Publisher's Synopsis
"The Rev. T. Dempsey's work on 'The Delphic oracle' was originally written as a thesis for the master's degree at the National university of Ireland, and is here republished in an enlarged form at the suggestion of Dr R. S. Conway, who read the original in his capacity of university examiner. In it is collected all extant information about the shrine with the history of its connection successively with the cults of Gaea and Themia, and later with those of Dionysus, Poseidon, and Apollo. As regards the cause of the priestess's ecstasies, the author points out that the theory of a mephitic vapor rests wholly on the authority of later writers, and he thinks that the source of inspiration must be sought elsewhere, possibly in telepathy or even in such demonic possession as is described in a. well-known passage of the Acts of the Apostles. A selection of some of the more important of the oracle's vaticinations is here given, notably, of course, the ambiguous and misleading one delivered to Croesus." -Nation
"The monograph is useful, as no other treatise covers quite the same ground and presents facts in so lucid and convenient a form. The only unsatisfactory portion of the book is that dealing with the explanation of the Delphic inspiration as superhuman. There is an interesting chapter on the influence of the oracle on morality."- International Journal of Ethics
"This volume is partly an outline of what has been accomplished and what may yet be achieved in the field of scientific, instructional and propagandistic motion pictures, and partly a handbook of instruction as to some of the more unfamiliar technical aspects of the production of films. Mr. Dench, often with truth, contends that the films can serve the interests of education. athletics, Bible study, missionary work, medicine, surgery, industry, prison reform, dentistry, and much besides. For all his enthusiasm, he is sensible enough to recognize that in educational matters the films can at best be only an adjunct, and not in themselves all-sufficient." -Boston Transcript
"The author is commended by his curiosity, enthusiasm and copious information on his subject, if not by the quality of his English style." - Boston Transcript
