons of Being a Christian." we can be assured that Mr. Stewart will stimulate students for earnest discussion and open thought. Besides his main lunch hour meetings in B2 on each day of the week, possibly with specific faculties, David Stewart will be available for informal discussion over a cup of tea or in personal conversation with interested Individual students.
All students and staff are invited to these meetings and to the following house party at Paekakarikl at which David Stewart will be the main speaker. This visit is for all no matter what their political, religious or philosophcal iviews and is a rare chance which students would be ill advised to miss. Further advice will be publicised through Salient and by poster but until then all are [unclear: advised] to find out as much as they can from E.U. members why David Stewart is coming and why they should attend.
—G. M. Murray and G. Brough.
Curiosity has been aroused lately about the impending visit of a person named David Stewart.. Few people outside of the officials of the E.U. seemed to know anything about him. This defect is remedied here with an article supplied by the Evangelical Union which tells exactly who David Stewart is. We hope that when he arrives you will find him to merit the eulogy with which the E.U. have favoured him.—Ed.
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David Stewart