2395 University Avenue, Suite 202, St. Paul, MN - 55114, 651-646-2854
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2395 University Avenue, Suite 202, St. Paul, MN - 55114, 651-646-2854 |
BOOK REVIEWS |
Author: Kyle T. Kramer, Notre Dame, IN: Sorin Books, 2012. Pages: 175. Review by Dr. Christopher Thompson, Academic Dean, Saint Paul Seminary As an administrator of a lay theology program at a regional seminary and the proud owner of both twenty acres and a 1953 Ford tractor, I couldn't help but be immediately drawn into the reflections of--well--an administrator of a lay theology program at a regional seminary and the proud owner of twenty acres and a 1953 Ford tractor. But beyond the uncanny familiarity, Kramer offers a thoughtful set of reflections on his decade long effort to convert an otherwise forgotten parcel of land near St. Meinrad, Indiana into a Catholic homestead which includes a wife and three children. At least that is the proximate subject. At a deeper level Kramer leads the reader to reflect on a variety of questions facing those seeking to lead a more integrated, holistic life against the backdrop of contemporary America. Beginning with his experiences in higher theological formation, Kramer recognizes that there was something of a disconnect happening in his life of abstraction, and the desire to live a more focused, simple life impelled him to the edges of modernity. With virtually no experience and an apparent boundless supply of energy, he pushes himself to the limits by taking on the challenge of converting a mere location into a successful farm and home. There's something deeply honest about his writing and the work elicits empathy with this personal Odyssey. The narrative seems entirly contemporary. Kramer is obviously bright, well educated, healthy as an ox and laden with privilege. He's also the child of divorce, searches for meaning through various service projects, falls in and out of love, dabbles briefly in Eastern mysticism and eventually finds his way into the Catholic community. It's here that I was eager for a more deliberate reflection. Perhaps there'll be a follow up volume. The desire isn't a mere curiosity on my part; it seems necessary. In order to situate the implicit sacramental nature of reality more firmly one needs to draw from the expressed sacramental acts of the church. The Eucharist is that action which satisfies the insatiable desire to get things right with God. Even more so, Reconciliation is that graced privilege of coming to recognize that getting things right just isn't going to happen without Him. More reflections along these lines might have helped fill in, even assuage, some of the anxiety that seems to linger in the closing chapters. Overall, it's an engaging read, and Kramer is to be commended for asking the right questions of himself and the rest of us. He and his family would be welcomed dinner guests in our house. If he hangs around long enough, I just might give him a hammer. THE FORCE OF CHARACTER
Author: James Hillman. Review by: Mary Kay Mahowald, OSF, Rochester, Minnesota How many times have you heard an elder say, "Getting old is not for sissies nor the faint of heart?" The internationally known psychologist and scholar James Hillman has written on the topic of aging in THE FORCE OF CHARACTER, 1999. In this book, Hillman invites and challenges the reader to discover the soul in aging. He sees the issue of our "youth oriented" era as the importance of understanding aging (not to merely explain it) and believes that to understand it we need to come from the concept of character. For example, Hillman asks the reader if the seemingly "uselessness" of our later years is in actuality the time needed to properly "age" the soul before it leaves? He posits that aging is an art form and needs to be regarded aesthetically. The book consists of three main parts following the theme of character through three states. However, they are not the usual states of childhood, maturity and old age; rather, Hillman's work expands up the changes that character undergoes in later life. Have I awakened your curiosity or entices you to find this title at the local library? I hope so and recommend it highly as we age--may we do it with character.
CUTTING FOR STONE Author: Abraham Verghese. Review by: S. McGee This brilliant novel revolves around what is broken--limbs, family ties, trust--and the process of rebuilding them. It starts with the birth of twin boys to a nursing nun, Sister Mary Praise Joseph, in a small hospital on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; an event with no one had expected: "The everyday miracle of conception had taken place in the one place it should not have: in Sister Mary Praise Joseph's womb." The delivery rapidly becomes a debacle when it's clear that Mary Praise Joseph can't deliver her baby normally; the last minute arrival home at "Missing" (the Mission Hospital) by Indian obstetrician Hema saves the children, but their mother dies and their presumed father, surgeon Thomas Stone, disappears into the night. That brief summary does no justice to Berghese's powerful and remarkable prose style or the structure of the first part of the book which, although it revolves around the tragedy that claims the life of the twins' mother, also introduces the other main characters who will take the place of their biological parents. Darting back and forth between the events in the surgical theater (as Thomas Stone, horrified at what he sees, first tries to save Mary Joseph Praise's life by collapsing the skull of the infant he believes cannot be born alive), the mundane daily activities of his fellow doctor, Ghosh (trying to escape what he believes is a hopeless love for Hema) and Hema's struggle to get home to Missing from her annual holiday in India, the reader will find it impossible to put the book down and wants only to find a way of reading faster and faster to discover what happens next. By the time the twins are born, attached by a blood vessel at the head and separated at the last moment by Stone and Hema to save their lives, the reader will find himself or herself resenting every moment not spent following this story until the tale is told. And even when you are finished, the novel and its more-than-compelling characters will linger on in your mind . . . Separated at birth, the twins grow up in the Ethiopia of the Emperor Haile Selaisse's reign, and Verghese introduces the reader to an ancient world that will be new to most readers, with all its flavors, colors, scents and sounds. His remarkable artistry ensures that this is never jarring but always intriguing and that the characters--Indian expatriate doctors raising their two foster children, both to an Indian nun and an American surgeon, with the help of an Eritrean caretaker and her own daughter--feel as familiar to us as if they were members of our own family. In the manner of a classic epic, Verghese picks his themes--separation, the intersection of sex and death, wounds and what surgery can and can't accomplish--and sticks to them throughout. And yet, those themes--sweeping ones for any novelist to tackle--never overshadow the fact that this is, at its core, the story of two brothers, Shiva and Marion--or ShivaMarion, as Marion, the narrator, describes their single-minded unity in their youngest years. Ultimately, the political events in Ethiopia and family betrayals send Marion fleeing to the United States. His odyssey seems to rupture all these ties and yet by the time the novel ends, we realize that every step has, in fact, been bringing Marion, Shiva and their extended family closer together as well as toward a resolution of the various plot twists. Training as a surgeon in a Bronx hospital where the only interns are from overseas ("the bloodlines from the Mayflower hadn't triclled down to this zip code", Marion reflects wryly), he finally encounters his birth father in person--with dramatic consequences--and has a chance to make peace with Thomas Stone, Shiva--and himself. Anyone familiar with Veghese's non-fiction writing (two very compelling memoirs, "My Own Country: A Doctor's Story" and "The Tennis Partner") knows that he is an impeccable prose stylist. But relatively few non-fiction writers can also write wonderful fiction, must less produce this kind of complex drama. Rarer still is that this is a debut novel. Even the remarkable coincidences of the final third of the book never feel anything less that pitch-perfect: a real tribute to both Verghese's carefully-contructed plot and his eloquent, pitch-perfect writing. It is rare for me to stumble over a novel of such a high caliber, one that creates the kind of shcaracters I have never met before, characters who now are as vividly aline in my mind as any of the real individuals who populate my world. May this be only the first of many novels that Verghese produces for us, his lucky readers.
THE DEATH OF JOSSELINE: IMMIGRATION STORIES FROM THE ARIZONA BORDERLANDS
Regan, a Tucson journalist, has compiled a compelling chronicle of the flow of migrants from northern Mexico into the "Tucson Sector" of Arizona, distilling the many facets of this phenomenon into an enlightening account. She focuses on one border crosser, 14-year-old Josseline Hernandez, who in January 2008, left with her younger brother in a group heading eventually to Los Angeles, where their mother was waiting. Ill from prolonged exposure, Josseline was left in the desert to die by her well-paid guide, or coyote. In exploring that death, and the nearly 1,600 other migrant deaths in the Arizona desert between 2001 and 2009, Regan interviews the Border Patrol, vigilantes, members of the human rights group "No More Deaths," and Tohono O'odham tribal members, on whose land 83 bodies were found in 2007 alone. She also speaks with migrants, many of whom have tried multiple times to cross Arizon's "killing field," created when restrictions tightened around such border cities as El Paso. Regan doesn't offer any solutions, but her brutally honest depiction should be read by those who will.
FRANCIS FOR MEN: OTHERWISE, WE NEED WEAPONS Markus Hofer, Cincinnati: St. Anthony Messenger, 2001. Review written by Greg Spofford, Associate, Little Falls Franciscans, Little Falls, Minnesota This wonderful book is not just for men, but also for women who wish to understand men a bit better. This is made clear in a forward by Richard Rohr. So, what is so wonderful about this book? For starters, I especially liked Hofer's version of what Brother Francis' words may have been regarding poverty, peace and even "Brother Ass" as he not so affectionately called his body. From the challenging statement at the beginning of this book that we must "embrace our lepers," to the culminating chapter naming death as a friend, the reader is affirmed in this journey we call life, but challenged in the way Francis himself was challenged to follow our Lord's will, even when not understood. Hofer relates that the multi-facted Francis has dimensions of personality we don't always think of. Yes, St. Francis is Brother Francis with all the nurturing aspects of a good brother or sister, but what about Francis' insistence upon the scouring of his own body, an asceticism of a personally harmful nature? Can we fully believe in Francis' belief that peace and poverty are integrally related and of "one component?" The reader must examine personal habits and our culture's approach, whereby democracy seems to reward us with goods and services that we tend to think are ours to enjoy and even flaunt as a result of our hard work. Is this where the phrase in the title "Otherwise we need weapons" comes from? Each chapter of Hofer's book ends with what Hofer believes would be the words of Francis as Francis moves through life from the earliest days of the call to leave his life as the son of a well-to-do merchant to the beginning of a community of brothers (and later--sisters, when Clare joins the brothers). I LOVE it! The words in italics read like a diary, and I like diaries. Finally, an appendia offers another present-day experience of Francis from 12 men who formed a one-week community to share their thoughts and feelings regarding this wild and peaceful man named Francis. The book is excellent! In one of my favorite blessings recited more fully in this book: "May the Lord's face shine on you and grant you peace."
Each story is unique, and some compare the tragedy to the Passion of Christ. Some Moslems living in New York also grieved, both for the loss of friends and family members, but also for fear that such an attack would cast a reflection on the Islam faith, which they love and see as basically one of peace and brotherhood. Kathleen McManus, a Dominican theologian, pointed out that the Twin towers and the Pentagon were symbols of U.S. power; and from her experience as a missionary in Central America, she cited the misuse of that power in our supporting the military regime that caused fear, poverty and death for thousands of vulnerable people there; and other U.S. foreign policies that have at times also been tainted with injustice. We are not universally loved. But she sees that Ground Zero can become a symbol of hope because of the heroism and concern for humanity that we shown that day in efforts to rescue survivors. She also admired the great reverence in the months-long process of sifting through the rubble and finding memorabilia and even human body parts and respectfully attempting to restore them to those who loved the victims. She sees the hope that future American interaction with our world neighbors will follow a similar path of respect and reverence, especially for the most vulnerable. This small book is well worth reading. MYSTICS IN SPITE OF THEMSELVES: FOUR SAINTS AND THE WORLD THEY DIDN'T LEAVE By R. A. Herrera, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 2010, 132 pages, $12.99. Review by: Bede Luetkemeyer, OSB By choosing four prominent churchmen who lived during the medieval period 354 (birth of Augustine) to 1109 (death of Ramon of Lull), and supplying some of the more obscure details of this historic time, the author succeeds in giving us an appreciation of holiness achieved despite almost impossible odds. Augustine, the best known of the four, and the most prominent intellectually, exemplifies all the excessive fervor of a convert, transforming his philosophical knowledge into knowledge of God as Light. Gregory, who shepherded the Church through one of the darkest periods of its history, maintained a high degree of union with God and passed on the richess of his thought and prayer to posterity through numerous writings. Anselm, a scholar who combined the stressful office of Archbishop with that of Abbot, was a child prodigy who continued to perfect his theological thought in the midst of tumultuous controversy and argument. Ramon of Lull was a very different kind of mystic. Rather than conquering the distraction of the world, he believed that "the external world is a receptable of the Divine and palpitates with it." A peripatetic preacher and missionary, he was looked upon as rather bizarre for his unusual beliefs, but persevered in mystical prayer and was eventually recognized for his zeal, intelligence and spirituality. This small book will surely be worth the time of contemporary leaders who look for models of prayer in the midst of heavy burdens and the confusion of our times. THE ISLE OF MONTE CRISTO: FINDING THE INNER TREASURE By S. T. Georgiou, Novalis Publishing, Inc., Toronto, ON, Canada, 2010, 300 pages, $19.95. Review by: Bede Luetkemeyer, OSB From the outset, this book with its summary account of "The Count of Monte Cristo"--including a commentary on the redemptive and forgiveness aspects of the story--conveys the sense tht something new is afoot. Personal experiences of the author are translated as adventures in the Spirit and leads one to the conclusion that life in God is meant to be exciting and fulfilling. The ancient doctrine of God's image reflected in creation is reinterpreted for the modern reader with additional emphasis on a very personal participation in the soul-work that is taking place at each moment of one's existence. Besides the generous self-gift of his own teachings and experiences on the isle of Patmos and on college campuses, Georgiou gives us the doctrine and teaching of Robert Lax, his mentor. Lax's poetry is included throughout and highlights superbly the general content of the book. It seems natural that the author as a teacher does his most sophisticated writing on the subjects of learning and education. "The Isle of Monte Cristo" is the culmination of a trilogy of books and gives a more in-depth picture of the spiritual doctrine of Robert Lax, which will be new to most readers. Others books by the author are "The Way of the Dreamcatcher: Spirit-Lessons with Robert Lax" and "Mystic Street: Meditations on a Spiritual Path" (Novalis Press). COMPASSIONATE REBEL REVOLUTION: ORDINARY PEOPLE CHANGING THE WORLD This heartening book, a follow-up to the original Compassionate Rebel, published a few years ago, is about how ordinary people make a difference in the world. Here you will find inspiring stories from Compassionate Rebels in the Twin Cities and around the country?peaceful warriors fighting for peace at home and abroad; champions of compassion from the Katrina-ravaged streets of New Orleans to the impoverished villages of Africa; immigrants on a journey to freedom and civil rights; freedom fighters promoting people power around the world; local citizens remaking urban and rural America; female rebels standing up to war, gun violence, and domestic abuse; reformers taking back democracy in the media, at the ballot box, and in corporate America; and the next generation of change agents working to end war, save the planet, and make their voices heard for years to come.
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