Friday, April 23, 2010 02:21 PM 

nwicatholic.com >> Entertainment >> Books>> Past Book Reviews
 

BOOKS PREVIOUSLY REVIEWED
Information is provided by the Catholic News Service

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 
This page is updated continuously.  Please be sure to check it often.

A
"A Church in Search of Itself: Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future," by Robert Blair Kaiser.
Knopf (New York, 2006). 261 pp.,
$25.95
   Robert Blair Kaiser's well-written "A Church in Search of Itself: Benedict XVI and the Battle for the Future" is a work of both journalism and activism. Kaiser, who has covered religion for The New York Times, Time, CBS and Newsweek, is an engaging writer with an admirable ability to make complex situations and ideas understandable without facile simplification.    This book is about the institutional church, the Vatican and the 2005 conclave and, at the same time, it is about "the people of God church" that Kaiser discovered on his worldwide travels. Kaiser discusses issues (clericalism and priesthood, enculturation, liberation theology, the challenges of religious pluralism) through effective portraits, including six cardinals (from five continents), women religious, theologians and bishops.    Kaiser is an activist about church politics. "This is arguably the time to make the church less Roman, more catholic -- and more American. First, however, the people of God in America have to wake up and stand up." He proposes that the American church "could become an autochthonous church, modeled on the ancient churches of the Middle East ... Catholics united with Rome, with their own patriarchs, their own liturgies, and their own mostly married clergy."    One does not have to agree with Kaiser's call for a "people's church" to recognize the concern that motivated the long years of research and travel that resulted in this book.

A FAITH FOR GROWN-UPS: A MIDLIFE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT REALLY MATTERS, by Robert P. Lockwood. Loyola Press (Chicago, 2004). 304 pp.
$17.95.
     It is hard to imagine how two personal reflections on Catholicism could be more different than "Called to Question: A Spiritual Memoir" by Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister of Erie, Pa., and "A Faith for Grown-Ups: A Midlife Conversation About What Really Matters" by Pittsburgh's diocesan communications director, Robert P. Lockwood. One thing they have in common is insight about being a mature Catholic in 21st-century America.      Their differences are profound and worth noting. There is almost nothing similar about their backgrounds, their focus, their concerns or their intended audiences.      Both reflect on their Catholic upbringings and do it vividly. But Lockwood's was a warm and happy time loaded with friendships. Sister Joan describes a tormented, solitary childhood that she struggled to outgrow and transcend. Sister Joan's book is an inner journey of the soul. Lockwood reaches out to others.     Sister Joan's fans -- and they are legion since she is a widely published author and well-known speaker -- will enjoy sharing her personal faith journey. In 25 chapters, she considers many facets of her life from her earliest days to her recent years as one of America's most prominent women religious. The chapters are organized into seven sections ranging from the "inward life" to issues of resistance and ecology.   Occasionally one finds insight, as when she describes why thinkers chafe at commands: "Orders bind us to an immediate response, but listening sets us free to think things through." But she paints the nuanced world she inhabits with a broad brush, not always concerned about staying within the lines. "Every era manufactures a heresy proper to the times. Quietism is ours," she writes. Really?      On page 223 I scribbled: "I think Joan and I are on the same page spiritually, but she carries some baggage that does not burden me -- and much anger." On page 224 she acknowledges the burden of "old baggage." She says one needs to "grow beyond the wounds and memories," but in the end it is not clear that she does.

"After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty- and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion," by Robert Wuthnow.
Princeton University Press (Princeton, N.J., 2007). 298 pp.
$29.95
   In "After the Baby Boomers: How Twenty-and Thirty-Somethings Are Shaping the Future of American Religion," Wuthnow uses statistical data and exhaustive numerical analysis to assess the social and cultural influences on the younger adult generation. The charts help the reader stay focused, but the numbers can be a drag. What is more interesting is Wuthnow's discussion about how this generation of younger adults is shaping the churches in America today. Their so-called "life worlds" are defining how they spend their time, where they live and who they are, and, thus, the churches that they chose to -- or not to -- attend. Today's generation of younger adults have spent at least some time in college, bounce around jobs more frequently than older generations, marry later and have children later, Wuthnow reports. This leads the reader to wonder: Considering that a church's programs and services are mostly focused on married couples with children -- also noted in the book -- then isn't there a large percentage of the population that does not have the support of religious institutions?

"All of the Animals in the Bible" is a topical index of all animals that appear in Scripture. The question in the title of his book "sounds like a naive kid's question," Father Wintz said in an interview with Catholic News Service June 13, "but I think it fits in this broader context (of the question of salvation for all creation.)" Father Wintz said his motivation to write the book stemmed largely from his experience as a Franciscan. "I have a great fascination for St. Francis of Assisi, especially his great love and respect for animals as well as for trees, rivers, wild flowers and creation as a whole," he stated. Throughout the book's 10 chapters, Father Wintz utilizes evidence from Scripture, the works of St. Francis of Assisi and Judeo-Christian tradition to make the case that God intends to save all of creation, including beloved pets. The evidence includes some familiar stories such as that of Noah, as well as less familiar works like St. Francis' "Canticle of Brother Sun," a song of praise in which St. Francis refers to all of creation as brothers and sisters of man. Harris' book provides the original Greek or Hebrew term and the English translation for each animal, followed by a synopsis and analysis of their natural and symbolic roles in the Bible. A knowledge quiz also is included to keep readers entertained. Harris told CNS in a June 11 telephone interview that the comfort she found in God's symbolic use of animals in Scripture inspired her to write the book. A self-described animal lover, she believes her work on the book reinforced her love for animals.  "All of the Animals in the Bible" is the first in a series of books by Harris, who holds a degree in religious studies from Regent University. Her second book, "All of the Trees in the Bible," is scheduled for release later in June. Both books are published through Advantage Books. Harris believes her book will appeal largely to Christians who enjoy studying the Bible. She also hopes that the book can help introduce other animal lovers to Christ. "(I want) to bring Christians closer to the Lord," she said.  
Editor's Note: "All of the Animals in the Bible" can be purchased in hardcover for $41 or in paperback for $25 at www.advbooks.com or www.leilaharris.com.

AMERICAN JESUS: HOW THE SON OF GOD BECAME A NATIONAL ICON, by Stephen Prothero.
Farrar, Straus, Giroux (New York, 2003). 364 pp.
 $25.00.
     Drive just about anywhere in rural America and get ready to see signs that announce Jesus' return or that herald his Gospel. This signage speaks volumes about the nation's encounter with Jesus. He is as iconic as the flag. So says Stephen Prothero, a professor of religion at Boston University, in "American Jesus: How the Son of God Became a National Icon."    If Jesus were to return to America, how would he be known? Prothero suggests a number of ways that Jesus could be identified in a captivating, sprightly written narrative covering the last two centuries.Americans have created their own images of Jesus, whether in portraiture, hymns, literature, film or biblical interpretation. This book is not theology; it concentrates on the medium rather than the message. Prothero admits, "I am interested in the man, not the metaphysics."     And what a man he is. The book begins with Thomas Jefferson's fascination with Jesus as a moral exemplar. Prothero dubs this Jesus the "enlightened sage." He draws us to Jefferson's work table where the president sits shearing a copy of the New Testament to fit his own personal vision of Jesus, less a deity than someone liberated from all unreasonableness.     If the matter of Jesus' divinity was considered a trifle by Jefferson, other Christians took up the doctrinal assertions attached to Jesus. Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists led the charge to configure Jesus according to the more personal interests of their members. "What a friend we have in Jesus" became a common claim.     According to Prothero, Protestant preachers of the 19th century saw in Jesus a somewhat feminized "sweet savior." But by the 20th century, many writers began to consider Jesus as a more masculine "manly redeemer" or, after the 1960s, a more popularized "superstar" who rocked the world with the funk of truth.Prothero does an excellent job in charting how Jesus became divorced from the historical biblical narrative, except among so many German-trained academics, and became a figure in popular culture. Prothero's analysis extends beyond Christianity to include Jewish and Hindu perceptions of Jesus as well.     The so-called "reclamationist" Jews of the 1920s considered Jesus as a significant Jewish prophet. The American Vedanta societies that were planted by Hindu swamis saw in Jesus a kind of avatar or supreme yogi.     Mormons are also a major subject of Prothero's book. They are an important group that claims Jesus as instrumental for their religion, though their portrayal of the man is tainted by accounts of quite apart from those that most Christians know from the canonical Scriptures.    That includes Catholics, of course, but they are hardly mentioned in Prothero's work. It is to be hoped that this young scholar will examine their history of Jesus, too, for he truly is all things to all people.


AMERICAN DREAM: THREE WOMEN, TEN KIDS, AND A NATION'S DRIVE TO END WELFARE, by Jason DeParle.
Viking-Penguin Group (New York, 2004). 422 pp.
$25.95.
Reviewed by Owen Phelps Catholic News Service
   Some books promise more in the title than they deliver. "American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids and a Nation's Drive to End Welfare" delivers a lot more than it promises.   Yes, you'll find three women. When we meet them they are Angela "Angie" Jobe, 25, mother of three; her common-law sister-in-law and closest friend, Jewell Reed, 22, who has one daughter and is six months pregnant when they move in together; and Jewell's cousin Opal Caples, who joins the others later with three daughters and an obsessive taste for cocaine.    More children join the story as it unfolds. Before it ends there are 13, not 10.    You'll also meet an ensemble of other characters -- from slaveholder Samuel Caples and slave Frank Caples to the fathers of Angela and Jewell's children who are in jail for cocaine trafficking; male and female friends who move in and out of their lives; Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson, who gained a national reputation and a federal job for welfare reform; and President Bill Clinton and his Republican adversaries, who come together eventually over the issue of welfare reform.    Author Jason DeParle, a New York Times senior writer who has twice been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the welfare system, weaves a tale as intricate, delicate, coarse and compelling as any great piece of fiction. He seems to have mastered the gift of tri-location as he moves effortlessly from the Milwaukee ghetto to the halls of Congress and the Oval Office, and then through Wisconsin's legislative and bureaucratic labyrinth inextricably linked to Washington.   Thus we read: "The month Bill Clinton announced that he was running for president, (Angie) stepped off a Greyhound bus in Milwaukee to start a new life. She was 25 years old and arrived from Chicago towing two large duffel bags and three young kids."    Soon Jewell joins her and DeParle notes: "On Oct. 23, 1991 -- the day Clinton pledged to 'end welfare' -- two welfare mothers and four welfare kids awoke on a wooden floor" in an apartment without refrigerator or stove.  As DeParle slips from place to place he uncovers all manner of irony and pathos, liberally sprinkled with indifference, incompetence, concupiscence, determination, endurance and just plain dumb luck -- some of it good and some of it absolutely heartbreaking.   As the author dissects the personalities, relationships and circumstances of the three women, their circle of acquaintances, a prominent governor, and a conflicted president and his adversaries, he makes the case that truth is frequently much stranger than fiction. The book is a compelling study of the Law of Unintended Consequences.  As Thompson and Clinton attempt to end welfare as America has known it, the reader steps into a strange Wonderland where almost nothing is as it seems. Success and failure, measured by a variety of different and conflicting criteria, almost always occur more as a result of serendipity than intent. And more often than not, the local, state and federal numbers generated to keep score end up obscuring more than they reveal about the welfare reform process and the people whose lives it touches.   By now you may be wondering if DeParle is "conservative" or "liberal." The answer is that, with his fine critical knowledge skills and his badger-like drive to dig below the surface, he makes fodder of both camps. He also shreds virtually every stereotype that advocates on all sides embrace. Thus, his book is must reading for anyone who wants to know the essential truths -- large and small, public and intimate -- about poverty, welfare and survival in the United States today.    It is no coincidence that in 1995, while Angie, Jewell and Opal were coping with the everyday implications of welfare and its reform, the nation's Catholic bishops -- in the person of Bishop John H. Ricard, then auxiliary bishop of Baltimore and chairman of the bishops' Committee on Domestic Policy -- advised Congress that welfare reform should strengthen family life, encourage and reward work, preserve a safety net for the vulnerable, build public-private partnerships to overcome poverty and invest in human dignity.   Bishop Ricard explained. "Reform should serve the human needs of poor children and their families, not just the political needs of public officials." DeParle's book makes it clear that welfare reform still has a long way to go to meet the bishops' standards.   One warning: after reading this book, it will be well nigh impossible to view the performances of the superficial demagogues who populate the media, barking and flailing like performers at SeaWorld, without breaking into a contemptible laugh. It's either that or cry.   DeParle leaves no simple-minded certainties standing at the end. Of course, that may be a problem for those who cherish such things.

"American Religious Poems: An Anthology by Harold Bloom,"
Edited by Harold Bloom and Jesse Zuba. Library of America/Penguin Putnam (New York, 2006). 686 pp.
$40
Reviewed by Maureen Daly Catholic News Service
   Harold Bloom, Yale University's noted scholar of Shakespeare and the Bible as literature and author of "The Western Canon" and more than 20 other books, chose the poems by the 224 poets presented in this comprehensive anthology.    The poets in "American Religious Poems" are arranged by date of birth, one way of sorting this large cast of characters. So Puritan stalwart Anne Bradstreet is neighbor to Puritan outcast Roger Williams; the privileged minister Timothy Dwight is close to the freed slave Phyllis Wheatley, who died young and poor; and Edith Wharton, the chronicler of high society, is wedged between social critics Emma Lazarus and W.E.B. Du Bois.    The selections cover the four centuries of American English writing, beginning and ending with unknown authors -- first, a psalm from "The Bay Psalm Book" of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Puritans and, last, collections of Native American chants and African-American hymns.    Very few of these poems express a devotional creed. Many are not even overtly religious. What Bloom feels they share is an "American religion" that is so "implicit and universal" that poets "can be unaware that they incarnate and celebrate it." As Bloom sees it, this "American religion" celebrates the self, nature, solitude, the divine spark in each individual and rebellion against the limits of Old Europe.    The central beliefs of this "American religion" were set out by Ralph Waldo Emerson in his scandalous "Address to Harvard Divinity School." In it Emerson reduced Jesus' divinity to an awareness of the divine that any human could have. He had Jesus say, "Would you see God, see me; or, see thee, when thou thinkest as I now think."    Given Bloom's preference for doubt, it is not surprising that few of the modern poems offer much comfort or vision. John Berryman's "Eleven Addresses to the Lord" is an exception, an open prayer expressing the resignation and modest hopes of an older person. A small part of the long poem reads: "I have made up a morning prayer to you
containing with precision everything that most matters.
'According to Thy will' the thing begins.
It took me off & on two days. It does not aim at elegance.
You have come to my rescue again & again
in my impassable, sometimes despairing years.
You have allowed my brilliant friends to destroy themselves
and I am still here, severely damaged, but functioning."
 Bloom says that Walt Whitman and Emily Dickinson are "the two great American originals" who "between them define the Americanness of our poetry." Each has a strong spiritual message. Bloom calls Whitman "our Adam" and says, "I find in him the American Scripture." Dickinson he calls "a sect of one" who possesses a "startling" spiritual self-confidence.    So there are 20 pages of Whitman and seven pages of Dickinson in this collection, but there are also more than 400 pages of 20th-century verse, including the established poets Wallace Stevens, Robert Frost, Marianne Moore, T.S. Eliot, Hart Crane, William Carlos Williams, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Penn Warren, James Merrill, John Ashbery and A.R. Ammons, as well as 90 pages of newer poets born after 1950.    A brief reader's guide at the back directs readers to poems touching on certain areas of religious experience: doubt and belief, grief and consolation, nature, the miraculous, creation, the spiritual quest and so on. Indexes of poets, titles and first lines add to the utility of this book. Despite Bloom's peculiar take on faith, this anthology contains many great poems. It would be a welcome addition to any English or religion classroom.

AND GOD SAID, 'PLAY BALL!': AMUSING AND THOUGHT-PROVOKING PARALLELS BETWEEN THE BIBLE AND BASEBALL,
by Gary Graf. Liguori/Triumph
(Liguori, Mo., 2005). 180 pp.
$19.95.
Reviewed by Ed Langlois Catholic News Service
   "And God Said, 'Play Ball!': Amusing and Thought-Provoking Parallels Between the Bible and Baseball" gives an often-ingenious and sometimes tongue-in-cheek look at parallels between the good book and the great game. Seattle writer Gary Graf has taken two of the world's great institutions -- each a blend of human and divine -- and compares them, mostly with success.    For example, Graf takes the dispute among Jesus' apostles about who is the greatest as an opportunity to launch a discussion about who might be the best ballplayer of all time -- and how playing good ball differs from living a good life. Graf observes that Ty Cobb may have been a wizard on the field, but he was lacking in humanity. And he wisely singles out for praise Roberto Clemente, a talented player who died on a humanitarian mission to Nicaragua.   One of the best comparisons is between Moses and Hall of Fame shortstop Ernie Banks. Like the leader of the Israelites, Banks was a great talent and leader, but never crossed into baseball's promised land -- the World Series. Thankfully, Graf does not try to seek parallels between Banks' Chicago Cubs and the people of Israel.    Graf takes Moses' miscue in the desert -- when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it -- as akin to a missed sign from the third-base coach.    One strong chapter takes up the central New Testament concept of forgiveness and its relation to errors on the field and strikeouts at the plate. For a ball team to function, players must forgive each other's goofs, Graf writes. He notes that Jesus forgave St. Peter for his strikeout of denials and that Boston Red Sox fans now seem to have forgiven Bill Buckner for the error that cost them the 1986 World Series.    Graf even uses baseball rather skillfully to explore the Resurrection. The hope of true fans abides, especially during spring training. By the same token, players in a slump can be revived with a good game.    Some of the comparisons, though fun, are a stretch. God's command to "Let there be light," for example, gets compared to night baseball, then to a pitcher improving his game by having an interior light blink on. One does get the feeling in these overly cheerful passages that Graf simply indulged himself by writing about his two passions and then glued them together.    Perhaps Graf's ambition in some spots was just too high. The most apt comparison of Catholicism and baseball could be simply their shared sacramentalism, how there is more than appears on the surface. For instance, a double play is a lovely dance that speaks of various gifts being used for the common good.    We note that Graf lives not far from Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners and probably the nation's best new ballpark. Sitting in the stands high along the first-base side, one can almost touch the city skyline, see ships come to port and watch the sun set. It's not a cathedral, but don't tell us God isn't involved in it.

A NEW DAD'S GUIDE TO PLAYING GOD: REFLECTIONS ON THE VOCATION OF FATHERHOOD, by James Penrice.
Alba House, St. Paul's Press (New York, 2004). 132 pp.
$12.95
     James Penrice's "A New Dad's Guide to Playing God: Reflections on the Vocation of Fatherhood" has the best (meaning the least dorky-looking) cover art, and is by far the most earnest of these three tomes. He tackles the meaning of his could-be-provocative title right off the bat, saying that his vision of "playing God" doesn't include a vengeance-seeking deity also capable of other random, heartless acts.      Penrice also takes on such topics as the mother's role in the home (through the dogma of the Immaculate Conception) and Catholic teaching on marriage and baptism in such a way as to be deceptively simple, although skeptics are likely to view his essays on these matters as simplistic. But give him high marks for at least trying.      "God continually lays out the expectations that we fail to meet," he writes. "We certainly frustrate God as much as our children frustrate us -- even more so." Amen I say to that!

"An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order," by Nancy Klein Maguire.
PublicAffairs (New York, 2006). 258 pp.
$26.
Reviewed by Elizabeth Rackover Catholic News Service
   What did you give up for Lent this year? Chocolate? Alcohol? Cookies?
   Pretty tough, huh?
   Not even close, you pampered, self-deluded, post-Vatican II Catholic you.  In "An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order," author Nancy Klein Maguire examines a monastic way of life so austere, so stripped-down, so isolated that even the most devout and disciplined reader will shiver with the cold, ache with the hunger and swoon from night after endless night of interrupted sleep. Keeping company with the monks in Parkminster, a Carthusian charterhouse in West Sussex, England, is to keep a lonely vigil in a lifelong quest for "soli Deo": God alone. The book is two tales, really. It is an informed and respectful history of "the Western world's most austere monastic order," the Carthusians; it is also a sensitive record of five young men whose individual vocations led them to Parkminster in 1960.  Maguire gives us their stories and accounts of life in the slow lane firsthand, offering enough background on the Carthusian order (founded in 1089 and, until the Second Vatican Council, "never reformed, because never deformed") to vividly convey the sense that deprivations of sleep, comfort and even simple companionship are considered a privilege in this now-dwindling order.   The five young men whose stories comprise the basis for the book were drawn to Parkminster from happy homes and family lives in Germany, Ireland and America. They arrived separately over several months in 1960 with an interesting mixture of faithful ardor, naivete and youthful enthusiasm; not all of them fully understood the deprivations they would experience as postulants.   What becomes of their passion and their faith -- not to mention their psyches -- is an unpredictably interesting and well-written tale that, like a good novel, plunges you into their world and makes you wonder how you would fare there.   Braced against its own solitude, the power and strength of Carthusian devotion lies in its utter and complete focus on "God alone." But inhabiting the cowls and hair shirts are, after all, mortal men with egos, personalities and -- surprise, surprise! -- power struggles.   The chasm between divine and human shows clearly in the choir leader's near hysteria over sloppy, off-key and just plain lousy singing; a novice master considered too radical who is eventually replaced; and one old monk weeping at the funeral of another.   This is the gold that Maguire mines out of a seemingly impenetrable entity. From this all-male enclave where contact with the outside world is limited and controlled, she gained the trust and confidence of elder monks and tracked down the young men who left the monastery before making their solemn profession, a vow to remain in the religious order until death. Her careful, scholarly approach -- and her association with the order through her marriage to an ex-Carthusian -- led to what I have to assume is unprecedented lay and female access to Parkminster, where she was allowed to visit an unoccupied cell and spend time in its vast library.   Maguire, a scholar-in-residence at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, carefully crafts -- through the words, memories and experiences of others -- the story of monastic life in all its tedium, monotony and potential glory. That some fall short of that glory is no matter. The young men who made a go of it, who dared greatly, who tell the tale through Maguire's knowing eye for authenticity and simplicity, deserve the reader's greatest admiration.

A READER'S GUIDE THROUGH THE WARDROBE: EXPLORING C.S. LEWIS' CLASSIC STORY, by Leland Ryken and Marjorie Lamp Mead.
InterVarsity Press (Downer's Grove, Ill., 2005). 192 pp.
13.00
Each chapter in "A Reader's Guide Through the Wardrobe: Exploring C.S. Lewis' Classic Story," by Leland Ryken and Marjorie Lamp Mead, corresponds with one chapter of "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe." The authors offer readers conclusions on literary techniques, symbols and themes and then "study questions" to gain more personal insight on the text. The guide reads like a good textbook from an interesting class you are glad you took -- all for the "tuition" of paying for a paperback.

"The Authentic Catholic Woman" by Genevieve Kineke.
Servant Books (Cincinnati, 2006). 156 pp.
$13.99.
   Kineke, in "The Authentic Catholic Woman," uses literalized and confusing figures of speech, suggesting that women "image" themselves after holy mother church in all aspects. Specifically, she recommends that women mirror the sacraments: baptism by diligent housecleaning analogous to cleansing the stain of original sin, reconciliation by repeated cleanings coupled with forgiveness of mistreatments, and the Eucharist by providing meals for others. Pervasive literalism and inaccurate theological examples fill the book. Kineke states that men reflect both God the Father and Christ the bridegroom. The title Father is appropriate for priests, she says, since they are "husbands of the church" and supply "spiritual seeds to bring forth children destined for heaven." Women are to be subject to male authority, and whether a religious or a wife, "a woman's fruitfulness is a function of a man's fidelity and oblation."  According to the author, women who embrace their position and "cleave with it to the cross for the good of all" will be the hope of the church and the world. Although sincere in tone, Kineke's book will not appeal to well-educated Catholics in today's world.

B
THE BATTLE FOR MIDDLE-EARTH: TOLKIEN'S DIVINE DESIGN IN 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS,' by Fleming Rutledge.
William B. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, Mich., 2004) 373 pp.
$20.
   "The Battle for Middle-earth: Tolkien's Divine Design in 'The Lord of the Rings'" is a more gentle read. Its author, the Rev. Fleming Rutledge, an Episcopal priest with previously published works including "The Bible and The New York Times," shows an obvious love for Tolkien's work. Rev. Rutledge describes his own work as a "theological narrative" that seeks to "specifically identify the allusions to a transcendent agency that Tolkien has placed along the way."  Like Caldecott, Rev. Rutledge refers to Tolkien's letters to support his theories. He says it was part of Tolkien's plan that the characters and setting of "The Lord of the Rings" do not demonstrate a religion. Using a letter Tolkien wrote to fellow author C.S. Lewis (who wrote "The Chronicles of Narnia"), Rev. Rutledge explains how Tolkien hoped to reach two types of readers: Christian believers and those who have no theistic faith.   Comparing the narrative structure of Tolkien to the narrative structures in the Old and New Testaments, he says Tolkien hoped to reach unbelievers through a majestic story that included a disguised theological design.  At 373 pages, Rev. Rutledge's book is an enjoyable read that can be digested bit by bit. Readers should be familiar with Tolkien's characters and settings to appreciate Rev. Rutledge's book, although the book could inspire those who have not read the trilogy to pick up the masterpiece for themselves.

THE BATTLE FOR ROME: THE GERMANS, THE ALLIES, THE PARTISANS AND THE POPE, SEPTEMBER 1943-JUNE 1944, by Robert Katz.
Simon & Schuster (New York, 2004). 418 pp.
$28.00.
     "The Battle for Rome" is a penetrating study on the early stages of the Allied campaign in Italy by American author Robert Katz.   American and British leaders, especially Prime Minister Winston Churchill, considered that an attack on the "soft underbelly of Europe" would liberate Italy, draw German defenders away from the Atlantic wall in France, and pave the way for a drive into the Balkans. However, the soft underbelly proved to be harder than expected.     Katz reviews the long and bloody campaign up the Italian boot from the American landing at Salerno in 1943 to the liberation of Rome in June 1944. He also covers the German occupation of Rome, the Italian Resistance, American intelligence operations, and Vatican diplomatic relations, including reports from Tittmann.  Katz is very critical regarding the silence of Pope Pius XII about the Nazi deportation of Rome's Jews to Auschwitz and the German reprisal against the Romans after a Resistance attack of German SS troops. However, he admits that many Jews found shelter in Rome's Catholic institutions and churches.  In 1974 Katz was taken to court in Rome for defaming the memory of Pope Pius XII   with allegations he made in an earlier book, "Death in Rome." Katz was found guilty after a criminal trial. He received a 14-month prison sentence, but the verdict was overturned n appeal, and then dismissed by the Italian Supreme Court.  "The Battle for Rome" is based on declassified documents, interviews and memoirs. Katz is a serious scholar of the period and his book will be widely read.  Some readers will find his criticisms offset by the observations of diplomats or by statements from international Jewish leaders praising the actions of Pope Pius XII. Others will find that these new World  War II books add information to the discussion of the period without putting to rest the old controversies.

"Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice," by Thomas P. Rausch.
Liturgical Press (Collegeville, Minn., 2006). 123 pp.
$19.95.
   A few of the points that Wuthnow highlights also are touched upon by Rausch in his book "Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice," though in a less numbers-intensive way. Rausch writes as a university professor who clearly knows the statistics but also can share his experiences working with younger adults. Rausch discusses "the discrepancy between the optimistic charting of spiritual interest and the low level of religious practice or spiritual growth." Generally speaking, this is a trendy claim: Younger generations have more of an attachment to personally defined spirituality than to religious institutions and doctrine. Rausch's discussion is interesting and at times colorful. The chapter devoted to the Catholic imagination, a distinguishing point between Catholicism and Protestantism, is particularly thought-provoking. He also conjures up nostalgic memories of the Catholic tradition as taught through the family and ruminates about the sometimes negative changes since the Second Vatican Council in Catholic universities and theology studies.

"The Believer's Edge: The Secret to a Healthier, Happier, More Significant Life," by Owen Phelps.
ACTA Publications (Durand, Ill., 2005). 130 pp.
$13.95
   "The Believer's Edge: The Secret to a Healthier, Happier, More Significant Life," by Owen Phelps, is a book of fiction with lessons for laity about how to live their Catholicism.    Set in a nondescript manufacturing company, the story is that of Derek, one of the company's best sales people. Concerned about unresolved personal issues -- including his relationship with his wife and children, the manner in which he spends his time away from work, and temptations of life on the road -- Derek consults with Tom, a longtime acquaintance who works in the same company.
   Unlike Derek, Tom's priorities include faith and church attendance. Tom introduces his troubled co-worker to others in the company who have struggled, or who continue to struggle. They talk to Derek about faith and the practice of it and, as a result, Derek changes his life.    The result is a cross between stories in Guideposts magazine and episodes of "Touched by an Angel" -- and that's a compliment! Different readers will relate to differing facets in Derek's simple story and the stories of the people he encounters. No deep meanings or hidden symbolisms that require deciphering and discussions -- rather, it's a story about how much better life is when one's faith is lived. Phelps, associate publisher of The Observer, newspaper of the Diocese of Rockford, Ill., has written a story that engages readers and inspires them in a subtle, nonpreachy way. It's a nudge, an examination of where one is, where one should want to go.

"Benedict XVI: Fellow Worker for Truth, An Introduction to His Life and Thought," by Laurence Paul Hemming.
Burns and Oates/Continuum (London and Harrisburg, Pa., 2005). 183 pp.,
$16.95
   Laurence Paul Hemming's "Benedict XVI: Fellow Worker for Truth, An Introduction to His Life and Thought" is a beautifully written introduction to the pope's life, career and thought. In a relatively short text of clear and measured tone he offers a mature appreciation of the pope, suffused by a contemplative sensibility that is wholly suited to its subject.

"Benedict XVI: The Man Who Was Ratzinger," by Michael S. Rose.
Spence Publishing (Dallas, 2005). 182 pp.,
$22.95
   In "Benedict XVI: The Man Who Was Ratzinger," Michael S. Rose provides a serviceable overview of the most salient issues facing Pope Benedict's papacy, including the sex abuse crisis, Islam, religious pluralism, liturgy and ecumenism. Unfortunately, Rose reduces complex issues to caricature and is disdainful and scornfully dismissive of those who (in his opinion) teach or act "contrary to the faith." He seems to have forgotten that charity, not ideological purity, is the charism of Catholic ecclesiology.  Reviewed by Rachelle Linner Catholic News Service

THE BEST CATHOLIC WRITING 2004, edited by Brian Doyle.
Loyola Press (Chicago, 2004). 233 pp
.$14.95.
Reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski Catholic News Service
     That's a risky title: "Best Catholic Writing." Editor Brian Doyle doesn't debate what "best" means in his introduction, but he does explain what "Catholic writing" is. It may be by Catholics, or for Catholics, or of Catholics, but it is also "catholic" because, "Everything, seen with a clear enough eye, is meat for the Catholic mind."
     And meaty it is. Readers might recognize the names of Andrew Greeley, Kathleen Norris or Margaret O'Brien Steinfels, but most of the writers are commercial unknowns. Who has written is less important than what they have written.      Few readers know writer Robert T. Reilly, of Omaha, Neb., but many will relate to his story about caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's. He writes, "I build my days around visits to her, not as corporal works of mercy, but as one of the joys of marriage. I love who she was, but I also love who she is."      Jesuit Father Gary Smith might be better known among the poor in the Portland, Ore., and in Uganda than among readers. But readers of "The Leper: Robert's Story" will find it impossible not to see Jesus in this deathbed scene described by Father Smith: "'O Robert, my man, my man, O Robert.' And then I knelt at the side of his bed and wept and wept. The paradox is that, in the end, the little guy had been stripped of everything but was surrounded by the dearest of his possessions, his friends."      And Christopher de Vinck's reflections on the late TV icon Fred Rogers may get readers thinking, talking, even writing, about their own Mr. Rogers memories.      Really, that's what this volume does. It gets readers thinking, whether the topic is the sexual abuse of children by clergy, steps in faith formation or wondering why God leads people to do certain things. It inspires readers to examine their own lives, maybe to commit or recommit themselves to living the Gospel.      Most of the writing in this collection comes from national publications, such as Commonweal, U.S. Catholic and National Catholic Reporter. None of the selections are from writers at diocesan newspapers, which tend to be local in focus, although they had an opportunity to submit work. And they will for future volumes. Doyle, who is the editor of Portland magazine, published by the University of Portland, Oregon's Catholic university affiliated with the Congregation of Holy Cross, has extended a call for submissions for the 2005 "Best Catholic Writing."      In any collection not everyone will like every topic or style. There are several pieces that address the sexual abuse scandal -- the topic that defined U.S. Catholicism in the last couple years. Yet some readers might have heard, read and seen enough of the topic with no need to digest more. The book also includes three pieces written in verse form. The writing is good, but the style seems out of place.      This 28-selection smorgasbord offers something for the person with only a few minutes to read every day as well as for the leisurely reader. It gives observers of Catholic writing an accurate idea of what constitutes "best," provides an excellent overview of Catholic thought, and records for future historians an idea of what was happening in the church in 2004.      Olszewski will become the executive editor of the Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, in January.

BETTER OFF: FLIPPING THE SWITCH ON TECHNOLOGY, by Eric Brende.
HarperCollins (San Francisco, 2004). 233 pp.
$24.95.
      When I lived by myself for more than seven years in Washington, I had no air conditioning or ceiling fans. I relied on a rotary-dial telephone attached to an answering machine my mother made me buy. I wrote letters on the manual typewriter I bought in college. I played most of my music on a phonograph. I had no microwave oven, no dishwasher, and kept perishables in a Frigidaire so old it said "Made exclusively by General Motors" on the door handle.      True, my apartment had only two fuses. But my monthly electric bill rarely got into double digits. Now, I wince at the wintertime gas (heat) and summertime electric (air conditioning) bills that soar into three figures.      I guess this would make me the target audience for Eric Brende's back-to-nature tome, "Better Off: Flipping the Switch on Technology," which has a second subtitle: "Two People, One Year, Zero Watts."      But while Brende records all the self-satisfied moments while he and his wife, Mary, willingly went on an 18-month experiment in the 1990s among an Anabaptist farming community in Lancaster County, Pa., that he calls the "Minimites," he fails to make a persuasive case for us to shake off the yoke of our motorized, electrical and electronic oppressors and go back to the country, save for how to lessen our dependence on the contraptions at book's end.      Brende had been a student at MIT, and even then was questioning the role of our so-called modern conveniences. He should have spelled out his disquiet here. That he doesn't, favoring a recounting of trip preparations at the earliest stages of the book, is at least equally the fault of his editor.      For most of "Better Off," Brende discovers that 'tis a gift to be simple. He detects a natural rhythm to everything he encounters; one wise parenthetical comment he makes is "not sure if we loved the homesteading because we loved each other or vice versa." A Catholic, he also has to parry latent resentment over Catholic persecution of Anabaptists from centuries ago.      I find it hard to believe that everything was so hunky-dory that Brende had no lantern-resistant dark night of the soul that made him question the wisdom of his experiment. If he had one, it's not to be found here. The closest he comes is getting heatstroke while pitching hay, which he attributed to having been exposed to that accursed air conditioning. But if he was indeed "bedridden for three days, tossing and turning in a feverish delirium," you'd think someone would have hopped on a bicycle and used a pay phone to summon a doctor.      Brende had one major fallback: an old Ford Escort for the occasional emergency bridge game in the city. Eric and Mary took the Escort to find a suitable place to relocate once the experiment ended. Brende wanted to be close to a Catholic college in the hope of earning a little money from teaching. But the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio "seemed to lack a certain minimal human appeal or accessibility," he wrote. As for Christendom College in Front Royal, Va., Brende noted, "its isolation from the surrounding community, or what passed for a community, was troubling."      The Brendes wound up buying their own farm, only to have to sell when it turned out Mary was allergic to the horse they bought to replace their Escort. They now live in St. Louis with three kids. Eric makes soap and offers quadracycle rides to paying customers.      "My original reason for coming was to prove a point, not to stake a claim," Brende writes. If that's the case, perhaps it's better that Brende is out of academe because, under scientific theory, once the theory is posed, one devises tests to try and disprove the theory, not to prove it.
      Brende is convinced, but unconvincing.

BLACK ELK: COLONIALISM AND LAKOTA CATHOLICISM, by Damian Costello.
Orbis Press (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2005). 182 pp.,
$22
Costello uses the story of Nicholas Black Elk to show someone who is both Christian and Native American. Black Elk, who lived from 1863 to 1950, survived the Lakota wars with the U.S. Army and later became a Catholic and a catechist. He was also the subject of the best-selling biography "Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux," which was based on interviews in the 1930s with ethnographer John G. Neihardt and was reprinted many times in the 1970s in response to interest in the American Indian Movement. Costello shows that this famous biography told only part of the holy man's life story.     Costello's book is part of the "Faith and Culture Series" published by Orbis that looks at how "Christian faith attempts to respond to its new global reality" as the churches of the Americas, Asia and Africa "claim the right to express Christian faith in their own idioms, thought patterns and cultures."    Costello examines the historical record to show that Black Elk was faithful both to his Native American culture and to his Catholicism. Quoting Black Elk, Costello offers examples of how Christianity improves Lakota culture through the rejection of violence, and the care for one's neighbor. Costello's book uses historical evidence to refute other authors' claims that Black Elk only became and remained a Christian in order to exist in the white man's world. Anyone interested in understanding Black Elk's legacy will find this book of great interest.

C
CALLED TO QUESTION: A SPIRITUAL MEMOIR, by Benedictine Sister Joan Chittister.
Sheed & Ward (Lanham, Md., 2004). 232 pp.
$21.95.
     Lockwood's book is different because it is not his purpose to recall his past to come to grips with it. He goes back in time to establish common ground with his intended reader -- the baby boomer who drifted away from the faith because of a slight, a grudge or just the momentum of growing up in a post-Christian culture.
     Lockwood himself drifted away with the flow of college life, but his drift was short-lived. After college he found a place in the Catholic press and worked his way to the posts of president and publisher of Our Sunday Visitor Publishing. While he was there, we met and became friends.      Lockwood is familiar with all the baggage, misinformation and misunderstanding that have kept many of his cradle-Catholic contemporaries from the practice of their faith. He seeks to have a respectful "conversation" with them.      His message is one of liberation: Forget the trappings of childhood that bother, befuddle and burden you; focus instead on the core of Catholicism and enjoy a richer, more satisfying life. He knows the core and writes about it with clarity. His book does something I would like to do -- and sometimes try to do -- with old friends and other contemporaries who have lost their way or feel adrift, looking for an anchor as life recedes with their hairline.      Lockwood writes that he likes the often-quoted description of the Catholic Church as "Here comes everybody." That description is still good news for Catholics, even if some don't like to hear it and others don't believe it. And it helps explain how such different authors -- and their books -- are Catholic.

THE CARE OF THE EARTH, by Joseph Sittler.
Fortress Augsburg Press (Minneapolis, Minn., 2004). 116 pp.
$6
    "The Care of the Earth," by Joseph Sittler, represents an early modern attempt to integrate the themes of nature and grace. Sittler, now deceased, is respected as a Renaissance man and prophet and seer who taught at the University of Chicago Divinity School and at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. The book is a collection of sermons, some of them dating from as early at 1964.  "Grace and nature intersect, overlap and interfuse each other. Sittler would call that Gospel," the Rev. Martin Marty writes in a new introduction to this collection. Rev. Marty says that Sittler encourages readers to care in response to nature, to human signals, to beauty, to the promptings of the heart, to the Word of God.  Sittler believes that we are people of the created earth at the core of our being. The chief end of humanity is to enjoy nature and to glorify God in whose image we were also created. Creation exists primarily to be enjoyed, not used. When we fail to celebrate what God has created, it comes back to us as a judgment. Our use of nature is blessed when our enjoyment of it is honored.

"The Case of Terri Schiavo: Ethics at the End of Life," edited by Arthur L. Caplan, James A. McCartney and Dominic A. Sisti.
(Prometheus Books, Amherst, N.Y., 2006). 352 pp.
$21
     The controversy surrounding the life and death of Terri Schindler Schiavo, the severely disabled Florida woman whose parents and estranged husband clashed over whether to take away her feeding tube, has been described as "the perfect storm of medical, legal, moral and constitutional disputes."      Before Schiavo died March 31, 2005, 13 days after her food and water were withdrawn, the Florida Legislature, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the U.S. Congress, various federal and state courts and much of the U.S. population had been drawn in.      But during the controversy and since Schiavo's death, it has not always been easy to sort fact from fiction. With "The Case of Terri Schiavo: Ethics at the End of Life," bioethicists Arthur Caplan, James McCartney and Dominic Sisti make a valuable contribution to the ongoing debate by allowing readers to digest the various source documents for themselves.      The book brings together essays, legislation, political speeches and a variety of other documents related to the Schiavo case from more than 50 contributors.      The text of Terri's Law, passed by the Florida Legislature to allow Bush to intervene in the case, is there, as is Pope John Paul II's March 2004 message to an international congress on treatment of patients in a persistent vegetative state, which some interpreted as mandating food and water for all patients.      Schiavo's autopsy report, the cautious statements from Florida's Catholic bishops, and articles from the New England Journal of Medicine and such Catholic periodicals as Commonweal and America also are included, with the editors providing minimal commentary to guide the reader about the documents they are presenting.

"Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church," by Russell Shaw.
Requiem Press (Bethune, S.C., 2005). 191 pp.,
$14.95
     "Catholic Laity in the Mission of the Church," by Russell Shaw, explains in welcome detail how the laity's mission in the Catholic Church is defined. Shaw provides a short course in the laity's roles throughout church history, and examines those roles in the post-Vatican II church.    The thoroughness, including much documentation from literature, papal writings, the documents of Vatican II, and canon law, will be appreciated by laity who ask, "What have I, as a Catholic, been called to do?" and "How do I live my faith in such a way that it will make a positive impact upon the culture in which I live?"    Shaw's attention to what the church teaches about lay spirituality and vocation will serve readers well as they discern -- either individually or in groups -- their roles. The content and organization of the 12 chapters in the book make it a good choice for parish-based faith-sharing groups. Shaw has had a long career in Catholic communications including serving as director of information for the U.S. bishops' conference in Washington. He is a consultor for the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and teaches at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome.

"Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy and the Splendor of Truth," 
by Father Richard John Neuhaus.
Basic Books (New York, 2006). 255 pp.
$25
     "Catholic Matters: Confusion, Controversy, and the Splendor of Truth," by Father Richard John Neuhaus, lacks the inspiration of "The Believer's Edge" and the how-to practicality of "Catholic Laity." Father Neuhaus lectures readers on how the church under Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI is providing the faithful with guidance.
   Father Neuhaus is a former Lutheran pastor who became a Catholic priest in 1991. He is the founder of the Institute for Religion and Public Life and editor-in-chief of its journal, First Things.    With any lecture, one can expect asides. In Father Neuhaus' lecture, the asides are snipes at those whose ecclesiology he does not share. In a chapter titled "The Center Holds," he writes of the Jesuits: "They are still loyal, but they bring a futurist twist of discontinuant devising." After quoting one bishop, identified only as "a bishop who belongs to the shrinking liberal caucus that was led by Archbishop Rembert Weakland," he writes, "Never mind that the bishop presides over a dispirited diocese of zero vocations, declining Mass attendance, closed schools, and an epidemic of scandals. Never mind that he hasn't read a serious book of theology for 20 years or that his ascertains about the Christian message contain no reference to Christ."    Father Neuhaus is a devoted, well-schooled servant of the church whose analysis would be more appreciated if its presentation were void of sarcasm and disdain for those he puts down. In "Catholic Matters" it should matter how one treats those with whom he disagrees.

CATHOLIC Q & A: ANSWERS TO THE MOST COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT CATHOLICISM, by Father John J. Dietzen.
Crossroad (New York, 2005). 532 pp.
$17.95
    Father John J. Dietzen has written a book that would be a welcome addition to the shelves of any parish teacher or religion classroom. In plain, clear writing that is always kind, Father Dietzen's new edition of "Catholic Q & A" gives -- as the subtitle says -- "Answers to the Most Common Questions About Catholicism."  Father Dietzen has heard all the questions. He was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria, Ill., in 1954 and has served as pastor of two large parishes in central Illinois. He was also director of the diocesan Office of Family Life and editor of the diocesan newspaper, The Catholic Post. He began writing a weekly question and answer column for that paper in the late 1960s, and in 1975 he began a syndicated column for Catholic News Service. For 30 years he has answered questions from readers nationwide. His brief clarifications and patient explanations have made him the most widely published syndicated columnist in the Catholic press.    The chapters group questions and answers on the Bible, the church, the Mass, holy Communion, baptism and confirmation, marriage and family living, divorce, annulment and remarriage, right and wrong, penance and anointing of the sick, ecumenism, prayer and devotions, saints, death and burial, and a final grab-bag chapter answering two dozen questions on everything else: Does God exist? B.C. and A.D., Santa Claus, the Ku Klux Klan, chain letters, worry, extraterrestrial life, suicide bombers.     Father Dietzen answers it all, large and small: What did God do before creation? Why is Matthew the first Gospel? Did Jesus know he was God? What does excommunication mean today? What is canon law? Who can be godparents? Were there married popes? Is premarital sex wrong? How should parents respond to cohabitation? When is an embryo human? Is it possible to forgive? Does God punish us? Who can share Communion? What is Cursillo? Focolare? The Magnificat? Is Luther a saint? What about Catholic burial and suicide? Flags on caskets at a funeral? Apparitions of Mary? Why do we pray? What happens to our souls?
    Dip into "Catholic Q & A" for an answer. It's likely your question will be there. It is also likely that you'll find it hard to put down after just one page.

CELEBRATING THE REST OF YOUR LIFE: A BABY BOOMER'S GUIDE TO SPIRITUALITY, by David Yount.
Augsburg Books (Minneapolis, Minn., 2005). 174 pp.
$12.99.
Reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski Catholic News Service
   In "Celebrating the Rest of Your Life: A Baby Boomer's Guide to Spirituality," David Yount draws upon personal experience, adds wisdom from Henry David Thoreau and others, and subtly brings in references from Scripture. The combination provides an easy-to-read, easy-to-apply guide that, rather than setting spirituality apart, weaves it into the life of the aging person.    What makes this book enjoyable is that it is not preachy. What makes it valuable is that it provides practical advice about what people are experiencing and will experience as they age. Those who are already among "the aged" will appreciate the guidance; those who are about to join them will welcome the map.    Here is a sample of the tone: "Your retirement years will be an opportunity for engagement, not escape -- not for a life of doing nothing, but for a fuller life of activity doing something satisfying: richer occupation, deeper education, sounder health, a more positive attitude and a workable faith," Yount writes. "It is a time for loving, savoring and celebrating -- not declining." It's that sort of message that makes "Celebrating the Rest of Your Life" material for reflection as well as "how-to" spiritual direction.

Chico the cat tells children how his best friend became Pope Benedict
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Chico the cat thinks he is in the "purrfect" position to tell children the story of how one of his best friends became Pope Benedict XVI. The cat's tale is confirmed, at least as far as the facts of the papal biography go, by Msgr. Georg Ganswein, Pope Benedict's personal secretary and the author of the preface to the Italian children's book, "Joseph and Chico: A Cat Recounts the Life of Pope Benedict XVI." A spokeswoman for the Conventual Franciscans' Edizioni Messaggero Padova, the book's publisher, said they expect to find translators and foreign publishers for the book at the mid-October International Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany. In his preface, Msgr. Ganswein wrote to young readers, "It's not every day that a cat considers the Holy Father his friend and sits down to write his story." Having served first as secretary to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, then as his secretary after he became pope, Msgr. Ganswein assured readers that he knows Pope Benedict well and that the words author Jeanne Perego puts into the mouth of Chico -- between a few meows -- are "all true and interesting." The papal secretary said he shares Chico's opinion that "the Holy Father is a special person," especially because "he is a sincere friend of Jesus." Chico, a ginger tabby, said he met the future pope in Pentling, Germany, a town near Regensburg where the pope and his brother have a house. Chico officially belonged to the neighbors, but said he was welcome in the Ratzinger house. Chico would rub up against the pope's legs, curl up in his lap, watch and listen, which is how he came to know the details of the pope's biography. While the future pope and his brother were teenagers preparing for the priesthood, "in Germany the tragedy that would shake the world unfolded. I am speaking of Nazism, one of the most dramatic and shameful moments of human history," the cat wrote. "Joseph was forced to do something that absolutely went against his will: enter the army and leave for war," he said. The young Ratzinger was assigned to a unit defending a factory that made airplane motors and then was sent to prepare bunkers against a possible tank attack. As the book ends, Chico said he watched coverage of the 2005 death of Pope John Paul II and the conclave on television. "In my house, we were all deliriously happy" when it was announced to the world that Cardinal Ratzinger had been elected pope. "I was so excited that I forgot to demand my dinner," he said. "Now Joseph Ratzinger is not just my friend, but also the great friend and guide of all Catholics," he said.

Children's book describes US parish giving hope to village in Haiti
By Brian J. Lowney Catholic News Service
HOPE VALLEY, R.I. (CNS) -- The author of a 2009 children's book about a Rhode Island parish and the Haitian village it has helped was worried that the January earthquake that hit the country had affected the village and people she has met and spent time with in the capital of Port-au-Prince. But Kiki Latimer, author of "Islands of Hope," said she learned that all the families and children from the village only slightly felt the temblor and all were safe. "When I thought of their happy smiling little faces, I wept and thanked God for their well-being," she said in a Feb. 17 interview. She added that after the earthquake, a 5-year-old reader wrote her and asked if Chante, the book's main character, was OK. "I was overjoyed to tell her yes," Latimer told the R.I. Catholic, Providence's diocesan newspaper. Latimer, a member of St. Joseph Church in Hope Valley, chaired the parish's Haiti committee, which raised $154,000 to build a housing complex and community center in Haiti under the auspices of Food for the Poor, an international Christian relief organization based in Coconut Creek, Fla. The parish started raising money in the fall of 2007 and the funds paid for construction in a small village located in Cap-Haitien, the northern region of Haiti. The construction, which ended late last year, took about three months to complete. "Kiki has done a great job in getting the word out about how one small parish can make a big difference in the lives of so many people," said Father Michael Leckie, pastor of St. Joseph Church. "The problem with many parishes is that they don't look beyond the doors of their own church. "They worry about their own survival. We can never forget that we are members of the body of Christ and that some of our brothers and sisters must worry about the literal survival of their own children," he said. "When we can stop making excuses and strive to be as generous as God has been to us, then we can see how truly blessed we are."  In "Islands of Hope," released last August, readers meet Chante, a fictional happy-go-lucky little girl who chronicles life in the village where before the parish project began, food was often scarce and families were sometimes forced to dwell outdoors. The young narrator emphasizes the importance of having clean water and a house that is "cozy and safe." The reconstructed village -- named St. Joseph's Village in honor of the Hope Valley parish -- contains 14 double-size homes, a community center and a well for villagers to draw water for cooking and sanitation. "This is extremely basic shelter," Latimer noted, adding that the homes have concrete floors and ceilings unlike the makeshift huts where residents had been living. In an interview earlier this year, Latimer said one reason why she wrote the book was to show "that a small group of people here can make a significant difference in the lives of people living far away." The author emphasized that St. Joseph's is a "small, working-class parish" whose parishioners answered Father Leckie's call to help improve living conditions in a small Haitian community. She said a representative from Food for the Poor visited the parish one weekend in 2007 to speak about the program's work across the globe. After the visit, about 200 families participated in the parish project and many encouraged friends and relatives to also lend their support. Latimer said royalties from the sale of the book, available on Amazon.com, will help fund the second phase of the project, which will provide additional housing, improve education and create employment opportunities for village residents. "We are raising funds for an agricultural project that will provide 30 acres for the residents to farm," Latimer added. Surplus produce will be sold to residents of neighboring communities. Latimer also hopes that the book will inspire others to help. "If one other parish does what we did," she said, "this book will be worth its weight in gold." When she was asked Feb. 17 about the effect of the earthquake on the village, Latimer said she thinks often of a small handful of dirt she brought back from Haiti that sits at the foot of a statute of Mary that sits outside St. Joseph Church in Hope Valley. "When the earthquake shook the land of Haiti, that one little handful here held firmly and steady, like hope. When all is shaken, faith, hope and love hold fast," she said.
END
02/17/2010 4:29 PM ET
Copyright (c) 2010 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

CHRIST IN DACHAU, by Father John M. Lenz.
Roman Catholic Books (Fort Collins, Colo., 2005). 328 pp.
$29.95
    "Christ in Dachau" will be grim reading for Catholics and Jews alike. But they must be read, and their photographs assimilated, by both communities, for they document something that actually happened within the lifetimes of many of us. They are a record of the total breakdown of a civilized society, the destruction of two-thirds of the Jewish population of Europe, and the less systematic but devastatingly effective attack on Europe's Catholic leadership.   The Holocaust was literally without precedent in its scope and its aims. The Third Reich vision included the total denial and effective elimination of both the spiritual foundations of European civilization -- first Judaism and then Christianity -- and the establishment of a 1,000-year reign of racist oppression and genocide led by Adolf Hitler as the messiahlike "Reichschancellor." The late Polish Pope John Paul II, his Italian predecessors Popes Paul VI and John XXIII, and his German successor, Pope Benedict XVI, understood this truth about the Holocaust and inveighed against it. The Holocaust is the defining event of our times, and perhaps for centuries to come. For the central axiom of Nazism, like the central axiom of Soviet communism, was the destruction of humanity's urge toward the good, toward democracy and toward legal rights for the world's religions. Yet neither Judaism nor Catholicism were, in fact, destroyed by the Nazi onslaught. We survive today to dialogue with each other and to continue our witness to the world, together, that humanity is created in God's image and is oriented toward his divine goal of preparing the way for the kingdom of God.

CHRISTIAN MEDITATION: EXPERIENCING THE PRESENCE OF GOD, by James Finley. HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, 2004). 304 pp.
$19.95.
  A modern audience for books on Christian monasticism, meditation and contemplation was discovered in 1948 with the publication of Father Thomas Merton's best-selling autobiography, "The Seven Storey Mountain." Today that audience has been increased by the many modern readers who are intrigued by the implications of Eastern religions for mainline Christianity. These four books are addressed to that modern audience.  James Finley's new book, "Christian Meditation: Experiencing the Presence of God," draws on many traditional wells for insights. Finley (no relation to this reviewer) is best known for his book, "Thomas Merton's Palace of Nowhere." He is a psychological and spiritual counselor living in California. Finley says that people who think they must turn to Eastern religions in order to learn meditation couldn't be more mistaken. Christian meditation is hardly anything new; the practice goes back to Christian men and women who lived in the deserts of Syria and Egypt in the third and fourth centuries and, indeed, can be traced to Jesus himself.   With a clear, informative and captivating style Finley explains for both beginners and the more experienced the basics of meditation and what makes Christian meditation Christian, with frequent references to the New Testament. Often along the way, Finley enriches his discussion by sharing with the reader his own experiences. This is, without a doubt, one excellent book, a perfect guide for spiritual seekers and spiritual guides as we move into an uncertain 21st century.

THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA AND PHILOSOPHY, edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls.
Open Court (Chicago, 2005). 288 pp.
$17.95
It all started with an image within an author's imagination -- a faun in the snowy woods carrying parcels and an umbrella.   After carrying that image in his head for a few decades, Clive Staples Lewis ("Jack" to his friends) crafted seven books in the series "The Chronicles of Narnia." Although he was an unmarried Oxford professor in his 50s who had no children of his own, Lewis wrote the stories for children. It was not expected to be a hit, yet the seven books, published each year from 1950 to 1956, sold well and continue to fascinate readers young and old.  The popularity of the books is not lost on Hollywood. The first published book of the chronicles, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe," opens Dec. 9 in a movie directed by Andrew Adamson (director of "Shrek" and "Shrek II"). And the longevity and beauty of the work is not lost on scholars who have written volume upon volume on Narnia and its creator.  Six new books offer insight -- philosophical, literary and religious -- on the series that began with the line, "Once there were four children whose names were Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy."   

THE CHURCH: THE PEOPLE OF GOD, by Father William Henn, OFMCap.
Burns & Oates/Continuum (London/New York, 2004). 167 pp.
$21.95.
    For the last 40 years, Catholics -- from the leaders to the faithful in the pews -- have been discussing their church. Sometimes these discussions have turned into debates, as with the recent sex abuse scandal. At other times, they have opened up new vistas for Catholics themselves, as with the renewed worship life and openness to fellow Christians.     "The Church: The People of God" by Capuchin Franciscan Father William Henn is a readable treatment on the meaning of church. He focuses on what is at the core of the hierarchy of truths about the people of God and he deals with specific beliefs and practices of Catholicism and fellow Christians in light of those central affirmations from Christian revelation.     The author draws on his rich experience as a teacher and theologian, a pastor and a Franciscan to bring the reader into the lived reality of church life and teaching. He writes that his goal is to "unfold this vision of 'church' in a more creative and free manner, choosing passages from the Bible and from favorite traditional and contemporary authors" along with his rich illustrative experience.     His reflections on the church are deeply informed by the Christian view of the human person and the implications of this view for the understanding of divine revelation and the Christian community. Finally, as an experienced ecumenist, he remains attuned to other Christian communities and their understandings of the Church and other doctrines associated with it.     In some ways it is a very simple and easy-to-read volume, but it is also quite profound, deeply rooted in the biblical and historical scholarship which stands behind it.    The volume includes seven chapters, each begun with a reflection from real life -- contemporary, biblical or historical. The first chapter starts by asking the fundamental question as to whether we need the church at all. Fifty years ago, Catholics began asking what kind of church does Christ want for the modern world. Out of this reflection came the marvelous renewal of the Second Vatican Council. Today, however, we see strains of religious belief and even Christians who question the corporate or institutional nature of this faith. This important chapter will be a resource for preachers and teachers trying to help their people make sense of the relationship of the church to Jesus and to ourselves as individuals in this postmodern world with all of its pressures and choices.     The second chapter deals with faith, the origin of the church and the role of Scripture in the church. At the time of the Reformation it was thought that one of the main tensions dividing Protestants from Catholics and Orthodox was over the relationship of Scripture and the tradition of the church. This chapter demonstrates that a deeper understanding of the development of the church can dispel most of that polarization and lead us to a more organic understanding of the development of Scripture out of the tradition in the church which was the bearer of God's revelation in Christ.     Chapter three is particularly fascinating. Catholics tend to approach authority by looking first at the magisterium and the role of bishops and the pope in teaching. Father Henn writes that the role of these ministries is to be servants, along with theologians, in the task of discerning the truth and coming closer to the face of Christ.     Other chapters take up the process of Christian initiation, the Eucharist and developments of the churches together in understanding the sacramental life; the Christian life and the role of the church in the understanding of the human person; and ministry in the context of Jesus' role as suffering servant.    The final chapter discusses the kingdom of God. Father Henn begins this chapter with the story of Dorothy Day and the struggles with society, justice and peace that brought her from communism into the Catholic Church. He goes on to outline the variety of developments of the church and its relationship to society, including contemporary discussions of liberation theology. Like all of his chapters, this section is deeply rooted in Scripture, without neglecting to link this core of the faith to contemporary church teaching, especially Vatican II.     This book will provide a fine source of reflection for the interested Christian and a resource for those in parish leadership to enrich their own faith and their vision of ministry for the whole Christian family.

THE CHURCH THAT FORGOT CHRIST by Jimmy Breslin.
Free Press (New York, 2004). 256 pp
 $26.00.
      The late Norbert F. Gaughan, Catholic bishop, author and columnist, once said, "Writing is therapy for me. And I get paid for it."   Maybe that is the justification for columnist Jimmy Breslin writing "The Church That Forgot Christ." While much of the volume is a "Here's what's wrong with the church" treatise, those wrongs are woven among Breslin's meanderings into his own Catholic life.      Sexual abuse of children by clergy is a large part of his rant, as is how the pope and bishops have responded to the victims and how they dealt with the abusers. He mentions familiar Boston names, for example, John Geoghan and Paul Shanley, but he also lists priests who have served in the dioceses of Brooklyn and Rockville Centre in New York, priests whose crimes did not attract the national attention of other abusers, but whose deeds were as devastating to their victims and who, in some cases, were kept in ministry by bishops who moved them to new assignments after abuse accusations surfaced.      Breslin writes a column for the New York paper Newsday. The writing in this book is similar to the dialogue one might have with a co-worker at a bar where conversations ramble and are apt to begin, "You know what I think? I think ... ." Examples of Breslin's homiletic insights are: "The Vatican is trying to load the church with Africans to make up for dwindling whites while keeping the new African faithful in Africa where they belong, rather than strolling brazenly around St. Peter's Square, or Madison Avenue," and "An important part of the Catholic religion is to always say something nice to somebody if you want to save your soul, try that. It is one of the dictums that shows the difference between the failed church of Rome, and the American religion I believe in."      You can almost hear the participants interrupt with, "We'll have another round," as Breslin continues extolling philosophy like "A gold ring on a bishop's finger is the commercial of a pimp," and "If I had one shot at delivering a sermon, I would have them rising from the pews and interrupting me with crescendos of applause and shouts of 'Good boy, Bishop Breslin!'"      It is as though the religion he was taught and the beliefs he holds have crashed into the institution from which he learned them. He rails against the church's mentioning the evils of abortion and gay unions at every opportunity; against opulence, devoting two chapters to the bishop's residence in Rockville Centre; and against the way in which bishops have dealt with sexually abusive priests and their victims.      It isn't the religion with which he has a problem, but with the church, which for Breslin is pope, bishops and priests. As the crusading columnist he is, there is much "us" vs. "them" in this volume. With numerous doses of "growing up Catholic" material, most seasoned with anger, Breslin provides a look into his own life and formation, as well as into how he views the church as a result of those two elements. Nowhere does he mention the work of the Second Vatican Council and its inclusion of all people being church. It is as though his view of church was permanently formed in his childhood and he is incapable of changing it.      Readers seeking insight into the sexual abuse crisis will find none here as Breslin offers nothing new on the topic. Those who enjoy his writing because of his jousting with authority and the institutions they run can expect that tone and style throughout.      While Breslin maintains he does not need the church as he sees it, and proposes in the prologue to open his own parish in the Diocese of Brooklyn, it appears he does need what the church at its best can provide: healing.      No, the institution about which he is so critical will not provide that healing, but the good people, for example, Father John Powis, pastor of St. Barbara Parish in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn, about whom he writes much, will. There is hope for all who call themselves Catholic, including Breslin. One prays that he recognizes it and embraces it.      Reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski, editor of the Northwest Indiana Catholic, for Catholic News Service.

THE CONFIRMED CATHOLIC'S COMPANION: A GUIDE TO ABUNDANT LIVING, by Sister Kathleen Glavich, SND.
ACTA Publications (Skokie, Ill., 2005). 214 pp.
$9.95
   Adults come to the Catholic Church for many reasons. Some come because their husband- or wife-to-be is a Catholic and they want to have a one-religion family. Others have profound faith-changing experiences. Yet others choose the Catholic Church because they tried other religions and this one made the most sense.    After choosing Catholicism, however, many people get little instruction beyond classes for the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. "The Confirmed Catholic's Companion: A Guide to Abundant Living" gives adults the tools they need for an ongoing relationship.    Sister Kathleen Glavich, a Sister of Notre Dame, has pulled together a book that every church's RCIA director should hand to newly confirmed Catholics. The book features a good deal of depth on the tradition of the church, all the basic (and some not so basic) prayers, and excellent chapters on Mary, saints, devotions and sacraments. Her final chapter, "Walking the Talk," provides a wonderful view of living a moral life that is neither preachy nor saccharine.    Excellent sidebar notes add to an already rich text. A journal section at the end of each chapter gives readers space to reflect and jot down information that they want to highlight.    This will be a valuable book for those researching the faith, for new adult Catholics or for parents who need a refresher course when their children are making their confirmation. Every newly confirmed Catholic should have a copy on hand.

CONFLICT & CONNECTION: THE JEWISH-CHRISTIAN-ISRAEL TRIANGLE
by Moshe Aumann. Gefen Publications (Jerusalem, 2003). 293 pp.
$22.95.
     Moshe Aumann's "Conflict and Connection: The Jewish-Christian-Israel Triangle" will be of great interest to anyone taking part in or wishing to understand the contemporary dialogue between Christianity and Judaism. Aumann first became interested in the story when he served, from 1987 to 1990, with the Israeli Embassy in Washington as its liaison with the Christian churches. He narrates the story well, giving an excellent overview of the parting of the ways between church and synagogue in the early centuries and historical encounters since.  Aumann then describes what he calls a "sea change" in the relationship that took place after the Second World War and the Holocaust, singling out the Catholic Church as "a special case" not only because of its size but also because it has played since the 1960s "a pioneering role in instituting the theologically wrenching revisions in those doctrines that have moved other major Christian churches to follow in its footsteps."      As one who has attempted to navigate those changing seas for almost three decades with the U.S. Catholic bishops' Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, I can attest to the accuracy of his analysis of the events and documents (many of which he includes in an appendix) of the period he covers. Aumann speaks of three lingering problems: anti-Semitism, Christian missions to the Jews, and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Once again he singles out the Catholic Church for leadership in responding to these continuing challenges.      In his conclusion, he addresses the Jewish community, calling for a response commensurate with the tremendous movement toward the Jewish people on the part of Christians.

CREATING A SPIRITUAL RETIREMENT: A GUIDE TO THE UNSEEN POSSIBILITIES IN OUR LIVES, by Molly Srode.
Skylight Paths Publishing (Woodstock, Vt., 2003). 171 pp.
$19.95.
     In this her 18th book, the author counsels seniors to beware of plots to keep them busy with "meaningless little tasks that masquerade as craft." She challenges the aging to be "celebration persons" who see their bodies as "promises of resurrection" and whose dancing spirits will enliven others.  Ingram says that creativity energizes us and can be a form of prayer. She says that just looking or listening responsively enables us to maintain youthful heart. Her title alludes to the Gospel story about the best wine served at the end of the feast, which she sees as our ability to find joy and spread it to others in whatever time is left for us.      Ingram suggests that spiritual growth and change begin as we are able to acknowledge our mortality without fearing death. This realization determines the "liturgies of old age." We turn from external forms of prayer toward silence and contemplation. In contrast to the American ideals of competition, righteousness, and profit, we begin to see the sacred in everything.    As the older generation, Ingram says we have no wiser guide than Christ himself. At this stage of life we are not trying to copy Jesus, but to be Jesus in the world through following our individual destinies. She speaks of living out our days consuming "the sacrament of time in the spirit of holiness."      In "Creating a Spiritual Retirement," Srode addresses the opportunities offered to those in retirement. She sees this as a time to listen to the inner spirit, to discover the sacred, and to develop creative practices that will enrich and support our later life. Each chapter ends with an insightful reflective poem and a list of practical suggestions.      Attending to unfinished business, such as mending relationships, clearing out things, fulfilling dreams, accepting our feelings and relating to God are important in retirement years, Srode writes. It is also important to be still and hear the beat that is different from the pulse of familiar work patterns. Srode says that just to be, to live, is holy -- whether we are productive or not.     Srode encourages older people to focus more on the realization that we, "circled round by space and time, float gently in the present moment." Our future is the here and now for fulfilling dreams or expectations, as Srode herself found in writing this book shortly after her retirement.      Catholic readers may have difficulty with the author's analogy that we are all divers whose spirits decided to plunge to earth to accomplish a definite "soul purpose" and who may decide to take another dive down to earth after death. Overall, however, this book provides helpful guidelines for planning healthy, hopeful retirement years.

THE C.S. LEWIS CHRONICLES: THE INDISPENSABLE BIOGRAPHY OF THE CREATOR OF NARNIA, FULL OF LITTLE-KNOWN FACTS, EVENTS AND MISCELLANY, by Colin Duriez.
BlueBridge (New York, 2005). 298 pp.
$14.95
History buffs might especially enjoy "The C.S. Lewis Chronicles: The Indispensable Biography of the Creator of Narnia, Full of Little-known Facts, Events and Miscellany." Author Colin Duriez compiled this journal of short entries for significant days in Lewis' life, beginning with the day he was born -- Nov. 28, 1898. Along with tidbits from Lewis' letters and quotes from colleagues, Duriez assembled a ton of historical research to chronicle the events in Lewis' world. Political unrest and pop culture references are among the dated listings. Duriez is also the author of "The Field Guide to Narnia" and "The C.S. Lewis Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to His Thought, Life and Writings."   There is a more conversational tone to "The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy." There is nothing stuffy about philosophers who would write that "even small sounds, like the soft plop of pigeon poop on our shoulders, can make us cringe." That's the charm of this book -- it's comfortably casual. Edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls, the writers' text reads like stream of consciousness. The text is thoughtful but can be hard to complete due to wandering attention.

C.S. LEWIS AND NARNIA FOR DUMMIES, by Richard Wagner.
Wiley (Hoboken, N.J., 2005). 364 pp.
$19.99
"C.S. Lewis and Narnia for Dummies" tries to be something for everyone. And in that the book fails. Richard Wagner obviously knows his stuff, but the text is written in an immature -- and sometimes condescending -- tone. Information is stored in shaded boxes, and little icons signal nuggets of information as tips, trivia or technical stuff. There is a lot of information in this book, but there are so many formatting clicks and buzzers that it is distracting. If readers can get over the flash, they might enjoy the book.

THE CUBE AND THE CATHEDRAL: EUROPE, AMERICA AND POLITICS WITHOUT GOD, by George Weigel.
Basic Books (New York, 2005). 200 pp.
$23
   Weigel's book, "The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America and Politics Without God," is a trenchant analysis of the present situation in Europe, which he says is in the throes of spiritual -- and hence, political -- decline. "Christian Europe" is becoming an oxymoron, he contends, especially in light of recent debates to "de-Christianize" the Constitution of the European Union. The "Cube" in the book title refers to the "Grand Arche de la Defense" in Paris, a 40-story hollow cube of glass and white Carrara marble, with offices in its side portions and an empty center in which the entire Cathedral of Notre Dame could fit. The symbolism of this monument is not lost on Weigel, who views the cube as a kind of tower of Babel and the supreme manifestation of Europe's spiritual suicide.    How did it get this way? In a word: war. The barbarity of the last century points to a terrifying fascination with a political game of diplomatic chicken, one that is nearly always calamitous and dehumanizing. How will Europe recover? In a word: Poland. Weigel, biographer of the late Pope John Paul II, holds that this Slavic nation offers the best possible model for deliverance because Poland consistently used the power of its Catholic culture to affect surprising resilience against occupation, secularism, communism and materialism.    It is true that Western Europe's furtive embrace of greater diversity may be to its own peril without further regulation. The immigrant population, especially among African Muslims, is on the rise in many of Europe's major cities and so there are demographic changes that necessarily alter cultural identities. The tempo of Weigel's argument is perhaps marred by his use of an old boogeyman -- radical Islamic encroachments into Catholic countries with waning birthrates. This is something of a paper tiger, at least for now, but increased pluralism is a curious index of the de-Christianization phenomenon that is covering much of European society like a funeral pall.

D
"Dark Matter: Shedding Light on Philip Pullman's Trilogy 'His Dark Materials,'" by Tony Watkins.
InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, Ill., 2006). 221 pp.
$15.
Reviewed by Christopher Fenoglio Catholic News Service
In "Dark Matter: Shedding Light on Philip Pullman's Trilogy 'His Dark Materials,'" Tony Watkins states straight away that he is "unashamedly a fan, but I also take issue with Pullman on the question of his attack on God and Christianity." Watkins sets the stage by exploring Pullman's past for literary influences. He delves deeper into Pullman's favored texts of John Milton, Heinrich von Kleist and William Blake to find the "raw materials" with which the trilogy is created. He also provides concise summaries of the events and themes of each of the books, along with examinations of the major themes found throughout the trilogy. At times, however, Watkins' appreciation of the author's storytelling bleeds into statements that associated Christian themes can be readily found in Pullman's works. In one example, Watkins proposes that the symbiotic relationship between Lyra, her daemon Pantalaimon and her ghost is a Venn-diagramlike description similar to a diagram of the Trinity. However, the explanation reads more like a square peg being written into a round hole. Watkins is more compelling when he analyzes how the author misrepresents history and misreads the Bible to create a caricature of Christianity. Using the author's own words from numerous interviews to substantiate his analysis, Watkins shows the inherent incongruity between the virtues that Pullman espouses (curiosity, courage, kindness and determination) and the bleak, desolate worldview that pervades the trilogy.

Death-row inmates caution troubled youths in new book
By Laurie Stevens Catholic News Service
TOLEDO, Ohio (CNS) -- Dennis Skillicorn can't change his past, but he believes he can change the future for young people in danger of repeating his mistakes by sharing his story and others like it. Using contributions from prisoners throughout the country, the 48-year-old inmate from Missouri's death row edited a book of essays, poems and artwork chronicling the choices that brought prisoners to where they are today. With the help of volunteers at a Catholic parish in the Toledo Diocese, "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams" is being distributed in juvenile detention facilities around the country to remind young people about the importance of their decisions. The book, written by death-row inmates and prisoners serving life-without-parole sentences, is distributed through Compassion, a nonprofit organization that produces a bimonthly newsletter written by and for death-row inmates in the United States. The concept came from Skillicorn, editor of the Compassion newsletter since 2003. In a phone interview with the Catholic Chronicle, Toledo's diocesan newspaper, from Potosi Correctional Center in Mineral Point, Mo., Skillicorn discussed his work with Compassion and his hopes for the book. "Prison systems around the country are flourishing," he said. "And we're filling those institutions with our young people because they're making bad choices." Many prisoners share a desire to prevent young people from repeating their mistakes, Skillicorn said. "A lot of these guys have children themselves, and what kind of man would want his own child to make the same stupid mistakes he's made?"  With the help of people on the outside, he believes the book can make a difference for youths. The purchase of one book allows two books to be provided for free to juvenile detention centers. None of the proceeds go to inmates, Skillicorn added. All finances are handled by outside coordinator Fred Moor and other volunteers based at St. Rose Parish in Perrysburg. Compassion initially sent 100 copies to juvenile facilities, but it has since received more than 200 additional requests for the book. Skillicorn said he has received letters of appreciation from judges and others involved in the juvenile justice system. "Professionals have recognized this as a piece of material that could actually make a difference in kids' lives," he said. Skillicorn, who was incarcerated on two other occasions before being convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to death in 1996, hopes young readers learn the importance of choosing good role models and realize they are not invincible. "I live in an institution with 800 offenders in it," he said. "Every single one of those guys at one time or another thought they were invincible." He recounted his own turning point in 1994, after his arrest for the crime that put him back in prison. "I was literally at the bottom of my life and I just had nowhere to look but up," he said. He became a Christian, and has since become passionate about restorative justice projects with Compassion and other organizations. The Compassion newsletter prints introspective essays, poetry and artwork from death-row prisoners throughout the country. Death-row inmates edit the publication, while volunteers at St. Rose oversee its publication and finances. Compassion is distributed free to all 3,400 U.S. death-row inmates with the support of outside subscriptions and donations. Half the subscription fees and undesignated donations are used to award college scholarships to the immediate family members of murder victims. Skillicorn said a number of inmates have already expressed interest in creating a second volume of essays for young people to follow "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams." - - -
Editor's Note: Copies of "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's Dreams" may be ordered for $17.95 per copy, plus $3 shipping and handling, by writing to: Compassion, 140 W. South Boundary St., Perrysburg, OH 43551. Order forms are available online at: www.compassionondeathrow.org.

DICTIONARY OF SAINTS, by John J. Delaney.
Doubleday (New York, 2004). 702 pp.
$35.00
Reviewed by Julie Pfitzinger and Maureen E. Daly
     "Dictionary of Saints" by John J. Delaney is an excellent reference that belongs in the collection of any parish, school or publication library. This update of a 1980 reference work has brief biographies of thousands of saintly lives, including the newly canonized saints of the last 25 years. Delaney separates fact and legend and provides all the relevant facts: birth and death dates, feast day, country, associates, date of canonization. He handles legend with objectivity. For example, his entry on St. Joseph of Cupertino (1603-1663) says that the saint "became famous for his ecstasies, miracles and supernatural gifts, particularly the gift of levitation, which he is reputed to have experienced some 70 times, all reported by numerous reputable witnesses." Delaney also reports that Cupertino was investigated by the Inquisition, forced to live in seclusion, experienced periods of "spiritual aridity," but that "gradually he regained great spiritual joy and happiness."     Delaney's "Dictionary of the Saints" is without peer as a contemporary and comprehensive one-volume reference. (MED)     Pfitzinger is the author of "Keep Talking: Conversation Starters for the Family Meal" and writes for the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Spirit. Daly is book review editor for Catholic News Service.

DISCOVERING SAINT PATRICK, by Thomas O'Loughlin.
Paulist Press (New York, 2005). 254 pp.
$18.95
  O'Loughlin, a lecturer at the University of Wales, focuses on Patrick's influence on early Christianity in Ireland, Britain and the continent, using the saint's "Confession," "Letter" and "Breastplate" along with other contemporary documentation.    O'Loughlin warns the reader, "We must avoid imposing our views of the world onto authors who lived long before our world came into being, and we must be aware that we have a love for mathematical precision but we cannot impose that level of precision on cultures where it did not exist." For example,    O'Loughlin notes that the "Vita Patricii" by the seventh-century Irish cleric Muirchu was not so much a biography as a hagiographic study that may have added to the confusion about Patrick and his mission. He says, "In Muirchu, Patrick had not only become a prophet, apostle and evangelist, but the very model of a seventh-century bishop."

DISTURBING THE PEACE: THE STORY OF FATHER ROY BOURGEOIS AND THE MOVEMENT TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL OF THE AMERICAS, by James Hodge and Linda Cooper.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 244 pp
$20.
     "Disturbing the Peace," Maryknoll Father Roy Bourgeois' story, reads like a good Hollywood screenplay. A handsome small-town Southern boy plays football and loves America. He fights in Vietnam and is awarded the Purple Heart. Coming home, he heeds a call to the priesthood.      That black-and-white story bursts into color when, as a Maryknoll priest, Father Bourgeois is sent to the slums of Bolivia. With help from his family in Louisiana, he builds a school, a weaving collective and a clinic. After winning the trust of the people, he begins visiting the prisons and ministering to the victims of the dictatorship of Hugo Banzer. His advocacy on behalf of prisoners makes him a threat, and in short order he is arrested, beaten and expelled from the country.      Back in the United States, Father Bourgeois moves from comforting the afflicted to afflicting the comfortable, a journey that takes him into U.S. and Central American prisons and leads finally to the School of the Americas, a training school for foreign military personnel known by several names. Its critics call it the School of Assassins because they say it trains Latin American soldiers in torture, close combat and killing; and they call it La Escuela de las Golpes (School of the Coups), because so many dictators -- from Manuel Noriega of Panama to Guillermo Rodriguez of Ecuador -- are among its alumni. Now, Congress has renamed it the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.      Since 1990, when Father Bourgeois formed School of the Americas Watch, countless people have traveled to Fort Benning, Ga., to demand the closure of the SOA. His successful efforts to build the movement from a few annual demonstrators to tens of thousands form the core of the book's narrative.  Authors James Hodge and Linda Cooper capture Father Bourgeois' folksy charm and humor, as well as his steely faithfulness and determination, while shying away from hagiography. They do a great service by plumbing the loneliness and dislocation that can be a side effect of deep commitment and for which humility, community and faithfulness are the only antidote. And they admirably describe Father Bourgeois' struggles to connect with his family and friends -- generous, compassionate people who find his change from feeding the poor to asking why they are poor difficult and frightening.

DOING CHRISTIAN ETHICS FROM THE MARGINS,
by Miguel A. De La Torre.
Orbis Press (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 264 pp.
$20
De La Torre writes in "Doing Christian Ethics From the Margins" that Western society's ethics can be transformed by the way those who live on society's margins understand Christian scriptures and theology. De La Torre, a Cuban-American, teaches at Hope College in Holland, Mich., a college affiliated with the Reformed Church of America.    In this book he suggests a five-step process for putting Christian ethics into action: observing where there is a need, reflecting on answers to the need, praying, acting and reassessing. He offers case studies on national and international issues with questions to help the reader observe, reflect and pray -- the first three steps before deciding to take action. The author of "Reading the Bible from the Margins," De La Torre uses Scripture citations to guide the prayer portion, but does not refer to Catholic teaching documents on these ethical questions. The case study approach could be a useful spark for group discussions.

"Don't Chew Jesus! A Collection of Memorable Nun Stories,"
by Danielle Schaaf and Michael Prendergast.
BenBella Books (Dallas, 2006). 225 pp.
$20.
   "Don't Chew Jesus! A Collection of Memorable Nun Stories" is a fun book with a clever cover. It is made to look like a black, marbled composition book. And it is filled, like a child's diary, with tales of Catholic schoolchildren.    Danielle Schaaf and Michael Prendergast were classmates in a Catholic grammar school in Florida. After an evening of shared stories they decided to seek out other memories from the "baby boomer" age bracket. This led to 400 submissions from men and women who attended Catholic schools before 1970.    Their book is organized into 10 chapters with such clever titles as "Knuckle Cracks and Group Slaps" and "Eyes in the Back of Their Habits."    There are some stereotypical stories, and the various typefaces sometimes confuse. One is left wondering who is telling the story at times. Still, the stories themselves delight and hearken back to a day that anyone who ever sat in a desk in a Catholic school in that era will recall vividly.  For example, they write about school fundraisers and that "teaching children how to sell World's Finest Chocolates was as natural to sisters as explaining how to diagram a sentence."   This book certainly shows some of the lowlights of that era when students were mocked as "babies" and humiliated in front of their classmates.    However, the book mixes in several fond memories of teachers who made a difference in the lives of their students.    The authors describe this book as a "link to our heritage" and a way of preserving "the dedication, passion and influence" of the sisters who taught them and thousands of other children.    It is a memory book that is sure to bring a strong response from the reader and a chance to look back at another time and way of life.

DOROTHY DAY: PORTRAITS BY THOSE WHO KNEW HER
by Rosalie G. Riegle.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2003). 212 pp.
$22.
      Various estimates put the number of World War II veterans dying each day at 1,000 to 1,500. Similarly, by the time Rosalie G. Riegle in 2002 had finished recording her oral histories of people who knew Dorothy Day, the co-founder of the Catholic Worker movement, 14 of them had died. That alone makes her book of recollections, "Dorothy Day: Portraits by Those Who Knew Her," all the more valuable.      Day influenced numerous lives. The short list includes Jesuit Fathers Daniel Berrigan and Richard McSorley, artist Ade Bethune, author-psychiatrist Robert Coles, nonviolence activist Jim Douglass, peace activists Eileen Egan and Gordon Zahn, social critic Michael Harrington, actress-anarchist Judith Malina, counterculture figure Ed Sanders of the Fugs -- and even Robert Ellsberg, editor in chief of Riegle's publisher, Orbis Books.      Their reminiscences, and those of dozens more, are included in the book. Riegle cuts and pastes their memories and arranges them thematically along the many aspects of Day's life.      Despite these high-profile interview subjects, perhaps most gratifying are the few pages that feature Day's daughter, Tamar Hennessy. It was Day's pregnancy with Tamar that led to the spiritual path that included her joining the Catholic Church and the fusion of religious faith with social action that became the Catholic Worker. (This was but her first spiritual awakening; her second was, as a roll-your-own chain smoker, giving up cigarettes cold turkey following an Ignatian spiritual exercises retreat.)      Day had her run-ins with various New York archbishops, but always escaped sanction. Harrington said he recalled telling author William F. Buckley at a party, "When the history of America and Catholicism in the 1950s is written, Francis Cardinal Spellman will be a footnote and Dorothy Day will be a chapter." Harrington was prescient.      Looking for a link between Day and French Thomist philosopher Jacques Maritain? A Day compatriot recalled a 1936 incident in which the Catholic Worker House was doing battle with bugs, yet Day said she had to speak in front of "all the Catholic luminaries of the day. ... Well, after my humble little presentation, Jacques Maritain looked at me and said, 'Ah, Dorothy, you're always so serene.'" As it happened, she continued, "just at that moment, I felt this louse crawling across my bosom, and I thought to myself ... if you only knew the truth!"      What did Maritain share in common with Day? For one thing, both became Catholics as adults. For another, they were part of social action movements (his was Action Francaise) that published a newspaper. Unlike the Catholic Worker, Action Francaise received official condemnation. But Maritain shook off that stigma to become France's ambassador to the Vatican after World War II.

"Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church's Betrayal of American Nuns," by Kenneth A. Briggs.
Doubleday (New York, 2006). 258 pp.
$24.95
Reviewed by Sister Mona Castelazo, CSJ Catholic News Service

   Kenneth Briggs, former religion editor of The New York Times and author of "Double Crossed: Uncovering the Catholic Church's Betrayal of American Nuns," shares the fruits of an eight-year study which brings to light possible reasons for the diminishing numbers of American sisters in our time. Tracing a detailed history of events from the 1950s until the present, Briggs provides specific examples of typical religious communities and interviews with individual sisters.    Well documented and fairly presented, the book describes the struggles and misunderstandings between the church's hierarchy and the sisters who took seriously the mandate for renewal directed to religious by the Second Vatican Council.    Briggs' thesis is that when U.S. sisters enthusiastically responded to the call for changes in their customs, dress and lifestyle, they ran into opposition by the clergy. A financial crisis concerning retirement, health care and survival soon compounded the problem. The author suggests that if church authorities had encouraged and supported sisters, their numbers may not have dwindled, nor their future become so uncertain.    Evidence of the "betrayal" began with events predating Vatican II, according to Briggs. Although religious women were earlier exhorted to adapt to the modern world by both Pope Pius XII and Belgian Cardinal Leo Jozef Suenens, one of the council's four moderators, the hierarchy objected to changes made after the council. Many clerics held to the idea of a "higher state" for religious, whereas the council had abandoned the idea.    Vatican officials attempted to control the Sister Formation Conference, a program for educating the sisters intellectually, psychologically and theologically. Social justice, put forth by the council as a great world need, also became a problematic issue when many sisters engaged in that work became aware of major injustices not addressed within the church itself.    Following Pope John XXIII's proclamation that justice for women is one of the major signs of the times, well-educated sisters began to wonder if patriarchy was really a teaching from Jesus or the creation of a hierarchy which developed later. Having followed the mandate to return to the truths of the Gospel, many American sisters felt torn between Jesus' model of a discipleship of equals and a vertical, stratified authority structure.    Many questioned the disparity between the council's concept of "the people of God" and the exclusion of women from the council itself. When sisters questioned not being allowed to attend the meeting of the committee on religious life, Briggs reports that the cardinal in charge remarked that perhaps they could try again at the Fourth Vatican Council.    Because of substandard compensation for many years of service to the church, sisters eventually faced a future without health care or retirement funds. An appeal to the bishops usually met with the rebuff that the sisters had voluntarily chosen to sacrifice themselves for God through the system and now were on their own. Briggs' study shows that although a yearly appeal was allowed through the parishes, it barely met one-tenth of their needs.    Although the author shows the hierarchy turning a deaf ear to the voices of many U.S. sisters, he also states that neither side had begun with animosity. One of the major factors creating controversy, he feels, was the lack of any directive from the council to the priests and bishops themselves for change. Had the clerics been directed toward a searching analysis of their own origins, Gospel truths and the nature of their authority, a better understanding might have emerged and a more complete renewal in the church would have been possible.    Despite its inflammatory title, some typographical errors and misuses of Catholic terminology by Briggs, a Methodist, the book is informative and insightful overall. ----------------------------   Sister Mona, a Sister of St. Joseph of Carondelet, has taught English for many years in Los Angeles. She is the author of "Under the Skyflower Tree: Reflections of a Nun-Entity," published by iUniverse in 2005.

E
"The Eighth American Saint: The Life of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin, Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana,"
by Katherine Burton.
ACTA Publications (Skokie, Ill., 2007) 269 pp.
$12.95.
   Katherine Burton (1890-1969) was a Catholic convert and popular writer who specialized in biographies of women founders of religious orders. "The Eighth American Saint" is an updated and edited reprint of her 1959 book, "A Life of Substance," about Mother Theodore Guerin (1798-1856), the missionary and foundress who was canonized in October 2006.    Burton's selection of well-told vignettes and excerpts from letters and archival material show Mother Theodore as a devout religious, an exceptional and deeply loved superior, and a courageous and skilled administrator. In spite of lifelong ill health she willingly embarked on the long journey to Vincennes, Ind., in 1840. The cross she embraced there included dangerous travel conditions, isolation, debt, harsh poverty and hostility to Catholics.
   Her most serious challenge was negotiating years of conflict with the bishop of Vincennes who attempted to subvert her rule as superior and refused the sisters the lease to their property or approval of their rule. It is testimony to St. Mother Theodore's charity that her journal records little about these difficulties.    "There had always been his reputation to be considered; there had also been her own duty to him under God," Burton writes.    This is an edifying narrative of faith, hope and charity that assumes an audience familiar with the spirituality of sacrifice that led this remarkable woman to give selflessly in obedience to her vocation.

THE EVOLUTION-CREATION STRUGGLE, by Michael Ruse.
Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Mass., 2005). 327 pp.
$25.95.
Reviewed by Wayne A. Holst Catholic News Service
   The conflict between evolution and intelligent design must not casually be seen as fact versus faith, writes Michael Ruse in his new book, "The Evolution-Creation Struggle." It is battle for the hearts and souls of people that has profound implications for the way we live our lives. It is ultimately a metaphysical battle, not a mere dispute over science.    Ruse teaches the history and philosophy of science at Florida State University. Readers may want to turn to his book for an explanation of the conflict that is back in the courtroom and the headlines 80 years after Tennessee's "Scopes monkey trial."    In Pennsylvania, a group of parents have brought a civil suit in federal court challenging a local school district's mandate that students in science classes should be exposed to intelligent design in addition to Charles Darwin's theory of evolution. The suit charges that the school board has imposed an unconstitutional religious view on public school students by promoting intelligent design.    The Pennsylvania case will not be unique. At least 19 other states are considering measures to teach alternatives to evolution.    In support of the plaintiffs, Brown University biologist Kenneth Miller, co-author f a widely used biology textbook, testified that intelligent design is not a scientific theory but a religious idea that cannot be tested through experimentation. Miller is a Catholic and an evolutionist who believes that God created the universe according to a divine plan. He sees no conflict between his religious faith and his scientific outlook. But intelligent design theorists reject what they call "theistic evolutionists."    In "The Evolution-Creation Struggle" Ruse presents the history of these two ideas and the relationship between the two. He states at the outset that he is an agnostic and an evolutionist who considers intelligent design to be ''creationism lite.'' Yet, unlike many in the scientific world who dismiss intelligent design as significantly flawed, Ruse demonstrates a desire to understand it. He gives helpful background on Charles Darwin and the development of evolutionary theory. He demonstrates how evolutionary thinking assumed political and social directions. He describes how creationism emerged and was transformed into intelligent design.    There is a clear split between Darwinism and anti-evolutionist thinking today, he says. To overcome easy stereotyping and much misunderstanding, a lot of bridging needs to be done.   Evolutionists, he believes, are to blame for arrogance and insensitivity. Alliances and sensible strategies need to be devised by scientists and Christians who subscribe to evolutionary theory in order to respond effectively to authentic conservative fears.    Ruse says that what we face is not a battle between religion and science, but between two distinct forms of religion -- scientism and creationism. Evolution is a genuine scientific discipline. But the evolutionism currently advocated by many atheistic scientists makes it more than a science. It becomes a religion in itself. It is one thing to have faith in science, says the author. It is quite another to make a religion of science. At the same time, there is no proof that intelligent design is genuine science. When religion attempts to become science, or science religion, we have a problem. Religion and science must learn to be creatively integrated -- respecting their unique yet complementary ways of understanding and defining reality.
F
A FAITH INTERRUPTED: AN HONEST CONVERSATION WITH ALIENATED CATHOLICS, by Alice L. Camille and Joel R. Schorn.
Loyola Press (Chicago, 2004). 175 pp.
$12.95
   On the opposite end of the spectrum are the alienated and disaffected Catholics. "A Faith Interrupted: An Honest Conversation With Alienated Catholics," by Alice L. Camille and Joel R. Schorn, tackles the subject with candor.    The authors examine the entire range of the disaffected Catholic experience. They look at examples of those on the margins and at their families who often are affected by the alienated person's decision to leave the church.    Their two strongest chapters, "Examining the Root Causes of Departure" and "The Search for the 'Good' Parish" should be required reading for those within the church who seek to recapture those they have lost. The authors make a persuasive case to those outside the church that they indeed can find a home within a Catholic parish.    At times, however, the book leans toward a do-it-yourself approach to theology, suggesting that people needn't read some of the great theologians from our tradition and merely ask themselves four basic questions instead: Who is your God? Who am I? What is the goal of my life? How should we live?    Granted, most people will never read St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas or Jesuit Father Karl Rahner. And I don't believe the authors suggest reading theology is futile. Rather they advise a simple process all Catholic can do to add theological reflection to their everyday lives. Perhaps good advice, although my preference would be to offer snippets of theological thought for consideration alongside personal discernment.    All in all, this is a solid book. Camille and Schorn, Illinois-based lay Catholic writers and educators, have undertaken a huge task in simply addressing this group who are often ignored by parish life. The book gives pastors and parish workers tools for evangelization beyond preaching to their choir.

"Faith & Fitness: Diet and Exercise for a Better World," by Tom P. Hafer.
Augsburg Books (Minneapolis, 2007). 143 pp.
$14.99.
   Tom Hafer, author of "Faith & Fitness: Diet and Exercise for a Better World," is a registered physical therapist and certified athletic trainer who also holds a master's degree in religion from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia. In this book, Hafer prods the reader to think of physical fitness and diet in more holistic terms, indeed, in the context of one's faith relationship with God.    He declares that his book "should convince you that the rabbit trails we chase to improve our looks, our wealth and our position all distract us from the faith to provide us with the fulfilling life of a servant. ... Together we can respond to God's call to be good stewards of our own health, our neighbors' health and the health of our planet."    Catholic readers should not be surprised, however, to discover in Hafer's book a classical Protestant outlook that he himself may not have been entirely aware of. He seems to take for granted that human nature is pretty darn seriously corrupt, and this requires us to do battle with it -- here in terms related to nutrition and exercise.    "When we consider our desire for better health or weight loss," Hafer writes, "let us clear our minds of old ideas and struggles, start at the cross of Jesus -- hungry, thirsty, open and broken -- and go from there."    "It is only by God's grace that we are made whole," Hafer concludes -- loudly echoing classical Lutheran theology. At the same time, his book admirably brings a global perspective to his discussion: "When we are disciplined with our overabundance while concerning ourselves with the poor, a redistribution of resources occurs throughout our global community. ... In this new paradigm shift, wellness is no longer self-centered, but centered on Christ and the least of these, our neighbors."    A Catholic author would have been more inclined to begin with the presupposition that human nature, while seriously flawed, is above all the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit and most basically good. Keeping Hafer's classical Protestant negative presupposition about human nature in mind, Catholic readers will all the same find in his book an abundance of wisdom and healthful advice on the topics of nutrition and exercise. - - - Finley is staff writer for the Inland Register, newspaper of the Diocese of Spokane, Wash., and the author of more than 30 books, most recently "The Rosary Handbook: A Guide for Newcomers, Old-Timers, and Those in Between," published by Word Among Us Press.
 

FATHER JOE: THE MAN WHO SAVED MY SOUL, by Tony Hendra.
Random House (New York, 2004). 288 pp.
$24.95.
     I decided to read Tony Hendra's "Father Joe" after hearing Don Imus plug it on his show. It was only then that I made the connection between Hendra and Ian Faith, the rock manager he played in "This Is Spinal Tap," a movie that my college roommate saw approximately 842 times. I was intrigued. What would Ian Faith have to say about faith?     Lots, actually. I read "Father Joe" over a long weekend and I was continually astonished by its intellectual and spiritual depth. Subtitled "The Man Who Saved My Soul," it is a compelling and surprisingly sophisticated story of one man's journey of faith.     Reading it, I couldn't help thinking that this is what it must have been like for people of a certain age to read Thomas Merton's "Seven Storey Mountain." Here is a man of the world writing about the charms of Catholicism in an absolutely funny, engaging and, yes, inspiring way. "Father Joe" would have been an accomplishment in any age. The fact that it was written at a time when religion is viewed with suspicion and spiritual books are greeted with skepticism even by the faithful makes it truly a remarkable achievement.     Hendra grew up in England, the son of an agnostic father and a Catholic mother. The book begins as he is embarking on an affair with a married woman. When he is found out, his catechist brings him to a Benedictine monastery on the Isle of Wight. Enter Father Joe Warrilow, a gentle, good-natured soul who assures young Tony that he didn't commit a mortal sin: "You've done nothing truly wrong, Tony dear. God's love has brought you here before any real harm could be done. The only sin you've committed is the sin of ... s-s-selfishness."     Over the years, Hendra returns again and again to the monastery, first with the hope of becoming a monk, later as a successful satirist. (He edited the British humor magazine Spy and National Lampoon, the latter during its glory days in the early 1970s.) Each time, Father Joe never chides him for his indiscretions, sexual and otherwise. (Hendra hints at some heavy partying, giving lie to Ian Faith's claim that "there's no sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll for Ian.") Instead, he tries to subtly steer him back toward his wife and family, and, more subtly, God.     In a book review for The New York Times, Andrew Sullivan said this is a book every Catholic should savor, especially those looking for a respite from the bad news of the last few years. Still, I could not help but feel a pang of regret while reading the scenes between Father Joe and the young Tony. For centuries, priests have mentored thousands of young schoolboys in just this way. Unfortunately, with the scandal of the last few years, the one-on-one time that made this kind of relationship possible is no longer allowed. Given what's happened, this is totally understandable. But it's still saddening.     A minor leitmotif in "Father Joe" is Graham Greene's "The End of the Affair," a book the teenage Tony encountered. Hendra's invocation of Greene seems appropriate, but perhaps a more apt comparison might be made to Evelyn Waugh, another Englishman known for his satire.     Hendra's vision of God is remarkably similar to Waugh's. Reading "Father Joe," I was reminded of a line from G.K. Chesterton's "Father Brown" mysteries which Waugh used in "Brideshead Revisited": "I caught him with an unseen hook and an invisible line which is long enough to let him wander to the ends of the world and still to bring him back with the twitch of a thread." This is the God Tony Hendra discovers thanks to Father Joe -- one who gently guides him on his journey, sometimes letting him go his own way, sometimes tugging him in the right direction. A God who never pushes, only pulls.

"Fighting for Dear Life: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo and What It Means for All of Us," by David Gibbs with Bob DeMoss.
Bethany House (Bloomington, Minn., 2006) 288 pp.
$19.99
     "Fighting for Dear Life: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo and What It Means for All of Us" by David Gibbs, an attorney for Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, offers nearly the opposite -- little documentation and lots of commentary.      It is clear from the start that Gibbs believes Schiavo was killed and that he feels some guilt over failing to win some sort of permanent reprieve for the disabled woman.
    Although his sincerity cannot be questioned, Gibbs' somewhat breathless style and his tendency to hyperbole can be off-putting.      In a section on "life on a slippery slope," for example, Gibbs writes: "You might be thinking, 'Whoa! Time out, David. We're nowhere near Hitler's day. We're a reasonable, freedom-loving people who care for everyone.' Really? You might want to press your ear a little closer to the pavement. ... There's a growing trend in the halls of medicine to disconnect those whose lives appear to have no meaningful place in society."      Clearly, neither book is going to resolve the ongoing controversy about the life and death of Schiavo. In a foreword to "The Case of Terri Schiavo," Jay Wolfson, the court-appointed guardian ad litem for Schiavo, called the case "a family tragedy for which no good solution was possible."      "But it was also a clarion call to the sensibilities of public policy in the United States," Wolfson added. "The co-editors provide the basis for individual and societal reflection that should help frame discussion about end-of-life decisions and the allocation of increasingly scarce health care resources. That discussion will be the most valuable tribute to the shy, quiet woman who unconsciously stirred the world."

FINDING MY WAY IN A GRACE-FILLED WORLD, by William L. Droel.
ACTA Publications (Skokie, Ill., 2005). 112 pp.
$9.95.
   "Finding My Way in a Grace-Filled World" is a travelogue in spirituality. It is William L. Droel's first-person account of how his faith developed and continues to develop, and how he is applying it in his daily life.    Those who see their lives as spiritual journeys and who live them as adventures in faith will appreciate Droel's trek if for no other reason than to compare stories. His practice of Catholicism in the family, workplace, urban neighborhood and church is one to appreciate and to emulate.    Droel's book is part of ACTA Publications new series, "The American Catholic Experience," accounts by U.S. lay Catholics of how they live their faith.

"First Fruits of Prayer: A 40-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew," by Frederica Mathewes-Green.
Paraclete Press (Brewster, Mass., 2006). 196 pp.
$19.95.
   "First Fruits of Prayer: A 40-Day Journey Through the Canon of St. Andrew," by Frederica Mathewes-Green, contains 40 readings from the Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete. This epic-long hymn is sung during Lent in the Orthodox tradition. The author of several books on Eastern Orthodoxy, Mathewes-Green provides an excellent introduction on the nature of Eastern practices and monasticism. For each page of the book there is a facing page of annotations, giving exact scriptural references, quotations, comments and a reflection.    The verses by St. Andrew are mainly personal reflections on Scripture in which he compares himself to sinful figures with whom he identifies, asking God's mercy after each verse. Although Mathewes-Green offers good theology and insights, the original text seems quite harsh, punitive and acerbic for contemporary readers. Quotations such as "There is no sinner I have not surpassed," "I have sinned as the harlot never sinned," and "Heaven is closed to thee, my soul" appear throughout.    Women, in particular, may not resonate with the subject of the major reading inserted into the text in two parts. It is the story of St. Mary of Egypt, who after years of sexual depravity repented in the wilderness for 47 years without normal food and entirely without clothing, her body burned black by the sun. The Canon may be of interest to students of Eastern Orthodoxy, but seems too overly self-deprecating for daily prayers to a loving God.

"Forever and Ever, Amen: Becoming a Nun in the Sixties," by Sister Karol Jackowski.
Riverhead Books (New York, 2007). 288 pp.
$23.95.
   In "Forever and Ever, Amen: Becoming a Nun in the Sixties," Sister Karol Jackowski chronicles the first seven years of her life as a Holy Cross nun, beginning in 1964. In this poignant and witty memoir, she describes how she left her fun-filled days of high school for a rigid schedule that began with prayer at 5 a.m. and ended with silence at 8 p.m. and lights out at 9 p.m.    It was a life that Sister Jackowksi acknowledges was one of "total self-denial" and very different from that of her fellow college students on the campus of St. Mary's in South Bend, Ind.    When she entered religious life, she did so with 49 other young women. When she professed her final vows in 1972 there were seven. Today, that number is down to three.    Her book details what it was like for her community to experience all of the upheaval of the Second Vatican Council. "These were revolutionary times in the sisterhood," she writes. "Voices wrapped for years in silence suddenly began to speak; sisters wanted freedom to make personal choices and decisions about where to live, who to live with and what work to do."    She adds that some sisters formed new communities such as the Sisters for Christian Community, to which she now belongs.    Readers might want to know more about this change in her life after being a Holy Cross sister for 33 years, but that is not the focus of this work. Rather, she uses the pages to describe a mysterious life from a bygone era.    She portrays it with a sense of humor as she describes one postulant using up all the cream at the table and another, after enduring it for four days, calling her, loudly, a "cow." The sisters had to maintain silence for the rest of the day.    However, this isn't just a diary of misdeeds and mess-ups. Sister Jackowski shows some beautiful moments in religious life as she writes about being able to appreciate silence and prayer. She also writes about the joy of sisterhood, noting "Even those who drove me crazy felt like sisters, and when the first ones decided to leave, or were sent home, we mourned the loss."    The beginning of Sister Jackowski's religious life was turbulent and difficult, yet filled with funny and beautiful moments. She does a lovely job in describing them and making readers appreciate the many women who joined religious life. And she creates a very deep appreciation for those who stayed.

FORGIVENESS IN INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: AN ALTERNATIVE ROAD TO PEACE, by William Bole, Jesuit Father Drew Christiansen, and Robert T. Hennemeyer.
U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (Washington, 2004). 220 pp.
$14.95.
     The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops delivers concrete and practical hope with the new "Forgiveness in International Politics: An Alternative Road to Peace." But authors William Bole, Jesuit Father Drew Christiansen and Robert T. Hennemeyer do not offer quick and easy solutions.      The alternative road to peace they map is a long, slow journey that twists and turns. The book describes the careful, plodding work of bringing war-torn, aggrieved people together, the pain of reliving crimes committed and experienced, the delicate discovery of common language, and the diplomatic balancing of different political and religious perspectives. This is work that takes time.     With lessons from some of the most intractable conflicts of our time -- South Africa, Northern Ireland, Israel/Palestine, the former Yugoslavia and elsewhere -- the authors seek to rescue forgiveness from the realm of personal wellness and interpersonal harmony, bringing it into the sociopolitical world. Forgiveness, as they understand it, is so much more than "I'm sorry." Forbearance from revenge, truth-telling, empathy and a commitment to repair fractured human relationships are the steps that victim and victimizer must make together.      At its most basic, forgiveness requires giving up all hope for a better past, so that movement into an open and promising future is possible. If these steps are taken, forgiveness has "potential as an organizing principle of peacemaking, focused on renewing relationships across ethnic, religious, tribal and ideological boundaries."

FOUR CULTURES OF THE WEST, by Jesuit Father John O'Malley. Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Mass., 2004). 272 pp.
$24.95
   Father O'Malley's book, "Four Cultures of the West," is also concerned about secularization. He launches his discussion with Tertullian's ancient question, "What has Athens to do with Jerusalem?" (Tertullian, trained in Greek philosophy, became a Christian in the second century.)    Father O'Malley is not merely concerned with profane or sacred societies or with reason's alleged tension with faith. Instead, he examines the potential for collision in what he calls four "cultures" in the West: prophetic, academic, humanistic or literary, and performative or ritualistic.    Father O'Malley looks at the rhetoric and the rhetoricians, the messages and the messengers, in each of these cultures. His examples range from the notorious to the obscure. Luther is counted among the prophetic voices; Erasmus is among the humanistic. Rigorous questioning is the hallmark of academic culture; the Liturgy of the Hours, which were meant to be sung, is prayer performed.    In this look at the four cultures -- all loosely defined and deliberately so -- Father O'Malley echoes the medieval Cistercian St. Bernard of Clairvaux, who insisted that people open up the book of their own experience. On every page and through every generation, the signs of the times are written there. We have Father O'Malley and Weigel to thank for showing us a new optic.

FRANCIS OF ASSISI: PERFORMING THE GOSPEL LIFE, by Lawrence S. Cunningham.
Eerdmans Publishing Co. (Grand Rapids, Mich., 2004). 160 pp.
$14.
   How should we do this? An answer is found in "Francis of Assisi: Performing the Gospel Life," written by Lawrence Cunningham, a theologian at the University of Notre Dame and one of the contemporary scholars who has sought to surpass Sabatier. Cunningham's book is the fruit of three decades of study, and its subtitle is especially apt, for Francis is always depicted as a man of action, literally "performing the Gospel."    There is no sounder introduction to Francis' life. Cunningham's narrative is as accurate as it is readable. In many places, it is simply inspiring. If Francis sought to imitate the Gospel's rendition of Jesus' life, there are many today who seek to perform a Franciscan existence, too. He remains the Morning Star, whose Umbrian light stretches across the globe.

FRANCIS OF ASSISI: WRITER AND SPIRITUAL MASTER, by Franciscan Father Thaddee Matura, translated by Paul Lachance.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2005). 82 pp.
$7.95.
   Coming to Francis is what Franciscan Father Thaddee Matura's book is about. The best way, he suggests, is through the patient reading of the authentic writings of Francis himself. In "Francis of Assisi: Writer and Spiritual Master," Father Matura examines the scraps that have survived.    He notes three things from Francis' writings. First, he is a spiritual master -- a product of his times, to be sure, but one who is distinct in his spirituality. Second, Francis' spirituality is expressly Trinitarian and he builds his anthropology on his theology. Third, Francis' vision of a world connected to God leads him to lay out what Father Matura calls a Gospel itinerary: Conversion of heart leads to purity of heart and care for neighbor; living in fidelity to the church permits a prophetic and hopeful existence.    Higher up the hill in Assisi stands the Cathedral of San Rufino. Portions of the old cathedral lie excavated under thick panes of glass so that pilgrims who walk down the nave can see the ancient edifice below. This was the building Francis used when he first began to preach. In a way, it is a document to help us figure out the man behind the myth.


FUMBLING: A PILGRIMAGE TALE OF LOVE, GRIEF, AND SPIRITUAL RENEWAL ON THE CAMINO DE SANTIAGO, by Kerry Egan.
Doubleday (New York, 2004), 230 pp.
$22.95.
    It says something about the value of making a pilgrimage that so many books are being written about it these days. One of the most ancient and most popular pilgrimages is the one over the Pyrenees, through the valleys of Navarre and across northern Spain to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela.    Kerry Egan made this pilgrimage a year after the death of her father, when she was a 25-year-old student at Harvard Divinity School. Her father's death altered her image of God; the pilgrimage helped her deepen understanding of the divine and the mystery of existence. Egan writes with humor about the ups and downs of being on such a long pilgrimage in the company of her boyfriend (now husband), Alex.    She summarizes her experience thus: "Maybe it isn't that the sacred is somehow more present on the Camino or that God lives in northern Spain. Perhaps it is that the Camino makes it easier to sense a God who is always there, but is easy to ignore. A God one has to have courage to fall into, whether through walking or love or grief or, through the final prayer of this pilgrimage, remembering."   "Fumbling" is a wonderful, thoughtful, intriguing book that will easily bear more than one reading.

G
"God Drops and Loses Things" by Father Kilian McDonnell, OSB.
St. John's University Press (Collegeville, Minn., 2009).
70 pp.
$11.95.
Reviewed by David Gibson Catholic News Service
If you've ever wondered what the experts mean when they say that the Bible in so many ways is about you, the title poem in Benedictine Father Kilian McDonnell's "God Drops and Loses Things" should clarify the matter completely -- even more so if you happen to be a parent. The writer introduces this poem with a few lines of the parable from Luke's Gospel in which a woman sweeps her house carefully, attempting to find a single lost silver coin. Suddenly in the poem, the woman comes fully alive. "A lost silver coin's not nothing in her house," we're told. When she discovers the coin "near the woodpile," she calls "across the fence" to neighbors, inviting them to celebrate with her. These are friends, we now learn, who know well the realities of her life -- even know, for example, how she felt when her daughter ran away "with a tavern stud." Did the daughter ever return? She did, beaten and with a swollen jaw. And when through the window the mother saw her daughter arriving home, she raced "like a demented lion to gather in her wounded cub." In this 34-line poem, Father McDonnell, a monk of St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minn., serves as storyteller -- fleshing out a familiar biblical passage and pulling readers into its depths in an entirely fresh manner.

"God in the Foxhole: Inspiring True Stories of Miracles on the Battlefield"
by Charles W. Sasser.
Threshold Editions (New York, 2008). 318 pp.
$26.
Reviewed by Brian Olszewski Catholic News Service
In "God in the Foxhole," Charles W. Sasser gets the obvious out of the way in the introduction when he notes the adage that there are no atheists in foxholes. For the following 300-plus pages, he demonstrates the validity not only about nonbelievers in foxholes, but also in tents, headquarters, fields, bombers, ground vehicles and anywhere else military personnel serve during combat. His style allows readers to elicit their own images and sounds from his well-crafted narratives. In a section regarding Pfc. Desmond T. Doss, a conscientious objector seen by some of his fellow servicemen as a coward, Sasser lets the dialogue explain the conflicts and heroism of Doss' role as a medic in World War II. The author's "You Are There" tone in this piece is indicative of what occurs throughout the book. GIs pinned under fire. Growing numbers of wounded. Doss on the top of a cliff, an easy target for the enemy, hoisting the wounded to safety, praying aloud, "Lord, help me get one more. Just one more." There's a resurrection theme in many of the tales. The captain who deemed Doss unfit for military service said, "He saved my life. The man I tried to have kicked out of the Army ended up being the most courageous person I've ever known." In another story, readers meet Sgt. Gene Beck, who survived two tours of duty in Vietnam relatively unharmed, but who was severely injured in a car accident. Once Sasser sets the scene in 1982, he takes readers to Beck's Vietnam in 1968, and then back to 1982. The ebb and flow of that and similar stories keep readers engaged. Each section ends with an epilogue. Cynics might discount stories, many of which have an Audie Murphy thread in them, and that fall into chapters with such headings as "Prayer," "Doubt," "Why Me, Lord?" and "The Unexplained." Yet, who can explain faith? In many of the stories, there are no logical explanations as to what happened or didn't happen to those involved. Some of the featured people are well-known, e.g., Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., but most have no national recognition. What they do have, however, is a faith-at-work element meshed with patriotism capable of inspiring believers and nonbelievers, hawks and doves.

"God, I Have Issues: 50 Ways to Pray No Matter How You Feel," by Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, SJ.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2005). 192 pp.
$12.95.
   "God, I Have Issues: 50 Ways to Pray No Matter How You Feel," by Jesuit Father Mark E. Thibodeaux, provides 50 readings that fit particular emotions or situations. Father Thibodeaux describes the entries as "prayer starters." Each entry begins with a related scriptural passage, followed by a reflection that is personal and pertinent, and a list of suggested scriptural references. The author then supplies "prayer pointers," suggestions on how to meditate on the entry. Each section ends with lines of quotations or poetry to keep in mind during the day.    Topics include joy, pride, anger, fear, despair, doubt, loneliness, sadness, indecision, stress, worry, hurt, gratitude and contentment. The situations are listed in alphabetical order, with a cross-referenced index at the end. Father Thibodeaux shares helpful personal stories in addition to giving solid spiritual and psychological insights.    Entries are engaging and fresh, approaching each emotion from several dimensions, employing humor, beautiful poetry, and quotations worth pondering. Some examples: "I know that God won't give me anything I can't handle. I just wish he didn't trust me so much (Mother Teresa)," "It's your church, Lord, I'm going to bed (Pope John XXIII)," and "Blessed are they who laugh at themselves. They shall never cease to be entertained (Chinese proverb)."

"God, Man & Hollywood: Politically Incorrect Cinema From 'The Birth of a Nation' to 'The Passion of the Christ'" by Mark Royden Winchell.
Intercollegiate Studies Institute (Wilmington, Del., 2008). 490 pp.
$28.
The problem with common sense, Voltaire observed, is that it is not common. A similar complaint could be made about popular entertainment -- that it's not "popular" -- by those who feel that the values it promotes don't reflect those of most Americans. That opinion is lucidly articulated in conservative scholar Mark Royden Winchell's "God, Man & Hollywood: Politically Incorrect Cinema From 'The Birth of a Nation' to 'The Passion of the Christ.'" Winchell, an English professor at Clemson University (who died shortly before the book's publication), subscribes to the old Winston Churchill adage: History is written by the victors. And in the polarizing "culture war," the victors, in Winchell's scoring, are the liberal intelligentsia who commandeered the Hollywood dream factories during the 1960s and '70s. However, those expecting an industry-bashing tirade will be disappointed. It is not Winchell's intention to pen "yet another treatise belaboring the sins of Hollywood." Instead, he opts to accentuate the positive by demonstrating that, despite what he terms the "conformist mold of left-wing groupthink," films that buck the prevailing liberal "herd mentality" and espouse conservative values occasionally get made. He labels these ideological anomalies "politically incorrect." After providing some brief historical context, Winchell gets down to the main task at hand, examining 18 films that he deems "politically incorrect." Some are obvious choices, for example, "The Passion of the Christ" (2004). But readers may be surprised -- or shocked -- that, despite containing graphic sex and violence, Sam Peckinpah's "Straw Dogs" (1971) and Stanley Kubrick's "Clockwork Orange" (1971) also meet his criteria. Some films merit inclusion for swimming against the cultural current of their day. A case in point is the hawkish "Patton," released in 1970 at the height of the anti-Vietnam War movement. Others, like "Gone with the Wind" (1939), only later became un-"PC." Its crime? It showed characters "growing up emotionally" -- a mortal sin in "the land of perpetual adolescence." Winchell is on shakier ground when arguing that, beneath its racially offensive imagery, D.W. Griffith's seminal, but controversial, silent classic "The Birth of a Nation" (1915) -- which includes a heroic depiction of the Ku Klux Klan -- is really about "people being rescued by friends from the clutches of strangers." (At times, he comes off as somewhat dismissive of the perceived racism of some of the films discussed.) A longtime defender of Southern culture, Winchell devotes several chapters to rigorously challenging what he considers the distortions of Hollywood's take on the Civil War and Reconstruction era. He cites films like "Gettysburg" and "Gods and Generals" as being more nuanced portraits of the historical realities than those presented by the "orthodox" Hollywood version. Behind such alleged bias, Winchell discerns a subversive Orwellian logic at work: "Those who would control the present must also control the past. This means not only writing the history that students read but creating the images we receive from even our most casual entertainment." Though measured in his brickbats, Winchell takes the liberal "elite" to task for what he views as their double standard when it comes to censorship: It's wrong, unless they disagree with what is being said. To his credit, Winchell acknowledges that, throughout history, the pendulum has swung to the opposite extreme and "right-wingers" have enforced their own brand of political correctness. The book also contains brief analyses of an additional 100 politically incorrect films. As with the longer reviews, the selections range from the predictable ("A Man for All Seasons"), to the unconventional (the animated Fox TV series "The Family Guy") and the provocative ("Borat"). Heeding G.K. Chesterton's advice that one should "never let a quarrel get in the way of a good argument," Winchell keeps the tone scholarly rather than shrill. You may disagree with him or question his choices, and not all his reasoning is equally persuasive, but he gives you plenty to think about, discuss and debate.

A GOD OF INCREDIBLE SURPRISES: JESUS OF GALILEE, by Father Virgilio Elizondo.
Rowman & Littlefield (Lanham, Md., 2004). 167 pp.
$19.95
Reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski
     Near the beginning of "A God of Incredible Surprises," Father Elizondo asks: How does Jesus of Galilee become the Christ to persons who feel doomed to exclusion and marginalization because of their mixed-race or mixed-ethnic origins? Why has he been such a strong salvific figure for the poor and marginalized of Latin America, especially in his final humiliation, suffering and crucifixion?    In answering those questions by providing a Scripture passage and an explanation based upon, among other things, his ministry as a priest of the Archdiocese of San Antonio, Father Elizondo does not finger-point but rather demonstrates how one can live the Christ-centered life.     In the final chapter, "If Jesus Had Lived in San Antonio," Father Elizondo draws parallels between what Jesus' life was like as a Jew in Galilee and what it might have been like had he been a Mexican-American living in Texas. Readers might not agree with the author's insights, but their concept of who Jesus is will certainly be broadened.     As the Hispanic community in the United States continues to grow, dioceses, parishes and pastoral ministers whose cultural roots are Eastern or Western European would do well to use these three books for greater understanding of Hispanic culture and faith.  Olszewski is editor of the Northwest Indiana Catholic, newspaper of the Diocese of Gary.

GOD ON THE QUAD: HOW RELIGIOUS COLLEGES AND THE MISSIONARY GENERATION ARE CHANGING AMERICA, by Naomi Schaefer Riley.
St. Martin's Press (New York, 2005). 274 pp.
$24.95
   "God on the Quad: How Religious Colleges and the Missionary Generation Are Changing America," by Naomi Schaefer Riley, is a must-read for parents and students considering attending a religious college. Using a great deal of anecdotal evidence, Schaefer Riley reports on her travels to many of America's top church-affiliated colleges. Ranging from Yeshiva University to Bob Jones University to Notre Dame, this book takes the reader wildly meandering with students in beer halls and dorm rooms, as well as into the offices of college administrators as they struggle to hire faculty who espouse their denomination's mission.    Schaefer Riley's reporting is balanced, covering a wide spectrum of religious experience. She also uncovers what many have said for some time now: There is a huge religious revival among the young and the seeds of that renewal are being planted with great care on certain college campuses, especially those that come from a more conservative Christian tradition.    The book focuses on those practicing faith in these religious environments, so I found myself longing to hear more from those who are more sporadic in their faith practice (although she does a nice job in her chapter on Brigham Young in this regard). I also found she glossed over the experience of those involved in campus ministries and Newman Centers at the myriad Catholic universities, limiting herself to Notre Dame and a few lines about negative experiences at Fordham. I had hoped to see more on a faith experience at religious institutions that are not terribly extreme in their religious demographics. Perhaps her focus on the "big-name" religious schools was her biggest strength and her Achilles heel.    In this book for anyone who teaches young people and for those thinking about attending a religious college (especially transfer students), Schaefer Riley offers a useful guide to the world of the religious university.

"God's New Man: The Election of Benedict XVI and the Legacy of John Paul II," by Paul Collins.
Continuum (Harrisburg, Pa., 2005). 233 pp.,
$24.95
   Paul Collins, an Australian theologian, broadcast journalist and writer, left the priesthood in 2001 after an investigation of his writings by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It is Collins' training as a historian that makes "God's New Man: The Election of Benedict XVI and the Legacy of John Paul II" an invaluable book for anyone seeking to understand contemporary theological and ecclesiological issues.    "Nothing exists outside of historical context: All dogmas, teachings and texts belong somewhere in the process and evolution of human experience and knowledge," Collins writes. Whether discussing liturgical change or liberation theology, Collins is always concerned with "the unpredictability and serendipity" of history.    The result is a challenging and refreshingly nonideological book that is characterized by a generosity of spirit and a lucid intelligence.   Collins is not timid about expressing his opinions but he is never polemical or mean-spirited. His critique of the papacy of John Paul II is direct and incisive. While recognizing his "political and historical significance," he notes that "traditionally and historically, a globetrotting evangelical ministry is not the primary role of the bishop of Rome. His traditionally understood task is to act as the heart and focus of the Catholic communion."    Collins suggests that Pope Benedict "will not be an idiosyncratic pope, doing his own thing. He will be much more traditional in a good sense, paying greater attention to the inner workings of the Roman Curia and the church."

GOD'S POLITICS: WHY THE RIGHT GETS IT WRONG AND THE LEFT DOESN'T GET IT. A NEW VISION FOR FAITH AND POLITICS IN AMERICA, by Jim Wallis.
HarperSanFrancisco (San Francisco, 2005). 384 pp
$24.95
   In the United States, there is a strict separation of church and state, but no one is at all surprised that religion is heavily mixed up in politics. In Canada, it's just the opposite: The constitution recognizes the supremacy of God, yet politicians won't pray in public for fear of offending those who may not have any religious beliefs.   Those two contradictory attitudes -- in more ways than one -- are amply demonstrated in these two books: the Rev. Jim Wallis's "God's Politics," and "Recognizing Religion in a Secular Society," edited by Douglas Farrow, a professor of Christian thought at McGill University in Montreal.    Rev. Wallis, an evangelical Christian well-known for his work at Sojourners, a nationwide network of Christians active in social justice issues, starts with the assumption that Americans by and large accept that the Christian Gospel has something vitally important to contribute to public debate and the common good. His book -- now a New York Times best seller -- was published in the aftermath of a terribly divisive federal election that saw U.S. President George W. Bush return to power with the help of Christian allies. It is subtitled "Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It. A New Vision for Faith and Politics in America."    Rev. Wallis laments that Christian beliefs have been manipulated and distorted to help the Republicans to power. Then he accuses the Democrats of being too one-dimensional to make room in their party for those whose faith encompasses a pro-life stance on abortion, euthanasia and other sexual moral questions.    "I have never seen such outrageous behavior by a political party in trying to manipulate religion for its own agenda while so disrespecting the faith of millions of other believers who disagree with the Republican political agenda," Rev. Wallis fumes. "What do such tactics say about the Republicans' respect for the black churches, when the African-American vote was again almost 90 percent for the Democrats? Is something wrong with their faith? Do black churches ban the Bible? The Republicans virtually claim to own religion. And the Democrats still don't seem to know how to take back the faith."    Rev. Wallis, throughout his career as a public theologian and editor of Sojourners magazine, is a natural ally of Democrats. He espouses similar positions on many issues close to the hearts of Democrats: tax reform to help the poor, medical coverage for all, opposition to the war in Iraq, to name just a few. Yet he is unabashedly pro-life, though his opposition to abortion is highly nuanced; he is more comfortable with the Democrats' vocabulary on abortion, such as "reducing the need for abortions," than an outright ban.    Rev. Wallis offers an approach to public policy arising out of the Bible's Old Testament prophets. And he borrows considerably -- with due credit -- from Catholic social teaching to offer a program that is neither right or left in political terms, but puts the poor first and the common good at the center of all political questions. It is a platform that Republicans are unlikely to find attractive and Democrats would, though they would first have to get over their phobia about religion.

Vatican releases Pope Benedict's first book, 'God's Revolution'
By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service
VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The Vatican joined with other publishers in an 18-nation release of Pope Benedict XVI's first book as pope -- a collection of his speeches from August events in Cologne, Germany.    In his newest book, titled "God's Revolution," the pope "outlines the project for his pontificate," according to a press release by the Italian publishers, San Paolo.    The Italian edition hit bookstores in Italy Oct. 11, while the English edition published by Ignatius Press was expected to be ready for release in the United States and Canada by the end of October.    The 129-page volume "deals with the questions of Christian faith and the destiny of humanity, of the state of Israel, Islam, the legacy and the future of the church and society," said the press release.    But instead of any new pronouncements, the book is a collection of talks the pope gave during the Aug. 18-21 events in Cologne, including World Youth Day and meetings with representatives of Germany's Jewish and Muslim communities. The texts include the pope's complete remarks, not just his original written addresses.    The Vatican saw there was a need to release the full content of the pope's spoken presentations in book form so that they would be available to the wider public.    The papal vicar of Rome, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, said that while the media gave extensive coverage of the youth gathering this summer, the contents of the pope's speeches "inevitably received rather minor circulation."    "It's impossible for the mass media to cover everything," he said at a press conference Oct. 11. He added there is little room for media outlets "to delve into the content" of the pope's speeches.    Father Claudio Rossini, head of the Vatican's publishing house, Libreria Editrice, said turning the 12 speeches the pope made in Cologne into a book helps "distribute the texts beyond the usual channels" of the Vatican's newspaper, L'Osservatore Romano, and the Vatican's television, CTV.    The pope's discourses are rich in teaching and instruction that "need to be read, reread and reread again patiently," Father Rossini told Catholic News Service.    Father Rossini said the Vatican wanted to see "how the market responds to this" before deciding if it would publish other key addresses in book form.    Cardinal Ruini, who wrote the book's introduction, said the collection of speeches represents a guidebook and "source of light" for Christian living.   The book's teachings show that the pope is "a great teacher of the faith and at the same time a shepherd who knows the path that will lead us into intimacy with God," he said.

THE GOODNESS WITHIN: REACHING OUT TO TROUBLED TEENS WITH LOVE AND COMPASSION, by Mark Redmond. Paulist Press (New York, 2004). 191 pp.
$17.95.
Reviewed by Mike Hayes, Catholic News Service
     "The Goodness Within" by Mark Redmond is a primer on reaching out to troubled teens, lessons learned from a long career working with this difficult group. Redmond's horror stories of out-of-control teens in group homes and shelters smack the reader upside the head with the challenges those who work with them must face. His message is simple: love, understanding and respect for troubled teens will go further than disdain.     Redmond's book is frightening, funny and moving. There are stories of drug addiction and death, including the murder of a colleague. When he writes of the staff taking the teens on a bike race and ski trip it is not just a story of "rah-rah, we done good" but an account of adults providing joy for those in pain and sorrow most of the time.     "The Goodness Within" simply tells the truth: This is tough work and it doesn't always have a happy ending. With a no-nonsense style that describes rather than preaches, Redmond writes gripping tales that focus on what's important. Money and rank mean little; but helping a boy who lost his mother and is struggling to learn to read -- that's the Gospel talking.    Hayes is the operations and marketing director of BustedHalo.com, the Paulist Fathers' young adult Internet outreach.

"The Gospel According to the Beatles," by Steve Turner.
Westminster John Knox Press (Louisville, Ky., 2006). 254 pp.
$19.95.
   Ever since "The Gospel According to Peanuts" arrived on the scene in 1965, a small corner of the Anglo-American publishing world has been dedicated to works that point out the connection between ancient spirituality and modern pop-culture phenomena, with varying degrees of success; everyone from J.R.R. Tolkien to Homer Simpson eventually earns his or her own spiritual biography, wanted or not.    Two more recent entries in this genre, Steve Turner's "The Gospel According to the Beatles" and Dale Allison Jr.'s "The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison," seek to discover the individual religious and spiritual journeys that paralleled and influenced the development of the most famous band in history, the Beatles.    Turner's book is much less about the Gospels than it is about the Beatles, and despite the title the author does not restrict his scope to Christianity alone. Devoted Beatles fans will not find much that's new in the biographies of each member of the group that are woven into the text, but Turner makes deft use of interviews, articles and the occasional song lyric to highlight the religious/spiritual dimension of the Beatles phenomenon.    Some of the revelations are quite striking -- for example, John Lennon's drug-addled letter to the Rev. Oral Roberts asking him to help him "out of hell," or the ways in which Yoko Ono's many idiosyncrasies were accentuated by her dalliances into the occult. Despite a fairly large corpus of songs to work with, Turner relies more on anecdotes and events than individual songs to highlight the Beatles' spiritual journeys.

GRACE IN THE DESERT: AWAKENING TO THE GIFTS OF MONASTIC LIFE, by Dennis Patrick Slattery. Jossey-Bass/Wiley (San Francisco, 2004). 154 pp.
$22.95.
    In "Grace in the Desert: Awakening to the Gifts of Monastic Life," Dennis Patrick Slattery casts a wide net. He recounts his three-month pilgrimage to 12 Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox and Buddhist monasteries and retreat centers.     Focused on discovering a deeper understanding of his identity as a husband and father, a teacher and believer, as well as the life and death of his father, Slattery's quest took him to locations in California, Oregon, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona. In each monastery or retreat center he describes the way of life he finds there and the discoveries he made about his own life and life in general.     The pages fly by, and in the end Slattery discovers the simple yet profound meaning of it all:     "Now I can let all of my childhood wounds evaporate. I no longer need them for support. The feeling of liberation reflects a moment of grace unconditionally given. Forgiveness is at the heart of it -- I swear."
H
HARRY POTTER AND THE HALF-BLOOD PRINCE, by J.K. Rowling.
Scholastic (New York, 2005). 652 pp.
$29.99
Reviewed by Jean Gonzalez Catholic News Service
     Harry Potter is growing up. While his personal experiences continue to shape his moral judgment, he greatly appreciates the values of trust, loyalty, friendship, gut feelings, free will and, above all, love in his life. And judging by the outcome of J.K. Rowling's latest (and sixth) book, "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince," he will need those values to continue his fight against the Dark Lord, Voldemort.      In Rowling's 2003 installment of the magical series -- Book 5, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" -- Harry was 15 and an angry young man, a typical teenager who seemed a little gawky, a little self-absorbed and full of angst. But by the end of the book readers saw a glimmer of change within Potter's attitude -- a loving and generous spark that carried over to Book 6.      Now 16, Potter displays his budding maturity in his insights about his life, his friendships and his loyalty to his mentors. Early in the book he ponders how his life would be different if Voldemort had gone after another family and not his own. In the middle of the book, he considers how dating can change friendships. And throughout the novel he weighs his physical, mental and emotional strength and his need for a loved one to protect him.      There are critics of the Potter series who believe Rowling's novels and characters offer an invitation to study and participate in magic. There are others who recognize Christian values, and even biblical symbolism, within the fictional text.      The Potter books are devoid of any religious references, much like J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy. But that is not to say there is no respect for Judeo-Christian values. The prominent lesson Professor Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, tries to impart to his pupil, Harry, is simply: Love makes all the difference in the world. Respect, understanding, compassion, loyalty, joy, friendship, courage, strength and sacrifice -- all should be rooted in love.      Book 6 also concentrates on promises and the issue of free will versus fulfillment of a prophecy (particularly the prophecy revealed in Book 5). Dumbledore reminds Harry that his own moral judgment, again rooted in love, should guide his life decisions. That could be a powerful life lesson for teens in which peer pressure or indecent media messages might serve as their own "prophecy" or "destiny."    In the first five books readers meet an abundance of new characters and encounter side plots as they go to school with Harry. Book 6 gets to the point, and at 652 pages it is 100 pages shorter than Book 4 ("Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire") and 218 pages shorter than Book 5. Readers are expected to remember characters from previous books and introductions of new people are kept to a minimum. Beloved supporting characters such as Rubeus Hagrid, Professor McGonagall and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley have minor roles in this book.      Make no mistake: This is Harry's book. But admirers of Dumbledore, Hermione Granger, Ron and Ginny Weasley, Draco Malfoy and Severus Snape will also be delighted. Just as its dust cover reflects, the pensieve plays a prominent role in the book.      Rowling has a gifted way of writing for Harry, as each book's structure truly reflects Harry's age. While Book 1, "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone," is a good fit for 11-year-old readers, this book fits best for older teen readers.
     Adults will enjoy this book as well. Although it lags a bit in the middle where there is a lot of "snogging" -- or, as Americans would say, "smooching" -- among the teens, it is a tight and enjoyable read and a standout in the series.     And what about the half-blood prince? Adults, teens and preteens who were waiting for the midnight release of the book at a local Barnes and Noble had many theories about the prince and the book's plot. Of the many I overheard, none of them -- including my own -- were correct.

"Hell and Other Destinations: A Novelist's Reflections on This World and the Next," by Piers Paul Read.
Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2006). 247 pp.
$15.95.
   Ignatius Press has brought two Catholic novelists across the Atlantic. Not literally -- both Piers Paul Read and Martin Mosebach still reside in Great Britain and Germany, respectively, as far as I know. Instead, collections of both writers' essays have been made available to North American audiences: Read's "Hell and Other Destinations: A Novelist's Reflections on This World and the Next" and Mosebach's "The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy."    The opening essay in Read's volume asks why it is that no one seems to be afraid of going to hell anymore, and provides a useful overview of the church's historical treatment of hell, from Scripture, through the Middle Ages, the Reformation and the Second Vatican Council up to the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The reader hears from St. Augustine, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Francis de Sales and even philosopher Blaise Pascal on this most uncomfortable of teachings.    The argument that concludes this essay on hell is one that weaves itself into all the others, which consider topics as diverse as liberation theology, sexual ethics, Islam, "The Da Vinci Code" and the role of the Catholic novelist in a secular society. This argument, in Read's words, is that "there is a danger ... that the shift among Catholics from a preoccupation with eternity to an engagement in the world has now gone so far that it effaces the very idea of an afterlife and so distorts the teaching of the Gospel and endangers the coherence of the Christian religion."    Some of the pieces in "Hell and Other Destinations" first appeared in books either as essays or forewords, while others -- opinion pieces, book reviews and the like -- were originally published in English periodicals such as The Observer, The Catholic Herald and The Tablet. In all cases, Read argues forcefully and unapologetically, and what could easily come off as gratuitous sermonizing is made distinctly credible by the fact that he puts his unsettling questions as much to himself as to the reader.

"The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy," by Martin Mosebach, translated by Graham Harrison.
Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2006). 210 pp.
$16.95.
   Mosebach's volume, in contrast, focuses specifically on the liturgy. Like Read, however, Mosebach is not one to mince words, and "The Heresy of Formlessness" pulls no punches in arguing for a return to the Tridentine rite of the Mass, which was in use prior to Pope Paul VI's promulgation of the new order of the Mass in 1969. He puts his argument succinctly, "To preserve the liturgy, it seems to me, is to restore it." Mosebach's understanding of the Mass is based on the premise that it is the "physically embodied God-man who is at the heart of the Christian message." In the Gospels, conversion results not from intellectual debate or Socratic dialogue, but from contact with the Lord; in Mosebach's words, "Jesus looks at someone eye to eye and binds him to himself forever."    While Mosebach admits that the old Mass "has not come down to us unchanged since the days of early Christianity," he nevertheless claims that we can regard it as "something that has come down to us directly from heaven." By this logic, he says, "only saints such as Ambrose or Augustine or Thomas Aquinas should be allowed to add anything to the holy Mass, never men at office desks -- even if they work in the Vatican."    Perhaps it is Mosebach's artistic sensibility that allows him to weave together the threads of Scripture, tradition, history, literature and music into an organic understanding of the liturgy that is often spellbinding. Further, one is impressed by his reverence for the Mass, and his ability to find transcendent meaning in even the most seemingly minute details of its rubrics.    Of course, whether readers will agree with Mosebach's assessment of the new Mass and his rather stringent treatment of Pope Paul VI is another matter entirely. In the book's foreword, for example, Jesuit Father Joseph Fessio offers a "third way," namely the restructuring of the liturgical renewal envisioned by Vatican II within the context of the new order of the Mass, or the so-called "reform of the reform."    Both Read and Mosebach write with that kind of jealous love for the church that is perhaps most often seen in those with artistic vocations, something that makes both "Hell and Other Destinations" and "The Heresy of Formlessness" engaging and provocative works that thoughtful Catholics of every stripe will find challenging and rewarding.

"Hispanic Women: Prophetic Voice in the Church" by Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz and Yolanda Tarango.
University of Scranton Press (Chicago, 2006). 143 pp.
$15.
   In "Hispanic Women," Isasi-Diaz and Tarango deal with what the authors term "Hispanic women's liberation theology," which is based on lived experience, rather than abstract theories. Half of the book consists of verbatim stories of women who have attended the authors' weekend retreats. Most accounts include oppression, marginalization, sexism, poverty, and both physical and psychological abuse. Each chapter is summed up in Spanish.    The book focuses mainly on women of Mexican, Puerto Rican and Cuban descent from a variety of backgrounds in schooling, societal levels and ages. The authors emphasize dialogue with oppressed women as a major step to working for a better future, through awareness and subsequent action toward changing present structures and realities.    Although all of the women consider themselves Catholic, much of the identification seems to be cultural. Many do not attend Mass or read Scripture, but prefer devotions to particular saints, a number of whom have pre-Christian origins. Most feel that the church contributes to their oppression by sanctioning patriarchy. Some of the theology in the book may be questionable, but the overall message -- that there are many voices within the church that need to be heard -- should be taken seriously.

HOUR OF THE WITCH: HARRY POTTER, WICCA WITCHCRAFT AND THE BIBLE,
by Steve Wohlberg.
Destiny Image (Shippensburg, Pa., 2005). 216 pp.
$13.99
   Steve Wohlberg's "Hour of the Witch: Harry Potter, Wicca Witchcraft and the Bible" desperately tries to warn readers of the sinful and even devilish nature of the Potter series. Wohlberg, director of Endtime Insights radio and television ministry, admits he never liked what he calls the idea behind the novels -- glorifying witchcraft.
   Wohlberg's basic conclusions are that the Potter series is bad because it might inspire readers to learn more about Wicca, which is bad, and Harry Potter makes sorcery look good and cool, even though the Bible states sorcery is bad. Wohlberg points to Deuteronomy 18 as a biblical passage in which sorcery is seen as evil.   Potter fans might have a hard time with the prose, which reads like a preacher stating the same things over and over until you believe what he says. Frustrating -- yet popular -- phrases in chapters 1 through 9 are "more on that later," and "explained more in chapter 10."    The author goes so far as to imply that perhaps the devil inspired Rowling -- unbeknownst to her -- to write the Potter series and to get it published. He says parents turn a blind eye to that notion because "at least Johnny's reading." Wohlberg's interesting proposition is delivered in a condescending, single-minded, doom-and-gloom tone.

I
IMAGINING FAITH WITH KIDS: UNEARTHING SEEDS OF THE GOSPEL IN CHILDREN'S STORIES FROM PETER RABBIT TO HARRY POTTER,
by Mary Margaret Keaton.
Pauline Books and Media (Boston, 2005). 282 pp.
$19.95
   Don't put that highlighter away if you grab Mary Margaret Keaton's "Imagining Faith with Kids," subtitled "Unearthing Seeds of the Gospel in Children's Stories from Peter Rabbit to Harry Potter." Keaton looks at how the messages of Gospel stories, fables and literary classics can enrich children's lives. The voice behind the prose is someone who loves to read and values storytelling. When Keaton, who is a journalist, scholar, catechist and mother, mentions a book or story, readers will want to pick it right up and read it. Keaton includes both an index and reference lists of age-appropriate stories.  Keaton suggests ways parents and catechists can look for "seeds of Gospel messages" within stories and spark conversations with children about those messages. In one example, Keaton parallels "The Little Engine That Could" to the parable of the good Samaritan. In another, she shares how the Dr. Seuss classic "The Lorax," with its hopeful message of replenishing the forest, helped her son resolve his fears following Sept. 11, 2001. Keaton says that parents who discuss with children the seeds of the Gospel in the Potter books will find more in the series than just the comfort that "at least Johnny's reading a book."

THE INNER ROOM: A JOURNEY INTO LAY MONASTICISM, by Mark Plaiss.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2004). 127 pp.
$9.95.
    In "The Inner Room: A Journey Into Lay Monasticism," Mark Plaiss -- a medical librarian living in Indiana who is married and has two sons -- shares with the reader his vocation to "lay monasticism." Plaiss describes his meaning this way: "The lay monastic dons no habit, wears no distinguishing ornament, lives not in a monastery." While not living in a monastery, the lay monastic manages to live a life faithful to the spirit of monasticism which is a life centered on God, who cannot be separated from neighbor.  "The Inner Room" covers considerable territory, from the author's journey into the Catholic Church to his discovery and adaptation of the monastic life to lay life. It's a fascinating, rich and rewarding book with great potential to nourish faith whether the reader senses a call to lay monasticism or not. Not to be missed.

INSIDE THE VATICAN OF PIUS XII: THE MEMOIR OF AN AMERICAN DIPLOMAT DURING WORLD WAR II, by Harold H. Tittmann Jr., edited by Harold H. Tittmann III.
Doubleday (New York, 2004). 213 pp.
$12.95.
    "Inside the Vatican of Pius XII" is the memoir of Harold H. Tittmann Jr., a professional American diplomat who resided in Vatican City throughout the time that fascist Italy was at war with the United States and the subsequent German occupation of Italy.   In the early days of World War II, the American government realized that the Vatican would be a valuable listening post in the heart of Europe. But President Franklin D. Roosevelt knew Congress would not authorize formal diplomatic ties. So he asked his friend, businessman Myron Taylor, to be his personal representative to Pope Pius XII. The hostile Italian government allowed Taylor to visit neutral Vatican City. Tittmann, as Taylor's representative, used papal diplomatic couriers to send reports to Washington where the Vatican had an apostolic delegation.   From his insider view, Tittmann recalls that the Vatican considered the Soviets a greater menace than the Nazis. The Vatican was upset when the United States allied with the Soviet Union because it had hoped that the United States might bring pressure on the Soviets to abandon the persecution of religions. In contrast, the Vatican looked upon Hitler and the Nazis as an aberration for Germany.   Tittmann observes that the Vatican was aware of the Nazi persecution of Christians and non-Aryans in Germany. At the same time, while officially neutral, the Vatican was also in contact throughout the war with the anti-Nazi resistance in Germany.   And what of reports of Nazi atrocities?   "Pope Pius XII never did speak out while the war was in progress, so there is no evidence from which to judge whether it was the right thing to do or not," Tittmann writes. "If he had spoken out, would there have been fewer victims or more? There can be no formal answer. Personally I cannot help but feel that the Holy Father chose the better way by not speaking out and thereby saved many lives."

IN THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD: THE LIFE, FAITH AND TEACHINGS OF JOSEPH RATZINGER, POPE BENEDICT XVI, by Marco Bardazzi.
Rizzoli (New York, 2005). 138 pp.
$16.95.
New York-based Italian journalist Marco Bardazzi lets his admiration for the pope slide into fawning in his short book, "In the Vineyard of the Lord: The Life, Faith and Teachings of Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI." Bardazzi's exercise in premature hagiography is worsened by a gleeful, almost blithe dismissal and caricature of the cardinal's critics. It is an unnecessary glorification of a man who "will not preside over a pontificate of small plans."

INTO THE WARDROBE: C.S. LEWIS AND THE NARNIA CHRONICLES, by David C. Downing.
Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, 2005). 238 pp.
$19.95
"Into the Wardrobe: C.S. Lewis and the Narnia Chronicles," by David C. Downing, has sections on the spiritual vision of the series, the medieval and classical elements and an especially good segment on the names in the Narnia series and the references and allusions they evoke. It also has a segment on Lewis' life, a timeline and a useful appendix of Narnia terms.

INSTRUMENTS OF CHRIST: REFLECTIONS ON THE PEACE PRAYER OF SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI, by Franciscan Father Albert Haase.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2004). 81 pp.
$7.95.
   St. Francis, his companions and his legacy occupy the mind of any visitor entering Assisi, a medieval town on the side of Italy's Mount Subasio. Recently I took a two-hour train ride from Rome to Assisi to pay homage to the Franciscans and I brought a few books with me to pass the time, looking up to marvel at miles of sunflowers along the way.    "Instruments of Christ: Reflections on the Peace Prayer of Saint Francis of Assisi," by Franciscan Father Albert Haase, theology professor at Quincy University in Illinois, meditates on the famous prayer attributed to the saint. His interpretation of the famous opening line -- "Lord, make me an instrument of your peace" -- shows how there is a deliberate choice to set aside "me" to get to "thee." Peacemaking starts in the recognition and the decision to imitate Christ's self-sacrificial love. This isolation of the ego, says Father Haase, leads to better, healthier relationships.    It also demands the cultivation of humility, and that reminds me of a stained-glass window I saw in Assisi's Basilica of St. Clare: It shows St. Clare bent over a basin washing the feet of St. Francis. (No one could "out-humble" Francis more than Clare, but in her self-abnegation she found God.)    In each chapter Father Haase introduces friends, often from his years as a missionary in mainland China, and each entrusts a lesson to the reader, giving the book the feel of an intimate conversation with and about these people.    I wanted to experience what St. Francis would have seen, so I decided to make the long, uphill hike from the station. A pathway, built in part of bricks inscribed with thousands of names and encouraging words, urged me up to the Basilica of St. Francis where the remains of "the Poverello" (the Poor Little Man) are buried. I knew I was joining millions of pilgrims over the years on that path.

IS THE REFORMATION OVER? AN EVANGELICAL ASSESSMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ROMAN CATHOLICISM, by Mark A. Noll and Carolyn Nystrom.
Baker Academic (Grand Rapids, Mich., 2005). 272 pp.
$24.99.
Reviewed by Brother Jeffrey Gros, FSC Catholic News Service
   As we Catholics and Protestants look back on our story, we often give more attention to the 50 years of the 16th century (1517-1567) which included the Council of Trent and Reformation than to the last half-century (1955-2005) of mending the wounds of that earlier era.    The 1999 signing of the "Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification" by the Holy See and the Lutheran churches was noted by the late Pope John Paul II as a "milestone" in our journey toward full communion. For Catholics and their Orthodox and Protestant ecumenical partners, it is a sign of hope and the answer to fervent prayers. However, to Christians who do not share these commitments to Christian unity -- evangelical Protestants in particular -- this reassessment of Reformation condemnations has sent shock waves through the community.    "Is the Reformation Over? An Evangelical Assessment of Contemporary Roman Catholicism," by noted evangelical historian Mark A. Noll and editor and former pastor Carolyn Nystrom, reviews the variety of evangelical Protestant assessments of ecumenical developments and the Catholic Church's participation in them. It is an important primer on evangelical attitudes and the theology that lies behind them, as well as a blueprint for those who would deepen the bonds of communion with other Christians.    It is a particularly important contribution because it attempts to put the historical differences in perspective and to sort out which are valid theological critiques and which are unreflective, and often unfounded, cultural presuppositions. The authors are critical of evangelical traditions as well as fair to the varieties of Catholic tendencies present in today's church.    They begin with three chapters situating evangelical and Catholic relations in the broader history of U.S. cultural tensions, the theological heritages in Protestant and Catholic traditions, and the rapprochement that has been possible after the Second Vatican Council and with cultural developments in the United States.    They then provide two very useful chapters assessing the ecumenical dialogues in which Catholics are involved and the theological issues in the "Catechism of the Catholic Church" as an evangelical Protestant would read them. The authors then provide a full chapter on the Evangelicals and Catholics Together project. (This selection demonstrates evangelical culture's affinity for celebrities over theologians. Evangelicals and Catholics Together has been headed by the well-known Charles Colson, whereas the decade-earlier Evangelical Roman Catholic Dialogue on Mission, led by theologian John Stott, gets minor analysis.)    The last three chapters assess the variety of evangelical points of view on Catholicism, the specifics of the American context for Catholic-evangelical relations and an overview of the future possibilities for relations.   Noll and Nystrom are gracious, clear and winsome in their descriptions. They are hopeful and realistic in their prognostications. They are, for the most part, accurate in their judgments. However, in their review of the dialogues there are some factual errors. Methodists, Lutherans and Anglicans are committed to the pilgrimage toward full communion with the Catholic Church, and the Anglican dialogue continues, producing the text "Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ" in 2005. Dialogues are based on common biblical, historical and theological research into the uncompromising truth of the Gospel as all Christians are held accountable to it.  Their typologies of evangelical responses to Catholicism -- antagonists, critics, partners and converts -- are particularly helpful in enabling Catholics in avoiding pigeon-holing Protestants who differ on both the ecumenical goal and the assessment of Catholicism. They include a helpful bibliography for further reading.    Their final conclusions about basic differences and fundamental common ground provide both a bracing and hopeful alternative to those indifferent to or despairing of developments together in Christ.

"It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good," by Rick Santorum.
ISI Books (Wilmington, Del., 2005). 449 pp.,
$25.
   Santorum gives us a thick tome that is likely the basis for a presidential bid. He rallies the troops with a constant harangue against "liberals" and "village elders" -- a not-too-subtle riposte to a book by Hillary Rodham Clinton, a possible opponent in the 2008 presidential election.   But candidates for national office must appear to stand above the partisan fray, so Santorum's book describes a number of innovative and apparently successful programs for social reform that he has been able to launch in partnership with some of the Senate's most liberal members.    Candidates also need to be of sound character, and here Santorum is at his best. He projects the image of a conscientious Catholic husband and father who understands and embraces the responsibilities inherent in each role and, yet, who is humble enough to admit he has difficulty balancing those roles with the burdens of the Senate.    Without a political purpose, his book would be much better and briefer. Beneath the incessant scolding one finds a thoughtful and important discussion about the connection between strong families and a safe, healthy, humane society. Santorum also presents a serious argument for subsidiarity, a Catholic principle which says problems should be dealt with at the most proximate level possible.    Late in the book, Santorum touches on the truly ironic: "When it comes to children and the family, there are opportunities to find common ground -- as long as we can find a way to avoid polarization that we too often find ourselves stumbling into," he writes. Regrettably, his book is likely to foster more polarization.    If Santorum's book is marred by being too partisan, Carter's is marred by the fact that he gets some very basic things wrong.    At one point he speaks of the "worship of Mary." (Christians do not worship Mary.) Discussing Terri Schiavo, he says judges refused to "extend her life artificially." (Shiavo had a feeding tube, but was not on artificial life support.) Referencing the Vatican's rejection of liberation theology, he says that this "and other Vatican policies have resulted in a massive shift of Catholics to Protestant congregations." (Statistical data clearly show there's been no massive change.)    Both authors offer eloquent defenses of some basic American tenets, and for that reason alone both books are worth a critical read. And despite their obvious differences there is a final irony: The liberal Carter's Habitat for Humanity program is precisely the kind of program the conservative Santorum endorses.    It's enough to tempt one to wish for a president who embodied the best ideas in both books. Regrettably, at this point we'll have to settle for the books.

J
"Jesus of Nazareth" by Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, translated by Adrian Walker.
Random House/Doubleday (New York, 2007). 374 pp.
$24.95.
Reviewed by Wayne A. Holst Catholic News Service
   Pope Benedict XVI believes that a serious gap has developed between two classic and complementary ways of describing Jesus. His new book, "Jesus of Nazareth," the first he has published since his election as pontiff two years ago, attempts to close that gap and to reclaim what he considers to be a proper understanding of Jesus.    At the outset, the pope makes it clear that this book (one of two he plans to write on the subject) reflects his own opinions which are not necessarily those of the magisterium -- the church's official teaching office. The book is solely "an expression of my personal search 'for the face of the Lord' (Ps 27:8). Everyone is free, then, to contradict me. I would only ask my readers for that initial good will without which there can be no understanding."    "Jesus of history" and "Christ of faith" have long served as parallel terms for describing Jesus, Pope Benedict writes in the foreword. The first affirms his humanity while the second asserts his divinity.    The author feels deeply that too much modern theology (a lot of it well-intentioned) has had the effect of downplaying the supernatural reality of God and the divinity of Jesus.    Over the past 50 years, the historical-critical approach to Scripture studies (while a great gift to biblical scholarship) has weakened our experience of Jesus as the core of our faith.    Much has justifiably been made of the man Jesus as moral teacher, social revolutionary, inspired religious founder, prophet and sage. But this has also blurred our encounter with Jesus as personal lord and savior who reveals God to us -- a conviction that permeates the Gospels.    The scientific approach to the Scriptures was an attempt to make God more accessible and Jesus more amenable to modern Christians and non-Christians alike. But it has also led to a relativization of God and a humanization of Jesus at the expense of their ideal natures.    When the church fails to communicate the powerful "otherness" of God revealed through Jesus, the pope concludes, its highest public service is compromised.   Pope Benedict believes that there can be no true civil society or genuine moral progress apart from a right understanding of God.   For that to occur, the church needs to proclaim to the world a divine vision. Jesus Christ offers this vision. He is "the sign of God for all humans." Jesus is the one to whom all Scripture -- Old and New Testaments alike -- bears witness. We need to reclaim this Jesus as the word of God, revealed to us throughout the Bible.    By writing this book, the pope hopes to foster in his readers "a living relationship with Jesus."    "Jesus of Nazareth" combines pastoral and theological vigor. It demonstrates the author as a man of faith, a refined theologian and a sincere servant of God's people. It reveals this octogenarian as an astute, enthusiastic student of the Scriptures who lives personally with the Bible and continues to exercise his remarkable theological skills.    The book contains 10 spiritual/theological reflections, and deals with themes like the baptism and temptations of Jesus; his message of the "kingdom of God" presented in his Sermon on the Mount; the Lord's Prayer; and his parables. He called his disciples to accompany him and to carry on his mission. The concluding chapters comment on images of Jesus in John's Gospel, the significance of Peter's confession and the meaning of the Transfiguration. In the concluding reflection Jesus reveals his true identity.    The content of each chapter will enrich personal meditation, homily and talk preparation and ordinary conversation. Reading this book is not unlike having its author engage you personally in a college dorm discussion, or other informal exchange. Agreement is not so much his goal as stimulating engagement and debate.    "Jesus of Nazareth" portrays the pope as someone who cares deeply and personally about what we believe.    The author concludes on this reflective note. "In the end, man needs just one thing; but he must first delve beyond his superficial wishes and longings in order to learn to recognize what it is that he truly needs and truly wants. He needs God."    - - -    Holst teaches religion and culture at the University of Calgary, in Canada's Alberta province, and helps facilitate adult spiritual development at St. David's United Church in Calgary.

"John Paul the Great: Maker of the Post-Conciliar Church," edited by William Oddie.
Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2005). 190 pp.,
$19.95
The essays that comprise "John Paul the Great: Maker of the Post-Conciliar Church," edited by William Oddie, were originally presentations made during a one-day conference on his pontificate, organized by the Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture and held in Oxford, England, in October 2001. The book's tenor -- respectful and appreciative with only rare lapses into hagiography -- is appropriate for its purpose, which is to illustrate (as Tracey Rowland contends in an excellent essay) that Pope John Paul was "the authentic interpreter of Vatican II."    Uniformly well-written and cogently argued, the authors analyze Pope John Paul's theology and accomplishments, ranging from his Mariology, theology of the body, social teaching and support of new ecclesial movements. Some essays are descriptive and analytical (of note is Father Aidan Nichols' fine overview of the pope's encyclicals), while others, in their prayerful consideration, can serve as theological meditations. John Saward's "Recognizing the Rose" is less about the pope's large number of canonizations than it is a lucid presentation of the church's theology of sanctity and "the great solidarity of the mystical body, to see the church under the aspect of her sweetest name, the communion of saints."

JOSHUA IN A TROUBLED WORLD, by Father Joseph F. Girzone.
Doubleday (New York, 2005). 196 pp.
$19.95.
   You can leave "Left Behind" behind. Father Joseph F. Girzone has been on a literary roll since 1987, when he wrote the first "Joshua" book. Since then, he's written 15 other books -- not all of them in the "Joshua" series, but all in the same gentle style.    When it comes to the "Joshua" phenomenon, though, Father Girzone has been remarkably consistent with his approach. Joshua is a Jesus-like character -- why, in fact, you might even think that he is Jesus come to Earth again -- who helps people get through awful difficulties with the help of faith, hope and love. Not that there's anything wrong with that, to borrow a phrase. Typical novel readers may desire more conflict in their plots. But as one who reads novels only irregularly -- and, by my count, I've read about half of Father Girzone's books -- "Joshua" and his sequels are more than the tale told.    The latest installment in the series, "Joshua in a Troubled World," delves into darker, murkier waters than I recall reading in the earlier novels. Rather than be an agent of change in someone's interior life, Joshua tries to bring peace to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He's not going to do it by himself, though; he enlists a bouillabaisse of Christians, Jews and Muslims from the United States and the Middle East, each of whom must take at least one giant step in reaching out to others. Joshua could pull it off by himself, but that would eliminate the need for reconciliation among people and among peoples. In fact, he's near-invisible for the better part of two chapters .   Joshua is ably supported in his task by his mother, Miriam, who appears on a few occasions -- seemingly out of nowhere; I hope you're getting the allusion here -- to calm the jittery nerves of would-be peacemakers.    Father Girzone makes real people characters in his novel, which I believe is a first for him. Some of them are Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, the late Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat, and Melkite Father Elias Chacour, founding president of the Mar Elias Educational Institution in Galilee who has been involved in the work of reconciliation for more than 30 years. This adds a touch of poignancy uncommon even in Father Girzone's oeuvre; it would have been even more rewarding to see Arafat live to see peace with justice for his people instead of just read about it, and it makes one hope Sharon and Father Chacour can live to see peace in their day.    There's not a happy ending for everyone in "Joshua in a Troubled World." In fact, you get the feeling that Joshua himself is about to go through something disturbingly similar to Christ's passion. But here, as in the New Testament, one man's Good Friday helps bring about an Easter Sunday of sorts for millions.    There's no sense in waiting for the cheesy movie version to be made. If you want a book with a feel-good message, and one that helps you get through by seeing how others get through, then buy "Joshua in a Troubled World." Don't expect it to make an apparition on your bookshelf.

THE JOURNEY: A GUIDE FOR THE MODERN PILGRIM, by Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda and Michael Scaperlanda.
Loyola Press (Chicago, 2004), 257 pp.
$14.95.
    Someone once said that the difference between air travel and travel by train or car is that by air you merely change locations. In much the same vein, award-winning writer Maria Ruiz Scaperlanda and University of Oklahoma Law School professor Michael Scaperlanda explain that there is a big difference between merely taking a vacation and the ancient and sacred tradition of pilgrimage.     The modern heart and soul can use more pilgrimages and fewer vacations, because pilgrimage does for you what a vacation never can. For a pilgrim is no mere tourist. "Because the tourist and the pilgrim have fundamentally different goals, they will have different approaches to any journey," Maria Scaperlanda writes. "The tourist tries to figure out how to ... fulfill as many desires as possible given the constraints of the situation. ... The pilgrim tries to discover the highest good and to figure out how to form habits conducive to achieving that good. ... Like St. Augustine, the pilgrim knows that the heart will remain restless until it rests in its highest good, which is God."     The Scaperlandas help you learn how to cultivate a pilgrim heart, how to find the right pilgrimage, how to learn from pilgrims in the Bible, how to find good companions on your way, how to link your inner and outer journeys, how to face up to obstacles and much more. "The Journey" is a not-to-be-missed opportunity to rediscover an ancient spiritual practice that deserves to be widely rediscovered.

"Just War?" by Charles Reed with foreword by Jean Bethke Elshtain.
Church Publishing (New York, 2005) 181 pp.
$14
   Finally, those with more scholarly tastes could do much worse than Charles Reed's spectacularly researched "Just War?" As opposed to Fahey's flyover approach, "Just War?" -- as the title suggests -- focuses specifically on just-war theory.    Reed, the international policy adviser to the Church of England, rigorously applies just-war criteria to a blow-by-blow account of the political processes and decision-making that led to the two most recent Iraq wars. In the course of the analysis, Reed wonders whether the response of some British church leaders to the two conflicts (and preceding crises) inadvertently jettisoned their ability to influence British foreign policy.    Although it is brief, academics, policy wonks and armchair theorists alike will find "Just War?" substantial food for thought and discussion.

K
"Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life," by Margaret Kim Peterson.
Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, 2007). 173 pp.
$21.95.
   "Keeping House: The Litany of Everyday Life," by Margaret Kim Peterson is rooted in Scripture, theology, and spiritual and pastoral wisdom as she challenges the reader to reflect on what makes a Christian home. Peterson's gift is pointing out and reclaiming the dignity of everyday household chores. She connects Jesus' teaching on the corporal works of mercy in Chapter 25 of Matthew with cleaning and keeping house as she writes, "But housework is all about feeding and clothing and sheltering people who, in the absence of that daily work, would otherwise be hungry and ill-clad and ill-housed." In an age where designer magazines and television shows glorify the extravagant and opulent exterior and interior of the physical house, the author maintains that a Christian home "involves constructing and maintaining an environment in which people can flourish in ways in which God desires for people to flourish." "Keeping House" proposes many ways we can extend the analogy of meals, home, housekeeping and food with our immediate family and expand it to our global, human society.

KEEPING SPIRITUAL BALANCE AS WE GROW OLDER: MORE THAN 65 CREATIVE WAYS TO USE PURPOSE, PRAYER AND THE POWER OF SPIRIT TO BUILD A MEANINGFUL RETIREMENT, by Molly Srode and Bernie Srode.
Skylight Paths Publishing (Woodstock, Vt., 2005). 199 pp.
$16.99.
   "Keeping Spiritual Balance as We Grow Older: More Than 65 Creative Ways to Use Purpose, Prayer and the Power of Spirit to Build a Meaningful Retirement," by Molly and Bernie Srode, emphasizes each person's spiritual being and connection with God. Molly Srode, author of "Creating a Spiritual Retirement," alternates chapters in this book with husband and co-author Bernie Srode.    Each chapter includes affirmations designed to give the reader a spiritual boost, such as: "I am always aware of the power of my thoughts and words" and "In the midst of adversity, I have faith that a gift is there for me." The affirmations are not unique to seniors, but they complement the chapters which speak directly to the concerns of seniors. Reflections on taking care of unfinished business, signs of aging as sacred signs, and the value of spiritual truth will benefit readers seeking spiritual nourishment.

"Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman's Spiritual Imagination in 'His Dark Materials,'" by Donna Freitas and Jason King.
Jossey-Bass (San Francisco, 2007). 224 pp.
$17.95.
Reviewed by Christopher Fenoglio Catholic News Service
In "Killing the Imposter God: Philip Pullman's Spiritual Imagination in 'His Dark Materials,'" Donna Freitas and Jason King work even harder to find and substantiate redeeming Christian values in Pullman's trilogy. Freitas and King explore Pullman's pantheistic beliefs about God, starting with the Fall of the Authority in "The Subtle Knife." They then turn to ethics, using his interrelated themes of freedom and compassion as proof that his works can be read, and lived, within a liberation theological framework. Indeed, Pullman's God is connected part and parcel to the universe as if the two are lovers, sharing an eros love that becomes a tangible expression of this divine intimacy. Salvation does occur in Pullman's universe, say the authors, not in a singular death like Jesus, but in the relational death of Lyra and Will. A consciousness of the "Dust" that connects all living beings is vital to understanding one's position in the universe. With small acts of love to others (as Lyra, Will and Mary helped others become free, thoughtful, conscious and kind), creation moves toward salvation and the Republic of Heaven is gradually built. Freitas and King use these examples to justify their vision that Pullman's "His Dark Materials" trilogy embodies "a sophisticated theology and so make the atheist Philip Pullman a theologian in spite of himself." Readers will find some justifications stretched to fit the authors' needs, especially when both books proffer different opinions on the divinity and eternal qualities of "Dust." But readers of both books will be challenged by new insights to decide for themselves whether Pullman has written a work of fantasy that espouses his own atheistic agenda or a "religious classic of considerable sophistication." - - - Fenoglio writes regularly about films, faith and family from his home in Nashville, Tenn. His column "Reel Life Journeys" appears monthly in The Tennessee Register, Nashville's diocesan newspaper.

L
"Lady Blackrobes: Missionaries in the Heart of Indian Country,"
by Irene Mahoney, OSU.
Fulcrum Publishing (Golden, Colo., 2006) 329 pp.
$16.95.
   Ursuline Sister Irene Mahoney's "Lady Blackrobes" is a compelling and thoughtful history of the Ursuline missions in Montana which began in 1884. Drawing on letters, diaries and community annals, Sister Mahoney records the difficult conditions that prevailed in the eight mission schools established or staffed by the Ursulines, working closely with the Jesuits.    Extreme physical conditions were only one part of their hardship. They suffered under the impatient and sometimes reckless decisions of their charismatic foundress, Mother Amadeus Dunne, and endured serious power struggles within the community and tension with the international Ursuline union.    The most interesting aspect of this book is Sister Mahoney's exploration of the motivation for the missions. "The goal of mission schools had, from the beginning, been clear and direct: to evangelize the native people through the education of the children." While the missionaries were aware of, and could be angry about, the mistreatment of the Indians by the government and the white settlers' greed for land, they "had an unswerving belief that they possessed the one and essential truth," Sister Mahoney writes. "To save poor ignorant souls from the fiery pit of hell was a powerful motive."    Today's theology of mission is radically different but the reader will still be moved by the witness of "lives of almost unendurable hardship, unswervingly faithful to the only vision available to them."

THE LANGUAGE OF SILENCE: THE CHANGING FACE OF MONASTIC SOLITUDE, by Father Peter-Damian Belisle, OSBCam.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 187 pp.
$16.00.
    "The Language of Silence: The Changing Face of Monastic Solitude," by Father Peter-Damian Belisle, a Camaldolese Benedictine hermit, is a first-rate discussion of the history and practice of solitude in Christian monasticism. It's not just a book for celibates living in monasteries, however. Solitude can -- perhaps even should -- be a part of any healthy adult Christian spirituality and way of life.     This book is part of the "Traditions of Christian Spirituality" series published by Orbis. Father Belisle covers solitary personages in the Old and New Testaments and down through Christian history even through the 20th century.     Finally, he discusses the solidarity of the solitary with all of humankind: "Authentically lived, monastic solitude breaks through human barriers of isolation and speaks a silent word of universal love and solidarity with all life."

THE LAST OF THE CELTS, by Marcus Tanner.
Yale University Press (New Haven, Conn., 2004). 398 pp.
$30.00.
     "The Last of the Celts" is a disturbing title for a book coming out around St. Patrick's Day.      Are the ancient and related Celts -- Irish, Scots, Welsh, Manx, Cornish, Bretons -- and their cousins overseas really doomed to absorption into the larger but less romantic modern world?      A search by author Marcus Tanner, a British journalist, for his Welsh roots inspired this critical and insightful look at the present linguistic and cultural status of the modern Celts whose ancestors challenged the Romans.      He begins with the Connemara Gaeltacht, the Gaelic native-speaking region in western Ireland where Irish Gaelic is the first language in schools and local government. Today, newly prosperous Dubliners and other European Union citizens are buying coastal holiday homes. These new residents have little interest in the old language.     Next is Belfast, where he found "the liveliest Gaeltacht in Ireland." There many who support uniting the North with the rest of the Irish Republic are studying Gaelic. He writes, "The nationalists in the North have discovered that culture is a more effective weapon than guns in the long run. And with little sign as yet of a cultural or political revival on the 'other' side, they appear to be winning."      In Scotland, the author found support by the BBC and educators for the revival of Scottish Gaelic, especially in the Highlands. However, the Scottish Nationalists and Laborites, who control the devolved Parliament in Edinburgh, have little time for the linguistic issue.       Next was the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. The Manx, a people of mixed Celtic and Viking origin, maintained their native language and a lively local culture until the Industrial Revolution, when English in the schools and newly prosperous English tourists transformed the local linguistic scene. Today only Manx enthusiasts keep the old language alive on a life-support machine of special classes and lectures.       The old tongue is alive and well in parts of northern Wales. The rural and mountainous terrain kept the area safe from outside influences. The locals also preserved their culture through the use of Welsh in the Methodist chapels. Today Welsh is taught in the schools as well as English.      However, in southern Wales very little Welsh is spoken. The green valleys of the South, especially around Merthyr Tydfil, were the heart of the British Industrial Revolution. Outsiders flooded in for jobs and English became the lingua franca. Today a few patches of green have returned to Merthyr Tydfil, but the new Welsh Nationalist politicians are not firmly committed to the preservation of the old language.      In Cornwall in the southwest of England, place names -- many recalling Irish and British saints -- echo a Celtic past, but the last native Cornish speaker died in 1777. Today even the old distinctive Cornish dialect of English is fading out and replaced by standard English in the schools.      South, across the channel in France, is the ancient Celtic Duchy of Brittany. The Bretons are kin to the Cornish, but English and French rivalries broke that connection. The Bretons maintained their old language despite French-only pressure from Paris. But today, just as Dubliners buy vacation homes in Ireland's "Celtic Fringe," Parisians are buying second homes in Brittany and the Bretons "have prepared a quiet and dignified departure for 'la derniere langue celtique parlee sur le continent europeen.'"      Leaving the European "Celtic Fringe" the author moves on to America.      In Nova Scotia, 19th century Gaelic-speaking Scottish Highlanders settled after the land clearances. Many Catholics from the Hebrides settled in Cape Breton where they preserved their language and culture into the 20th century. Today Gaelic speaking has declined, but Scottish fiddling, piping and Gaelic singing are very alive.     The journey ends in Patagonia, Argentina, where mid-19th century Welsh immigrants, fleeing English industrialization, set up farming colonies. Argentina encouraged the settlements to bolster their territorial claim to Patagonia and the lands east of the Andes. The Welsh preserved their language and their Methodism in this isolated area into the 20th century. They still maintain ties with Wales through cultural group exchanges.     Visiting a Patagonian Welsh tea shop the author writes, "In the corner ... a tape belted out Welsh hymns. The male voice choir had a pitch and a timbre that instantly identified the singers to me as Welshmen. It was only as I listened more closely that I realized the songs were not being sung in Welsh or English, however, but in Spanish."     The author expresses hope for the survival of Celtic languages and cultures. This hope is supported by this reviewer, whose own Irish grandfather -- illiterate but bilingual in English and Gaelic -- heard stories as a child that predated the time "before the Roman came to Rye or out to Severn strode."

LAY LEADERS IN CATHOLIC HIGHER EDUCATION: AN EMERGING PARADIGM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY, edited by Anthony J. Cernera.
Sacred Heart University Press (Fairfield, Conn., 2005). 172 pp.
$24.95
   In the state of Catholic universities, "Lay Leaders in Catholic Higher Education: An Emerging Paradigm for the 21st Century" gives readers a chance to be a fly on the wall at a recent symposium. Excellent lectures have been edited for print here. Topics include lay presidents at religious-order universities, the need to develop a strong foundation in mission for lay workers, linking the lay vocational call with the church's mission -- a wonderful response from theologian Diana Hayes on the issue of minorities in the church and in higher education shines here -- and ways to cultivate a Catholic identity on campus. (Kevin A. Macklin's well-thought-out essay on this topic could be implemented on every campus.)    While certainly of interest to leaders on Catholic campuses, this book offers much to think about and solid practical guidance for a wider audience as well.

"The Legacy of John Paul II: Images and Memories," by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI.
Ignatius Press (San Francisco, 2005). 114 pp.
$19.95.
The strongest element of "The Legacy of John Paul II: Images and Memories" is the photographs taken by Giancarlo Giuliani of the Italian magazine Famiglia Cristiana. Among the most striking is a two-page photograph of the pope putting on a hard hat that had been presented to him by a Bolivian worker, a fitting gift for a pope who knew, in his own flesh, the costs imposed by manual labor. It includes telling, intimate glimpses of Pope John Paul as a pastor (embracing a child, offering Communion to the faithful), a man of prayer, and as a world leader acting from the certainty of his moral stature and authority.    The book claims Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as its author but he is, in fact, responsible for only 17 of its 114 pages. Four of these are taken up with a reprint of the homily he gave at Pope John Paul's funeral Mass and 13 pages are devoted to a reflective two-part essay (the second half is particularly sensitive to the pope's disability and suffering) written to mark the 10th and 20th anniversaries of his pontificate. This is an unfortunate hint of opportunism for a book that deserves an audience because of its remarkable photographs.

"Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners," by Paul Thigpen.
Servant Books (Cincinnati, 2006). 219 pp.
$14.99
   Craughwell expresses mild frustration at not being able to pinpoint why she changed, but it really doesn't matter, since conversion is the thread that binds his book and Olga had one big-time.    The second book, "Last Words: Final Thoughts of Catholic Saints & Sinners" by Paul Thigpen, cites the last or nearly last words of many famous people, all of whom were baptized in the Catholic faith. Some, like Jackie Gleason, Oscar Wilde and Beethoven, are a surprise. But in every case the words expressed as death approached offer insights into how these people lived and related to God.    The book is imaginatively organized around the last words of Christ, as taken from all four Gospels, especially John's. Brief descriptions of the saints and sinners, along with their quotes, are clustered in 19 chapters around themes such as vocation, detachment, forgiveness, mercy, martyrdom, humor, wisdom and grief.    Each chapter begins with a thoughtful essay about Jesus as his earthly life was winding down. These reflections provide a wonderful context for considering the more than 400 "last words" Thigpen offers. Some people are quoted more than once, and a reader-friendly index notes all of them as well as the author's source material.    The quotations are fascinating. Here is what Niccolo Machiavelli, the Florentine writer whose name is entwined with political expediency and duplicity, said at the end: "I desire to go to hell and not to heaven. In the former I shall enjoy the company of popes, kings and princes, while in the latter are only beggars, monks and apostles." He's in the chapter on pride.

"Lent and Easter: Wisdom From Pope John Paul II," compiled by John V. Kruse.
Liguori (Liguori, Mo., 2005). 116 pp.
$9.95.
   "Lent and Easter: Wisdom From Pope John Paul II," compiled by John Kruse, is a practical book for those who have difficulty finding time to pray regularly. It offers readings for each day from Ash Wednesday to the Second Sunday of Easter. Each reflection includes a passage from one of Pope John Paul's writings or addresses, a related scriptural reading, an appropriate prayer and a suggested practice for the day.
   The daily themes include trust, love, listening, steadfastness, temptation, suffering and hope. Suggested responses range from spending time with someone, to praying during cooking or driving, to writing a letter for the cause of justice. Each reflection is approximately two pages long, so as to be easily fit into a busy schedule.

LET GOD'S LIGHT SHINE FORTH: THE SPIRITUAL VISION OF POPE BENEDICT XVI, edited by Robert Moynihan.
Doubleday/Random House (New York, 2005). 215 pp.
$17.95.
"Let God's Light Shine Forth: The Spiritual Vision of Pope Benedict XVI" is a lovely book that actually serves two purposes. It is a fine introduction to the pope's personal and professional life. And the selection of beautifully written (yet relatively short) excerpts from his writings can be fruitfully used for personal meditation and reflection.
   Robert Moynihan, founder and editor of the monthly magazine Inside the Vatican, has compiled illustrative quotes that reveal the clarity of the pope's thinking and let us glimpse the solidity of his luminous faith.    The selections are grouped into three themes -- his faith, today's world and the Christian pilgrim -- which, taken together, are a lucid expression of the pope's urgency for "a new curiosity about Christianity, a desire to understand what it really is." He says, "The essential is not that Christ announced certain ideas -- something that he in fact did, of course -- but that I become a Christian in the measure to which I believe in this event: God entered the world and acted."    A 75-page essay on "The Man and His Life" draws on the more than 20 interviews that Moynihan conducted with then-Cardinal Ratzinger when he was prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith "where he labored to protect the wonder and beauty of God from being encrusted and hidden under theologies of relativism, atheist Marxism and secularism."    There are, of course, different ways of understanding the controversies of those years, which is why so much of the literature about Cardinal Ratzinger is ideological in tone. Of those many ways of looking at those times, this book gives preference to the new pope's self-understanding; the result is a vivid spiritual portrait of "a simple, humble worker in God's vineyard," a pastor who grieves for a world marked by the absence of God.

LIKE GRAINS OF WHEAT: A SPIRITUALITY OF SOLIDARITY, by Margaret Swedish and Marie Dennis.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 213 pp.
$18.
     The war in Iraq and the global war on terrorism have put Central America's long struggle for justice with peace on the back burner for many North Americans. Two new books from Orbis bring the region back to the forefront. "Like Grains of Wheat: A Spirituality of Solidarity" gives voice to U.S. citizens who traveled to the region and returned changed. "Disturbing the Peace: The Story of Father Roy Bourgeois and the Movement to Close the School of the Americas" is the story of one man's journey to priesthood, ministry and resistance.      In "Like Grains of Wheat" we hear from U.S. solidarity activists and from Central American refugees who found sanctuary among church communities in the North. While written by Margaret Swedish and Marie Dennis, the stories were gathered at a series of retreats organized by the board of the Religious Task Force on Central America and Mexico, so the voices of the storytellers ring true.     The book was prompted by the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, when members of the Central American solidarity movement realized they had something to offer other North Americans in a new era of fear and terror. For the last 30 years the solidarity model has worked on "overcoming prejudice and historical animosities" between the "historically privileged, educated and powerful and the historically marginalized, oppressed and exploited." These activists have learned "to be a healing presence in the world." As a result, more than policies were changed. People changed.      To trace these transformations, the authors organize the stories into eight chapters: from "First Encounters" and "Deepening Relationships," to "Fullness of Life" and "Creating a New History."      One story illuminates many others. Tom Howarth worked on the staff of a U.S. senator from New Jersey. Central America was on his professional radar, but it was not until his parish developed sister-community ties in El Salvador that the struggles of the people became meaningful.      In 1991 he went to El Salvador on a delegation. Shocked and overwhelmed by what he saw, he was receptive to the advice of a Lutheran bishop who told the delegation that Americans should fast, not from food but from "our own preconceptions of how the world works and open ourselves to new and truer realties." Howarth and his family changed their lives because of this fasting.      Americans like Howarth went to Central America and found their lives and faith transformed. As one says, "Before, the Gospel was in black and white, now it is in color."

LOOKING FOR GOD IN HARRY POTTER,
by John Granger. Tyndale
(Carol Stream, Ill., 2004). 193 pp.
$16.99
   "Looking for God in Harry Potter" by John Granger asks on the cover, "Is there Christian meaning hidden in the best-selling books?" His answer is "Yes." Granger is the "Harry Potter Professor" at Barnes and Noble University, a free, online offering of courses and reading groups where he has taught a course on using the series in children's literature classes. He guides readers seeking the spiritual messages in the books and uses Bible passages to back up his notions. Granger sees in the Potter books such Gospel values as the ultimate triumph of love over evil, loyalty, friendship and the good or bad consequences individual choices have on an entire community.
   Granger finds it significant that Potter, like the characters in the "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S. Lewis, uses incantational, not invocational, magic. "Incantational magic is about harmonizing with God's word by imitation," Granger explains. "Invocational magic is about calling in evil spirits for power or advantage -- always a tragic mistake." It is invocational magic that is contrary to Scripture, he says. Thus, concern that the books might lay a foundation for occult practices is "misplaced" because Potter magic is not "demonic."    Potter fans will love the insight Granger has about the Potter symbols and scenarios, especially the chapter on the historical and spiritual significance of alchemy. Throughout the book are highlight-worthy passages.

"The Lord of the Rings" THE POWER OF THE RING: THE SPIRITUAL VISION BEHIND 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS,' by Stratford Caldecott.
The Crossroad Publishing Company (New York, 2005) 160 pp.
$16.95.
A student persuaded J.R.R. Tolkien to publish "The Hobbit," a book he had written for his children. When adults unexpectedly embraced the 1937 book, his publishers called for a sequel. Almost two decades later, Tolkien presented his epic: "The Lord of the Rings." Too large for a single book, it was published as a trilogy and has had a large adult audience ever since. That audience was broadened in recent years by a film trilogy and video strategy games that took Middle-earth into new media.    An online search finds more than 300 book titles commenting on the trilogy and its author. Now two new books look at the spirituality and Catholic influence in Tolkien's works.    "The Power of the Ring: The Spiritual Vision Behind 'The Lord of the Rings'" is a relatively short, but jam-packed, offering from Stratford Caldecott, a Catholic lay scholar and director of the Chesterton Institute for Faith and Culture in Oxford, England.    Caldecott begins with a lesson on Tolkien's history and love for the Catholic faith. Tolkien was raised by a Catholic priest, who was a friend of the family, after his mother died when he was 12.    Tolkien discussed his epic novel in letters written to his son, Christopher, and in companion works about the history of Middle-earth. Caldecott uses these writings to explain Tolkien's spirituality in his own words. Caldecott identifies grace, marriage and a "sacramental universe" as elements in "The Lord of the Rings" that reveal a Catholic influence.    Caldecott's book is not an easy read; it requires concentration and patience. That may not deter "Ring" enthusiasts. But the first page should read: "Heavy references ahead. No novices allowed." This is not a book for a person hoping to gain background knowledge before picking up the trilogy.

"The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece," by Jonathan Harr.
Random House (New York, 2005). 271 pp.
$24.95.
Reviewed by John H. Carroll Catholic News Service
   Pride of place in the National Gallery of Ireland goes to the priceless Baroque painting, "The Taking of Christ," by Italian artist Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. In this intriguing tale an American author, Jonathan Harr, tells how this masterpiece disappeared from a grand Roman palazzo, remained hidden for more than a century and now rests in the Irish capital.    Cardinals, priests, rogues, art historians, aristocrats and even the Irish Republican Army are involved in the story told in "The Lost Painting: The Quest for a Caravaggio Masterpiece."    From the little we know about Caravaggio's life, it appears this creator of magnificent "holy pictures" was in fact a roguish vagabond. He was born in 1571 in the Milan area, probably in the village of Caravaggio. He settled in Rome, where he obtained commissions from the hierarchy to paint expressive Gospel scenes.    However, Harr indicates that the young artist was also active in Rome's corrupt demimonde. In 1606, Pope Paul V exiled Caravaggio from Rome after the artist killed a Roman aristocrat in a duel. In exile the artist continued to paint impressive religious masterpieces, such as the "Beheading of John the Baptist," now in the Cathedral of St. John in Malta. Finally in 1610 Caravaggio died on a Mediterranean beach en route to Rome.    In the following four centuries, one of Caravaggio's greatest paintings was lost, even though for most of the 20th century it was hung in plain sight. Two young Italian art students, Francesca Cappelletti and Laura Testa, discovered that Caravaggio had painted "The Taking of Christ" for Cardinal Girolamo Mattei and his brothers, Ciriaco and Asdrubale, members of the Roman aristocracy.  But the young Italian scholars could not locate the painting in any collection.    Now the focus of the search turns to the British Isles. During the Napoleonic era, the Mattei family fell on hard times and sold some art treasures to a wealthy Scot who installed the paintings in his country home.    A young English Oxford graduate, Capt. Percival Lea-Wilson, an inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, married Marie Monica Ryan of Ireland in 1914. During the 1916 Irish Republican uprising in Dublin, Lea-Wilson abused IRA prisoners. That organization has a long memory. In 1920, unidentified gunmen shot and killed Lea-Wilson.    His distraught widow began to study at Trinity College and became a pediatrician. She bought a painting titled "The Betrayal of Christ" at an estate sale. It was attributed to a Dutch painter, Gerard Honthorst, who painted in the Italian style under the name Gherardo Della Notte. Eventually she donated the painting to the Jesuits of the House of St. Ignatius in Dublin.    Decades later, the Jesuits decided to have their nondescript "The Betrayal of Christ" cleaned at the National Gallery of Ireland. Sergio Benedetti, an Italian-born and -educated art restorer, undertook the task and discovered the missing masterpiece. The Jesuits loaned the painting to the National Gallery for indefinite exhibition and in 1993 an international group gathered in the National Gallery of Ireland to celebrate the discovery and exhibition of the priceless masterpiece, "The Taking of Christ" by Caravaggio.    By a curious coincidence, Cardinal Mattei was "protector of Ireland" in the papal hierarchy. He and members of his circle must have had connections with the likes of such Irish exiles in Rome as Hugh O'Neill, the prince of Ulster, and Archbishop Peter Lombard of Armagh, the primate of Ireland. Some of the Irish may have seen "The Taking of Christ" in the Mattei palazzo long before its disappearance and discovery in Dublin.    Harr is the author of "A Civil Action" and lives in Northampton, Mass., where he has taught writing at Smith College.

"Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life," by Mike Aquilina.
Servant Books (Cincinnati, 2007).127 pp.
$12.95.
   In "Love in the Little Things: Tales of Family Life," author, husband and father Mike Aquilina shares his experience of living his Catholic faith in the providence of his everyday life. In the spirit of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux, Aquilina points to the little revelations he has experienced as a father and husband in which he has noticed the hand of God at work. In one chapter titled "Lego Pain," he muses that "I know my fatherhood is just a dim reflection of the only true fatherhood, which belongs to God." The book offers an insight into the author's faith life but provides little direction for the reader other than the last few pages where he offers four suggestions to bring Christ into the home.

"The Love There That's Sleeping: The Art and Spirituality of George Harrison," by Dale C. Allison Jr.
Continuum (New York, 2006). 176 pp.
$17.95.
   In contrast, Allison's "The Love There That's Sleeping" looks much more closely at the lyrics of individual songs in support of his contention that erstwhile Beatle George Harrison's religiosity "is not only noble but also his most interesting trait."
   Harrison, who grew up a Catholic but experienced numerous conversions throughout his life, was by his death a proponent of a philosophical Hinduism still strongly influenced by his early years as a Christian as well as by various other Eastern religious practices.  Concentrating largely on "the Harrisongs" of his post-Beatles works, Allison susses out religious and philosophical clues everywhere. Taken together, these lyrical clues allow the reader to envision a contemplative of great depth behind the facade of the "quiet Beatle," as Harrison was long known.  Both books will provide a satisfying read to music fans, who will find in their pages a wealth of information about the oft-neglected subject of religiosity and spirituality in the lives of the individual Beatles. Both also include interesting references to other contemporary singers and personalities, including Bob Dylan and Timothy Leary, whose spiritual bent helped push the Beatles in that direction. However, both books will also prove frustrating to those seeking a more in-depth treatment of the various (and often esoteric) religious and spiritual movements which caught the Beatles' fancy, particularly in the 1970s. n order to provide the maximum biographical information, it seems, both Allison and Turner neglect much of the background and underpinnings of the various religious ideas that are introduced throughout each book. While the typical American reader may not need a detailed introduction to Christianity, the same cannot be said about Hinduism, and the casual treatment of this and other religious traditions is a weakness in both books.    There are legions of Beatles fans, of course, for whom John Lennon's notorious boast that "we're bigger than Jesus" is only slightly an exaggeration; for these readers and other devoted musical enthusiasts, both "The Love There That's Sleeping" and "The Gospel According to the Beatles" offer insightful new information about the lives of these four enormously influential Liverpudlians whose wide-ranging forays into alternative spiritualities were in many ways representative of an entire generation.

"Luck & the Irish: A Brief History of Change, 1970-2000" by R. F. Foster.
Oxford University Press (New York, 2008) 240 pp.
$30.
Reviewed by John H. Carroll Catholic News Service
This new study on the emergence of the "Celtic Tiger" should be read by Irish-Americans with an interest in the "Ould Sod." Roy Foster, a history professor at Hertford College at Oxford University, brings readers up-to-date on the momentous and sudden changes that have transformed Ireland from a somewhat removed and underdeveloped region on the fringes of Europe to one of the most prosperous nations in the European Union. Today the Irish are enjoying prosperity at home and Europeans from other parts of the continent and even Americans are immigrating to Ireland. The U.S. descendants of the impoverished Irish immigrants are entitled to an answer to this question, "What happened?" The author indicates in his introduction that Irish government administrations in the latter part of the 20th century, despite political differences, instituted changes in education that produced a generation of young people prepared for the computer age. Also, the rural republic in the south was not encumbered by a depressed and antiquated industrial base like Northern Ireland. The various Dublin administrations attracted foreign business enterprises with tax breaks and other incentives. Suddenly there was more to do in Dublin than work for the government or brew stout in the Guinness Brewery. Dublin in its own right became a busy and forward-looking administrative and financial center. Agricultural modernization developed as control of old family farms and the use of antiquated techniques were replaced by a forward-looking younger generation. The respective Irish government administrations favored change and innovation. However, the author is very critical of the Fianna Fail party leader and Prime Minister "Charley" Haughey and his corrupt wheeling and dealing. Fortunately for Haughey and his associates, he died before formal charges were ever brought against him and members of his government for corruption and embezzlement. Other administrations have been relatively free of corruption as prosperity became the norm. Foster presents an enlightening chapter on "'Big, Mad Children': The South and the North." He indicates that the problem is an old one rooted in a sad history of sectarian rivalries between Presbyterians, Anglicans and Catholics and a struggle for political domination between Unionists, Nationalists and Republicans. Since 1969 British, Irish and American leaders have struggled to find a solution to the problem. Today matters have definitely improved. The author notes that on one past occasion a minor British Foreign Office official told the Irish foreign minister that the republic had no reason to interfere in Northern Ireland. However, relations between London and Dublin are better today than they've ever been. Even the old Orange firebrand, the Rev. Ian Paisley, recently called outgoing Prime Minister Bertie Ahern in Dublin to ask assistance in stopping the shipment of fighting dogs to Northern Ireland. Ahern offered to help stop the shipments. Rev. Paisley thanked him and added that we all live on the same island. That comment some years ago might have helped save lives. Readers will find "Luck & the Irish" presents an enlightening insight into the new Ireland ("Eire Nua"), a bit apart from the "Bord Failte" old Ireland approach.

M
"Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter," by Susan K. Rowland.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2007).130 pp.
$10.95.
   Early on in Susan K. Rowland's book, "Make Room for God: Clearing Out the Clutter," she points to a fact that almost every person living in our society can affirm: Our culture places some unfair demands on us. The external demands of career, family, social commitments and children pull against each other, ruining our interior tranquillity and peace. While we are trying to keep up with these demands, the author asks some poignant questions for today's believer: "Do these demands coincide with what our faith tells us?" "Are they interfering with the fulfillment of the promise of our faith?"  Rowland does a wonderful job of tying the clutter of our lives to our spiritual life and offers practical steps to give priority to what really matters in our lives. She weaves various quotes from Scripture and spiritual writers with her life experience and then artfully gets a hold on the root of the problem that causes the stress or "clutter" in one's life. Each short chapter concludes with selected reflection questions and practical activities that the reader will not find burdensome.

THE MISSIONS OF CALIFORNIA
photos by Melba Levick and text by Stanley Young. Chronicle Books (San Francisco, 2004). 144 pp.
$19.95.
Reviewed by Maureen E. Daly
     "The Missions of California" is a picture book of an American pilgrimage route. The photos by Melba Levick capture the Spanish colonial art and architecture in a 500-mile journey through towns near the coast. The text by Stanley Young provides some historical context for the 21 missions presented here, from San Diego in the South to Solano in the North. Experienced visitors will find this book a comprehensive album of memories. Would-be travelers will find in it useful information for planning a trip.  Daly, book review editor for Catholic News Service, has visited Santiago de Compostela, Jerusalem and many of the California missions.

"The Monk Upstairs," by Tim Farrington.
HarperOne (San Francisco, 2007). 264 pp.
$23.95
Reviewed by Peggy Weber Catholic News Service
     The only problem with reading "The Monk Upstairs" is that the readers will wish they had already read "The Monk Downstairs" first. It's a bit like beginning the Harry Potter series with the second book. The book holds its own; however, knowledge of previous events would enhance the reading experience.      Of course, there also is the worry that a sequel might be disappointing. That is certainly not the case with Tim Farrington's delightful, insightful and beautiful book about faith, love and relationships.      The book begins with the marriage of Rebecca Martin and Michael Christopher. She is a divorced woman with a 7-year-old daughter, Mary Martha. He is a former monk who has spent the past two decades in a monastery.     In "The Monk Downstairs," Mike left that world to flip burgers at a McDonald's and eventually fell in love with Rebecca. This latest book follows the couple as they embark on married life.      Of course, they have to get married first and the groom is not at the altar. Instead, he is praying in a hermitage at his former monastery. Clearly, this isn't a run-of-the-mill love story. Yet, it is a beautiful love story that shows so many profound and deep relationships. There is married love. There is the love among the three generations of women, Rebecca, Mary Martha and Rebecca's mother. There is even the love between Rebecca and her ex-husband.      What makes this novel different and especially compelling is the great love for God that is so apparent, especially in the character of Mike.      For example, when Mike writes about teaching Mary Martha's first Communion class he notes: "The classes themselves are a hoot. What do you say to a 6- or 7-year-old about the meaning of the Eucharist? ... With this first Communion they are beginning a lifetime diet of a love so deep that, God willing, they will be strong enough to just keep walking into it when they realize that the torn and broken body, streaming with blood nailed to that splintered wood on all of those fearful icons, really is their own as well, that love really does go through that death, and the Word through that suffering flesh, in order to be made real in this terrible world."      The language of this book is the best part. It is an ordinary story of love found, love struggling and some love lost. The action takes place in an apartment, on a soccer field, in a soup kitchen and a hotel in Hawaii where the couple honeymoons.
     The action is limited. It is a quiet ride in a canoe down a river. One wonders what is around the bend. It is not a trip through churning rapids with thrills and waterfalls.
     The reader is left, at the end of this book, with a great deal of satisfaction. One can't help but get involved in the seemingly ordinary lives of these flawed but wonderful people.     One is left awaiting the next book to see what happens with the monk and his friends and loved ones.

N
NEW SPANISH-LANGUAGE BIBLE FOR YOUTHS
By Jerry Filteau Catholic News Service
CHICAGO (CNS) -- Leaders and supporters of Instituto Fe y Vida celebrated the publication of a Spanish-language Bible for youths in the Americas June 17.
   At a breakfast held in conjunction with the U.S. bishops' mid-June meeting in Chicago, they spoke about the recent launch of La Biblia Catolica Para Jovenes (The Catholic Bible for Youth) and honored some of the U.S. bishops and other leaders who helped make it possible.    Before La Biblia was first introduced at a Los Angeles archdiocesan religious education congress this February, there was no version of the Bible in Spanish aimed specifically at adolescents and young adults, said the Instituto Fe y Vida (Institute for Faith and Life).    Fe y Vida, based in Stockton, Calif., coordinated the project and pulled together the funding for it, including a major grant from the Knights of Columbus.    Carmen M. Cervantes, Fe y Vida's executive director and creator of its leadership formation program for Hispanic Catholics, was director and general editor of La Biblia and put together an interdisciplinary team of more than 40 people from 12 countries to develop the commentaries sprinkled throughout the text.    Jose Maria Matty, assistant development director at Fe y Vida, called the publication of La Biblia "a major event for the Catholic Church."   "Spanish-speaking young people in the United States and Latin America constitute by far the largest single language block of young Catholics in the world," he said.    The new publication "is expected to have a profound and lasting impact in helping young Hispanics to know the word of God, pray with it and live it from their hearts," he added.    La Biblia was modeled after the Catholic Youth Bible but has its own distinctive character, with its commentaries, illustrations and other features written specifically for Hispanic youths.    The 1,756-page paperback book features more than 850 commentaries, 250 illustrations, brief introductions to each book of the Bible and guides to using the Bible for prayer and reflection. It also includes explanations of Catholic beliefs, practices and symbols in a biblical context, biblical maps and time charts, thematic indexes and a 44-page lexicon of biblical and religious terms.  Several U.S. bishops played a role in the project. Cardinal Francis E. George of Chicago served as chairman of the development committee. Bishop Carlos A. Sevilla of Yakima, Wash., is chairman of Fe y Vida's board. Bishop Stephen E. Blaire of Stockton oversaw a doctrinal review of the commentaries and granted the imprimatur, or ecclesiastical approval for their publication, while the actual Scripture texts and exegetical notes have the approval of three Latin American bishops' conferences. La Biblia was published by Editorial Verbo Divino, a leading religious publisher in Spain. It is being distributed in the United States by St. Mary's Press in Winona, Minn. St. Mary's Press, a publishing house of the Christian Brothers, is the publisher of the Catholic Youth Bible, which has sold more than 770,000 copies. It gave Fe y Vida free rights to use that text as a model for La Biblia Catolica Para Jovenes.

"Next to Godliness: Finding the Sacred in Housekeeping," edited by Alice Peck.
Skylight Paths Publishing (Woodstock, Vt., 2007).193 pp.
$19.99.
   "Next to Godliness: Finding the Sacred in Housekeeping," edited by Alice Peck, offers an assortment of anecdotes, reflections, quotes and personal reflections concerning the tasks involved in housekeeping. Drawing from an eclectic array of authors, poets and spiritual and religious figures, the stories and insights bring light into an often mundane subject matter. Her hope in compiling this collection of literary passages where "religion and housekeeping connect" is that the insights from many different traditions and cultures will resonate with the reader.  Whether it's a comment by Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta on showing hospitality by silently picking up a broom with a big smile and cleaning another's room, a story of a soldier calling home to hear his wife dealing with an out-of-control family dog in contrast with his own dreadful daily tasks of cleaning or a poem by Allen Ginsberg, the reader will find enough to provoke thought or a smile and to bring the realization that some things, like the chores involved in housekeeping, are indeed universal.

NO GREATER GLORY: THE FOUR IMMORTAL CHAPLAINS AND THE SINKING OF THE DORCHESTER IN WORLD WAR II, by Dan Kurzman.
Random House (New York, 2004). 250 pp.
$24.95
Reviewed by Maureen E. Daly
     "No Greater Glory" is the story of four World War II U.S. Army chaplains who died together when their troop ship sank in the freezing North Atlantic. The Dorchester, a U.S. Army troop ship, was carrying 900 men to Greenland from Nova Scotia when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat near midnight on Feb. 3, 1943. More than 600 men died that night -- some from wounds but most from drowning or freezing in the cold, rough seas. Many of the survivors witnessed the calm bravery of the four chaplains -- Catholic, Methodist, Dutch Reformed and Jewish -- who helped others to safety and were last seen standing together and praying as the ship went down. The four men came to symbolize interfaith understanding, selflessness and heroism. They were commemorated on a postage stamp issued shortly after their deaths, while the war was still going on. It read: "These immortal chaplains: Interfaith in action." Dan Kurzman, former foreign correspondent for The Washington Post, interviewed dozens of witnesses who saw what happened that night as well as friends and families of the four chaplains. He brings alive the truly admirable qualities of these four men. All four were educated and gifted; they had spent years preparing for their professions and then years in ministry, with little financial reward. They had bunked together only a short time, but the character that showed when they were in crisis was the result of a lifetime of preparation. The four immortal chaplains were a Methodist minister, the Rev. George Lansing Fox, 41, from Gilman, Vt.; Rabbi Alexander Goode, 31, of York, Pa.; a Dutch Reformed minister, the Rev. Clark Poling, 32, from Schenectady N.Y.; and a Catholic priest, Father John Washington, 33, of Kearney, N.J. The rabbi and the two ministers were all happily married with children. Father Washington, a gifted musician, was close to his recently widowed mother. He was one of three sons she lost in the war. She never recovered from her grief over his death.  The book also includes photos of the four chaplains and survivors, the U.S. and German ships, the postage stamp and church stained-glass windows memorializing the men. Most striking is a photo of a reconciliation ceremony between German and American veterans who survived that night. The now elderly survivors were brought together in 2000 by the Immortal Chaplains Foundation, a fitting end to an inspiring story.  Daly is book review editor for Catholic News Service.
O
101 SECRETS A GOOD DAD KNOWS, by Walter Browder and Sue Ellin Browder.
Rutledge Hill Press (Nashville, Tenn., 2004). 239 pp.
$14.99
     In "101 Secrets a Good Dad Knows," Walter and Sue Ellin Browder try hard to demonstrate the kind of
skills fathers can pass on to their children -- they are skills that take quality time to learn and teach. But the book is poorly sequenced; I'd much rather learn how to pick up a cat (secret No. 23) before learning how to give a cat its medicine (No. 16).  What's more, I'd be eager to find out just how many of these 101 secrets any dad (or child) knows. My father was a good man and a good dad. Yet after reading this book, I counted only 25 of these skills -- 26, maybe -- that I learned from him and can now pass on to my little one. And I turned out reasonably OK. (You can stop chortling now.) And there are a few secrets I'd still like to know. Maybe a companion volume -- say, "101 Secrets a Good Mom Knows" -- would tell me how to fold a fitted sheet.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD: THE HISTORY OF PRAYER IN AMERICA, by James P. Moore Jr.
Doubleday (New York, 2004). 528 pp.
$29.95.
Reviewed by Patrick J. Hayes Catholic News Service
   "One Nation Under God" is an elegantly written survey of prayer in America that captures the spiritual imagination from the very first page. James P. Moore Jr., a professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, begins with the death of his father and his resulting quest for solace in the nation's prayer practices. These practices are as diverse as they are plentiful. There are prayers -- in connection with the land, music, preaching, literature, sports, politics -- for nearly every occasion and taste. Subtitled "The History of Prayer in America," this soul-stirring book is one of the few recent histories of its kind and it promises to hold pride of place in writing on American culture. Moore shows how prayer connects to the momentous events of U.S. history, such as the encounter of two cultures with the arrival of Columbus, the Revolution, the early days of the government, the Civil War, the Depression, the world wars and beyond. He looks at nearly every presidency to determine the impact prayer had on policy and policymakers. For instance, just as President George W. Bush recently called upon the nation to engage in a day of fasting and prayer for the victims of Hurricane Katrina, numerous other presidents have asked for God's aid on the country's behalf. Moore sifts many of the presidential papers to find instances where they invoked God's assistance in carrying out the duties of office or beseeched God to bless the nation. The real strength of the work lies in the personalities that Moore says have contributed to a national ethos of prayer. Here we find Mother Elizabeth Seton and Babe Ruth (among the few Catholic references), Gen. George Patton and Harriet Tubman, T.S. Eliot and J. P. Morgan, Benjamin Franklin and Mary Pickford, Thelonius Monk and Reinhold Niebuhr. It is not impossible, but one must search harder in Moore's text to see all of the Jewish and Muslim, Buddhist and Hindu champions of prayer. One wonders, also, about the prayers of the common person in time of peace. What were the Irish or Chinese immigrants praying as they drove the railroad spikes? How did people bury their dead or marry? What kind of common theology has arisen from so much popular hymnody or catechesis on prayer or its ritual enactment?   We do find in Moore's catalog some of the most touching prayers ever written. For me, none struck a more moving chord than a prayer now enshrined by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. It was found by the liberators of Ravensbruck concentration camp on a scrap of paper near the body of a dead child: "O Lord, remember not only the men and women of good will, but also those of ill will. But do not only remember all the suffering they have inflicted on us. Remember the fruits we brought, thanks to this suffering: our comradeship, our loyalty, our humility, our courage, our generosity, the greatness of heart which has come out of all this; and when they come to judgment, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness." Moore leaves the future of prayer in the capable hands of today's youth who, he says, send their prayers as genuinely and devoutly as those of America's forebears. While reading Moore's book, I found myself listening more for prayer within our culture and especially in the lives of the students I teach. It is there in great numbers -- sometimes silent but always active -- adapting and reinventing its forms as the times demand.

ORESTES A. BROWNSON: AMERICAN RELIGIOUS WEATHERVANE, by Patrick W. Carey. Eerdmans Publishing (Grand Rapids, Mich., 2004). 428 pp
$28.00.
    "Orestes A. Brownson: American Religious Weathervane," by Patrick W. Carey, also covers the second half of the 19th century in this portrait of American Catholics' most prominent lay spokesman and most vocal supporter of Italian unity. A former Unitarian minister, Brownson converted to Catholicism in 1844. As an essayist, lecturer and editor Brownson touched on almost every significant political and religious issue of his day, including the sacrifice of the pope's temporal power.
   Brownson was the consummate man of ideas. Carey, who teaches theology at Marquette, has written in this biography an intellectual history of remarkable accomplishment. Because Brownson's activities were so varied and the range of his thought so seemingly scattered, it is especially helpful to have Carey's expert familiarity present some of the major themes of his life. Brownson's intense reading of European philosophers began in his youth, but so did an abiding appreciation for the Bible. Ultimately, both the reasonability of faith and the particular historical and philosophical basis for faith led him to Catholicism. Carey places Brownson in his wider context. He was the Catholic apologist against the vitriol of the Know-Nothings, the U.S. constitutional scholar who interpreted how Catholics could embrace a separation of church and state, and a controversialist who advocated for papal infallibility. hese are the issues that so exercised thoughtful people more than a century ago. Carey's book brings them back into our own day. After the recent elections we might do well to revisit them.

OSCAR ROMERO: THE VIOLENCE OF LOVE, compiled and translated by Jesuit Father James R. Brockman.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 214 pp.
$15.00
Reviewed by Brian T. Olszewski
     "The Violence of Love" is a reminder of how well Archbishop Romero embraced and lived the faith, proclaimed it, and why he died for it. He put so much material for reflection into so few words. For example: "Money is good, but selfish persons have made it bad and sinful. Power is good, but abuse by humans has made it something to fear."  This collection was compiled and translated by Jesuit Father James Brockman and each page offers multiple doses of inspiration, be it for prayer or homilies. Readers should be aware that more than two and a half decades after they were spoken or written Archbishop Romero's words have the capacity to touch their souls. More often than not, the touch might be a piercing that prods readers to improve the manner in which they live their faith.

Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis," by Jimmy Carter.
Simon & Schuster (New York, 2005). 212 pp.
$25.
   The titles of new books by Jimmy Carter and Rick Santorum suggest they have much in common. But Santorum's "It Takes a Family: Conservatism and the Common Good" and Carter's "Our Endangered Values: America's Moral Crisis" offer a study in contrasts, beginning with the authors themselves. Carter is the fading star, a Democratic former U.S. president. Santorum is the rising star, a Republican U.S. senator from Pennsylvania with apparent presidential aspirations.    Consider, too, the focus of their books. Carter's concern is with the global implications of America's moral perspective. Santorum is concerned with the domestic implications of our moral outlook -- what happens in families and neighborhoods. To know about the plight of unwed mothers and their children in the United States, see Santorum's book. To know about Pakistani children as young as 8 whom we have imprisoned in the war on terrorism, check out Carter's. Both want to speak to audiences broader than their ordinary consistencies, so both begin with transcendent biographical notes. The Democrat is an active Christian Bible study leader and former military officer and businessman. The Republican references his humble roots and his start in politics representing the interests of the poor. Comparisons and contrasts aside, what's left?
P
PETER MAURIN: APOSTLE TO THE WORLD, by Dorothy Day, with Francis J.
Sicius. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 187 pp.
$20.
    "Peter Maurin: Apostle to the World" is Dorothy Day's biography of her mentor, now published by Orbis Books decades after Day wrote it.  The Catholic Worker movement came into being through the providential 1932 meeting between Day and Maurin. Maurin was, quite literally, an answer to her prayer for help in finding a way to reconcile her compassion for the poor, her radical political instincts and the staunchly anti-communist Catholic Church she had joined at such a personal cost. Day wrote that Maurin "made you feel a sense of his mission as soon as you met him and he aroused in you a sense of your own capacities for work (and) for accomplishment." Day, in 2000 named a "Servant of God," the first step in the canonization process, always insisted that it was Maurin ("holier than anyone we ever knew") who was a "saint of his day." In 1947, at a time when Maurin's health was deteriorating, Day set out to write a full portrait of a man commonly characterized as eccentric and to flesh out the ideas behind his aphoristic "Easy Essays." (A number of these are reprinted in this book.) Francis J. Sicius, a professor of history at St. Thomas University, has edited Day's previously unpublished manuscript and provides a well-researched, solid explanation of the personal and philosophical influences of Maurin's early life. Sicius is particularly helpful in explaining how Day appropriated Maurin's Christian personalism, mystical body theology and Catholic social teaching in the service of her own interest in "urban charity, labor and nonviolence." Maurin's plan included the formation of laity for their own apostolate, urban houses of hospitality, and the practice of the works of mercy "at a personal sacrifice," features associated with the Catholic Worker. Less well-known was his emphasis on the Green Revolution, "farming communes for the cure of unemployment" and the Catholic European thinkers that informed his synthesis of "cult, culture, and cultivation." Much of this synthesis was the product of his life experience. Maurin, born in 1877, was raised in a large family in the strongly communal peasant society of southern France. He "reached young adulthood at the time in France when Enlightenment sensibilities were clashing with Catholic tradition over the best way to ameliorate the social convolutions of the 19th century." The man Day met had the happiness of someone who "has found his vocation in life and has set out on the way and is sure of himself."  But Maurin's early and middle years were marked by seeming failure. At 14 he joined the Christian Brothers but left without taking final vows; later, he was active in the radical Catholic social movement Le Sillon, and eventually became disillusioned with its direction.    In 1909 he left France to homestead in Canada and spent two lonely years in the severe wilderness of Saskatchewan. That effort was followed by 14 years living "the life of a penniless vagabound who worked for little more than sustenance" as an itinerant in Canada and the United States. Day writes, "He began to understand the humiliations of the very poor and by seeking them voluntarily he found peace and rest in them." Day had a palpable respect for Maurin's integrity, meekness and humility. She is not totally successful in showing him as "human, sympathetic, and warm," and hers is, by far, the more vivid and attractive personality in these pages. But Day has accomplished the more difficult task of writing an eloquent meditation on poverty, the distinctive characteristic of the Catholic Worker "school for charity."     One cannot think about Peter Maurin without encountering this total poverty and it is through this, even more than his ideas and incessant lectures, that he taught what it meant to embrace the eternal in the midst of a worldly apostolate. He had no income, no superfluous possessions, turned the other cheek, accepted mockery over his frequently disheveled appearance, "ate what was put before him," and neither smoked nor drank.     The one treasure Maurin had was his acute mind, but his final years were marked by the great sadness and terrible stripping -- through atherosclerosis, a form of arteriosclerosis -- of even this gift. "His mind is tired," Day sadly reports. "He cannot think. ... He no longer talks, no longer teaches." Peter Maurin died May 15, 1949, attended to and remembered by a community that continues to take seriously the demands of personal responsibility he lived with such fidelity. The measure with which Dorothy Day measured Peter Maurin is the same by which we honor her. "He has reached the poorest and the most destitute by living always among them, sharing their poverty, and sharing what he has with them. And this expression of love is rarer than one thinks." Day has served her teacher well. Anyone who is grateful for her luminous Catholic life has reason to be grateful to him as well.

PILGRIMAGE TO THE END OF THE WORLD: THE ROAD TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA
by Conrad Rudolph. University of Chicago Press (Chicago, 2004). 131 pp.
$13.00.
   For centuries, pilgrims who could not journey to the Holy Land made the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela instead. "Pilgrimage to the End of the World" by Conrad Rudolph joins the many Santiago guidebooks in time for the holy year celebrations held whenever the feast of St. James, July 25, falls on a Sunday, as it does this year.
Rudolph walked the 1,000 miles from Le Puy in south-central France to Santiago in northwest Spain in about 10 weeks. His book provides information about the history, art and architecture of the journey as well as a chapter on practical considerations such as what to pack for this long hike that includes crossing the Pyrenees. Rudolph is a professor of medieval art at the University of California-Riverside, so he feels real passion for the art and history of the route. But he is a steadfast unbeliever, so for him the journey is a cultural -- not a spiritual --experience. As a Christian I found his lack of faith in God puzzling and a little sad. It seemed pointlessly exhausting that he maintained his unbelief while completing such an arduous journey in the company of so many believers.

THE PIUS WAR: RESPONSES TO THE CRITICS OF PIUS XII, edited by Joseph Bottum and David Dalin.
Lexington Books (Lanham, Md., 2004). 282 pp.
$29.95.
   "The Pius War," is an important step in this joint mission of Jews and Catholics. The book contains 11 essays answering charges made against Pope Pius XII in the recent string of anti-Pius books. That string began with the now-infamous screed of John Cornwell, "Hitler's Pope" (Viking, 1999). These essays are reactive works, an antidote to the polemical poison of Cornwell and his followers. The reading public owes the editors of "The Pius War" a debt of gratitude for having brought together these pieces, previously available only in journals. Notable among them are the essays by the editors themselves, one Jewish and one Catholic, and reflective pieces by Robert Louis Wilken, Ronald J. Rychlak, Justus George Lawler, John Jay Hughes, John S. Conway and Michael Novak. What should make this book a permanent part of any library of 20th-century history is the annotated bibliography of works on Pope Pius and World War II. The Pope Pius controversy has become a field of study virtually in itself. In the annotated bibliography, William Doino Jr. comments on all the works cited in the essays. The bibliography takes up well over half the book and, indeed, could have been a book in itself. Though I did not always agree with Doino's judgments (for example, I would have given much higher marks to the thoughtful and balanced work of University of Toronto scholar Michael Marrus), the breadth and depth of the work included here will make this a valuable resource for many years to come.

THE PLACE WE CALL HOME: SPIRITUAL PILGRIMAGE AS A PATH TO GOD, by Father Murray Bodo, OFM.
Paraclete Press (Brewster, Mass., 2004),116 pp.
$14.95.
    Franciscan Father Murray Bodo's book on the spiritual practice of pilgrimage is based on his more than 25 years of making and leading pilgrimages. He outlines the aspects of a pilgrimage spirituality, then describes journeys to cities such as Rome and Assisi and their sites: St. Peter's Basilica, the tomb of Blessed John XXIII, the Dormitory of St. Clare and the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. Father Bodo's book is an enjoyable, easy-to-read literary pilgrimage. In a particularly touching and lively reflection, "Mary, the Pilgrim," Father Bodo shares thoughts while contemplating a 14th-century painting of the Annunciation at Porziuncola, the chapel restored by St. Francis. "Out of what anonymity and littleness is she being called! This young girl, all of 14 years old. Who is she that an angel should visit her, descend to Nazareth, a remote city of the Roman Empire, and say to her that the Lord is with her? How astonishing and terrifying that greeting must sound in her ears, her soul!"  "The Place We Call Home" is delightful, inspirational and slim to boot. It's a book you'll be happy you read.

"Playing With God: Religion and Modern Sport," by William J. Baker.
Harvard University Press (Cambridge, Mass., 2007). 311 pp.
$29.95.
   "Religion and sport especially are joined, at the altar of commercial interest," Baker writes in "Playing With God: Religion and Modern Sport." "As sports promoters seek publicity and lively attendance at their events, and as churches seek wholesome activities and a podium for their message, their marriage seems made in heaven." While evangelical churches in recent years introduced "Faith Nights" at minor league baseball games -- "featuring various combinations of gospel pop music, handouts of Bibles and bobble-head biblical figures, colorful Veggie Tales cartoon characters, and inspirational testimonies from local sports heroes" -- clearly this is but one of the more recent manifestations of how religion and sports often go hand in hand. What do most Americans think of when they hear "Notre Dame"? And why is basketball nothing short of huge on the campuses of more than a few Catholic universities? Author Baker takes the reader on a fascinating and informative trek through the history of the intimacy between religion and sports in America, and he even includes a chapter on Athletes for Allah. "The long arc of modern sport's interaction with religion can best be viewed as a dance," Baker concludes, "in which the terms of engagement have changed over time." But never has the dance been anything but popular.

"Pluriverse: New and Selected Poems" by Father Ernesto Cardenal. New Directions Books (New York, 2009).
249 pp.
$17.95.
Another priest-poet, Nicaraguan Father Ernesto Cardenal, also serves in many cases as a storyteller in the newly published collection titled "Pluriverse." Father Cardenal may be known best outside Latin America for joining his nation's Sandinista government, becoming Nicaragua's minister of culture in 1980 and incurring papal censure; he broke from the Sandinistas in 1994. What is not so well-known to many in the North, perhaps, is that he remained active as a poet throughout this time. The editor of "Pluriverse," Jonathan Cohen, calls Father Cardenal "Nicaragua's pre-eminent poet after Ruben Dario." The poems collected in "Pluriverse" span six decades of writing. Unlike the poems of "God Drops and Loses Things," those in "Pluriverse" often are fairly lengthy explorations and recollections. When Father Cardenal focuses upon Nicaragua as a land and a people, the detailed pictures he paints express passionate devotion. Not at all surprising, in some poems Father Cardenal reveals with great clarity his conviction that the human and spiritual reality of Nicaragua often has been ignored by outsiders who, acting on behalf of corporate and national interests of their own, manipulated and harmed his nation. If there are significant differences between the styles of writing and kinds of storytelling found in "Pluriverse" and "God Drops and Loses Things," there are similarities too. Each writer is in search of God -- the type of search found among those whose surety of faith is accompanied by continual questions about where God can be found at this moment and how God acts in human lives. In "The Wolf Will Wait," Father McDonnell senses that God is following behind him in a woods, quietly: "I turn to see. Nothing. I know Yahweh's back there, scent and traces on the forest floor, a broken cedar branch, a crushed leaf. I can know a little -- but not enough." In a similar vein, Father McDonnell coins this wise saying in "From Abraham's Book of Proverbs": "Perhaps you can endure a God who gives commands, but can you live with a God who says nothing?" Another thought-provoking proverb advises, "If you climb God's mountain of glowing coals, expect the soles of your feet to burn." God decidedly is present for Father Cardenal in "Pluriverse," yet often difficult to sense. It appears the poet has experienced his own dark nights of the soul, though his faith that God remains always alongside him is not dampened. In "Telescope in the Dark Night," Father Cardenal tells of an occasion when he was changing planes in the Denver airport. Though he was "apparently alone amid the hubbub of passengers," in fact he and God were "sitting together." In the same poem Father Cardenal says to God: "You're closer to me than I am. Which is why you seem so distant." Talking with God, the poet says, "You leave and come back ..., then once again you leave." But, continuing that conversation, the writer adds, "The infinite and I, been together for quite some time, and on intimate terms, isn't that so?" I would characterize "God Drops and Loses Things" and "Pluriverse" as poetry of the Incarnation. These priest-poets are anchored firmly in the world of God's creation, where the journey of faith proceeds for many in an atmosphere of great hope and faith, but of struggles and perplexities too.

POLITICAL FORGIVENESS: LESSONS FROM SOUTH AFRICA, by Russell Daye. Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2004). 210 pp.
$16.50.
     "Forgiveness in International Politics" is the product of seven years of discussions on forgiveness among scholars, religious leaders, government officials, diplomats and people working in conflict resolution. Thus it is more than a book. It is an invitation to join the discussion and the work. It is a tool for teachers, professionals in nongovernmental organizations, students of international politics and others who want to continue and contribute to the discussion, delving more deeply into how to apply this radical model to conflicts. In keeping with the spirit of invitation, the authors synthesize some of the lessons learned from their work, like: "Memory matters, especially in ethnic and other clashes of group identity," and "One can forgive but also seek to punish for the sake of society." But, the authors warn, this collection of two dozen or so lessons does not amount to a set of hard and fast rules of conflict resolution. They note, "Our conclusions are tentative and our study is only beginning, but we are persuaded that forgiveness is real, it can be inspired and encouraged, and it has a genuine role in conflict resolution." The book closes with a list of organizations, so that readers can contact those who are "inspiring and encouraging" this work.  Writing of South Africa, the authors highlight retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu's development of a third way between Nuremberg and national amnesia -- prosecuting or forgetting -- as a way to lay the groundwork for true reconciliation and the construction of a new society.  Russell Daye, in his "Political Forgiveness: Lessons from South Africa," digs much more deeply into this process with a detailed exploration of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa, which granted amnesty to the perpetrators of violence on both sides who participated in public truth-telling about their actions. While Daye celebrates the innovation and courage of this experiment, he is forthcoming about its limitations and failures. His book is a must read for anyone seeking to apply the model of political forgiveness to conflict. These books inspire and challenge; the work between their covers is an example of the best of the church's work in the world -- measured and radical, grounded and experimental, material and spiritual.

THE PONTIFF IN WINTER: TRIUMPH AND CONFLICT IN THE REIGN OF JOHN PAUL II, by John Cornwell.
Doubleday (New York, 2004). 336 pp.
$24.95.
    Reading "The Pontiff in Winter: Triumph and Conflict in the Reign of John Paul II" by John Cornwell (the author of the best seller, "Hitler's Pope") is like watching someone knock down an old man and give him a few kicks for good measure. The observer is horrified but fascinated. "The Pontiff in Winter" is mean-spirited, sloppily edited, repetitive -- and highly readable. The book begins with a quick biographical sketch of the pope's childhood and adulthood leading up to his elevation to the papacy. Then in loose chronological order, Cornwell lays out the various social questions and political situations Pope John Paul II has dealt with (or refused to deal with): communism, religious oppression, pluralism, materialism, women as priests, sexuality, ecumenism, to name a few. In every case, Cornwell finds Pope John Paul's response either wrong-headed or callously dismissive. However, the relentless negativity numbs the reader to the moments where Cornwell's outrage is appropriately incisive.   For example, on the pope's opposition to the use of condoms, even in the face of the rapid spread of AIDS in Africa, Cornwell's comments have a Swiftean anger and power. In other places, Cornwell seems to fault the pope for not adopting his agenda -- that of a liberal Western Catholic -- when Pope John Paul has made it clear that the liberal Western agenda is not his.  Cornwell seems particularly irked that the pope has not resigned as his health declines. He seems oblivious to the fact that no pope in modern history has resigned and that the idea of retirement to this pope is abhorrent, no matter how ill he becomes.     The editing of "The Pontiff in Winter" is so sloppy that it makes plain the haste in which the book was rushed to publication. For example, Cornwell's reaction to the revelation of the "third secret of Fatima" is brought up once and then, strangely, restated a hundred pages later in almost the same wording. The short chapters dealing with various problems read like short articles written for other publications and hastily shoved into book form.    Nonetheless, this reader must admit that reading "The Pontiff in Winter" was a guilty pleasure, much like watching the TV series "Survivor" and eating late at night -- it feels right at that moment, but not the next morning.   After "Hitler's Pope" -- Cornwell's book on Pope Pius XII and the Nazis -- it seems a wonder anyone at the Vatican would let Cornwell sit at a major ceremony no more than 10 feet from the pope, musing on how ill and feeble he looks, knowing those musings would show up in print.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: A BIOGRAPHY OF JOSEPH RATZINGER, by John L.
Allen Jr. Continuum (New York, 2000 and 2005). 340 pp.
$19.95.
On April 19, 2005, when Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI, he referred to himself as "a simple and humble worker in the Lord's vineyard," a self-description at odds with the public image of the former prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.    As a young man (he was 35 when the Second Vatican Council opened in 1962) then-Father Ratzinger was part of an influential and some would say liberal group of theological advisers to Cologne Cardinal Joseph Frings. Later, as a cardinal and Curia official, he would take what many saw as much different positions on issues like collegiality, the role of national bishops' conferences, liturgical change and church discipline.    He has been more consistent than many people realize. As early as 1965, he expressed "trepidation that the council's overly optimistic embrace of 'the world' left it somewhat blind to the reality of sin." An awareness of the reality of sin and the necessity to maintain the church's supernatural teachings was the coherent center of his work at the doctrinal congregation.    John Allen's "Pope Benedict XVI: A Biography of Joseph Ratzinger" (originally published in 2000 and re-released in 2005) explores the intellectual influences and career of the pope. Allen, the Vatican correspondent for National Catholic Reporter, is a "child of Vatican II" whose Catholic formation and practice was of a church "faithful but evolving, open to dissent, engaged with society." Rather than treat the cardinal as the stereotypical opponent of that church, Allen has written a judicious biography of the future pope.    While offering glimpses of a man blessed with abundant intellectual and personal gifts, the book's focus is on Cardinal Ratzinger, a "decided Augustinian," as a church leader. In striking ways he recapitulates Augustine's experience of early speculative theological work "interrupted by his nomination as a bishop, and for the rest of his career his thought was formed on an ad hoc basis by the practical need to fight various heresies."  Allen examines Cardinal Ratzinger's actions, logic and motivations in the congregation's investigation of liberation theology, the relationship between the magisterium and theologians, and between Rome and local bishops, religious pluralism and ecumenism, social issues (homosexuality, women) and changes in liturgical language and practice. In most cases Allen's sympathies are with those who are being investigated, but he presents Cardinal Ratzinger's theological stance in a way that respects the cogency and logic of his arguments.

POPE BENEDICT XVI: A PERSONAL PORTRAIT, by Heinz-Joachim Fischer.
Crossroad (New York, 2005). 213 pp.
$19.95
   In "Pope Benedict XVI: A Personal Portrait," Heinz-Joachim Fischer, a theologically trained German journalist, writes about the pope from the perspective of 30 years of professional (he is a Vatican journalist for a daily newspaper) and personal conversation and observation. In his distinctive digressive and ruminative style, Fischer offers an important European perspective on a man ("both resolute and personally modest") he admires and likes.    Fischer has experienced Cardinal Ratzinger's ability "to kindle enthusiasm, to win assent, to provoke objections and contrary arguments. ... If I can say that I have sometimes glimpsed the unbending harshness ... it was in his allergy against all the folly that is spread abroad in the church and the world."    Fischer is particularly good at understanding the legacy of Cardinal Ratzinger's Bavarian Catholic childhood, which engendered a love for the beauty of orthodoxy. This, Fischer believes, "is the basis on which his whole life is built, and a gift that others did not receive. It has given him a wholly natural devotedness to the church, which his critics probably cannot genuinely feel."   This is a fine work that, unfortunately, feels padded. It concludes with five appendices (11 pages on "The Roman Popes and the Benedicts" and 12 on the cardinal-electors of 2005), reprinted homilies and the recapitulation of the now-standard story of the conclave.

"Pope John Paul II: A Life in Pictures," text by Henri Tincq, edited by Yann-Brice Dherbier and Pierre-Henri Verlhac.
Power House Books (New York, 2005). 256 pp.
$45
"Pope John Paul II: A Life in Pictures" is a stunning collection that gains cohesion from an incisive introductory essay by French religion writer Henri Tincq. The photographs begin with Karol Wojtyla's childhood, adolescence and young adulthood, images that convey his early personal suffering and the harshness of the war years, but also happier portraits of the student, actor, young teacher and outdoor enthusiast.    The pope, Tincq reminds us, "is above all a priest, that is, a shepherd of souls" and so it is not surprising that, although Pope John Paul labored on a vastly larger stage, he retained his "unending respect" for St. John Vianney. A good way to view these photographs is to see them as a visual representation of Karol Wojtyla's pastoral heart. International travels were one expression of his shepherd's zeal and the photographs of enthusiastic crowds greeting the pope offer undeniable testimony to the true universality of the Catholic Church.

Psychic's new book details his devotion to praying the rosary
By Tricia Hempel Catholic News Service
CINCINNATI (CNS) -- For John Edward to say his latest book is "really a departure from anything I would ever write" is an understatement.
The psychic and self-proclaimed medium stunned some of his devotees when "Practical Praying: Using the Rosary to Enhance Your Life" (Hay House, $17.95) was published in April. But the slim volume, which includes an audio CD of meditation on the rosary voiced by Irish actress Roma Downey, is finding an audience with Catholics and non-Catholics alike.    "This isn't something I wanted to do," Edward told The Catholic Telegraph, newspaper of the Cincinnati Archdiocese.    The lifelong, Irish-Italian Catholic has remained devoted to praying the rosary daily, which seems quite a departure from his sometimes criticized four-year television show, "Crossing Over," and his previous books, "One Last Time," "After Life," "Crossing Over" and "What If God Were the Sun." The show and the books all deal with Edward's high-profile work of allegedly communicating with the dead.    Edward, who lives in Long Island, N.Y., said he was cautious about discussing religion during the run of his television show, no longer on the air. While he was always clear that he came from a faith-filled frame of reference, he said he never wanted to give people the impression that "they had to be Catholic and pray the rosary to connect to the other side."    The idea for writing a book on the rosary, his favorite prayer, was one that had lingered in the back of his mind, but it took his editor suggesting the idea for Edward to overcome his doubts about the wisdom of such a project.    "It was a very difficult thing to do -- it was very personal," he explained. "I didn't want to share; it was like the last thing I wanted to share. But I think it had to happen so I could maybe reignite a lot of people to prayer."    He paraphrases the American Express slogan when he says that his rosary is like that credit card: He never leaves home without it.    "It's my favorite weapon of spiritual defense," Edward said. His favorite rosary beads are those his mother prayed with when she was dying.   When his mother was dying, the teenage Edward prayed constantly for a cure.    "But instead, I received divine assistance in another way; she had a better passing," he recalled. "My mother did a phenomenal job raising me," he added, describing the religious questions she answered for him and her own devotion to prayer and faith.    Edward tells the story of "a good friend of mine, a priest, who was in a discussion group with people who didn't know he knew me and were critical of my work as a medium. My friend turned to them and said, 'Tell me someone who got the rosary in the mainstream press more than him.'"    At the time, "Crossing Over" was airing in some markets as much as four to six times a day, and "I often mentioned that I pray the rosary before each show," Edward said.    Asked if Catholics write to him expressing concern about his foray into psychic phenomena, he replied, "Not in the way you're asking."    "I've had an unbelievable amount of support from people who are very religious," he said.    He feels "absolutely welcome in church." He and his wife are raising their 1-year-old son, Justin, as a Catholic. Justin's birth, he said, "opened up a section of my heart I didn't know existed."    "Practical Praying" is divided into three sections; the first includes Edward's thoughts about writing the book and his own personal approach to prayer, as well as the history of the rosary in the Catholic Church.   The second section discusses the power of prayer through the rosary. The last section is the audio CD, which the author says is "one of my favorite parts of the book. It's unbelievably beautiful."

PRAYERS FOR ANIMALS, by Carol J. Adams
Continuum Press (New York, 2004). 136 pp.
$14.95
"Prayers for Animals," by Carol J. Adams, helps readers view and experience prayer as an act of solidarity with the animals, our partners in God's creation. "Through prayer, we are one with all God's creatures," says Adams. The author, who has a theological degree from Yale and teaching experience at the Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, composes prayers related to morning and evening, friendships with animals, mourning and grief at the time of "creature loss," as well as petitions and intercessions on their behalf.    Using these prayers, Adams encourages readers to view life through nonhuman sensitivities, to encounter reality in new ways, and to let animals guide us in the worship of God and in experiencing the mystery of creation. The survival of animals is closely related to the survival of humanity itself. We need to enhance animal rights, extending our concepts of justice to all living creatures, Adams writes.

PRAYERS TO AN EVOLUTIONARY GOD, by William Cleary.
Skylight Paths Publishing (Woodstock, Vt., 2004). 182 pp.
$21.99.
     "Prayers to an Evolutionary God" assumes the reader is familiar with the insights of "The Universe Story" by cosmologist Brian Swimme and Passionist Father Thomas Berry (HarperSanFrancisco, 1992) and Father O'Murchu's 2002 book, "Evolutionary Faith" (Orbis Books). That quibble notwithstanding, the book introduces an important next step in the process of moving from dialogue to acts of worship.   "Science and the Trinity" integrates the worlds of science and theology. "Prayers to an Evolutionary God" leads in doxology -- the singing of praise to God as in the "Gloria." Those whose faith seeks understanding will benefit from reading both books.

PREPARING YOUR FAITH FOR COLLEGE: LANDING SAFELY, GROWING WITH GOD, by Eden and Katherine Ford.
Liguori Publications (Liguori, Mo., 2004). 96 pp.
$7.95
   Students making the transition into college often feel alienated and alone. It is a primary time for the faith with which they grew up to be tested. "Preparing Your Faith for College: Landing Safely, Growing With God," by Eden and Katherine Ford, is a book that is sure to resonate with their experience of campus life.
   This great little pamphlet-like book uses the metaphor of preparing for a parachute jump (and I can think of no better comparison to those anxious first days of college than hurtling towards the ground at great speed). The Fords make lots of recommendations to ensure a challenging, faith-filled experience on campus and to enrich a soothing and healthy prayer life. They remind the reader that "God desires our surrender to God's love completely. Like a parachute jump we must free fall. We need to allow surrender into our lives."
   The book contains solid reflection questions for journaling and developing an inner experience of God. This simple, easy-to-read primer on faith is a good addition to any college freshman's knapsack.

"Presence-Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Students Into Spiritual Formation," by Mike King.
InterVarsity Press (Downers Grove, Ill., 2006). 192 pp.
$15.
   After all the analyses and hypotheses, King in "Presence-Centered Youth Ministry: Guiding Students Into Spiritual Formation" seeks to answer a central question -- how to reach this younger generation needing institutional support. Though the job of youth ministers is challenging, this book's easy-to-read format offers suggestions and solutions for them that are both theoretical and pragmatic. The book is written from a Protestant perspective, but some of its proposals can be applied to all Christian denominations. Outlining some of the problems with evangelical youth ministry and Christian formation -- succession, lack of tradition and the separation of youth ministry from the rest of the church -- King offers a sort of youth-minister pep talk: Youth ministers too often depend "on our training, gifts and abilities to accomplish the results we want to see in our ministries and the lives of the youth we work with. In presence-centered youth ministry, we trust the Holy Spirit." The book also criticizes the desire for instant gratification -- or, as the book calls it, "the McDonaldization of Christianity" -- leading some youth ministers to offer only "hurried discipleship." Finding Jesus is the "journey of a lifetime," King writes, and when youth ministers "expect immediate results of faith development among our youth, we hijack a process that's unpredictable." In the end, all three books complement each other well as a package, although each can stand on its own. In different ways, all of the books address what influences this next generation of potential churchgoers -- the teens and young adults who could be our pastors, nuns, teachers and lay leaders and who will carry on the message of the church for generations to come.

"The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World," by John O'Sullivan.
Regnery (Washington, 2006) 360 pp.
$27.95.
Walking into a bookstore these days can turn a person into a skeptic rather quickly. The never-ending aisles of fad self-help books, tawdry tell-alls and political jeremiads -- back covers packed with gushing praise -- all make it clear that separating wheat from chaff when it comes to reading has grown decidedly more difficult of late.  That is why it is a relief to see that books are still being written by people who have some level of expertise in their fields. John O'Sullivan's "The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister: Three Who Changed the World" and Robert Royal's "The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West" are two examples.    O'Sullivan's volume is a dense historical narrative, a play-by-play of the interactions of three seminal characters in the story of the defeat of Soviet communism -- U.S. President Ronald Reagan, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and the Polish-born Pope John Paul II. Ample anecdotes and the writer's zeal for the personalities behind sweeping historical developments keep the enterprise from sinking beneath the weight of detail.    Indeed, O'Sullivan's work is particularly timely for at least two reasons. First, because the recent publication of excerpts from the diaries Reagan kept as president has prompted an overdue reappraisal of the man and his time in office, and second, because the collapse of Soviet communism is so often taken for granted these days. Indeed, in the time of Islamist terrorism, it is hard to imagine the former Soviet Union being public enemy No. 1.    But it was not a foregone conclusion that Soviet communism would be on the losing side of history. And that is what makes O'Sullivan's study so enlivening -- it reminds us that history is lived without knowing what happens next.    O'Sullivan concludes, "In all three cases -- Reagan, Thatcher and John Paul -- it is a spiritual element that best explains them and their achievements. All three, in subtly different ways, taught and embodied the virtue of hope."    Royal's history -- like that of O'Sullivan -- is fundamentally a story of great individuals, epochal figures such as Socrates, Plato, Virgil, Augustine, Aquinas, Dante, Descartes, Rousseau and the like.

"The God That Did Not Fail: How Religion Built and Sustains the West," by Robert Royal.
Encounter Books (New York, 2006) 311 pp.
$25.95.
Reviewed by Brent Kallmer Catholic News Service
This approach proves more problematic in "The God That Did Not Fail," however. Royal's discussion of individuals -- of Virgil, for instance -- is fascinating, and his ability to place thinkers within contemporary currents of thought and politics is remarkable. On the other hand, so much historical detail and tangential discussion will likely leave many readers at sea with regard to Royal's main thesis.
   What is this thesis? It is an assertion that religion is inseparable from the development of what we know as Western civilization.    Understandably, Royal's volume is more academic in tone than "The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister." And while the author does his best to keep the narrative flowing, at times "The God That Did Not Fail" frankly feels more like an extended academic lecture than a book.    Yet for those readers not intimidated by the historical heft of the volume, Royal offers something truly unique -- an original take on the religiosity of the civilizations that gave birth to our own. Ancient Greeks and Romans come alive not just as philosophers or politicians, but as believers whose religious commitments condition their actions in every sphere. In this, Royal insists on letting ancient civilizations speak for themselves, and is ever vigilant against buying into uncritical narratives that survive solely on the basis of repetition. The volume concludes with a penetrating analysis of the contemporary period.    In any case, "The President, the Pope and the Prime Minister" and "The God That Did Not Fail" will not disappoint those looking for something more substantial than the standard summer reading fare, perhaps better suited for the coffee shop than the beach.

PRISONER OF THE VATICAN: THE POPE'S SECRET PLOT TO CAPTURE ROME FROM THE NEW ITALIAN STATE, by David I. Kertzer.
Houghton Mifflin (Boston and New York, 2004). 357 pp
$26.00.
    "Prisoner of the Vatican" is an old -- and apt -- description of the plight of the five popes who refused to leave the confines of the Vatican between 1870 and 1929. It is also the title of David I. Kertzer's book about this period, its popes and the early years of the modern Italian state.     Subtitled "The Pope's Secret Plot to Capture Rome From the New Italian State," it begins with the occupation of the Papal States by newly formed Italy in 1870 and ends with the formation of the Vatican City State in 1929.     In August 1884, planning for the worst, Pope Leo XIII developed a strategy for the continuation of the Roman Curia's work in the event he was taken hostage by Italian nationalists. The church had to continue to function, even if he could not.     Leo's predecessor, Pope Pius IX, was arguably the last pope-king. He had hoped in vain for a resolution to the occupation of the Papal States in 1870. That political and military maneuver served to unify Italy, yet split European allegiances, fomented anti-clerical sentiment, and confined the Holy Father to the Vatican. Pio Nono, as he was known, left the Vatican on a funeral bier. In his 26-year reign as pope, Leo never set foot outside Rome.     Kertzer, a professor of Italian history at Brown University, has captured the essence of the struggle by tapping into the personalities and intrigue among Europe's diplomatic envoys in Rome. He brings a wealth of documentary evidence to this study, much of it appearing in English for the first time. His chapters unfold as if reading a novel.     Kertzer examines the power politics of these tense years when Catholic governments like France and Austria promised the pope their sympathies, but simply watched as Italy confiscated papal territories. The world's Catholics also felt for their pope. As Cambridge historian Owen Chadwick has remarked, "In raising affections of the Catholic Church for the pope and the Curia, it looks as though the loss of the temporal power by Italian piracy was of more advantage than anything the bishops did at the (First) Vatican Council."     Italians did not always relish their unity and knew they were seen as aggressors against a popular pope who was, nevertheless, perfectly able to continue his spiritual ministry. King Victor Emmanuel, an uncomfortable Savoyard who became the Italian monarch, begrudgingly took up residence in the pope's traditional summer palace and despised what he surveyed: "I can't look out the window of the Quirinal without seeing the Vatican, and it seems to me that Pius IX and I are both prisoners. ... Over there a prisoner who is free, here a free man who is a prisoner."
Q
R
RAISING COURAGEOUS KIDS: EIGHT STEPS TO PRACTICAL HEROISM, by Charles A. Smith.
Sorin Books (Notre Dame, Ind., 2004). 252 pp.
$14.95
     Anyone who says parenting is easy must not be one. To borrow a slogan: Parenting is the toughest job you'll ever love.      Second toughest is reading books about parenting. The three books reviewed here have much to offer, but advice writers tread close to the line that separates giving helpful hints from being condescending -- or even worse, making readers seem like bad parents because they don't already know their tricks of the trade.     Raising courageous kids is a noble goal. Charles A. Smith's "Raising Courageous Kids: Eight Steps to Practical Heroism" is filled with stories of young people doing heroic deeds. As I read it, I wished I had it in ninth grade religion class to counter my teacher's assertion that children were not capable of doing great things.      The courageous kids' stories come courtesy of the Carnegie Hero Commission, which figures quite prominently in this book. But heroism isn't just for kids, who need to learn by example. "Martin Luther King Jr., Cesar Chavez and Mother Teresa achieved greatness because they did not allow fear to determine their course of action," Smith writes.    At another point he notes: "Morality cannot flourish when fear of reprisal enforced moral rules. If children remain locked into an external locus of control, then borrowed values are weak and short-lived. If we want our influence to endure, we have to let our children make choices. If we deprive them of opportunities to make moral choices, we rob them of independently won integrity."
     Smith lists these eight steps in the path to becoming courageous: from power to willpower; from community to caring; from danger to vigilance; from fear to composure; from self to empathy; from morality to integrity; from justice to honor; and from responsibility to valor.

RECOGNIZING RELIGION IN A SECULAR SOCIETY: ESSAYS IN PLURALISM, RELIGION AND PUBLIC POLICY, edited by Douglas Farrow.
McGill-Queen's University Press (Montreal, 2004). 201 pages
$19.95
   "Recognizing Religion in a Secular Society" grew out of a 2004 conference at McGill that drew participants from around the world. Subtitled "Essays in Pluralism, Religion and Public Policy," it contains essays from various perspectives: Islam, by Prince El Hassan Bin Talal of Jordan; Judaism by David Novak, a philosopher at the University of Toronto; Catholicism by Jean Bethke Elshtain, an ethics professor from the University of Chicago; a judicial and secular perspective by Beverly McLachlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada; and several that could be classified loosely as Christian humanist.    The starting point for these essays is an alarm at how aggressive secularism is pushing religion out of the public square. Some, such as Prince El Hassan, point out the positive contributions of religion to the public good. Others, such as Ian Benson, a lawyer and head of the Centre for Cultural Renewal in Ottawa, argue that secularism is not simply a natural and benign movement but is itself a creed for those who are enemies of any form of religion.    In his own essay, Farrow traces the problem back to the early days of the Enlightenment and Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), whose work "The Social Contract" proposed that any religion that claims to know the truth must be rooted out of society. In its place, he offered a sort of civil religion with patriotic devotion at its core and the head of the state as the arbiter of truth. Hence human beings replace God as the source of all moral authority.    There is little optimism in these essays, and much to inspire anxiety over the place of anyone who wants to promote public policy out of their faith convictions.   Yet both books demonstrate the lasting power of faith as a motivator for reshaping society. At the same time, they also show how the relationship between church and state has evolved so differently in two countries that are such close neighbors.

THE REFORMATION: A HISTORY, by Diarmaid MacCulloch.
Viking Penguin (New York, 2004). 792 pp.
$34.95.
      "The Reformation: A History," by Diarmaid MacCulloch, is a first step toward a general reappraisal of the events, theology and personalities of that period of our Christian pilgrimage. MacCulloch's book illuminates this most dramatic and tragic moment in the human journey; it may also stimulate other equally serious reconciling scholarship.    Lutherans and Catholics resolved the issue that began the tragic Reformation era nearly 500 years ago when they officially signed the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification in 1999. It was Martin Luther's concerns about the doctrine of "justification by faith" that started the Protestant Reformation in 1517.      It is time for Catholics and Protestants to look with fresh eyes at this familiar epoch in Christian history. MacCulloch's history is a start.      MacCulloch, a professor of church history at Oxford University, is a theologically well-informed and sympathetic skeptic. His sometimes irreverent, always critical, view of all parties, movements and ideas provides a distance that makes the realities of these sad histories come alive in new ways.      He attempts to keep an objective point of view overall.    He begins by describing the variety of intellectual and reform movements of the 1400s, the century before the Reformation, and he takes the story with some depth through to the 1700s. He shows the reader the diversity of religious forces that shaped the Catholic reform in the Council of Trent (1545 to 1563) and those religious movements which gradually became what we now call Protestant and Anglican churches.      He makes clear that at first the various theological and reform movements within the church were very fluid; only later did institutional divisions emerge.    The original issues around indulgences, good works and grace, which gave rise to Luther's concern in 1517, were mostly resolved in the Council of Trent, but by then the divisions were irreconcilable.      Through most of the century before Trent it was not clear which, if any, of the reforming forces would bring renewal to the papacy and the Roman Curia. However, by the time Trent convened, the Spanish model of church and the renewal force of the Jesuits finally emerged to give form to early modern Catholicism.    In some ways, there is more discontinuity between 14th-century Catholicism and Trent than we experienced after the Second Vatican Council. In areas like liturgy, biblical renewal and educational reform, Vatican II is continuing a process begun at Trent. In the areas of collegiality, the episcopacy and the role of the laity, the Second Vatican Council developed church teaching in ways that were politically and ecclesiastically impossible in the 16th century.      The author helpfully includes the full range of Protestant movements, like Anabaptists, Unitarians and other marginal groups who made the issues even more complex. Likewise, he includes the full range of European national and cultural contexts, such as movements in Eastern and Southern Europe that are often neglected in both Catholic and Protestant accounts.
     Of the 17 chapters, he devotes four to patterns of life, charting the evolution of views of time, death, life, discipline, love, sex and marriage during this period. While his perspective is a bit anachronistic and polemical, especially in the field of sexuality, it shows the common cultural and theological elements among the reformers of both Catholic and Reformation leadership of the period. It also delineates significant differences, for example on marriage and divorce, which have shaped subsequent church life.    The theological texture of the volume and the historical detail are a testimony to MacCulloch's learning, whether one agrees or disagrees with him. This book begins to explain how a relatively common, diversified culture was fractured into the tragic divisions which are only beginning to be healed in the modern ecumenical movement.

"The Restless Heart: Finding Our Spiritual Home in Times of Loneliness," by Ronald Rolheiser, OMI.
Doubleday (New York, 2006). 193 pp.
$11.95
   "The Restless Heart" was first written 20 years ago and re-edited by its author, Father Ronald Rolheiser of the Oblates of Immaculate Mary, for this 2006 paperback edition. Father Rolheiser is also the author of the well-known "The Holy Longing."
   "The Restless Heart" is not so much a spiritual guide as an examination of loneliness in both the modern and Christian worlds. As Father Rolheiser points out, one of the ironies of our increased means of communication by phone, e-mail and fax is the fact that most of us feel even lonelier than those who live without these devices.    The author examines the contributions the Old and New Testaments, the church fathers and modern theologians have made to the subject of loneliness. He addresses the chilling fact that human life is lonely fundamentally because we cannot know full communion with the only source of complete fulfillment -- God -- as long as we live in this temporal world.    But Father Rolheiser also points out that while we wait for ultimate connection, life in community and in human intimacy offers genuine, if incomplete, satisfaction to our restless souls. Of these three short books, "The Restless Heart" deserves a wide readership from those who want to tackle some of the sterner issues of Christian living. 

"The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist"
by Matt Baglio. Doubleday (New York, 2009).
245 pp
$24.95
Reviewed by Nancy L. Roberts Catholic News Service
In modern life, the concept of evil personified in Satan and his minions may seem a superstitious anachronism. After all, we now have a sophisticated grasp of the neurological and psychological causes of epilepsy, schizophrenia, dissociative identity disorder and the like -- all conditions whose treatment, in earlier times, often consisted of casting out the devils within. Yet the church maintains that demons are not just metaphorical, but can, if rarely, actually inhabit the physical bodies of human beings, and to this day practices a rite of exorcism to dispel them. And while it may take months or even years of exorcisms to "liberate" a person from a demonic presence, the church's solemn ritual of exorcism can be a formidable weapon against such evil. These are key ideas in Matt Baglio's book, "The Rite: The Making of a Modern Exorcist." In it he recounts the experiences of Father Gary Thomas, a likable California pastor, who answered his bishop's call to take a course in Rome about demonic possession and took part in more than 80 exorcisms along with veteran Italian exorcists. Baglio, a reporter who has written for The Associated Press and the International Herald Tribune and lives in Rome, met Father Thomas there in the fall of 2005. The two developed a warm friendship that led to the priest's full cooperation with the reporter as he progressed through his apprenticeship as an exorcist. The article Baglio had originally planned to write grew into a book that delves not only into eyewitness accounts of Father Thomas' journey as he learned to cast out demons, but also the history of exorcism's rites and rituals, portraits of those said to be possessed by demons, and a discussion of the role of angels, devils, satanic cults and curses. Many people think that exorcists see demons everywhere, but as Baglio writes in a fascinating chapter, the opposite is much more likely. The church's guidelines urge prudence and emphasize the importance of "discernment of spirits," which is considered to be a gift of the Holy Spirit. The church further "gives three signs that indicate the possible presence of a demon: abnormal strength, the ability to speak or understand a previously unknown language, and the knowledge of hidden things," Baglio continues. Because many mental illnesses could be mistakenly interpreted as evidence of possession, it is typical, Baglio reports, "that an exorcist will have a team of individuals (a psychiatrist, psychologist and perhaps a neurologist) that he trusts to help him with discernment." Baglio has good storytelling instincts and avoids sensationalizing his topic. Still, his description of dramatic changes in a possessed person's vocal intonation during one of Father Thomas' "apprentice" exorcisms is chilling: "As Father Carmine continued with the prayers, a low guttural growl began to emanate from Sister Janica. Father Gary studied her, trying to determine its source. ... It sounded like the noise a dog makes when it's getting ready to bite someone. From his reading he did know that it was possible for a demon to attack an exorcist during the ritual. ... He had no idea what he would do if something violent like that occurred."  Father Thomas is shown here in all of his initial skepticism that eventually gave way to a deeper understanding of the nature of evil. Indeed, his experiences led him to a profound change in his approach to his calling, because they "expos(ed) him to a level of human suffering that he never knew existed." At the same time, he emerged with a great sense of hope, because he found that the exorcism ritual truly worked: "Even though evil existed in the world, there was a way to defeat it." In the end, "The Rite" won't quell all skepticism about this subject; consider that physicians still use a specialized term, "demonomania," to describe a mental illness in which the patient has a delusion of being possessed by evil spirits. But overall the book illuminates one of the world's most long-standing and mysterious phenomena. Interestingly, writing the book occasioned a profound change in the author, who credits the experience with turning him from being a "cultural" Catholic back to a practicing one. In many ways, Baglio writes, this is what exorcists themselves aim to accomplish: to help the demon-possessed return to the sacraments and so, by strengthening the practice of their faith, empower them to resist evil. - - - Roberts is a professor of journalism and communication at the University at Albany, State University of New York, and the author of "Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker," among other books.

THE RISE OF BENEDICT XVI: THE INSIDE STORY OF HOW THE POPE WAS ELECTED AND WHERE HE WILL TAKE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, by John L. Allen Jr.
Doubleday/Random House (New York, 2005). 249 pp.
$19.95.
Given the time constraints under which it was written, Allen's post-conclave book, "The Rise of Benedict XVI: The Inside Story of How the Pope Was Elected and Where He Will Take the Catholic Church," is less substantial. It is well-written journalism but occasionally veers into gossip. Where the earlier book suggested that Cardinal Ratzinger could not be elected pope, this work explains why that conclusion was erroneous.

RISE, LET US BE ON OUR WAY, by Pope John Paul II.
Warner Books (New York, 2004). 230 pp.
$22.95.
    The Holy Father's own book, "Rise, Let Us Be on Our Way," is his second volume of autobiography and meditation, covering the years from 1958, when he was made a bishop, to his elevation to the papacy in 1978. The first book, "Gift and Mystery," contained perhaps more dramatic portions of his life -- his brief acting career, the Nazi occupation of Poland, and his secret seminary training during the war years. But this volume charts his development as a bishop and archbishop, periods that are more crucial to understanding his papacy. Pope John Paul comes off as a Polish Will Rogers; he never seems to have met a priest or religious or lay person he didn't like. Only the communist governments of the Eastern bloc get the cold shoulder and, then, no individuals are named. When the names of Polish bishops, nuns and priests, unknown to most, become stultifying, the meditations on the episcopacy, St. Joseph and modern saints reawaken readers to the fact that Pope John Paul is a man of profound faith and a writer of memorable prose.

THE ROAD TO ASSISI: THE ESSENTIAL BIOGRAPHY OF ST. FRANCIS, by Paul Sabatier, edited with introduction and annotations by Jon M. Sweeney.
Paraclete Press (Brewster, Mass., 2003). 188 pp.
$19.95.
   That was the goal of Paul Sabatier, a French Protestant who, in 1894, launched the modern movement in Franciscan studies with his vivid book, "The Road to Assisi: The Essential Biography of St. Francis." More than 100 years later this biography is again available to readers interested in the real Francis. The new edition has wonderful explications on Sabatier's text by Jon Sweeney, although the old text is still marred by vituperation against Catholicism, a fault which placed it initially on the Index of Prohibited Books.    Sabatier's text prompted an avalanche of other treatises. Scholars now probe the so-called "Franciscan Question" -- Who was Francis? What was the essence of his message? How did he convey it? Or, better, how was it conveyed by his brothers or those in authority?    One jewel of the Sweeney edition of Sabatier's work is the inclusion of four tales from "The Little Flowers of Saint Francis" ("The Fioretti"). They gave me insight into the "Franciscan Question." In one, Brother Leo asks Francis to name the source of perfect joy. The answer is almost stoic: "In self-conquest is perfect joy."

ROMERO: A LIFE, by Father James R. Brockman, S.J.
Orbis Books (Maryknoll, N.Y., 2005). 284 pp.
$20.
   Although it has been more than 25 years since the dramatic death of Archbishop Oscar Romero of San Salvador, his death and the life that preceded it remain a source of inspiration for Catholics throughout the world.    Thousands of pilgrims converged in El Salvador's capital this spring to mark the silver jubilee of Archbishop Romero's assassination. He was gunned down while celebrating Mass on March 24, 1980. Also this spring, the bishops of El Salvador were informed that the archbishop's cause for canonization had passed the first phase of verification, where it had been since 2000, and is now moving forward.    While devotees of his life probably will have read the 1989 version of "Romero: A Life" or the 1982 volume "The Word Remains: A Life of Oscar Romero" upon which the 1989 book was based, there is a generation of Catholics far removed from the life and times of one who has been called a modern-day martyr. They can expect an excellent education.    The organization and details that Jesuit Father James R. Brockman provides in "Romero: A Life" are keys to readers learning not only what the man said and did, but who he was. It is possible that every saint, canonized or not, has virtues and flaws which cannot always be distinguished. For Archbishop Romero, perfectionism and his workaholic nature might have been virtuous as he carried out the catechetical responsibilities of his office, but they might also have been flawed as they set a standard that few could reach.    Father Brockman lets the archbishop's own words from speeches and writings show the evolution of the archbishop's view of and concern for the poor. While sometimes tedious reading, the large sections of quotations help complete the composite of the prelate.    Students of Romerology will be familiar with his relationship with the Holy See, but most will exclaim "wow!" as they read about his verbal jousting with Cardinal Sebastiano Baggio, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Archbishop Emanuele Gerada, papal nuncio to El Salvador, and with his brother bishops, some of whom petitioned the Congregation for Bishops to remove him as archbishop. Politics appears to have been a mark of the El Salvadoran church -- both inside and outside of it.    "Romero: A Life" provides a comprehensive examination of the archbishop's life and the society and culture in which he ministered, and in which he died.

"From Pope John Paul II to Benedict XVI: An Inside Look at the End of an Era, the Beginning of a New One, and the Future of the Church," edited by Sister Mary Ann Walsh, RSM, With Catholic News Service.
Sheed and Ward (Lanham, Md., 2005).
212 pp.
$21.95
The main body of the book consists of articles by Catholic News Service reporters -- journalistic writing that recalls the intensity of one pope's death and the election and installation of another. The chronological chapters, which include numerous quotes from both ordinary citizens and civic and church dignitaries, are interspersed with personal reflections by seven U.S. cardinals and Bishop William S. Skylstad, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The general reader will appreciate the chapters on Pope Benedict XVI -- his biography, outreach to other religions and a summary of the challenges he faces.    The book concludes with two interesting essays on media coverage of the papal transition and the pope's relationship with reporters. CNS Rome bureau chief John Thavis notes that, after the pope lost his ability to walk, he "had to be lifted and heaved ... in undignified fashion." Some reporters, "moved by these scenes, ... often chose not to write about them. The ailing pope probably would not have minded reading the details of his decline, however. He seemed to trust reporters, and journalists covering the Vatican cannot remember him ever complaining about a story or about his treatment in the press."

"The Rosary," by Garry Wills.
Viking Penguin (New York, 2005). 190 pp.
$24.95
We all say we should improve our daily lives by exercising, dieting, reading and, most of all, praying more, but where do we best begin? Perhaps one way would be through the aid of an old friend, the rosary.    Garry Wills, author of "Why I Am a Catholic" and the Pulitzer Prize-winning "Lincoln at Gettysburg", has now written a study guide for those who meditate on sacred mysteries by reciting the rosary. "The Rosary" amplifies each of the 20 mysteries of the rosary through a short biblical passage (all translations from the Greek and Latin by Wills) and a two- to four-page commentary accompanied by a beautiful color reproduction of a Tintoretto painting on the same mystery.    The book intends to show how the rosary is much more than a string of beads to help you keep track of Hail Marys. It is a meditative path through the lives of Mary and Jesus, beginning with the annunciation of the incarnation of Our Lord and ending with the coronation of Our Lady. Wills is less comfortable with Mary as a subject than with Jesus, but he is, nonetheless, an astute observer of the mysteries of the rosary.    Like many Catholics, he first was taught to pray the rosary as a boy in elementary school. For Wills praying the rosary became a habit intertwined with all the great and small events of his life, from waiting for his first child to be delivered to taking an evening stroll after dinner.    He has also incorporated his intellectual pursuits into his devotion to the rosary and here is where he has something to offer Catholics. Pious devotion to Mary is not Wills first concern. Rather, he is focused on the stunning and explosive power of the mission of Christ. Christ and all the angelic announcements about Christ -- to Mary, to shepherds, to the women at the tomb and to the men gazing at the sky after Christ's ascension -- are meant to compel humans to look anew at the world and exclaim at the presence of God in all of nature and in our neighbors.   Wills truly enhances our understanding of the mysteries without diminishing their mysterious quality. If you have ever puzzled over the literal or literary meaning of one of the mysteries, then here is the book to answer your questions.    There are a few slight flaws in his format. For instance, because he only selects artwork by Tintoretto, he leaves three of the 20 mysteries without any visual representation. Also, in his explanation of each rosary prayer he unaccountably leaves out the "Hail, Holy Queen," the prayer many use to end the rosary. Still, "The Rosary" is an intellectual feat for which Wills should be commended.

"The Rosary With Fra Angelico and Giotto," by Domenico Marcucci
(Italian translated by Edmund C. Lane, SSP) and by Gary T. Johnson.
Alba House/St. Pauls (Staten Island, N.Y., 2005).
62 pp.
$4.95. "The Rosary With Fra Angelico and Giotto" is a slim, portable guide in which each of the 20 mysteries is illustrated by a full-color reproduction. The 15 paintings that illustrate the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries are among the last works of Blessed Fra Angelico (1400-1455), the Italian painter and Dominican priest beatified in 1982. The paintings of the luminous mysteries are frescoes by Giotto di Bondone (1266-1337) from the Arena Chapel in Padua, Italy. This pocket-size book on glossy paper is a visual and tactile delight.    It also provides a "meditative and reflective" variation to the recitation of 10 Hail Marys in each decade, a technique that reduces repetition and increases focus: After the name of "Jesus," in place of the second half of the prayer, the reader recites a phrase related to the mystery of that decade. For example, in the decade of "The Visitation," prayed for the intentions of expectant mothers and of missionaries, the meditative phrases include "Jesus, who dwelt for nine months in your womb" and "who is the savior of all the elect."    In this book, the commentary on the rosary and phrases to accompany the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries were written by Domenico Marcucci and translated from the Italian by Paulist Father Edmund C. Lane; the section on the luminous mysteries was written by Gary T. Johnson.

S
SACRED LONGINGS: THE ECOLOGICAL SPIRIT AND GLOBAL CULTURE, by Mary C. Grey. Fortress Augsburg Press (Minneapolis, Minn., 2004). 260 pp.
$19
"Sacred Longings: The Ecological Spirit and Global Culture," by Mary C. Grey, suggests that we live in a time of the Spirit's invitation to make new discoveries about where God is acting in the world. Her theological goal is to link globalization, ecofeminism and salvation in a renewed quest on behalf of the heart.     "Heart" serves as the author's key image and central metaphor for sacred longings. Grey says that the Greek myth of Psyche and Eros is a description of how human "soul force" has been divided in modern Western culture. The myth also points to what is needed to re-integrate these sacred energies.     Dividing her work into three parts, Grey probes the meanings of "losing heart" -- the crisis of misplaced human materialistic desires; "restless heart" -- a between-the-times rediscovery and renewal of the human spirit; and "taking heart" -- proposals for how a new language of renewal can re-educate and re-energize humanity. The author presents insights from ecofeminism, ecomysticism and a recovered Gandhian spirituality.

SACRED SITES: CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVES ON THE HOLY LAND
by Webster T. Patterson. Paulist Press (Mahwah, N.J., 2004). 145 pp.
$18.95.
Reviewed by Maureen E. Daly
Catholic News Service
   Christian pilgrims travel with a purpose. These new travel guides describe three great Christian pilgrimages -- to the Holy Land, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, and the missions of California.     In these violent times would-be visitors to the Holy Land may need to content themselves with planning while they wait for more auspicious travel conditions. In hope and preparation for peace, the first-time visitor or the experienced traveler can take a vicarious journey via "Sacred Sites: Christian Perspectives on the Holy Land" by Webster T. Patterson.     This beautifully produced and thoughtful book is both more selective and more ample than a standard travelers guide. Selective in focusing only on sites with faith significance, it is ample in providing biblical passages relevant to each place, along with information on each site's history and archeology. The book has numerous maps, diagrams and photos. Its commentary on theology and biblical scholarship makes it a useful companion to Scripture study.     Patterson taught Scripture and theology at Loyola College in Baltimore for 30 years and has led 17 tours to the Holy Land. He brings his wealth of learning to this accessible and clearly written book.

"Saints: Ancient & Modern," by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua.
Viking Studio/Penguin Group (New York, 2007). 150 pp.
$25.95
   In this book, "Saints: Ancient & Modern" by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua, is visually handsome, with compelling artwork and graphics. Writer Calamari and graphic designer DiPasqua divide their profiles of 12 ancient and 10 modern saints at the year 1000.    The saints are treated in chronological order, with the ancients including Joseph, Cecilia, Lucy and Benedict, and the moderns including Rita of Cascia, Teresa of Avila, Martin de Porres and Padre Pio.    The essays cover the life and times of the saints, their cult and writings, and their impact on history and culture. Each saint's story also features an illustration, a sidebar on the saint's image in art and a prayer to the saint.    The authors provide a lot of interesting information, for example, a thumbnail history of Mont Saint-Michel and how the shrine influenced Joan of Arc and the evolution of Christmas customs from the cult of Nicholas. But the artwork is identified in a hit-or-miss fashion, and the reader is left to speculate about the origin of the prayers.    Another quibble: The Mary Magdalene essay is confusing. No source is given for that part of her story "written in the early Middle Ages." And twice, in her profile and in that of St. Anne, Mary of Magdala is described, without explanation or correction, as the sister of Lazarus and Martha of Bethany.

"Saints at the Dinner Table" by Amy Heyd.
St. Anthony Messenger Press (Cincinnati, 2008). 158 pp.
$19.95.
"Saints at the Dinner Table" is simple and satisfying in its idea and execution: to create and present menus inspired by reflections on the lives of 12 saints. The book is informed by author Amy Heyd's gratitude for her family, her faith and her vocation as a wife, mother of three children and gifted cook. Heyd's inspiration for the book was the realization that her prayers were more confident when she felt a connection with a saint's life. She writes about praying to St. Joseph in the dark hours when her father was hospitalized with a serious stroke. "In that quiet and heart-wrenching moment, I felt that Joseph himself had stepped off the pedestal, took my hand and walked into my dad's room with me." In St. Joseph's strength and presence she found a "wonderful listener" and "friend I could talk to in my time of need." "In my quest to 'relate' to the saints, I started an intentioned journey to find a collection of saints on whom I could call," Heyd writes. She began with those who, like her, were interested in "food and caretaking." The fruit of this journey is this lovely book of meditations and recipes that celebrate three biblical saints (Joseph, Andrew the Apostle and Martha); eight historical European saints (Brigid of Ireland, Isidore the farmer, Margaret of Scotland, Hildegard of Bingen, Clare of Assisi, Elizabeth of Hungary, Notburga and Didacus of Spain); and the recently canonized Sudanese St. Josephine Bakhita. Each chapter begins with several pages of text (an explanation of the saint's historical or scriptural context, a reflection and a description of the meal) followed by the recipes (usually a main course, salad, vegetable and dessert) and concluding with thoughtful questions for dinner conversations and a prayer. The meals are well-balanced, though heavy on meat and dairy products and sometimes an unfortunate use of processed commercial foods. Many of the menu plans include traditional foods from a saint's country or region, such as the chicken saltimbocca for St. Clare, colcannon for St. Brigid, and Sudanese beef and potatoes for St. Josephine. Other menu choices, like those honoring St. Joseph, are metaphorical. "The lamb chops remind me of how Joseph helped raise Jesus, the lamb of God. The breadcrumbs on top of the Carpenter Tomatoes resemble the sawdust that must have scattered the floors in Joseph's workshop. The mashed potatoes are a traditional comfort food and signify the comfort that St. Joseph has always given me. The Rocky Road Cake is symbolic of the difficult roads, both literally and symbolically, that Mary and Joseph had to travel during Mary's pregnancy and throughout Jesus' childhood." The best part of this book are Heyd's simple, well-crafted reflections on how the saints speak to her life. She writes about St. Josephine's remarkable imitation of Christ in the ability to forgive those who abused her when she was a slave and the acceptance of God's will in illness and infirmity. "As she neared the end of her life, she couldn't walk and required a wheelchair to get around. The bishop approached Bakhita and asked her what she did while sitting in her wheelchair. Bakhita replied, 'What do I do? Exactly what you are doing -- the will of God.'" St. Josephine is an appropriate woman with whom to conclude a book that is ostensibly about cooking and saints, but is really about a joyful obedience to God's will. The saints illustrate how a person can accept God's will in any (and all) circumstances, and Heyd's gentle book reminds us that charity, creativity and fruitful living flow from fidelity, whether one is a queen, a farmer, a cloistered contemplative, a fisherman or a contemporary homemaker.

"Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men and Devil Worshippers Who Became Saints," by Thomas J. Craughwell.
Doubleday (New York, 2006). 191 pp.
$15.95
   In this book, "Saints Behaving Badly: The Cutthroats, Crooks, Trollops, Con Men and Devil Worshippers Who Became Saints," author Thomas J. Craughwell explores the lives of 28 Catholic saints, six women and 22 men, whose actions went from very, very bad to very, very good.    As the title suggests, this book is a fun read. Each story is several pages. There are profiles of familiar bad-boy saints like the thief Dismas and the wastrel Francis before his Assisi turnaround, as well as the obscure Alipius, a student of Augustine who was addicted to chariot races in Carthage, then to the more bloodthirsty gladiatorial combats of Rome.    Among the women is "a mass murderer" named Olga, the wife of Prince Igor of Kiev. Her behavior is pretty calculating: After the Drevlian tribe murdered her husband and proposed that she wed their chief (aptly named Mal), she had her men dig a pit into which they threw the Drevlian envoys, then she stood at the edge and asked how they liked their visit so far.    Before she was done, Olga's minions had wiped out several hundred Drevlians, including Mal. However, nine years after the slaughter she journeyed to Constantinople, converted to Christianity with the sitting emperor as her godfather, and was soon revered by the Russians and Ukrainians for bringing Christianity to their lands. 

THE SAINTS' GUIDE TO HAPPINESS, by Robert Ellsberg.
North Point Press (New York, 2003). 221 pp.
$23.00
Reviewed by Julie Pfitzinger and Maureen E. Daly
     In "The Saints' Guide to Happiness," Robert Ellsberg writes that "people who remind us of God, people whose love, courage and inner balance seem to set them apart" -- even people we meet in our own lives -- are walking the path of holiness. This is the path we are all called to walk, Ellsberg says, because we are all "saints in progress" to the extent that we allow ourselves to be.     Ellsberg, editor-in-chief of religious publisher Orbis Books in Maryknoll, N.Y., expertly leads the reader along the paths some holy individuals have taken in this new book, subtitled "Everyday Wisdom From the Lives of the Saints." Each chapter offers a lesson in virtuous behavior -- learning to love, learning to work, learning to let go.     In the chapter "Learning to Sit Still," Ellsberg writes of the struggles faced by St. Catherine of Siena, who created an "oratory of the heart" or a place of prayer where she could seek solace while performing the servant's work her father expected of her: "In this way, as she later reflected, she transformed her daily tasks and duties into a ladder to heaven." It's a lesson for the present day when the abundance of distractions in our lives is a barrier to the inner silence saints heed in their search for happiness.     Ellsberg is the author of the 1997 book, "All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses in Our Time." Like that earlier book, "The Saints' Guide to Happiness" also highlights the lives of men and women who, while not canonized saints, have led holy lives worthy of example.     In Henri Nouwen, who was his friend, Ellsberg finds the story of a great teacher and a writer but also a "wounded healer." Nouwen suffered from a sense of isolation and despair during his lifetime. He emerged to trust in "the inner voice of love" that summoned him "beyond the boundaries of my short life, to where Christ is all in all."     In Dorothy Day, with whom Ellsberg worked at a Catholic Worker house in New York City, he finds a woman who often said her mission was simply about "trying to make people happy."
     Ellsberg believes the attainment of true happiness is not just a gift received by the virtuous but, rather, "the fruit of considerable work and practice." There is no way to happiness, he says, but a way of happiness that intersects with the call to holiness.
     Throughout his book, Ellsberg offers solid examples and excellent insight into the lives of saints who were willing to seek happiness and whose journeys can shine light onto our own paths. (JP)

ST. PATRICK OF IRELAND: A BIOGRAPHY, by Philip Freeman.
Simon & Schuster (New York, 2004). 216 pp.
$13
   Other saints may have more friends and followers, but as the subject of contemporary books few can rival St. Patrick, except perhaps St. Francis of Assisi and St. Therese of the Little Flower. "St. Patrick of Ireland: A Biography," by Philip Freeman, and "Discovering Saint Patrick," by Thomas O'Loughlin, are two new contributions to add to Patrick's library shelf.    Freeman, a professor at Luther College in Iowa, traces the course of St. Patrick's life from privileged youth in Britain, captivity as a slave in Ireland and escape to Gaul.    There Patrick studied and became a priest. Then he returned to Ireland on his mission to convert the pagan Irish to Christianity.    Freeman has conducted research into the scattered and confusing records of the Dark Ages to arrive at a balanced presentation of the saint's life and work. He relies on copies of "Patrick's Confession," an autobiographical sketch, and "His Letter to the Soldiers of Coroticus," a stern reprimand to a British chieftain and his men, who had captured and enslaved some Irish converts.    These two apparently authentic publications reflect life in Ireland and Britain during the Dark Ages. The originals in Latin have been lost, but medieval-era copies exist at Trinity College in Dublin, as well as in libraries in England and the continent.    These documents, along with "The Breastplate of Patrick," a song of religious praise in Old Irish that dates from St. Patrick's time, provide Freeman with brief but authentic background on his subject. The author is critical of later medieval devotional works that, he says, added to the confusion about St. Patrick.    Freeman sees irony in the fact that St. Patrick's burial place is unknown. He writes, "Patrick's wish for an unmarked grave was prophetic. In an age obsessed with saints, relics and pilgrimage sites, no one knew for certain where Patrick died and was buried. Indeed for over a century after his death few people remembered that he had been alive."

"Secular Sabotage: How Liberals Are Destroying Religion and Culture in America"
by Bill Donohue. FaithWords (New York, 2009). 258 pp.
$21.99.
If the cultural war requires bare-knuckled brawlers, Bill Donohue might be its undisputed champion. Head of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights since 1993, Donohue has been at the forefront of battles that he says provide evidence of the sabotage about which he writes -- a threatened 2002 boycott of the American Red Cross when its Orange County, Calif., chapter banned high school groups from singing patriotic songs at Red Cross events; a nationwide boycott of Wal-Mart in 2005 when the retailer posted Hanukkah and Kwanzaa sections on its Web site, but no "Christmas" section; and a 2007 boycott of the Miller Brewing Company when the brewer's logo appeared on poster mocking the Last Supper. Donohue takes a chapter by chapter approach in detailing how the sabotage has taken place. In the chapter on multiculturalism, he writes: "Words like tolerance, diversity and inclusion constitute a mantra. They are a holy trinity of multiculturalism." He states that secular saboteurs see multiculturalism as a "godsend. It gives them all the justification they need to attack our Judeo-Christian roots." He concludes the chapter on artistic sabotage by stating that a line from "Jerry Springer: The Opera" -- "Nothing is wrong and nothing is right" -- underscores "the central point of this book: the secular sabotage of America is driven by nihilism as much as it is by hate. All of it is deliberate and all of it is intended to offend." About saboteurs, for whom he uses "extremists," "radicals" and "nihilists" as synonyms, Donohue writes, "The goal is not reform: it is an attempt to gut core beliefs and practices. And to a disturbing extent, the secularists have succeeded in turning things upside down and inside out." Among those he views as "the radical secular activists out to disable America" are the American Civil Liberties Union, Anti-Defamation League, People for the American Way, National Abortion Rights Defense League, Catholics for Choice and the Democratic Party. Lawyers and Hollywood are named, too. Regarding the latter, he uses films such as "Priest," "Dogma," "The Golden Compass" and "The Da Vinci Code," and refers to the short-lived 1997 TV show "Nothing Sacred." That chapter also includes an examination of the controversy that surrounded "The Passion of the Christ." Donohue devotes a chapter each to self-sabotage being done by Catholics and Protestants. Among the former he delineates damage done by such groups as Catholics for Choice, Call to Action and Voice of the Faithful, to name a few. He chastises Catholic colleges and universities for becoming victims of "religious cleansing" rather than adhering to Catholic teaching and tradition: "To be sure, there will always be those who respectfully challenge the church to rethink its ways. They are not the problem. The problem lies with those raging Catholics who would like to shove their fanciful 'Nothing Sacred' church down the throats of the faithful," he writes. Even those who have heard or read the stories -- e.g., the law school professor whose objection to a Christmas tree on the Indiana University campus resulted in its removal; the student at the College of Alameda (Calif.) who was threatened with suspension and accused of "disruptive or insulting behavior" because she was praying for an ailing professor on campus; and public funding for "artworks" like "Piss Christ" -- will shake their heads in disbelief as Donohue uses these as examples of the moral erosion about which he is concerned. The examples of sabotage are well-documented via a variety of sources, but occasionally Donohue will make a statement without attribution or facts to back it up. For example, "It is because so many of the women religious have thrown Catholic doctrine overboard that few young women are drawn to them." Nonetheless, he raises thought-provoking questions, e.g., "Why is that when Christian groups have concerns over the content of a play or book or movie, it's called censorship, but when gays or feminists or just about any other group speak up, they are exercising free speech?" and "Does Hollywood hate religion? If not, why does it continue to make movies that bash it?" "Secular Sabotage" reads like a literary version of conservative talk radio. Whether readers like that kind of programming or not, it can be engaging and thought-provoking. Many of the issues Donahue addresses, e.g., education, multiculturalism and the sanctity of life are similar to those discussed during those broadcasts. The passion that Donohue brings to the book is evident in every chapter. He states the severity of the sabotage early: "The cultural debris that these secular saboteurs have created will take decades to clean up, but we people of faith have no other alternative save moral decomposition." The rest of the book details dozens of examples of moral hazardous waste. Catholic high schools and colleges would do well to incorporate this book into their curriculums. It is suited for theology classes at both levels. Another option would be to include specific chapters, e.g., "Democratic Sabotage," in courses on history and political science, or "Artistic Sabotage" in art classes. Readers of "Secular Sabotage" should not only expect it to provide an education in how anti-Christianity permeates society, but they should expect to look at the groups and individuals Donohue mentions in a different light. They might find themselves questioning those who undermine Christian values, and confronting them -- with bare knuckles.
- - -
Olszewski is executive editor of the Catholic Herald, publication of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
END
09/18/2009 2:33 PM ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

"Seminary Boy," by John Cornwell.
Doubleday (New York, 2006). 328 pp.,
$24.95
     There was a time when parents, particularly mothers, prayed that at least one of their sons would become a priest. One can't be sure if Kathleen Egan Cornwell prayed for this, but her second oldest son, John, considered it and pursued it. That time of consideration and pursuit is the subject of this autobiographical narrative.
     While each person's story is unique, it is quite possible that any boy who attended a minor seminary during the '40s, '50s and '60s might know people similar to those Cornwell encountered during his seminary days. The classmates with whom he studied and lived and the "profs" -- as a seminary's faculty members were called -- who taught and who provided emotional, academic and spiritual formation may all seem familiar.      This is an excellent coming-of-age book. Beginning in the final days of World War II England, Cornwell writes not merely about his own life during that time, but about the lives of family members and others, too. They are not co-stars in his story, but rather important sculptors in the way his life developed.      In telling his story, Cornwell provides a context that includes the troubled marriage of his parents, family poverty and a childhood fraught with violence, including molestation by a stranger in a train-station bathroom.      As he makes the transition to and through seminary life, he deals with the challenges of being the poor kid among the well-heeled and academically hindered due to poor preparation for the level of study demanded at the seminary. He deals with the questions and doubts about sexuality and sin that were part of Catholic male adolescence, including the sexual advances of some of his classmates.
     Most coming-of-age books evoke tears and laughter. Expect none of the latter as this is an intense volume, somber as it chronicles a litany of relationships that develop and, in most cases, disintegrate during the time span covered.     In one way, it is surprising to read about Cornwell's faith, given his literary works that have been critical of the church in general and two popes in particular: Pius XII ("Hitler's Pope") and John Paul II ("The Pontiff in Winter"). On the other hand, one senses Cornwell might respect the good that the institutional church is capable of doing when it adheres to the Gospel, and that he holds in high esteem many of those who have proclaimed that faith with their actions, using words only when necessary, to paraphrase St. Francis of Assisi.      For those who did not attend a minor seminary, Cornwell's memoir is still a good read about adolescent development and struggles with faith. It is filled with stories of the pain and bewilderment that young men of that era experienced, and that young men experienced in the environment of the seminary. For those readers, it might almost read like fiction, but it isn't.      For those who did attend a minor seminary, but who were not ordained, parts of this could certainly be their story. One might even say, "I could have written that." After five years, Cornwell left amid exploding emotions and surfacing realizations about his life -- and seminary life. In a reflective and engaging postscript, he writes about life after the seminary, and where those years of formation eventually took him.      While none of Kathleen Egan Cornwell's four sons ever became priests, one certainly tells an excellent story about his journey in that direction.      Olszewski is executive editor of the Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.

THE SEVENFOLD YES: AFFIRMING THE GOODNESS OF OUR DEEPEST DESIRES, by Father Willi Lambert, SJ.
Ave Maria Press (Notre Dame, Ind., 2005). 128 pp.
$9.95
"The Sevenfold Yes" by German Father Lambert provides further insights into the Ignation spiritual exercises for those familiar with them. It offers practical applications for those making or directing the exercises and can serve as an introduction to those planning a private retreat, beginning a program of spiritual practice or continuing in spiritual growth. Each chapter reflects a specific part of the exercises.    The subtitle, "Affirming the Goodness of Our Deepest Desires," refers to saying "yes" to seven affirmations that enable us to become fully ourselves: the desire for love, a meaningful life, reconciliation, to communion, perseverance, transformation and contemplation. Lists of exercises and questions to ponder are sprinkled liberally throughout each chapter with clarifying summaries provided at the end.    The author gives helpful suggestions about how to approach meditation, Scripture reading, retreats, spiritual direction and daily spiritual practices. Although very specific methods are detailed, there is also latitude for individual preferences and responses. Father Lambert quotes Ignatius in this matter: "Take advantage of whatever is most helpful."    The book presents sin as the refusal of love, the fear of being ourselves and the belief that life is meaningless. Father Lambert states that an examination of conscience should focus on hostile tendencies toward life versus energizing forces. Resurrection happens when we love and are loved by others. "Love is God's life in us," he writes.    Both of these books encourage readers to adopt practices that will lead to living life in positive, energizing ways.

"Sex and the Soul: Juggling Sexuality, Spirituality, Romance and Religion on America's Colleges Campuses"
by Donna Freitas.
Oxford University Press (New York, 2008). 299 pp.
$24.95.
Reviewed by Regina Linskey Catholic News Service
Parents, college administrators, youth ministers and students would benefit from reading Donna Freitas' "Sex and the Soul." If not for its inside look into college campuses today, then for the important discussions it would provoke about sex, gender, freedom, spirituality and religion. These issues, which help form the identity of the college-age, maturing young adult, come up in college dorms and campus life, but perhaps not so much in the classroom and in the pews. They should be discussed and addressed, and in an atmosphere that balances freedom with guidance and rules -- a point Freitas especially emphasizes in her book. Written in the first person and anecdotal form, in which the students talk about campus life, "Sex and the Soul" is a quick read relative to the complexity and sensitivity of its topic. Though Freitas herself is an assistant professor of religion at Boston University, this book is not just for academics. It's written for the layperson. Freitas visited seven colleges and interviewed a sampling of the students in attendance. The colleges were categorized as either "evangelical" or "spiritual," based on the priority that students place on religion and spirituality. Catholic schools fit into the spiritual college category because, Freitas finds, students at Catholic colleges identify with their spirituality more than with Catholicism. Simply put, students said their relationship with God was something separate from their religion. These students might not go to church or follow church teaching because, to them, it actually restricts a relationship with God. The author devotes an entire chapter to this seemingly contradictory discovery. Throughout "Sex and the Soul," Freitas and her interviewees at spiritual colleges discuss the college party scene. There's no real dating, as in dinner-and-a-movie dates. Instead, after working hard, students play hard -- there's lots of hooking up, drinking and pimps and "ho's" parties. This might be a surprise to parents, an eye-opener to incoming college freshman, and an in-house secret of some college administrators. Commendably, Freitas addresses how this hookup culture cheapens women and places them in a subordinate position -- even if the young women themselves were not able to articulate this in the interviews. Freitas also discusses the pressure both young men and women face to do things they do not want to do. And, it seems, at spiritual colleges, there is no knowledgeable authority to talk to about these issues. But not all is rosy at evangelical colleges. According to those interviewed at these schools, women don't look forward to graduating with a degree as much as they do with an engagement ring. The pressure is on for the race to marriage before four years are over. The college mission is marriage -- not maturing intellectually, socially or emotionally. Aside from the anecdotes and their implications, Freitas offers advice to parents going through the college admission process. She tells them to know what they are paying for and urges them to ask prospective colleges about campus life, the social scene and dating. Many parents would never think to ask some of the questions, but the answers will help a family decide if a college will support their values regarding sex and the soul.

SCIENCE AND THE TRINITY: THE CHRISTIAN ENCOUNTER WITH REALITY, by the Rev. John Polkinghorne.
Yale University Press (New Haven, Conn., 2004)., 184 pp.
$24.00.
     "Science and the Trinity: The Christian Encounter With Reality" by physicist and Anglican priest the Rev. John Polkinghorne and "Prayers to an Evolutionary God" by writer, musician and former Jesuit missioner William Cleary are helpful guides in the dialogue between science and religion.      "Both science and religion are ways of approaching the truth," Rev. Polkinghorne wrote in a previous book, "The God of Hope and the End of the World" (2002). He said, "I approach both in the same way in having respect for the world and in sharing in the profundity of reality."      Ordinarily when scientists dialogue with theologians, the science side sets the agenda, Rev. Polkinghorne writes in "Science and the Trinity." Discoveries of modern astronomy, quantum theory, evolutionary biology, genetics and neuroscience serve as the heads of discussion. This contribution to the science and religion dialogue lets theological concerns shape the argument and set the agenda.      Rev. Polkinghorne, a winner of the Templeton Prize for his research on faith and science, has had dual careers as a physicist at Cambridge University and a Church of England priest and theologian. He has long been concerned with God's relationship to the physical universe. As an adherent of classic Christianity, his encounter with Jesus Christ is primary and his belief in the Trinity is essential.      In "Science and the Trinity" he discusses the role of Scripture, outlines a theology of nature and describes how teachings on the Trinity are crucial to any interdisciplinary and ecumenical discussion.      In the closing sections he describes how he experiences God through regular participation in eucharistic celebration as both priest and penitent. He elaborates further on previous writings concerning Christian hope in a life beyond this one. Here is thoughtful Christianity for those for whom faith requires an intelligent defense, even as their intellect yearns for the comforts of faith.      William Cleary, a former assistant editor of the Catholic weekly America and author of many books on spirituality, offers "Prayers to an Evolutionary God" as a "prayer that is relevant in a scientific worldview." Cleary, 75, who spent two decades in the Jesuit order, including time as a missioner in Korea, has been married for more than 30 years and is a father and grandfather.      The afterward to Cleary's book is written by Father Diarmuid O'Murchu, a social psychologist and Missionary of the Sacred Heart priest working with the homeless in London. Father O'Murchu lectures internationally and writes extensively on new paradigms from a multidisciplinary perspective, combining science and religion.      Cleary's book includes 80 prayers interspersed with commentary on some aspect of evolutionary theology. The text engages the reader in an inner dialogue and articulation of personal faith. More than a theological statement about science, it is an affirmation of how modern science provides new eyes for the modern faith journey. Its focus is on mediation, prayer and praise.

THE SCIMITAR AND THE VEIL: EXTRAORDINARY WOMEN OF ISLAM, by Jennifer Heath. Hidden Spring Books (Mahwah, N.J., 2004). 465 pp.
$28.
Reviewed by F. Lynne Bachleda Catholic News Service
     Journalist Jennifer Heath begins "The Scimitar and the Veil: Extraordinary Women of Islam" with these words: "I came of age in Afghanistan with Muslim girls of similar thoughts and ambitions in the 1960s. We were all tethered one way and another to the strictures of our societies. There were rules and protocol to which I was expected to adhere as the child of a diplomat, and these seemed as restrictive as the social conventions to which my chums were bound."      If biography is one of the quickest ways to grasp history, and a quickening empathy is one of the surest ways to embrace "the other," then Heath has created a cornerstone masterpiece in this book.
     Heath's passion for her subject is personal. She recalls, "My friends and I laughed, played, dreamed, learned the latest songs, practiced the latest dance steps, shared our innocent secrets, gossiped and talked through long, happy nights about our grand plans for the future." Her memories of her Afghan girlhood give the book immediate, exotic cachet.      Her timely, topical work is a labor of love, spawned by the variety, vitality and unbridled uniqueness she found among those friends. Surviving tragedies such as the wars in Afghanistan, those relationships have lasted a lifetime and inspired "a vision, long held, to make a meaningful study of the remarkable histories of women of the Islamic world."      "We must learn to know the peoples we erroneously proclaim our enemies and whom we too quickly label as utterly oppressive of women," Heath writes. To make her case she looked to women of Arabia, Persia, Turkey, Central Asia, India and North Africa from the seventh century, which saw the birth of Islam, through the 19th century.      Heath describes the volume as two books in one. Each chapter has a historical overview essay on such topics as "Ascetics, Saints and Mystics"; "Warriors and Amazons"; "Rebels and Concubines"; "Musicians and Dancers"; "Rulers, Regents, Queen Mothers and Philanthropists"; "Tradeswomen and Learned Ladies"; and "Poets." After the easy-to-read scholarship comes the narrative poetry. For each grand female Heath has written a creative, present-tense passage that uses factual episodes and imagined dialogue, situations and settings to create a life excerpt.
     For example, Heath profiles Khadija, one of the Prophet Mohammed's four wives, who consoled him after his first revelations when he thought he was going mad. Heath writes the scene: "'Something is happening to me, Khadija. Am I majnun, possessed by djinn? Am I mad?' She lifts his chin firmly and looks straight into his eyes. 'God does not act cruelly. You know that God is not capricious. Allah will never disgrace you, my dear.'"      Completely imagined, and completely believable, such intimate passages cannot be literally true, but they can imbue truth, and at this Heath excels.      Her greater agenda, beyond biography and history, is to shine a light on the fact that Islam has had, and continues to have, a legacy shaped and carried by extraordinary women: "Taken all together they seem to represent Everywoman, each whole, yet each a part of a whole, each with characteristics possessed in various measure at various times by all women: mother, nurturer, lover, wife, sister, creator, dependent, self-sufficient, intellectual, intuitive, mystic, militant and more."      Anyone who wants to be surprised and educated by the reach and impact of women on Islam must read this handsome work, physically bound with a sumptuous richness and attention to detail that the women of Islam would pronounce overdue and well done.      Bachleda, a comparative religion writer, lives in Fairview, Tenn. Her latest book, "Canticles of the Earth: Celebrating the Presence of God in Nature," was published by Loyola Press in October 2004.