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Title: Why I Am a Catholic by Garry Wills ISBN: 0-618-38048-5 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 08 October, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.03 (37 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Or, "The Origin of Faith"
Comment: Respected political and social columnist and commentator Garry Wills has taken on some controversial issues before, and he certainly does likewise here. Although "Why I Am a Catholic" was written from the vantage point of the Church's hierarchy and its relationship to the faith of the faithful, it is as most certainly pertinent to the fallout from the scandal of the American Church's apparent coverup of child sexual abuse by the pedophile clergy. While the title of Wills' work might imply a personal defense of his religious preference (and it is to a very limited degree), the book is more a history of Catholocism, its papacy and Scriptural creeds on which the faith of the faithful are based. In his trademark logic, Wills relates those factors to the Church's hierarchy and, as such, an unasked question of the reader arises: in just what do we as individual Catholics place our faith? The man-made bureaucracy and hierarchy of the Church? Or the Scripture from which our faith evolves? Whatever our private answer, we might be able to distinguish if whatever crisis we have is one of faith or one of man. Wills doesn't answer that question in his own personal recollections as a Catholic, but he offers a hint: unlike so many other Catholic memoirs, Wills has no bad memories or experiences. In the end, the complicated question of why we as Catholics stay that way is really so very devinely simple. Faith trusted to any man-made institution risks criticism and, many times, scandal. Faith entrusted to God, the true Father of our faith, will never be scandalized. For this Catholic (who voluntarily converted from Pentecostalism), why am I a Catholic? My faith is in the God of my Church, not the men who create and administer its bureaucracy. Certainly there are disagreements with some of the Church's political and social statements. But, just as Vatican II brought the Church into the 20th century, history supports the hope that another such conclave will bring it into the 21st century.
Rating: 5
Summary: A timely book indeed!
Comment: The prolific historian offers a timely confession of faith and an apology in the true sense of the term. Wills (James Madison, p. 244, etc.) is not just any Catholic: he studied for the priesthood, has worked in Jesuit and papal archives, and has written many books on moral matters and the intersection of politics and religion. For having dared question the Church's positions on matters of doctrine great and small, he has been nearly stripped of his membership as one of the faithful. "I am not a special case," he writes, "but in many ways a typical one." In light of all this, asked why he chooses to remain a Catholic, Wills answers with quiet dignity, "because of the creed." By this he means the creed offered by Christ in the Lord's Prayer (ever the trained classicist, he offers a new translation that hugs closely to the original Greek) and by the apostles, who pledged faith in "the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting." Would that it were all so simple. Arguing against generations of doctrine on such matters as women's unsuitability for the priesthood, papal infallibility, and "peripheral stances taken by church authorities, some of which are not only non-binding but scandalous and morally repulsive," the author takes a long tour through Catholic history, separating the words of Jesus, Peter, and Paul from their later representatives and, critics might object, casting aside whatever does not suit him in search of a more user-friendly brand of Catholicism. Though immensely learned and capable of holding his own in any argument, Wills also calls on some heavy-hitters for backup, including English writer G.K. Chesterton (a favorite of clerical conservatives), saintly socialist Dorothy Day, and the brilliant Thomas Aquinas. Deserves-and will almost certainly find-a wide readership while garnering for Wills both praise as a principled oppositionist and condemnation as a heretic.
Rating: 1
Summary: Please do not confuse Wills with Catholics OF FAITH
Comment: During times like this, with the horrifying priest scandal, papal fragility and charges of anti-Semitism, Catholics obviously can't be pleased to hear more (unnecessary) media attention given to such an insufferably arrogant and hypocritical individual like Garry Wills. But, always the opportunist, Wills recognizes that anti-Catholic sentiment can turn into dividends for his shallow and repetitive assessments of the Vatican and people of shared faith. Yes, FAITH -- that one word that Wills continuously tap dances around because the true meaning of the word still alludes him. Being an intellectual, he knows that the media worships his type and will publish his "declarations" (devoid of solutions) as the "final word." But when will Wills and the media finally acknowledge that the Catholic faith is not simply an intellectual pursuit? It is not just about praying and attending church (and thereby declaring yourself a "devout Catholic," as Wills does). It is not about simply carrying on a religion you were born into, even though you no longer believe in much of it (e.g., Wills undermines the importance in worshiping Mary, yet continues to pray the rosary, which signifies . . worship of Mary). It's not an issue of IQ or theological expertise. Faith must be felt, experienced, continually cultivated and deepened, and approached with HUMILITY (another word obviously foreign to Wills).
Wills can indeed offer much history (and a rather unhealthy obsession) regarding the papal hierarchy. But there are other sources for that information than this book. You don't need the baggage that Wills brings with it. You don't need to read about the many, many doctrines he rejects and writes against, only to be followed by hollow declarations of his loyalty to Catholicism (hence, the ridiculous title of this book). Wills' true character came into clearer view recently with his damning piece for New York Review about the Passion of the Christ film. It was very clear that Wills rejects the significance of the Lord's Passion (THE true core of Christianity), the importance of Mary, the truth and relevance of historical Passion accounts, and the inclusion of any form of guilt or responsibility when considering the extent of Christ's sufferings. Instead of acknowledging the obvious (like a truly humble, honest, caring religious gentleman would) -- that he cannot find a spiritual connection to the story beyond his cold, detached scholarship -- he then proceeded to demean the intelligence, tastes, character, gullibility and religious interpretation of Mel Gibson and all Catholics who derived something far deeper from the film than he could. Nothing about Wills' attitude and manner (as well as respect/consideration for his fellow human beings) represents the ideals that TRUE "devout Catholics" follow in their daily lives.
Simply put, we're all well aware that the Catholic Church has made many mistakes, is currently facing some serious problems, and has many more changes and issues to deal with in the future. You don't need to buy a Garry Wills book to tell you these things. You'll never see the secular media directing you to books providing multi-dimensional understanding of the Vatican and the Catholic faith, but such authors DO exist.
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Title: Papal Sin : Structures of Deceit by Garry Wills ISBN: 0385494114 Publisher: Image Books Pub. Date: 18 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: The Catholic Church : A Short History by Hans Kung ISBN: 0812967623 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 07 January, 2003 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Saint Augustine (Penguin Lives) by Garry Wills ISBN: 0670886106 Publisher: Viking Press Pub. Date: June, 1999 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: A People Adrift : The Crisis of the Roman Catholic Church in America by Peter Steinfels ISBN: 0684836637 Publisher: Simon & Schuster Pub. Date: 05 August, 2003 List Price(USD): $26.00 |
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Title: Why I Am Still a Catholic by Kevin Ryan, Marilyn Ryan ISBN: 1573226777 Publisher: Riverhead Books Pub. Date: May, 1998 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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