|
 THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions, by Karen Armstrong. Knopf.
469 pp. $30.
Reviewed by MARK WILKINS, a teacher of
religion at St. Xavier High School in
Cincinnati, Ohio.
BEGINNING in the ninth century
B.C.E., the people of four distinct
regions of the civilized world created
the religious and philosophical
traditions that
have continued to nourish
humanity to the present
day. The period from 900
B.C.E. to 200 C.E. is referred
to as the Axial Age because
this period was pivotal to
the spiritual development
of humanity.
China produces Confucianism
and Daoism. India
brings forth Hinduism and
Buddhism. Western culture’s
greatest influences arise in Israel
(monotheism) and in Greece (philosophical
rationalism). All started at
about the same time. All took similar
perspectives on the human condition.
It was an extraordinary time in our
common history.
As this book so eloquently states,
later generations further developed
these insights, but we have never
grown beyond them. For example, the
author explains how rabbinic Judaism,
Christianity and Islam are all secondary
flowerings of the original Israelite experience.
In one of her most compelling
works, Karen Armstrong reveals how
the sages of this Axial Age can still
speak to the violence and desperation
we experience in the world today. Readers
of her works will recognize that
Armstrong has given full development
here to ideas that she first presented in
both Buddha and The History of God.
A brief review such as this cannot
give due justice to the depth and intricacy
of the analysis that Armstrong
presents. She begins by showing how
the significance of ritual went from
being a way to order the cosmos and
the society to being a way to transform
the participant. The religious traditions
of the Axial Age were rooted in fear
and pain. Essential to personal insight
and growth was acknowledgment of
this reality rather than flight from it.
Across the cultures, leaders
realized that challenging
people to play a role in
ritual forced them to stand
outside themselves and
lose themselves in another
event for a short while. The
proper response changes
from being in control and
manipulating the gods to
developing a sense of awe
and wonder about what
lies beyond this world
while developing a sense
of compassion and justice. There is a
change from an emphasis on the externals
to the internal self. This represents
a major shift in human consciousness.
The spirituality of the Axial Age was
often iconoclastic as well. The purpose
of questioning traditions was not to
change the structures, but to get people
to evaluate their behavior. Ethical
behavior was stressed over orthodox
beliefs. Actions speak louder than
words.
Out of this comes an increased sense
of empathy and understanding of the
other person. The increasing introspection
of individuals and groups led
to a deeper sense of compassion and
sympathy. From this (in major leaps)
comes a growing concern for everybody
and the insight that all is one.
Our truncated sense of history often
leads us to believe that we live in the “modern” era and that we are the ones
responsible for the greatest changes in
human history. A growing number of
works look at history through the portal
of one development, invention or
item to show us the deep, deep roots of
the “modern” age. Armstrong does the
same thing here with not just one religion,
but the major ones that are still
thriving today.
Someone curious about religions
other than Christianity might find this
book a challenging but rewarding experience.
The author does not try to oversimplify
or suggest that there was this great
network of visionaries with a shared
vision. She makes the point that these
insights and ideals came to different
people at different times, but in much
the same way. There is no mention of
what is going on in Africa or the Americas
at this time, but that may be due
to the lack of written records.
It is Armstrong’s weaving together
of all the elements that makes this book
such a pleasure to read. She continues
to be one of the best writers around. If
it is not her very best, it is at least the
most thorough analysis.
You can order THE GREAT TRANSFORMATION: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions from St.
Francis Bookshop.
AN INTELLIGENT PERSON’S GUIDE
TO CHRISTIAN ETHICS, by Alban
McCoy, O.F.M.Conv. Continuum. 166
pp. $17.95.
Reviewed by DAN KROGER, O.F.M., publisher/CEO-designate of St. Anthony Messenger.
He earned his Ph.D. in Christian
ethics from the University of Notre Dame.
He was a full professor at De La Salle University
in Manila, the Philippines, and
has taught at the Franciscan seminary
there.
ALBAN McCOY, the Catholic chaplain
at Cambridge University, writes for people
interested in ethics yet allergic to
academic writing.
McCoy begins by describing the
moral morass that led him to write this book: “Clear and unconfused thinking
is urgently needed in a time like ours of
accelerating change. Inevitably, new
moral questions emerge to
which there seems to be not
only no agreed solution but
not even a clear way of proceeding
in the pursuit of
answers.”
Contemporary issues like
stem-cell research, genetic
engineering and changing
sexual mores are provoking
ethical questions—if not
outright disagreement and
conflict—within our families
and communities.
Faced with irreconcilable differences
of opinion, some accept the popular
misconception that ethics and morality
are beyond debate. They choose the
insipid cultural dictum of “political
correctness,” presuming that only natural
science can attain both objectivity
and certainty.
McCoy notes that the contemporary
climate is a “curious combination of
positivism, on the one hand, and subjectivism
and relativism on the other.”
While the common question of whether
religion matters in morality is important,
McCoy begins with human experience
and common moral questions
shared by all people, be they religious or
not. Anthropological studies show that
learning what to be and what to do—how to live well—is part of every person’s
life, regardless of culture and time.
McCoy develops his book in three
parts. Part One looks at fundamental
issues such as freedom, moral judgments
and authentic growth of persons in
community. This section provides a
fresh, creative critique of radical skepticism,
determinism and cultural relativism.
McCoy maintains that moral skepticism
results from the misconception
that ethics means rules imposed by
others, which is not the case. In fact,
ethics involves reasonable consideration
about moral values, what we are
and what we can become. McCoy
guides readers through a survey of fundamental
questions. How does one recognize
what is good? What is human
freedom and what are its limits? What
should I become? What is the path to
happiness? What should I do?
Part Two, titled “Absolutism, Consequentialism
or Virtue?,”
examines three influential
philosophical views. McCoy
discusses the limitations
of Kantian ethics and the
utilitarian approach often
employed in political discussions
about public affairs.
McCoy argues for an
approach based on character
and virtue—like the
philosophical systems of
Aristotle and Aquinas.
To explain several technical
terms, McCoy employs down-to-earth
examples and plain language.
One senses how McCoy, as a university
chaplain, must have dialogued fruitfully
with many a Cambridge student
seeking his assistance.
In Part Three, “Ethics in a Christian
Context,” McCoy enters into a discussion
of what ethics means in the
context of Western Christianity. He
observes—accurately in this reviewer’s
opinion—how poor approaches to
Christian morality started in the late
Middle Ages. During the Reformation
and Enlightenment, theologians could
not articulate the Christian moral tradition
adequately.
By the 18th century, theologians were
stuck in a narrow, legalistic rut—a decadent
form of medieval theology. Moral
theologians focused on sin and saving
souls rather than on living grace-filled
lives.
McCoy disagrees with those who
claim that the Judeo-Christian moral
tradition has collapsed. Instead, he
argues that Christian theology must
return to its roots—in Judaism, in the
Gospels and in early Christianity. The
Gospels indicate that Jesus saw through
the narrow legalism of many of his
contemporaries by returning to
Judaism’s prophetic call for a radical
response to God’s love. Faith in Jesus
should open the doors of graced freedom and responsible love to those who
believe.
Unfortunately, says McCoy, “Authoritarian
elitism has often been allowed
to hijack moral discussion.” Why?
Because a law-centered ethic was “so
often taken to be at the heart of the
Christian moral outlook.”
Instead of Christian morality being
trivialized as carrot-and-stick and employing “the frankly presumptuous
threat of divine sanction applied to
merely human legislation,” it should
focus on the possibilities of who and
what we should become as human
beings.
Standing in the Aristotelian-Thomistic tradition of Catholic ethics,
McCoy retrieves the best of our Catholic
moral tradition, while correcting its
distortions and cutting through contemporary
polarization. For a world
confused about conscience, freedom
and morality, this book provides a concise
guide to Christian ethics for intelligent
people. This neat little book lives
up to its title.
You can order AN INTELLIGENT PERSON’S GUIDE
TO CHRISTIAN ETHICS from St.
Francis Bookshop.
THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO
MARY OF NAZARETH: A Reverent
Exploration of the Life and World of
the Mother of Jesus and Her Ongoing
Impact in the Modern World, by
María Ruiz Scaperlanda. Alpha/Penguin
Group. 345 pp. $18.95.
Reviewed by ANN TASSONE, an intern
at St. Anthony Messenger during summer
2006. Ann is a senior at Xavier University
in Cincinnati with a double major
in English and communication arts.
THIS THOROUGH AND TOUCHING
examination of Mary of Nazareth
delves deep into Mary’s personal life,
teaching readers about her connections
to Jesus as well as how she can relate to
people today. Some well-known stories,
such as the nativity story and the
wedding feast at Cana where Jesus performed
his first miracle, are explored
further. In addition, a lot of not-so-well-known information, such as the
identity of Mary’s parents, is presented.
Author María Ruiz Scaperlanda does
a great job of organizing the information
into six parts: Presenting Mary,
Encountering Mary—As Mother, Encountering
Mary—As Disciple, Knowing
Mary, Naming Mary and Praying
with Mary. Each part is then separated
into three to five chapters, which
develop that theme.
Throughout the book, there are small
boxes every few pages. The boxes
labeled “Lord Knows” are tips that
explain people, places and stories
related to Mary, but not necessarily
obvious to her story. The boxes labeled
“Sunday School” are words in the book
that are most likely unfamiliar to readers,
or concepts to which readers should
pay attention. The boxes labeled “Holy
Mother” are quotes and
prayers about Mary.
Throughout the book,
the history of Mary, such
as her genealogy, her role
as a virgin, and her assumption
into heaven, is
explained.
A lot of emphasis is
placed on Mary’s role in
Jesus’ birth and death.
Mary’s openness to having
a child, despite her
youth and virginity, is
easy to admire. The Annunciation,
when the Angel Gabriel announced to
Mary that she would bear the son of
God, is explained in detail. Her response
to Gabriel’s proclamation, “I
am the Lord’s servant,” proves to be
typical of Mary’s attitude throughout
her life. This leads into exploration of
the Incarnation, the belief that Mary’s
child was both fully human and fully
divine.
Readers learn that the only time
Mary’s presence is directly acknowledged
in the passion narratives in the
Gospels is standing at the foot of her
son’s cross. The stories told of this agonizing
time allow readers to feel compassion
for Mary and admiration of her
strength.
Countless prayers are dedicated to
Mary. Origins of many of these prayers
are investigated in this book. For example,
readers learn that the Hail Mary, the
oldest and best-known Marian prayer,
comes from pieces of the Gospel of Luke.
Scaperlanda does an amazing job of
making all readers feel they can relate
to Mary on some level. She writes, “We
seek peace, that sense that tells us that
all is well with the world, and that we
are exactly where we are supposed to be.
Mary not only asks us to pray for peace,
she joins us in our quest to find it.”
Scaperlanda also parallels Mary’s suffering
with adversity we may face today:
being single and pregnant, fleeing your
country as a refugee, losing your child
and/or having a child run away from
home, being told terrible news, watching
someone you love suffer and enduring
the death of a loved one.
After reading this book, I felt a
stronger connection to Mary than ever
before. I admired her willingness
to surrender to
God and to continue to
put her trust and confidence
in her creator. It is
no wonder that Mary the
mother of Jesus has made
the cover of Time magazine
11 times—more than
any other woman in history,
and more frequently
than any other image.
This book is helpful for
anyone interested in
learning more about Mary the mother
of God and deepening his or her personal
relationship with her. It is a
reminder that, no matter what suffering
we may go through, Mary is with
us, and, by reading her story, we can
better understand how to follow in her
footsteps.
You can order THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO
MARY OF NAZARETH: A Reverent
Exploration of the Life and World of
the Mother of Jesus and Her Ongoing
Impact in the Modern World from St. Francis Bookshop.
THE LOIS WILSON STORY: When
Love Is Not Enough, by William G.
Borchert. Hazelden. 364 pp. $24.95.
Reviewed by RACHELLE LINNER, a librarian
and writer who lives in Boston.
WILLIAM BORCHERT’S clear, workmanlike
prose in The Lois Wilson Story is perfectly suited to its subject: the
wife of Bill Wilson, cofounder of Alcoholics
Anonymous. In style and substance
this biography is characterized
by modesty, honesty and empathy,
qualities Lois Burnham Wilson possessed
to a remarkable degree. Her legacy, as cofounder of Al-Anon in
1951, is the sustained health of those
who have used the medicine of the
Twelve Steps to recover from the “spiritual
illness” that ensnares families of
alcoholics.
A “need to nurture” was instilled in
Lois from her privileged childhood in
Brooklyn and Vermont. Her early life,
so rich in opportunity and stability,
was in marked contrast to the formative
years of her husband’s childhood.
Bill Wilson was nine
when his parents divorced.
His alcoholic father deserted
the family, and the following
year his mother left
Bill and his sister with her
parents and moved from
Vermont to Boston. Bill’s
childhood and young adulthood
were spent battling
depression, resentment, low
self-esteem and guilt—feelings
that would exacerbate the anger,
bitterness and grandiose ambitions that
fueled his alcoholism.
Bill and Lois married in January
1918, less than a month before Bill was
sent to Europe as a second lieutenant.
Bill’s drinking began in the Army. By
the time he returned to civilian life, it
was serious enough to derail what
should have been a promising career as
a financial research analyst.
The early years of their marriage were
shadowed by a series of miscarriages;
surgery following an ectopic pregnancy
ended Lois’s hopes for a family. In her
grief and guilt, she believed that her
inability to bear a child was the cause
of Bill’s drinking.
The description of Bill Wilson’s descent
into the torment of alcoholism is
a blunt, humiliating narrative of degradation,
capturing both Bill’s physical/
mental decline and Lois’s anguished
and futile attempts to love her husband
into sobriety. By 1929 he had
crossed the “invisible line,” “the point
at which,” writes Borchert, “a heavy
drinker becomes an alcoholic, when
his desire for a drink turns into a craving
or an addiction.”
His recovery began in 1934 through
an introduction to the Oxford Group,
a nondenominational spiritual movement
that “focused on the need for
people to change.” Although Bill initially
resisted its religious focus, his life
changed on December 11, 1934. Lying
in a hospital bed, in “the deepest, darkest
depression he had ever known,” Bill
Wilson threw out a challenge: “If there
be a God, let Him show Himself!”
The response caused a profound conversion.
He was “seized with an ecstasy
beyond description. I
became acutely conscious
of a Presence which seemed
like a veritable sea of living
spirit. I lay on the shores of
a new world.”
On a business trip to
Akron after five months of
shaky sobriety, Bill Wilson
met Dr. Bob Smith, “another
failed Oxford Group
drunkard.” Together they
articulated what would be
the central insight of Alcoholics
Anonymous, that they
“needed the fellowship of other alcoholics
to stay sober.”
Borchert’s vivid description of the
early days of Alcoholics Anonymous
evokes the exhilaration of new ideas
coalescing into a quintessentially American
movement: democratic, nonprofessional,
self-supporting and optimistic.
Lois began her own journey through
informal meetings with the wives of
alcoholics, a seed that would one day
flourish into the organization known as
Al-Anon. “When she began to share
her innermost thoughts and feelings
with others, she came to understand
how much she had really believed she
could control her husband’s life....She
was totally convinced that her love and
inspiration was all that was required
to fulfill his every need, that her own
willpower and steadfast guidance was
all that was needed to quench Bill’s
thirst for alcohol.
“As Bill often said, alcoholic behavior
is ‘self-will run riot,’ and ‘self-centeredness
is the root of our problem.’
And the answer? ‘Only through
utter defeat,’ he wrote, ‘are we able
to take our first steps toward liberation
and strength. Our admissions of
personal powerlessness finally turn
out to be firm bedrock upon which
happy and purposeful lives may be
built.’”
Bill (who died in 1971 on their 53rd
wedding anniversary) and Lois (who
lived to be 97 and died in 1988) came
to know the contentment such “happy
and purposeful” lives bring. Their
achievements, justly celebrated in
this book, are all the more compelling
because of the stark portrayal
of the suffering they endured first. It is
a story of fidelity and intelligent love,
told with skill and suffused with gratitude.
You can order THE LOIS WILSON STORY: When
Love Is Not Enough from St. Francis Bookshop.
| 
