5 comments about C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion (Revised and Updated).

1. Beversluils in this book demolishes Lewis's shallow arguments. He shows that Lewis misinterprets us naturalists. He shows that Lewis has no inkling about wide reflexive subjectivism : I find the paradox that subjectivism underpins objective morality in my thread here @covenant morality for humanity in religious discussions. He shows that the argument from reason is unreasonable. He show that Lewis's trilemma about Yeshua is a fallacy. Lewis has relevance only to reveal that Christianity has no relevance.
   I hope that he will further comment on these matters in more books!



2. Beversluis considers Lewis's arguments in detail and with philosophical charity, and he points out their unmistakable flaws.



3. I write only to counter the statement that Beversluis attacks strawmen. Having gotten half-way through the book I have found no such thing as of yet.
   
   To get bias out of the way, yes I am an atheist. I have, however, read most of Lewis' original apologetic works (Mere Christianity, etc.). Beversluis quotes extensively from Lewis' own works, and takes great pains to try and keep Lewis' quotes in context. If anything Beversluis is so cautious in setting up Lewis' arguments correctly that he makes the reading tedious at times.
   
   I will not say that this critique is a devastating refutation of Lewis' primary arguments (that's your decision to make). I will say that Beversluis is careful, and honest in setting up Lewis' arguments and he takes pains to explain why the arguments don't hold up to careful scrutiny. Whether you believe or don't believe this book is a worthwhile read after you have taken a look at Lewis' apologetic works.
   
   (UPDATE)
   Having finished the book I would also like to respond to another counter-argument brought up. The idea that Lewis' popular works were somehow "dumbed down" for the common person, and that Lewis' more sophisticated arguments are found in his letters/essays has been batted around. This may, or may not, be true. Regardless, Beversluis cites a number of Lewis' essays throughout the book. I would have to say that I have yet to see a fair criticism of this book on amazon.
   
   Like it or not Beversluis is meticulous in setting up Lewis' arguments. Beversluis then gives reasons that he believes destroys the rationality behind those arguments. If you're looking for a counter-point to Lewis' apologetics this is the best single volume on the market. Well worth your while.



4. Whether you are a Christian fundamentalist, an atheist or somewhere in-between you might be surprised at the notion that the existence of God and the truth of Christian theology could be arrived at through rational reasoning and logical argument rather than through, say, faith or revelation. But amazingly enough C.S. Lewis was such a skilled and clever wordsmith that he was able to convince many people that he had done exactly that. Starting with 10 minute British radio addresses during World War II and then in numerous books C.S. Lewis presented arguments that convinced my hearers and readers that rationality and logical reasoning lead inexorably to the existence of God and (even more amazingly) to the truth of Christian theology (rather than Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or other religious truths.)
   In his book "C.S. Lewis and the Search for Rational Religion" John Beversluis convincingly and thoroughly demolishes Lewis' arguments. Beneath Lewis' rhetorical flourishes were very weak arguments that completely collapse upon critical examination. Christians may continue to believe in Christian truths and God but they can no longer claim the support of logic, reason, evidence and rationality. They must now admit that they choose to believe on the basis of faith, in spite of the evidence, rational thought and argument rather than because of them.



5. This book leaves one with the impression of having watched Shaq knock out an elderly fan at Staples Center with three quick punches. And being proud about it.
   
   1) Lewis was a POPULAR apologist. His works were not meant to be tight philosophical arguments. They were meant to make sense of Christianity, at a simple level, for the average Briton during-and-after WWII.
   
   2) Lewis wrote in the 1940s. Even had he been writing as a professional philosopher, his works could probably be torn apart by modern atheistic philosophers . . . and corrected by modern theistic philosophers. Never forget that requirements for philosophical rigor change over time.
   
   3) Criticizing Lewis on the basis of "rhetoric" sounds more like a complaint against his excellent writing skills. It's like a health-nut complaining to a pastry chef that his product is too sugar-coated. Lewis was not aiming for tight logical arguments. Like Chesterton, his works are written at a "common sense" level. This is why "Mere Christianity" is a continual bestseller . . . it makes SENSE at a basic level.
   
   4) Not a single reader of Lewis would expect his arguments to hold up to close scrutiny. I certainly didn't. The gist of Beversluis' arguments, I came up with myself while reading. They're good arguments . . . but they don't conclude the debate. And while they seem more "logical" than Lewis's arguments, they certainly don't make as much "sense."
   
   5) I have to wonder why a professional philosopher would feel it necessary to pick on Lewis (who never earned higher than our equivalent of a BA, and who never intended his work to be held to philosophical standards). It's like tearing apart "A Brief History of Time" because it oversimplifies things, and doesn't lay out the math like it's laid out in a theoretical physics journal. I can only wonder about issues of jealousy and bitterness on the part of the author.
   
   In short: unless you're into bullies beating up 98-lb weaklings, I'd stay clear of this book. Lewis's arguments have already been sharpened and refined by modern Christian philosophers. Even Darwin could be critiqued like this.

2 comments about Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions and Death's Duel.

1. I must admit that I bought this book solely for the most famous of Donne's Meditations - Nunc lento sonitu dicunt, morieris, AKA "no man is an island". I was unaware of the circumstances which surrounded Donne's writing of the Meditations. He had taken ill with a strong and high fever, and believed that he was dying. The meditations trace his spiritual journey through his illness, starting with the beginning (The first alteration, the first grudging, or the sickness), through attempts to treat him (The physician is sent for), to treatments (They apply pigeons, to draw the vapors from the head - yuck!), until he comes to terms spiritually with his fate (From the bells of the church adjoining, I am daily remembered of my burial in the funerals of others).

   These meditations make a fascinating contrast with the other work by Donne in this book: Death's Duel. This was the last sermon that Donne ever preached, one month before he died. Not only did he know that the end was near, but so did his audience, who called it "the doctor's funeral sermon". It is interesting to see how Donne's view of death had changed in the years between the two works. By the time Death's Duel was written, Donne's mother, wife, and six of his twelve children were already dead.

   In spite of the fact that Donne wrote over three hundred years ago, I am still influenced by his writings. Although I am not Christian, I agree with many of Donne's thoughts on how people interact with each other, and how we effect the lives of others, though we might not realise it. "Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind." Donne, though dead, is still involved in mankind, and this book aptly displays it.




2. for this book,devotions upon emergent occasions and deaths duel has already been so good. Wow! what more can i possibly say....alot. firstly, fascinating stuff. it was really great and jesus Christ we love him, John Donne? WOW?!! what do you think? read it really it is very nicely proportionate for me the dimensions where spectacular and also a very nice size, John Donne? Where in the world is John Donne when we need him now....bye John Donne?

2 comments about The D.L. Moody Collection: The Highlights of His Writings, Sermons, Anecdotes, and Life Story.

1. I am so glad that the Lord led me to this book at this time in my life. This book is a must for a person who loves the Lord and His work. The book shows ways that Moody prepared sermons after he had been inspired on things to say. The book inspired me to see how the Lord's work can be spread even though we don't travel a great distance and are not eloquent speakers. The Lord uses us anyway.

   This reading is essential. John 14




2. I am so glad that the Lord led me to this book at this time in my life. This book is a must for a person who loves the Lord and His work. The book shows ways that Moody prepared sermons after he had been inspired on things to say. The book inspired me to see how the Lord's work can be spread even though we don't travel a great distance and are not eloquent speakers. The Lord uses us anyway.

   This reading is essential. John 14

5 comments about An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order.

1. This was a fantastic book! I think the other reviews described the book well. This book was absolutely amazing.



2. Reading "An Infinity of Little Hours," I was, somewhat to my surprise, drawn deeply into the ascetic world of this Carthusian monastery in England through the stories of the five men who entered in 1960. The book becomes an unlikely page turner as you wonder who among the five will be able to endure the silence, the alone-ness, the cold, and other privations in order to become closer to God, which was their motivation for joining this most austere of all religious orders.
   
   The small details and trials of contemporary monastic life, little changed from the order's founding in the 11th century, are precisely described here and form a compelling counterpoint to the men's psychic yearning for the spiritual. You might both experience the "feel" of a hairshirt yet also "hear" the sweetness of a chant well-sung. You can share the frustration of one musically trained monk with his tone-deaf brothers.
   
   Reader's tip: Keep a bookmark in the page that lists the monks' secular and religious names (it can be confusing keeping track of who is who).
   
   This book will appeal to the religious and non-religious alike who share a fascination with those whose search for God sets them apart from our materialistic and secular society. "An Infinity of Little Hours" depicts a world which few of us would or could enter but which is nevertheless as fascinating to observe as any other rarified culture.



3. This contemplative, low-key text shone light into a realm unknown and unknowable to most people, and offered insights into the daily rituals and rhythms within this cloistered context. The men described were well-drawn, human, and treated respectfully, and each vignette offered different perspetives and angles on the experience inside the walls.
   
   I have recommended this book to friends interested in learning more about lives of meditation and solitude. I found it raised many points of comparison to the lives of Buddhist monks and nuns.



4. simply excellent. Couldn't put it down until finished. profound, moving and direct. one has to admire her five subjects and others involved----and the author who told their individual and collective story.
   Jim Whalen



5. Reality, not hagiography. This is the best way to describe 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. I think it is appropriate to begin this review by stating from the start what this book is not. This is not the story of five "conventional" holy men although each one was "holy" in a particular and peculiar way. The author did not set out to inspire people to pray, to excite the faith of believers nor to draw a recruiting poster for the Carthusians - although it may indeed increase the faith of some and move them to pray more or to seek admission to this strict order--and that is always good. Nor is this book about the "technique" of contemplative prayer a la Chartreuse, nor a narrative of mystical, ecstatic events.
   
   An Infinity of Little Hours could be construed as an attempt at dispassionate, anthropological observation but without the jargon that accompanies this science. Nancy Klein Maguire has an obvious interest to find out what makes this tribe of men "tick" and how they coped with their unique circumstances during their travails at the Catholic Church's "most austere monastic order." She relied heavily on personal interviews which she coupled with her extensive research material and exceptional access to the Carthusian Charterhouse in Parksminster, England and her own observations, memories, and imagination to reconstruct for her readers the settings in which the eremitic lives of these five men took place in the early 1960's. As a child born in the mid-1960's who did not witness first hand most of the pivotal events of that decade, I find her reconstruction vivid and credible. She certainly held my attention.
   
   The five men whose monastic adventure the author narrates came from different backgrounds in Europe, Britain, Ireland, and the United States. Each one brought with them a passion, an idea, a budding vocation, and their own temperament to the task. Of the five, only one remains a Carthusian today but all of them, each in his own way and like former U.S. Marines, remain "Carthusians" to this day, forever marked by their experience.
   
   I found fascinating Klein-Maguire's description of the inner politics of the Charterhouse. She answered several pedestrian questions I had regarding the relationships forged and the conflicts that arose between men in this rarefied environment. If one is "silent" most of the time, what does one think? What does one do? How does that affect our perceptions of others? The author's findings were very illuminating: worldly concerns, the bread-and-butter issues of lay people, even those with a contemplative bent in the world, disappeared, subsumed in an environment focused on the pursuit of God. "Little things" such as singing in tune in choir, a careless gesture, a sustained, casual gaze on something or someone, a gruff answer, all acquired rich overtones often leading to misinterpretation, ill-will, factionalism and even spiritual, mental, and emotional disaster. Many vocations shipwrecked on these very human stumbling blocks.
   
   Her description of environmental stresses also caught my attention. The Charterhouse was a cold, damp place most of the year; the clothing and apparel often more a hindrance than an aid to prayer - although I freely concede that my perception is due more to my very American penchant for "improving efficiency" of all things material and spiritual and not from the just appreciation of ascetical practices in the Carthusian context. I mean, if a cell is so cold that it distracts one from prayer, why not get a more efficient wood stove and do away with the 14th century model? If manually cleaning a toilet distracts one from prayer and work, why oppose the installation of flushing toilets? Again, the author proves that when worldly concerns are removed from one's psyche, the mundane is amplified beyond size and reason in one's mind. The lesson I learned was that only those who are able to set aside even the little mundane things can succeed in their Carthusian vocation. Those who cannot will leave sooner or later; no matter how advanced they may be in the ranks of the order. Their subconscious distaste for their lives will burst forth unexpectedly, overtake them, and force them to leave. Finding that out was sobering to me, as I discover the repercussions of that insight in my own non-eremitical quest to seek the face of God.
   
   Klein-Maguire seems to lose her objectivity only once throughout An Infinity of Little Hours. That occurs Klein-Maguire described the exit of one of the five protagonists who discovered his homosexuality while in the novitiate. The reader can almost feel Klein-Maguire's condescending sigh as the senior monks counseled the novice that his same-sex attraction was akin to an "illness" and therefore not sinful by itself. She then wistfully describes how the novice embraced both an active homosexual lifestyle and Catholic faith due to his perception of "acceptance" by the post-Vatican II and even, becoming "partnered" later on, while barely acknowledging the "return of the conservative Church." As a discerning reader, I would have accepted the bare narrative of this man's life and travails without judging him at all for his life choices - and I still do that. But as a believing, orthodox Catholic I did not appreciate the author's editorializing. Her stance tells me that, as a Washington DC resident, Klein-Maguire looks to Georgetown and not to CUA (Catholic University of America) for clues about the moral teaching of the Church and the pastoral care of homosexual persons. Caveat, emptor.
   
   Yet, this disagreeable lapse in objectivity was minor compared to the whole body of the work. Klein-Maguire accomplished something I look forward to in every good literature: she made me live several lives without having to stop living my own life and learned from each one accordingly. She also moved me to deeper introspection and to discover that, although I do like solitude and quiet, I am essentially a very gregarious being who needs a constant interaction from others to crosscheck note, learn, and grow as a Catholic Christian man.
   
   The Lord has blessed me with a dear wife, a family, and spiritual preceptors who have helped me and continue to help me along the way. I need their constant contact. Despite my very secular inclinations, my admiration continues to grow for those select men and women whom the Lord have chosen to "burn themselves" in a living holocaust of prayer and sacrifice for the rest of us. Everyday I become more convinced that the destiny of the Church stands on their suffering shoulders. Blessed be God for them!
   
   And thank you Nancy Klein Maguire for this precious book. Will you be writing about the Carthusian nuns next?

5 comments about The King's Good Servant but God's First : The Life and Writings of Saint Thomas More.

1. This is an excellent book. I highly recommend it to any reader who is interested in the life of Sir Thomas More. It gives three things necessary to understand the life of Sir More. First, it expains the background, education, and family life of Sir Thomas More. Second, it expains the governmental and private work that Sir Thomas more accomplished in his life. Third, it explains the politics and affairs that lead Sir Thomas More into not endorsing King Henry's divorce from Catherine.
   
   The reader will find out many fantastic things on More. I was amazed that More wrote over eleven thousand pages of material. I liked the fact the author wrote of the interplay between More's wife, Dame Alice, and More himself. Furthermore, the parts about More argueing against Luther's Reformation was quite informative. More had the sense to know that Luther's Reformation would fracture and weaken the Catholic church. Tynsdall's writings on the reformation directly leads to King Henry VIII taking over the Church in England.
   
   This is a very good book. I highly encourage historians or Catholic readers to study it.



2. This is an excellent biography of a courageous saint whose faith in God was stronger than his fear of death. While the book provides sufficient historical detail and background, its narrative structure is unique in that the author places events within the context of More's faith. Thankfully, Monti avoids a posthumous psychoanalysis of his subject (as many biographers are wont to do). Instead, he illuminates the saint's inner life by tapping into More's own thoughts, as revealed in his published works and correspondence. The result is a rich portrait of a man whose warmth and courage derived directly from his faith in God and the Catholic Church.

   Monti synthesizes More's apologetical writings in response to the Reformation, revealing More's keen theological acumen. What impressed me the most, however, was discovering the depth and richness of More's spirituality and faith. More's insight into Christ's agony in the garden of Gethseme and during His passion were particularly moving. It becomes clear that More's understanding and appreciation of Christ's suffering strenthened his faith when he needed it most.

   I would especially recommend this inspirational book to young people, who could choose no better role model than Saint Thomas More. He stands as a beacon of light in today's culture of moral relativism.




3. The author has presented a very well balanced survey of the life of St. Thomas More. In this work of history, one can find an excellent survey of the literary work of St. Thomas More. Additionally, you will find an excellent synopsis of St. Thomas More's relationship with his friend and humanist, Erasmus.

   The author writes in a style which captures the reader. This will not be one of those histories that you may only read piecemeal. Rather, St. Thomas More takes life and captivates the reader because of his holiness and goodness.

   This work looks into the saint's devotional practices, his great faith, his love of God and man, and his relationship with his family. To state that this is an excellent starting point for any person wishing to learn more about this man is an understatement.

   The characters of the reformation (i.e., Luther, Henry VIII) are given a balanced treatment in that their beliefs or writings are not misconstrued or embellished. St. Thomas More was a defender of the Father, and to that extent, his writing of the defense of the faith are given equal treatment.

   This book is most highly recommended.




4. I am about halfway through this book, despite purchasing it only a few days ago. It is such a terrific read, I can't put it down. I even bring it to work with me to read whenever I have a few spare minutes!
   For those of you who might find history boring, this is still the text for you. Monti's style of writing is outstanding and easy to follow. This book is one of my all-time favorites.
   
   Most importantly, it provides a fair and objective portrayal of Saint Thomas More. Many books have a bias, one way or the other, when writing about More or 16th century England yet it's tough to find one in this book. Furthermore, Monti doesn't focus simply on More, but gives the reader a fair portrayal of the Reformation during this crucial period in European history.
   
   More's life is simply fascinating - it reads like a novel. His genius and profound morality is clear. Upon reading this book, More is the type of man one would want to know, and the kind we wish (!) there were more of in modern-day society. It is an extremely inspirational book.



5. James Monti's work, "The Kings Good Servant But God's First," provides an excellent overview St Thomas More's life and writings; but a much greater focus is based upon his writings. Monti's treatment of More's oeuvre is skillfully researched, comprehensive, informative, and pleasing to read. St Thomas More's defense of Church unity and the Sacraments against Tyndale and the rising tide of the Reformation, is finely commented upon in a clear and concise fashion. His devotional writings and correspondence with family in the waning days of his life on earth, are given an exceptional touch of intimacy, which will no doubt compel readers to seek out works such as the "Treatise upon the Passion" and the "Dialogue of Comfort Against Tribulation" (as one of our fellow reviews has pointed out as well). As for More's life, Monti pays particular attention to his early years and his final days, with brief expositions in between on his rise in the King's court and his later relations with Henry VIII as tensions began to swell between the English monarch and the Papacy. Overall, Monti presents a noble sketch of the Christian scholar and family man, graced with charm and good humor, conscientiousness and candor, who was devoted to his friends and family, and to the salvation of souls and Christ's Church. This book offers much material for in-depth study and further reading, and it is a definite recommendation.

5 comments about A Fragile Stone: The Emotional Life of Simon Peter.

1. Slight but easily-read study of the life of Peter, who in Card's hands becomes the most passionately-colored Disciple and Apostle. No deep theology, just an interesting portrait. One interesting insight is that Jesus renamed Simon "the Rock" (Peter), then never called him that. As Card says, "the Rock" isn't a name, it is at best a title, as in Simon the Rock, Simon Peter, then Card draws the parallel to Jesus the Christ, Jesus Christ!
   
   Card makes a compelling case for Peter as Jesus' best friend. He points to the epistles' reference to the resurrected Jesus appearing first to Peter, a meeting not recorded in the Gospels, as evidence of Jesus going first to Peter to forgive him for the betrayal and strengthen him for the events to come.



2. I enjoyed the book. It does a good job of making Peter real. However, I found some of the speculation disconcerting and in checking some of the points with Strong's concordance and the scipture itself, I found the scholarship some what weak. (Jesus never calling Peter by the name Peter....Peter cutting off the ear lobe, not the ear...and so on.) I had a few to many questions to accept everything is this book.
   Lots of good points, though, and it was written with passion for Jesus and for Peter!



3. Michael Card does a great job at taking the reader on an expedition of Simon Peter's emotional state. His goal to help me understand Christ that much more is certainly attained here. This was a pouring out of the author's heart.



4. I have always loved Peter so much for his impetuousness, imperfections, and deep love for Christ. In this book, Michael Card has presented a much more real Peter than I have ever seen. I can see him so clearly now as he grew in his faith, love, obedience, and strength in Christ. I see him with his personal struggles as he comes to the realization that the Messiah must die and that following Jesus may very well lead to his own death. In the chapter describing the changes around Jesus during the last week of his life, Michael Card focuses on the fact that people began leaving Jesus because He made them realize that following Him would be hard, challenging, dangerous, and yet more fulfilling than any other experience of life. When the people say that what Jesus is describing is hard and who could bear that life, they begin leaving. Jesus turns to the twelve and asks if they are going to leave as well. Only Peter answers telling Jesus that He is Lord, Savior - where else would they go? In the past, when I have read or studied this part of Scripture, I just assumed that Peter was giving a strong affirmation of their faith and faithfulness. Michael Card gives another and much more realistic portrayal - Peter is tired, sad, disappointed and he agrees with the people who said that following Christ is hard and difficult to bear. His answer is more one of resignation - You are the Lord, Jesus. You are the Savior, you are the way to salvation - Where else are we going to go?? I have read these pages to almost everyone I know because Card continues on with these thoughts and states that at some point in our lives, we will also be disappointed with Christ. Things will go in a way we never wanted or imagined - he gave the examples of losing a child or getting cancer. At these points in our lives, we have the same decision as Peter - are we going to stay or will we decide that being a Christian is too hard and we cannot bear it. But we will be forced to choose faith or no faith at what may be the most painful point in our lives. Peter made his choice, yet he then followed by denying Christ three times. Watching Peter become "the rock" from being a "fragile stone" has brought me to an even stronger place in my faith. Peter is shown to be like us - with all the struggles, mistakes,joys and sorrows and he was able to choose Christ above all. Michael Card takes the reader on Peter's journey and the reader is strengthened and enriched. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would - just as I would have done for his book, A Sacred Sorrow - Reaching Out to God in the Lost Language of Lament.



5. I finished this book in only 3 days because I couldn't stop reading, I loved it!
   Card uncovers personal perspectives about Peter and about Jesus. Some highlights (among MANY) that struck me:
   WHEN Peter tried to walk on water:

   "The lesson is that Peter needed to sink in order to take that next step of faith in Jesus. Because walking on the water does not ultimately increase our faith, only sinking does! Those who ask for miracles and receive them soon forget. But those who suffer for Christ's sake never forget."

   "And what often goes unappreciated is that Peter's short walk was indeed a triumph of faith. It was his first miracle!"

   ON GOOD FRIDAY:
   "Jesus and his disciples were celebrating their Passover on Thursday when everyone else in Jerusalem was making preparations on Friday. This means that the Jews of Jerusalem were preparing and slaughtering their Passover lambs at precisely the same moment the following day, when Jesus, the Lamb of God, was dying on the cross."

   ON PETER'S DENIAL:
   After he denies Jesus the third time, Luke records that Jesus turned to him and looked at Peter across the courtyard.
   "It was this look, I believe, that broke Peter's heart.
   The understanding gaze of Jesus could not have been one of disdain or condemnation. That was not Jesus' way. I believe the only look that could have broken Simon Peter was of love and forgiveness. Which is just what we would expect from our Savior."
   There's also a segment that tears at your heart when Jesus, resurrected, asks Peter three times to take care of his Sheep, neutralizing Peter's three denials. It has never before struck me with the force of Jesus' kindness and forgiveness as Card reveals it.

   This book is less than 200 paperback-like pages that go by quickly. It is overflowing with insight and wonderful personal moments. Peter, the leader of the Apostles, may have faltered in his faith, but never in his love for Jesus.
   You will come away with a newfound respect for Peter and especially for the Friend he followed to the end.

4 comments about Eric Liddell (Men of Faith).

1. Encouraging for all ages - as a read aloud even. The challenges, the excitement, the blessing... My 14 year old enjoyed the book a great deal, too.



2. Poor writing and condescending (if not racist) attitudes toward the Chinese ruined this book. It was recommended as a language arts book for my 8th grader, but I will not let her read this account. Eric Liddell comes across as a cardboard figure in this book. I will look for another book that will do justice to the story of Eric Liddell's life and his faith in God.



3. Eric Liddell was (and still is) a shining example of what a person can do if he will use the gifts God has given him/her. It is too bad that this book did not live up to the potential that it could have been. There was not enough documentation of events, and the author used descriptions of Eric and events in his life that possibly were misleading, ie. ...but the thinly veiled criticism in the press turned to sensational acclaim when Eric entered-and won-a race for which he was completely untrained... Anyone who knows the story knows that Eric knew of his being in the 400 meters months in advance of the Olympics. True enough, it was quite a fantastic feat,however, over-sensationalism only lends weakness to this great story.



4. An inspiring true story ruined by bad writing. Is this book written for children? Did the author do any research because there is no souce documented. Anyhow, this is still a wonderful true story.

5 comments about Sister Ignatia - Second Edition: Angel of Alcoholics Anonymous.

1. This is a great history of the beginnings of A.A. and of the struggles of Dr. Bob to find a credible medical facility to help in the physical and spiritual recovery of alcoholics. Sr. Ignatia is one more non-alcoholic, like Dr. Silkworth and Fr. Ed Dowling, who serve at a pivotal point in the A.A. story. The author helps us see in Sr. Ignatia's own spiritual and personal biography how uniquely prepared and how providentially generous she was to be able to facilitate Dr. Bob's and A.A.'s program at St. Thomas Hospital in Akron, Ohio. I was intrigued with the seriousness that Sr. Ignatia, the doctors at St. Thomas and the Sisters of Charity in recognizing and attending to the underlying spiritual dimension of alcoholism. They were not the only ones to do this, as the book relates, but they helped bridge the moral/clinical gap that so many professionals and others, then as today, refuse(d) to accept.
   I found Sr. Ignatia's life journey very instructive. She was a very diligent teacher of music, professional, and in a sense driven. She had her Waterloo experience in a near nervous breakdown. The doctor asked her if she wanted to be a dead music teacher or a live nun? Thence, began her service as Admissions Director at St. Thomas. She had learned first hand that living life involved ups and downs and that a "mysterious-to-us-at-times" Providence, Power Greater Than Ourselves, God would lead when we were ready to surrender. Living in that awareness allows one to take risks for the good. The story of Sr. Ignatia, Dr. Bob and early A.A. in Akron and Cleveland is a story of risk and fulfillment.



2. For eighteen years now, I have been researching, analyzing, and pulling together all of the wellsprings of A.A. My area of focus and such expertise as I have concerns the original A.A. program in Akron which derived primarily from the United Christian Endeavor Movement of Dr. Bob's youth in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. The Akron program was summarized by Frank Amos in his report to John D. Rockefeller, Jr. in 1938; and its ingredients are a dead ringer for the techniques of the Salvation Army, the Rescue Missions, the principles and practices of Christian Endeavor, and several of the Oxford Group life-changing ideas. But early Akron A.A. was a unit unto itself. On the East Coast, Bill Wilson was formulating his ideas for recovery from the conversion thesis of Dr. Carl Jung, his own conversion at the altar at Calvary Rescue Mission, Ebby Thacher's prior conversion there, and Bill's study of the monumental coverage of such conversion experiences by Professor William James. There is much more, and it is discussed in my latest title The Conversion of Bill W. And later, after the Akron program had earned its spurs as a Christian Fellowship, Wilson was commissioned to write a text which was supposed to describe the original program and flesh it out with testimonials by those who participated. Instead, Bill drew on all the sources in the East, plus some newcomer ideas from Richard Peabody, Sam Shoemaker, Dr. Silkworth, and New Thought writers. Out of this came the Big Book, published in 1939, and very much based on the teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker of Calvary Episcopal Church. But Bill left out the rich Akron roots including the Bible, Quiet Time, Anne Smith's teaching and her journal, the Book of James, the Sermon on the Mount, and 1 Corinthians 13, and the devotionals like the Upper Room, the books AAs studied such as Drummond's The Greatest Thing in the World, plus what Bill was later to call the "doctrines and dogma" of the missions. The end results of the Wilson pen were a Big Book and Twelve Steps which neither resembled the Akron program nor the conversion picture painted so clearly for Bill by Jung, Hazard, Thacher, Silkworth, James, and even Shoemaker. Because of this jumble, I have spent most of my research time and 31 published titles covering the materials that were left out, are virtually unknown today, and yet produced the astonishing 75% success rate in Akron and the 93% rate in Cleveland.
   Meanwhile, author Mary Darrah had been working up her materials on Sister Ignatia of St. Thomas Hospital in Akron. For me, the material seemed at first to be irrelevant to my work on the earliest A.A. But, from the beginning, I noticed the very important pieces of Akron history that Darrah had unearthed and placed in the Ignatia book. I appreciate them even more today. These included: (1) Specific mention of Anne Smith's Journal and its relevance to the Twelve Steps later penned by Wilson. (2) Her delightful phrase that Anne Smith served God and Scripture daily to those who supped at the Smith home each morning. (3) Her highlighting of the close relationship between Ignatia and Dr. Bob's wife Anne. (4) Her providing Ignatia's materials on hospitalization and recovery. While Darrah's history pertained to the period which began after the Big Book was published in 1939 (though Mary tries to make it otherwise), she seemed to grasp the importance of the all-but-forgotten history of Akron A.A. itself. She overrates Ignatia's part in the "founding," but she brings to light one of the major factors that branched forward in Akron during Bill's twelve or so years of major depression. For, in post-big book days, while Bill was suffering from immobilizing depression, it was the work of Clarence Snyder in Cleveland, Dr. Bob and Anne and Ignatia in Akron, Richmond Walker's writings, Father Pfau's writings, Ed Webster's writings, and the materials from local groups that changed the face of A.A. yet allowed it continued growth. By all accounts, Ignatia's contributions in this period were enormous. And I believe that if one looks at the very unusual AA of Akron pamphlets that were written by Evan W., commissioned by Dr. Bob, and circulated from the 1940's to this day, you can see that there was a hearty ember of Bible, Christianity, and devotional practices that was fanned and kept glowing during New York's dark years. And if you look at the original Akron program (1935-1938), the sources of that program, the surviving details as outlined in DR. BOB and The Good Oldtimers, the program at St. Thomas Hospital as spelled out by Darrah, and the Akron pamphlets, you can see a deeply religious foundation in the A.A. program which no one seemed to understand any better than Sister Ignatia. My recommendation? Look at A.A. from a chronological standpoint--not the tired and erroneous timelines still being circulated. Look at the Akron beginnings in Vermont and the program that emerged and produced the pioneer 40 in Akron and their cures. Look then at the beginnings in the East Coast and the original emphasis by Bill on conversion--sparked probably by his own grandfather Willie's conversion and healing of alcoholism. Then look at the Big Book program and Twelve Steps that Bill fashioned in 1938 and 1939 largely from the Oxford Group teachings of Rev. Sam Shoemaker. At that point, you have three major legs of our history. Then came Bill's long devastating depression, the new ideas and writings that sprang into being, coupled with Clarence Snyder's consistent championing of the Big Book, the Steps, the Bible, and the Four Absolutes and Ignatia's priceless work with beginners that did not diminish or detract from the Christian principles and Bible roots and did produce worthy results. The Darrah book is very valuable if one wishes to see the biography of A.A. from 1934 through 1955 when major and substantially different changes were placed in cement with A.A. Comes of Age, Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions, and the St. Louis Convention. Good for Mary. See a summary of the foregoing picture, including Darrah's findings, Ignatia's role, the St. Thomas story, and the important Akron picture in the 1940's in my title Real Twelve Step Fellowship History. Dick B.



3. Mary Darrah deserves credit for tackling the biography of a tremendously overlooked personality from AA's past. The story of the little Nun is covered in detail. Darrah does a good job of getting the facts down.
   
   However, this book suffers from stilted language and poor organization. The narrative conveys no passion or excitment, something I'm sure the writer must have possesed in order to cover such an obscure figure as Sister Ignatia. The chapters are not organizaed well and do not flow evenly into each other.
   IT almost has the feel of one of those bad textbooks you had in high school.
   
   However, it's still worth laying out the money for this book if you're desiring a better understanding of AA history.



4. Mary Darrah's book on Sr. Ignatia is an excellent historical document for all to read whether or not they are in recovery from alcohol or other drugs. This book is an accurate historical account of both the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous as well as the life of a compassionate yet tough woman.

   This book is a must read for anyone interested in the truth about AA history. It is interesting, informative and enlightening.

   Mitchell K. (Author of HOW IT WORKED, The Story of Clarence H. Snyder and the Early Days of Alcoholics Anonymous in Cleveland, Ohio)




5. In the early days of Alcoholics Anonymous, the recovery rate was about seventy five per cent. Today, the recovery rate is less than one per cent. In the early days of AA, 1935 to 1945, the founders of AA (Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob Smith and Sister Ignatia) operated under the concept that alcoholism was the indication of a spiritual illness. You first took away the alcohol, let the patient go through the withdrawal, and then they trained the alcoholic to be a spiritual person, both by learning to pray, (any religion would do) and then to pass your victory on to other suffering alcoholics. As AA grew, it began to be accepted in government run hospitals. And anything to do with the government has to have nothing to do with religion. So they began to treat alcoholics with psychiatry and downplayed the religious angle, hence the much lower recovery rate. Groups that use religion to treat alcoholics, like Teen Challenge, have an 80% recovery rate. When Sister Ignatia was helping to steer the recovery boat, along with Bill Wilson, Dr. Bob and the assent to Grace, recovery from alcoholism was possible for the first time on this planet. The other influence working against AA's religious methods was the birth, in the late 50's, of political correctness which fears surrender to religion (of ALL kinds) Reading this book about Sr. Ignatia has strenghthened my spirituality in AA. I just celebrated fourteen years sober.

No comments about Hildegard of Bingen (Devotions, Prayers & Living Wisdom).

1 comments about A Dynamic God: Living an Unconventional Catholic Faith.

1. The ten remarkable essays of A Dynamic God continue the interior journey Nancy Mairs began in her spiritual memoir, Ordinary Time: Cycles in Marriage, Faith, and Renewal (1993). In that book, Mairs introduced us to her understanding of belief, faith, conversion, and social conscience, maturing within the context of family history (both she and her husband were conventional Protestants) and continuing medical catastrophes. (She has multiple sclerosis; her husband George has had multiple melanomas.) This one-disaster-after-another life, which might have led a less hardy soul to despair, has graced Mairs with both wisdom and a wise uncertainty. "I now know that I now know less about God than I did to being with," she says in A Dynamic God. "I have discarded as many fixed ideas as possible about the God I inherited, and I'm unlearning more every day."
   
   This "deconstructive process"--trading conventional notions of God for radical understandings of the Sacred--is traced in a variety of ways throughour the essays. In "Left at the Altar," about communion and community, she reminds us that the central purpose of the Eucharist is to take God in "in preparation for living God out," and that absent the outreach to others, communion has little significance. In "A Calling," she wonders what her life purpose can be, bound to a wheelchair: "My doing days are done," she says. "Wanting some task carried out, God can do better than look to me." But being has a purpose that far transcends mere doing. We have to help God be God, she says, echoing Etty Hillesum, in An Interrupted Life. I am who God is. God is who I am. It is a theological, moral, and ethical statement of profound significance, and it colors all of Mairs' beliefs and actions.
   
   Many parts of this book will be uncomfortable for conventional Christians. Rejecting belief in a personal salvation gained by taking Christ as a personal savior (she doesn't believe in hell, either, or the virgin birth or the resurrection--literally, at least), she insists that we are not in this world for the purpose of being personally "saved." We are here to be God, to love others as ourselves: "If we take care of one another, we are saved." Her profound faith in a God that is the Whole of It expresses itself in her moral and ethical life: the choice that she and her husband have made to live modestly and simply, their protests against war, their visits to the sick and imprisoned and gifts to the poor--acts of charity described with a refreshing humility. "Believing as I do . . . that our every atom bears God into being, I cannot experience myself as truly apart," she writes. "Between you and me there is no Between."
   
   But while Mairs' doing days may be done, she is still writing, and it is her wry, witty candor and fierce, unflinching honesty that draws me to her work, over and over again. As an agnostic, I find her radical doubt energizing and inspiring. I am moved by the unconventional questions she asks and by her embrace of the best of Catholicism, Buddhism, and Judaism, to seek radical answers for myself. Mobile and more or less able-bodied, I am challenged by her courageous refusal to allow her immobility to define the direction and dimensions of her moral and spiritual growth.
   
   A Dynamic God is rich, risky, and startling. It is a remarkable book. Read it.
   
   --Susan Wittig Albert is the author of Writing From Life: Telling the Soul's Story. This review is also published on the website of the Story Circle Network Book Reviews.