Update: My Favorite Books (read) of 2013

As an avid reader, I might not always find myself reading the latest titles.  But as an avid reader I encounter books that are new to me; both old and new.  Here are some of my favorites that I have encountered in the young year of 2013.

The Theology of Food: Eating and the Eucharist by Angel F. Mendez-Montoya.  I have read bits of it in the past, but since the new year I have read and re-read it a few times...it is very good, indeed.  This work makes me want to eat Mexican Mole--made by a master chef!  This work blends some of my favorite thinkers -- like any good mole should -- Bulgakov, Desmond, and Milbank.

The Anticipatory Corpse: Medicine, Power, and the Care of the Dying by Jeffery P. Bishop.  Jeff is a friend of mine.  He is an M.D. and holds a PhD in philosophy, and teaches bio-ethics/philo at St. Louis University.  He, more than most, is able to reflect on the theo/philosophical meaning of the body, corpses, and modern medical practices....this book should be read by theologians, philosopher, and even clergy.  But be forewarned, the first bits of it might make you cry....there Jeff gives some heart-wrenching personal testimonials.

Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics by Samuel Wells.   In this work Wells synthesizes N.T. Wright and Hans urs Von Balthasar in order to develop a dramatic structure in which one might understand the scriptures.  Improvisation is the ability of those who are so formed by the script that they can enact its meaning spontaneously....even when considering issues that are not addressed in the script itself, i.e. free market capitalism, abortion, ecology, etc.  Simply, this book is one of the most important works in Christian ethical theory that I have read in a long time.

New Creation by Herbert McCabe.  Need I say more?  I do?  Ok, well if you want to learn about sacramental theology within an ecumenical age, then this book will provide some helpful insights.

Where God Happens: Discovering Christ in One Another by Rowan Williams. This book reflects on the works and ideas of the Desert Fathers and Mothers so as to offer insights into contemporary spirituality.  Readable, though not easy, for each page will make you reflect deeply on your own circumstance.

Ecclesia and Ethics: The Church as the Community of Creation

Here is a short introductory video that I made with a friend in order to introduce some of the themes I will be addressing for my paper "The Church as the Community of Creation" for the online/video conference Ecclesia and Ethics.

I apologize if the sound is not very loud, but here it is anyway:

My latest piece for the local newspaper: "Play as a Spiritual Activity"

“Play” – A Spiritual Activity 

I don’t know about you, but my family is not what you might call, perfect.  Certainly, I enjoy a close relationship with my wife, parents, siblings and even some extended family.  But some time ago, there were a few harmful people in my little clan.  After they did their deeds, said their harmful words, and wedged many large wounds between parts of my immediate and extended family, a happy family reunion has been hard to come by. 

A few weeks ago, I ventured with my immediate family to another state in order to visit our extended family—aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.  The visit went smoothly, that is until I mentioned the name and recent activities of one of my family’s largest wound-agents.  Eventually, I learned that I had hurt one of my uncles; he for reasons beyond my experience felt betrayed, and hurt.  I learned that even mentioning the name of that divisive person was enough to cause an anxiety attack, and a whole lot of shame. 

How did I find out?  Well, my aunt confronted me about it.  It was only then that I learned how deeply wounded my loved one was.  Of course, I apologized, and immediately I saw the error of my ways.  After apologizing to both my aunt and uncle, I stewed for about an hour or so, feeling like a buffoon.  “I should have known better,” I thought.  “How insensitive; his hurts are too great for me to make such un-discerning assumptions.”  But then something miraculous happened.  My uncle came inside and said, “hey everyone let’s get an epic game of PIG going!” 

PIG, of course, is the basketball game where people attempt to make difficult shots on the basketball court.  If accomplished, the next person has to make the same shot.  Now if the second person misses, they get a letter.  Once you have P-I-G, then you are out.  And our game was epic.  We had more than 20 people playing.  It took a long time, but it was more than fun, it was redemptive. 

The game morphed into a spiritual experience specifically, because everyone – young and old – participated out in the driveway.  We were brought together in that moment, and we enjoyed each other’s company.  It was almost Eucharistic.  Indeed, we had all shared in one another’s hurt in the past, but at that moment we delighted in one another’s gifts and humor.  It was a delight.  All of this happened because of a game!  Note well, on this trip, we visited beaches, took boat rides, watched a rocket get launched into space, spent time at theme parks, and even enjoyed first class cuisine, but none of that means much in comparison to our play together.  For Christianity, this type of activity might be associated with the Sabbath, and for other traditions it might connect in other ways.  But here is the point: if our faith is not only about God but also about connecting us more fully to one another, then play can be part of our spiritual practice.  For when we loose ourselves in the delight of playing with others, we often reconnect in ways deeper than by simply rehearsing the past. 

Robert Jenson on Scripture and Theology

This video is very interesting.  Jenson, like myself, is not pleased with the sharp dichotomy between Biblical study and theology...

http://youtu.be/C5inULwpiJY

Rob Bell on Homosexuality

So, I am late to the discussion, but Rob Bell (a one time megachurch pastor and favorite among the "new evangelicals") has recently come out in favor of gay marriage (read and see here).  I am curious about how he sees this playing out in ecclesiastical settings.

What do you think about how and why Rob Bell is now saying all this?  Anyone have any insider information as to when he came to this view and if it is one of the reasons that he left Mars Hill?  I know, I sound like a busy-body...but I am curious to take temperature of the evangelical world on this issue.  So, how do you think other evangelicals will respond to Rob Bell?  I have read a few bits here and there...they range from nasty criticism to full appreciation.

If nothing else, I think it says a lot about where the "evangelical" world is right now....um, without a hierarchy and magisterium, thus perpetually divided!?

An Interview with Tracey Rowland on Benedict's Retirement

Many readers will remember my previous interview with Catholic theologian Tracey Rowland.  You can learn more about her work and research here.  For now it is enough to say that she is a top scholar on the theology of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI; indeed, I have learned a great deal form her writings on the subject.  Recently I emailed Prof. Rowland, even though I knew she would be busy answering millions of questions about the current situation in Rome, to add a few more questions to her inbox...here is what she said (Thanks Tracey for graciously taking time to consider and answer these questions.  It is much appreciated!):

The unprecedented nature of Benedict's retirement has created a new opportunity for the papacy.  What do you think its lasting impact will be?

It is difficult to say, but I expect that any future pope will have regard for the overall benefit of the Church, and make a decision for or against retirement with reference to the criteria cited by Benedict in his interview with Peter Seewald.  In some situations a pope may judge it best to see out his reign to the bitter end, in other circumstances the Benedict XVI approach may be favoured.  In every instance it should still be a matter for the personal judgment of the pope.

Will this be the thing that Benedict XVI is remembered for, or will something in his papacy or theological writings last as a legacy for the future of Christendom?

I think he will be remembered for both his theological writings and his decision to resign, but as time goes by the theological writings will attain greater significance.

What will the current pope's most lasting legacy be?

His collection of over 60 books on a wide variety of theological topics, and perhaps, the creation of the Anglican Ordinariate.

Who do you think will get elected as the next pope?  Why?

The front runners are Cardinal Marc Ouellet from Quebec and Cardinal Angelo Scola from Milan.  I would be immensely happy with either of them.  Both are exceptionally well educated and theologically close to Benedict XVI. 

The argument in favour of Scola is that there is a general sense that the Curia is in need of a reform and that only an Italian can achieve that.  In other words, the idea is that it takes an Italian to know how the Italians within the Curia work, know the patronage networks and the unspoken codes.  Scola is also regarded as politically savvy and able to deal with the ‘world’.  He is on top of the intellectual and political battle fields.  When I met him over a decade ago, at a time when I was a doctoral student at Cambridge, the moment I mentioned “Cambridge” he started to recite the names of the Divinity School’s Faculty members and talk about their latest books.  He could do the same for Oxford, the Sorbonne etc.  He is totally at ease in the world of ideas but also capable of dealing with matters beyond the realm of the intellectual.  He lost his political innocence as a young student at the University of Milan during the height of the Marxist era.  He became a protégé of Fr Luigi Giussani, the founder of the new ecclesial movement, Communion and Liberation.  This movement was the only significant resistance to the Marxist dominance of intellectual life on the Italian campuses.  He later joined the seminary in Milan but was bureaucratically messed around by seminary authorities who were hostile to Giussani.  He moved to a less prestigious seminary in the south of Italy, but history turned full circle when he was appointed the Cardinal Archbishop of Milan by Pope Benedict.  He is well known for his Oasis Foundation which is dedicated to Islamic-Christian dialogue.  Between his seminary years and his appointment to Milan he held, among other posts, that of Rector Magnificus of the Pontifical Lateran University, President of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family, and Patriarch of Venice.

The argument in favour of Cardinal Marc Ouellet is that he has had experience in North America, South America and the Roman Curia.  He is currently the Prefect for the Congregation of Bishops and a member of half a dozen other Congregations.  He speaks six languages.  He, like Scola, is a former Professor of the John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family.  In short, he is an intellectual in the tradition of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI, with extensive Curial administrative experience, as well as pastoral experience in both North and South America.  He would be the first Pope from the British Commonwealth and he would appeal to Francophone communities.

If youth is considered to be an important criterion, then Cardinal Peter Erdo of Hungary is a top contender.  He is a canon lawyer by professional training which would be an asset when dealing with administrative problems and he is also regarded as an intellectual who has made some progress fighting the culture of death in Hungary.

Who do you think should be elected as the bishop of Rome, why?

As a Catholic it is rather difficult to answer this question because I must believe that the Holy Spirit has at least some influence over the decision, and also, I don’t know all the Cardinals. My competence is somewhat limited by these two factors. 

There is a website called “adopt a Cardinal” and Catholics are being invited to randomly select a Cardinal for whom to pray during the conclave.  The idea is not to pray that your Cardinal is elected, but to pray that your Cardinal is open to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  This seems to me to be the best strategy.  I have adopted Cardinal Angelo Amato, the Prefect for the Congregation of the Causes of the Saints.

There is a slogan which got the British through the Nazi blitz of London in the Second World War.  It is “keep calm and carry on”.  I think this is the right approach to the whole issue.  I would make it, “Keep calm, adopt a Cardinal, and carry on”.

What do you think are the main requirements for this seat?

Holiness, courage, good communication skills, an understanding of the intellectual opposition to the faith, a passionate love of the Church and a deep understanding of how the Curia actually operates.

Whoever is elected next, how do you see an emeritus pope relating to ecclesial issues?  Will Ratzinger remain cloistered, and thus out of the way of the next pope, or will he be a silent, behind the scenes influencer?  

I expect that much will depend on the attitude of the new pope.  I am sure that Benedict will stay out of the fray unless the new pope personally seeks his advice.  This may happen.  There could end up being a really beautiful relationship between the two popes whereby the reigning pope treats the pope emeritus as a soul-mate, friend, confidant etc and the two might even pray together.  This situation could greatly ease the loneliness of the position for the new pontiff.

Would there be any benefit in electing Cardinal Dolan, an American, in terms of global politics and influence?

I don’t think that there would be any benefit in electing a pontiff because he is an American.  If however an American happens to be the best man for the job, then I don’t think that the fact that he is an American should be a barrier.  Many non-Americans however do have the attitude of “please, not an American”, simply because they feel as though Americans have too much power already.  This is not my position.  I am not neither for nor against anyone on the grounds of nationality.  The Church is global, uniting all the tribes across the planet.  This is one of the many great things about her.

How do you assess the current state of global catholicism today?  Has the new evangelization been effective in altering the culture, or has it been a failure?

I think that the Church is internally stronger after the pontificates of Blessed John Paul II and Benedict XVI but the external forces of opposition have also increased in strength.  The Church was really in a mess in the 1960s and 70s and much of the current drama is a mopping up exercise of that mess.  However precisely because there has been so much damage, so much internal weakening, the external forces are now very confident and militant.  That said, history shows that the more the Church is persecuted, the more saints she produces.  The important issue is that the Church’s leaders need to be unashamedly Christocentric and not go about behaving as though the Church were a haberdashery shop trying to update its windows to lure more customers.  That was precisely the outlook of the 1960s which Ratzinger/Benedict said was both theologically stupid and counter-productive.  As Fr Robert Barron has written, it is Christ who should position culture, not culture that should position Christ.  That is the key message of the new evangelisation but some members of the generation of 1968 who remain in significant positions within the bureaucratic machinery are reluctant to accept this message.  To do so would mean that they would have to acknowledge that they have been on the wrong train for most of their lives.  That would be very psychologically painful.

What are the most pressing concerns for the Catholic Church today?  Women's issues?  Reproductive issues?  Same sex issues?  What do you think must be addressed in the days/years to come?

For me the major issue is the bureaucratisation of the Church’s agencies and corresponding tendency of the Church to mimic the practices of the corporate world.  I think that this tendency sets up barriers to the work of grace.  Before his election to the papacy Ratzinger wrote:

"The more administrative machinery we construct, be it the most modern, the less place there is for the Spirit, the less place there is for the Lord, and the less freedom there is."

He added that in his opinion, "we ought to begin an unsparing examination of conscience on this point at all levels of the Church". 

I also think that seminarians need to be better educated, especially in the humanities.  At present many are sent out into the world like lambs to the slaughter because they have no understanding of the intellectual opposition to Christianity.  I feel sorry for people who are mature men who go into seminaries which are like boarding schools and where they are constantly monitored and analysed.  I think it would be good to have a synod on the whole subject of priestly formation, both spiritual and academic.

Blessed John Paul II dealt with many of the issues in the field of moral theology, including the meaning and purpose of human sexuality.  I think that as this field of human life becomes more and more technological, and thus, less human, the Church’s teaching will stand out starkly as the most humane attitude.  Already non-Catholic feminists are starting to complain that the sexual revolution of the 1960s did not in fact liberate women. It just created a new set of problems.  Each time there is a new problem, we have a new technological solution, which in turn creates new problems.  The Catholic message is that there is such a thing as ‘human ecology’.  It is taking time to take off, but I think it is taking off.   Younger women are looking for an alternative vision from that offered to them by the feminists of the 1960s.

Thanks again, Tracey.  Your have given us some tools to exegete this situation that cuts through the countless voices of the media etc.  May God Be With You.  

Fr. Barron on Benedict XVI's Legacy

The attention paid to Benedict XVI's retirement has certainly reached the height of "wight noise."  No matter, for I think Fr. Barron's comments are quite cogent for this time.  Please give this a viewing....