Book Reviews – April 2020

Equality and Non-discrimination: Catholic Roots, Current Challenges
By Jane F. Adolphe, Robert L. Fastiggi, and Michael A. Vacca. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review)

Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy: An Introduction to Issues and Approaches
By Craig A. Boyd and Don Thorsen. Reviewed by Yoon Shin, PhD. (skip to review)

The Human Person: A Bioethical Word
By Francis Etheredge. Reviewed by Yoon Shin, PhD. (skip to review)

Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination
By John Corvino, Ryan Anderson, and Sherif Girgis. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review)

Why Celibacy? Reclaiming the Fatherhood of the Priest
By Carter Griffin. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review)

The Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching: Participation in Worship and the World.
By Kevin Ahern, Larry Dowling, et al. Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak. (skip to review)

Becoming Women of the Word: How to Answer God’s call with Purpose and Joy
By Sarah Christmeyer. Reviewed by Christine Sharmila Rego. (skip to review)

Teaching Discernment: A Pedagogy for Presenting Ignatian Discernment of Spirits
By Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV. Reviewed by Deacon John Hayes. (skip to review)

Equality and Non-discrimination
– Adolphe, Fastiggi, and Vacca

Jane F. Adolphe, Robert L. Fastiggi, and Michael A. Vacca, eds. Equality and Non-discrimination: Catholic Roots, Current Challenges. Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2019. 214 pages.
Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak.

Political rhetoric has made much of the buzzwords equality and non-discrimination, but how are they properly conceptualized and maturely effectuated? The first third of this interdisciplinary collection of essays harnesses the insights of the Catholic intellectual tradition relative to the principles of equality and non-discrimination, the second segment discusses their inflection within the European legal system, and the third section offers an assessment of selected human rights systems from around the globe.

The first chapter, by theologian Robert L. Fastiggi and entitled “Human Equality and Non-Discrimination in Light of Catholic Theology and Magisterial Teachings,” grounds the equality of all human persons in their ultimate origin, dignity, and destiny. Chapter two, by canonist Ernest Caparros and entitled “Sacramental Roots of Canon Law: Fundamental Equality and Functional Difference,” explains how radical equality squares with the diversity of roles within the hierarchically ordered Catholic Church. Chapter three, by classicist Daniel B. Gallagher and entitled “The Principles of Equality and Non-discrimination,” draws a subtle yet invaluable distinction between ends and purposes in arguing that “there are ends in things and that our purposes and choices must respect their priority” (39).

In the fourth chapter, entitled “How to Think about Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Policies and Religious Freedom,” public intellectual Ryan T. Anderson cautions that some proposed antidiscrimination laws lack necessary nuance and “are about government coercing people to live according to the majority’s values” (44). In the fifth chapter, entitled “The Necessity for a Contextual Analysis for Equality and Non-discrimination,” legal scholar Iain T. Benson discusses the framing of issues. He notes that the invocation of equality invariably places those who are not allied with a given proposal on the defensive, thereby allowing various movements to exploit the rhetoric of equality (66).

In the sixth chapter, entitled “Non-discrimination Policy in the Context of the European Union,” ecclesiastic Piotr Mazurkiewicz examines EU policy in light of the Commission of the Bishop’s Conferences of the European Community’s (COMECE) 2010 document on the matter. The seventh chapter, by barrister Paul Diamond and entitled “Human Rights as Ideology: The Meaning of Equality and Non-discrimination in European Litigation within the Context of Religious Freedom,” expresses concern about the erosion of religious freedoms ranging from public ridicule and open disrespect to the labeling of certain religious expressions as criminal hate speech.

In the eight chapter, entitled “The Inter-American System: Sexual Orientation as a Category and/or Ground of Non-discrimination,” legal scholar Carmen Domínguez Hidalgo discusses “the recent inclusion of sexual orientation as a suspect category in the Inter-American region . . . which in at least one case, undercut the best interests of the child principle, when it was treated as a ‘super-category’ by the” Inter-American Court of Human Rights (xxx). In the ninth chapter, entitled “Equality and Non-discrimination: The Peculiar Approach of the American Convention on Human Rights,” legal scholar Ursula C. Basset argues that the long-standing traditions and identity of Latin Americans is being imposed upon and points out some of the inconsistencies. In the tenth chapter, entitled “ASEAN’s Declaration of Human Rights (ADHR): Clashing Cultural and Regional Values,” legal scholar D. Brian Scarnecchia proposes moving in the direction of human ecology. In the eleventh and final chapter, entitled “Religious Freedom and Christianity in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) in the Context of the Papal Trip to Turkey,” lawyer Geoffrey Strickland discusses the notions of Islamophobia and Christianophobia and offers ideas on what can be done to remedy the scourge of fear and religious repression.

In sum, this collection of essays sheds greater light on the touchstone concepts of equality and non-discrimination. In so doing, it offers a perceptive critique of certain developments in the international arena and proposes certain salutary course corrections. It offers readers a taste of the ideological challenges facing human flourishing around the globe and the opportunities for improvement that likewise present themselves.

Christopher Siuzdak is a canonist in the Tribunal of the Diocese of Portland.

Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy
– Boyd and Thorsen

Boyd, Craig A, and Don Thorsen. Christian Ethics and Moral Philosophy: An Introduction to Issues and Approaches. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2018.
Reviewed by Yoon Shin, PhD.

Even on our most mundane days, we are likely to face several situations that elicit our ethical decision-making skills. Compounding this reality are, on the one hand, our politically charged times that continually divide people along moral lines and, on the other hand, the landscape of higher education that is trending away from the humanities while overly emphasizing economic considerations, leading to the loss of knowledge of, and skills required for, ethics. The need for moral education has never been greater, especially for Christians whose moral education should be guided by the resources of their Christian tradition.

Craig Boyd and Don Thorsen provide an accessible introduction for such an education. Although a short volume, they provide a coherent vision of ethics informed by moral philosophy and moral theology. The book is broadly outlined with theological introductions and moves more toward philosophical theories. Each chapter helpfully ends with a case study with which they apply the topics introduced in the chapter.

The first chapter introduces the field of ethics, its theories and verbiage, and explains the differences between moral philosophy and moral theology and how they overlap, which is exemplified in their adaptation of the Wesleyan Quadrilateral for moral issues. Chapters two and three explore theological ethics, specifically looking at the ethics of the Old and New Testaments. These chapters should prove especially helpful for readers who are only familiar with a plain-reading hermeneutics of Scripture and have not studied the nuances and backgrounds of Scripture. For the authors do not picture Scripture as merely providing ethical codes to live by. Instead, the chapter reads like a mini introduction to the Bible, contextualizing biblical ethics within the categories of the different divisions and/or writers of the Bible. For example, the second chapter provides the consistent but different moral emphases appearing in the Torah, Nevi’im, and the Ketuvim. The third chapter does something similar, analyzing, in part, the ethics of Jesus and Paul.

The rest of the book turns more philosophical, introducing the dominant theories within ethics: divine command theory, natural law ethics, individualistic ethics, Kantian ethics, utilitarianism, continental ethics, and virtue ethics. The chapters are strictly introductory, and the authors do not recommend any one theory over another until the very end. Yet, the epilogue does not introduce so much a different ethical theory as much as an emphasis, the centrality of love that must be realized in any ethical theory. Love is not a secular philosophical concept for the authors. Love is a theological reality; the reality of God’s grace, and love undergirds ethics for Christians. The words of the authors make this clear: “In emphasizing the centrality of love, the Christian moral tradition offers something philosophical theories cannot offer: the grace of Jesus Christ, which provides a new way of being and acting in the world” (180).

The book does a solid job in introducing ethics to the reader. It is written for wide readership and would be appropriate for high school students. Pedagogically, the case studies and discussion questions in each chapter provide immediate opportunities to apply the concepts of each chapter. The book also includes a glossary of key terms at the end to help orient the reader.

If I may provide a sympathetic critique for an otherwise fantastic introductory textbook, it is that the authors do a great job critiquing each theory. Part of the reason may be because the authors do not want to use their authority to lead the reader to accept one particular theory given the introductory nature of the book. Another reason may be to encourage critical analysis and further studies, rightfully indicating the complexity of ethics and preemptively resisting the cultivation of moral fundamentalism. However, while such critiques will be helpful in the setting of a classroom where a teacher or facilitator could provide further information, a reader without a guide may find herself frustrated with the lack of clarity. The authors do provide a list of further readings by category, but a solitary reader may still find herself frustrated at the lack of guidance amongst a sea of numerous recommendations. Yet, let me reiterate that this is a small, sympathetic critique. The book excels as an introductory book to ethics.

Yoon Shin (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is Assistant Professor of Philosophical Theology at Southeastern University.

The Human Person – Francis Etheredge

Etheredge, Francis. The Human Person: A Bioethical Word. St. Louis: En Route Books and Media, 2017.
Reviewed by Yoon Shin, PhD.

I was invited by the author, Francis Etheredge, to review The Human Person. I was intrigued because I do not normally engage classical Catholic thought. I have some familiarity with Aristotelian and Thomistic philosophy, which aided my reading of this book, and the writings of Catholic theology of religions scholars Paul Knitter and Gavin D’Costa. Readers may find Etheredge’s openness to the universality of truth in other religions consonant with D’Costa’s writings. However, hardly anyone would argue that Knitter and Etheredge are on the same page, even as confessing Catholics. This little background gives a glimpse of the extent of my knowledge of the tradition to which Etheredge belongs. My background is in Reformed theology and classical Pentecostalism. However, Etheredge desired readership beyond Catholics, and the primary course I teach is ethics, so I agreed to write this book review. I was also leading an independent reading course with a graduate student on ethics, so we decided to read the book together.

Although Etheredge intended to make the book accessible for wide readership and limited the use of footnotes, the book still runs almost 400 pages. However, the book immediately displays the intellectual capabilities of the author, and is a tour de force in the fields of theological anthropology and bioethics in classical Catholic thought. The many scholars who wrote their forewords to each chapter, a unique style in its own regard, agree. These forewords provide extra content, whether as primarily summaries or further arguments. As important as these contributions are, my student and I agreed that the book does not seem appropriate for lay reading. Perhaps this critique is due to the different traditions we inhabit. Etheredge’s Catholicism has long valued the catechesis of its members. Pentecostal and Evangelical traditions have traditionally neglected catechesis, and its members are often theologically and biblically illiterate. Given this inherent problem within our traditions, Etheredge’s self-consciously Catholic arguments may prove too difficult and controversial for sympathetic readership from the lay members in our traditions.

The work is rigorously argued and provides valuable insight to Catholic anthropology and bioethics. Etheredge’s main anthropological idea is that humans are persons-in-relation. This unitive theme extends to the person as a psychological-physical being who is also activity. Activity exhibits being even as being manifests activity. Etheredge builds this perspectival structure of human being through engagement with philosophy, theology, Scripture, and science.

Unique to Etheredge’s argument is his methodology that bypasses an abstract and theoretical starting point; instead, beginning from lived experience. Lived experience is complex. By reflecting on lived experience, Etheredge draws attention the dynamic and complex nature of human personhood. There is a developmental picture that Etheredge draws of the person, not merely in terms of physiological change that humans undergo, but also their psychological development. This is why marriage is such an important starting point. Marital conception of a child is a gift that flows from God. Conception outside of conjugal union is discouraged because such instances already introduces malformation in the vital relationship between parents and child, and this malformation is critical because humans are person-in-relation. Because humans find their source in the triune God, right relationship is vital to human be-ing and how they treat each other.

Taking lived experience seriously, there is a possible avenue for fruitful dialogue with phenomenology and existentialism. Perhaps this book will be a catalyst for conversation between Thomists and postmodernists. There are also themes of unity and the unnecessary dividing of this unity that shares similarities with Herman Dooyeweerd’s philosophy of modal spheres.

The book consists of seven chapters and an epilogue. Chapters five and seven deal mostly with bioethics, while the other chapters outline his anthropological arguments. The first chapter establishes Etheredge’s methodology of starting from lived experience, and the second chapter concretizes this starting point in marriage and family life. Chapter three provides a philosophical reflection on lived experience of relationality. Chapter four provides an exegetical commentary on the creation narrative, and provides a wide-ranging commentary on topics such as evolution, the nature of the creation account, and biblical authorship. Chapter five begins to turn more explicitly to bioethics, addressing the question of, and the various attempts at defining, personhood. Chapter six returns to anthropology, but from a biological and psychological perspective. Etheredge reserves the explicit treatment of bioethics for chapter seven, and his focus is mainly on the embryo and the beginning of personhood for the establishment of a universal ethic.

While one may think that Etheredge views anthropology as a foundation for bioethics, given its dominant theme and chronological presentation, it is clear that Etheredge is a unitive thinker. In other words, his views are not linear. Both anthropology and bioethics inform one another. It is not that a person’s status as a person-in-relation informs bioethics. Rather, the person is a bioethical word. That is, bioethics, the ways one ought to be treated, also informs how we are to understand ourselves. So who are we?

The essential idea, as mentioned, is that we are persons-in-relation. Etheredge builds this case by starting from the lived reality of marriage. The sacrament of marriage, a uniquely classical thought shared by Catholics and Eastern Orthodox that my student found can be helpful for his community, brings about the necessary good of the gift of life. Human life begins from the sacred relationship God has established, and this relationship is a gift from God and a gift to each other.

Because human life arises from the blessed relationship between a mother and father in marital-sexual union, Etheredge is firm in his Catholic commitment that ensoulment begins at conception, which carries important bioethical implications. His scientific knowledge of human conception is erudite, although he makes the important point that anthropology cannot be defined purely by science.

There is much to say about this book that this review cannot cover. I will keep my sympathetic critique to a minimum. First, Etheredge rejects artificial means of conception because the goodness of life and the relationality of human be-ing are essentially tied to conception in marital union. However, he glosses over the problem of infertility, and his argument may be stronger if conception through marital union is seen as a better, God-intended, mode rather than presenting it as essential to human personhood.

Second, and relatedly, he addresses the issue of embryonic adoption and the critique that embryos created via in vitro fertilization violates the natural mode of conception. That is, if IVF is a technological means of conception, then are adopting parents complicit in participating in an unethical act? However, this issue only arises if one accepts the necessary goodness of biological-marital conception. Since Etheredge’s methodology begins from lived experience, a question arises as to what the arguments would look like if an infertile person wrote the book. While conception via marital union may be optimal, is natural conception the only necessarily good mode of conception?

Third, Pentecostal history is replete with people who, like many of our Catholic brothers and sisters, committed themselves to singlehood for the ministry of the gospel. If marital union and conception are the archetype of human be-ing, then it seems that those called by God to singlehood is somehow missing out on participating in a vital part of being human. As a Pentecostal, I would like to provide a pneumatological assist to my Catholic brother and suggest that a better existential starting-point for a relational anthropology is Pentecost. The movement of the Spirit in the world, the Church, and individuals establish not only human relationality, but divine-human relationality as well.

Fourth, although the book packs a lot of information, it may prove too long for many laypersons. There are sections, such as further thoughts, God and the beginning, the nature of the creation accounts, Mosaic authorship, and even the many forewords, that could be excised to shorten the length and promote wider readership. Unfortunately, it seem as though the author wanted to pursue every interesting idea instead of limiting the scope.

Fifth, and relatedly, with the level of quality of writing and its length, the book is most appropriate for upperclassmen and graduate students. My student, who is not familiar with classical Catholic thought, did not recognize Etheredge’s Thomistic arguments, whether it was about form and matter or the universality of truth and natural reason. Therefore, at least within Pentecostal and Evangelical traditions, Etheredge’s important arguments may be, at best, missed or, at worst, ignored as overly scholarly by many lay readers. That is unfortunate because many Pentecostals and Evangelicals will find much to agree with in Etheredge’s anthropology and bioethics, especially the relationality of human be-ing, the sacredness of marriage, and the concern for the unborn. If the book does not have this direct ecumenical effect, perhaps its Catholic readers could popularize Etheredge’s arguments for ecumenical fellowship with Pentecostals and Evangelicals in order to formulate a universal ethic.

Yoon Shin (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is Assistant Professor of Philosophical Theology at Southeastern University.

Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination
— Corvino, Anderson, and Girgis

John Corvino, Ryan Anderson, and Sherif Girgis. Debating Religious Liberty and Discrimination. New York: Oxford University Press, 2017. 343 pages.
Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak.

In the set of dueling essays and rebuttals that comprise this work, the authors debate and help define the essence and scope of religious liberty within “an increasingly diverse, interconnected, and legally complex society” (3). Without wading into the thicket of historical scholarship regarding the formation and enactment of the First Amendment to the Constitution, the book opens with a succinct history of religious persecution and religious freedom in the United States. The authors center their debate on contemporary questions that have arisen as a result of the recent (2015) Obergefell v. Hodges decision of the Supreme Court of the United States.

Corvino argues that “religious liberty should not morph into religious privilege, licensing discrimination and inequality” (103–04). He favors replacing the “strict scrutiny” standard of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) with an “intermediate scrutiny” test for statutes that incidentally burden religion (51). Corvino advocates for laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) in order to prevent material harm and dignitary harm (helpfully defined in pages 72–73). He proposes and assesses three different paths to balance rights. The options range from “constructing antidiscrimination law in such a way that excludes certain types of businesses (e.g., ‘expressive,’ ‘wedding-related,’ ‘small-owner operated’) or certain services” (81–82), to granting religious exemptions while requiring “business owners who take advantage of such exemptions to post their position publicly” (85), to denying religious exemptions but permitting “business owners who object to same-sex marriage to post their position publicly” (87). Corvino is concerned that assertions of religious liberty could risk anarchy by allowing a religious citizen to become “a law unto oneself.”

Anderson and Girgis argue that “a law merits extra scrutiny when it penalizes you for the chance to pursue basic goods adequately” (241) because “the state’s basic duty is to empower and not encumber people’s pursuit of the basic goods” (133). Religion and integrity are among the irreducible goods required for human flourishing, according to Anderson and Girgis. They argue that antidiscrimination laws should be promulgated to remedy social or material harm only “when media, market forces, and social pressure of other kinds aren’t treating the harm themselves” (182). Anderson and Girgis argue:

a given antidiscrimination bill should be passed only when: (1) private treatment of a particular group imposes (a) material and/or (b) social harms (c) which the law can best cure; and (2) the particular proposed antidiscrimination provision is drawn narrowly enough to (a) suppress interactions that inflict those material and social harms, (b) avoid banning too many legitimate or harmless interactions, and (c) avoid treading too far onto other interests like conscience, religion, and speech. (179)

Anderson and Girgis are concerned that SOGI laws could be used in culture clashes as a metaphorical battering ram to suppress individuals and groups with views different from the prevailing orthodoxy.

This work is well suited for a wide range of readers. The authors “attempted to frame things in a manner that is accessible enough for wide audiences — voters, politicians, students, and ordinary citizens of various stripes — but also detailed enough to be of interest to opinion leaders and academic specialists” (5). Anderson and Girgis’s articulation and application of natural-law reasoning (basic goods theory) to these questions of discrimination, toleration, and balancing of liberties is a noteworthy contribution to the field. Undergraduate students in political science, students of law and canon law, and all individuals interested in the intersection of religion and the law of the land will emerge better equipped to engage in public conversations on these neuralgic and high-stakes issues by pondering the points and counterpoints presented in this thought-provoking book.

Christopher Siuzdak is a canonist in the Tribunal of the Diocese of Portland.

Why Celibacy? — Carter Griffin

Carter Griffin. Why Celibacy? Reclaiming the Fatherhood of the Priest. Steubenville, OH: Emmaus Road Publishing, 2019. 178 pages.
Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak.

According to a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2015, 62% of self-identified Catholics and 82% of self-described “cultural Catholics” believe that the Church “should allow priests to get married.” Lest the vox populi be mistaken for the authentic sensus fidelium, it should be noted that a 2019 survey by the Pew Research Center revealed that 69% percent of self-described Catholics personally believe that the Eucharist is merely symbolic; only 31% say that “during Catholic Mass, the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus.” These sobering statistics, which reveal that a majority of Catholics do not uphold a central and irreformable tenant of the faith (i.e., transubstantiation), demonstrate that many Catholics are undereducated and underappreciative of the precious gifts that Holy Mother Church offers. In this book, Father Carter Griffin, Rector of Saint John Paul II Seminary in Washington, offers an extended reflection on the profound theological reasons and pastoral motives that undergird priestly celibacy (herein used interchangeably with “clerical continence”). The author acknowledges that perpetual continence is not essential to the nature of the priesthood; however, it is eminently fitting. Rather than wading into a historical survey or an exhaustive theological justification, the author mines the rich vein of priest as spiritual father.

Priestly celibacy is patterned on the life of Christ Jesus. “The fatherhood of Christ, the celibate High Priest of the New Covenant, provides the basis and template for celibate fatherhood in the ministerial priest” (7). The author further explains: “Christ’s own fatherhood is derived from his life-giving sacrifice on Calvary, a self-emptying love that is mirrored in his choice for celibacy” (7). The author reminds readers of the eschatological value of continence: “Jesus extols those who ‘have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven’ and declares that he ‘who is able to receive this, let him receive it’ (Mt 19:12)” (54). Saint Paul, likewise, counsels the Corinthians that “‘it is well’ for the unmarried and widows ‘to remain single as I do’ (1 Cor 7:8)” (55). In 1 Corinthians 7:32, Saint Paul again encourages some Christians to remain unmarried. In short, there is a biblical warrant and an apostolic precedent for clerical continence.

A priest makes a radical self-gift by emulating the self-sacrificing celibacy and spiritual generativity of Christ. A priest’s spiritual paternity is in the supernatural order of grace, but a continent cleric does not totally forgo physical generation in the long run, in a sense.

Since the priest’s spiritual fatherhood is directed to the holiness of his children, and holiness is ordered to salvation and ultimately the resurrection of the body, priestly paternity includes by anticipation a kind of physical generation too. (34)

Rather than a relic of a bygone era or a straitjacket imposed by killjoy hierarchs, the loving sacrifice of celibacy “is a positive choice of love, indeed a way of living sexual maturity, and it offers a profoundly important counterbalance to the false wisdom of the sexual revolution” (140). “Celibacy,” writes Father Griffin, “is not a neutering of those who embrace it for the sake of the Kingdom; rather it is a channeling of their sexual energies toward higher goods” (142). The author, unfortunately, does not discuss clerical celibacy as an act of solidarity with those who are widowed, divorced without an annulment of their marital bond, separated from their spouse by circumstance, experiencing same-sex attraction, unmarried, or experiencing some other situation that requires them to persevere in continence. The credibility of the Church’s moral teaching that individuals in certain circumstances must abstain from physical intimacy is heightened by the witness of faithful clerical continence.

In sum, Father Carter Griffin convincingly argues that being “a man for others” and belonging to all as a fatherly figure comes at the appropriate cost of belonging to no one in particular by sacrificing the esteemed goods of marriage and family. The author shows that the tradition of clerical continence is not merely for the sake of efficiency or economy; rather, it is part and parcel of a profound spirituality that reinforces revealed theological truths. The book marshals a wide array of sources and provides a helpful bibliography that can serve as a launching pad for further reading and reflection. This book is recommended for discerners, seminarians, formators of seminarians, clergy — veterans and rookies alike — and all people interested in learning more about the spirituality surrounding the norm of clerical continence in the Latin Church.

Christopher Siuzdak is a canonist in the Tribunal of the Diocese of Portland.

The Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching — Ahern, Dowling, et al.

Kevin Ahern, Larry Dowling, Bernard Evans, Thomas Massaro, Dawn M. Nothwehr, Timothy P. O’Malley, Thomas Scirghi, and Kate Ward. The Liturgy and Catholic Social Teaching: Participation in Worship and the World. Chicago: Liturgical Training Publications, 2019. 169 pages.
Reviewed by Christopher Siuzdak.

Transformed by the Eucharistic celebration, the faithful are empowered and sent to reshape the world as builders of the Kingdom of God. A memorable anecdote captures well this theological truth. One time, the pastor of a parish provided an educational tour of the parish church to students in grammar school. He showed them the vestments and vessels, explained the significance of certain liturgical furnishings, and catechized the children on the importance of communal worship and the sacraments. At the conclusion of his lesson, the priest asked, “So what is the most important thing in the church?” He was fishing for an answer such as “the altar” or “the tabernacle.” A little girl responded, “The exit sign!” At first, the pastor was crestfallen that his explanations had fallen on deaf ears. As the girl elaborated on her answer, the pastor realized that the young student was wise beyond her years. The girl grasped that the exit doors are an entry point for ambassadors of Christ to bring the love of Christ to others. Indeed, “When we become one with Christ, we become one with all those to whom Christ gives himself” (xviii). In an admirable effort to bridge any disconnect between divine worship and quotidian life, this insightful compilation of reflections explores the link between the sacred liturgy and what can be called “the liturgy of the world.”

The chapters take up the seven themes of Catholic social teaching articulated by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops — namely, “The Life and Dignity of the Human Person,” “The Call to Family, Community, and Participation,” “Rights and Responsibilities,” “The Option for the Poor and Vulnerable,” “The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers,” “Solidarity,” and “Care for God’s Creation.” Each chapter reflects on the nexus between the given theme and the Church’s sacred rites. Questions for discussion and reflection appear at the end of every chapter. A sizable appendix contains templates of penitential prayer services that can be held on each of the seven themes of Catholic social teaching.

In a certain sense, this book provides an examination of conscience for parishes and individuals relative to Catholic social teaching. It includes discussion questions such as “Are appropriate liturgical songs chosen on Sundays to highlight and encourage our collective responsibility?” and “Does the Universal Prayer include petitions that call the community to participate in and respond to the needs of the people in our world?” At the same time, the contributors are mindful that “the liturgy cannot be reduced only to horizontal social concerns or to one specific social issue” (6). “To do so reduces the liturgy to a space of social advocacy, which almost paradoxically robs it of the very power to form socially minded discipleship in the worship of God” (6). This book on maximizing the formative and transformative power of the liturgy is recommended for parish pastoral councils, diocesan pastoral councils, liturgy committees, peace and justice committees, clergy, lay ecclesial ministers, and the Catholic faithful in general.

Christopher Siuzdak is a canonist in the Tribunal of the Diocese of Portland.

Becoming Women of the Word – Sarah Christmeyer

Christmeyer, Sarah. Becoming Women of the Word: How to Answer God’s call with Purpose and Joy. Notre Dame, Indiana, Ave Maria Press, 2019. 160 pages.
Reviewed by Christine Sharmila Rego.

There is no end to the depth of mystery and revelation that is contained in the Bible.

When you love God and thirst for Him, you will inevitably come across a well of biblical beauty and knowledge in writing such as Sarah Christmeyer’s Becoming Women of the Word, a book that with compelling language and narrative delves into the lives of ten women of the Old Testament who are our mothers and sisters in the Faith, standing alongside our patriarchs, judges, and prophets, and who all point to the ultimate blessedness of Mary, our mother and Mother of God.

But Christmeyer doesn’t just present each character to us in orderly succession; she brings them to life right in front of our eyes. As an English-literature major, author, and speaker — a true story-teller — Sarah first relates beautiful and astonishing revelations of her own life, that of her mother, grandmother, and other women of faith in her life who have influenced her, and weaves them into a vivid retelling of the biblical stories, situating them in the context of the rich and timeless lessons that she wants to teach us. All of which makes you yearn to meet your biblical heroine, cry with them, identify with them, and, of course, re-read about them in the Bible whole chapters at a time.

Her deep theological insights and rich scriptural scholarship runs through all of her teaching, proving time and again that it’s not only her masters degree in theology from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary/School of Theological Studies and extensive work as co-developer and founding editor of The Great Adventure Catholic Bible study program that has built this book, but her faith upbringing that says to me “she does Biblical research as only an ex-Protestant can!”

I began reading this book not knowing what to expect and was most surprised when her very first woman of the word was Eve! “Eve woke up to love,” says Christmeyer and I was hooked. Could Eve really teach us to be faithful, to say Yes to God? Sarah comes next, and Christmeyer opens out her life to us, showing us how Sarah waited on the Lord so long. Leah and Rachel too speak to my own life of struggle, and with each passing chapter I am moved to tears. After the incredible story of Miriam is the story of Rahab, the harlot and non-Israelite who became King David’s grandmother, where we see her faith and courage almost unrivaled. And then Deborah, a judge who rises as a “mother in Israel,” pointing to Mary in her blessedness. By now I just want to sit at Christmeyer’s feet and listen. Ruth, Hannah, Esther, Judith, each one speaking to my heart and experience, and last of all Mary.

Christmeyer shines as writer with deep faith-filled insights, recreating scene after scene with powerful images, lighting scriptural verses on fire, teaching us women (and men) “how to answer God’s call with purpose and joy,” and giving very practical advice such as how to pray, in Hannah’s story; or, as in the story of Judith, how to use our beauty for good, especially in this age of #MeToo.

This book is one journey that every sincere Catholic-woman-God-seeker cannot afford to lose out on: Reclaiming who we are as women, and recognizing who God made us as women to be in His great plan of salvation.

Christine Sharmila Rego is a mother of five, living in the suburbs of Vancouver BC Canada. Catholic writer and teacher, she is also leader of a family prayer ministry Families in Prayer and Community, a one-time journalist in Mumbai, holding an MA in English Literature from the University of Bombay (now Mumbai), 1992, and MA in Theological Studies from St Mark’s (Theological) College at UBC, Vancouver, 2019.

Teaching Discernment – Timothy M. Gallagher, OMV

Gallagher, OMV, Timothy M. Teaching Discernment: A Pedagogy for Presenting Ignatian Discernment of Spirits. Crossroad Publishing Company, 2020.
Reviewed by Deacon John Hayes.

In this new work, Fr. Timothy Gallagher completely lays out his wisdom for teaching the Ignatian discernment of spirits. He presents a thorough layout of the rules, their rationale, and a way to present them. Fr. Gallagher has already written several books explaining St. Ignatius’s rules on discernment of spirits, and the purpose of this book is to “share a pedagogy” of the fourteen rules of the first week of the Ignatian method (20). There is a difference between knowing the rules for oneself and having the ability to present the rules to others. The rules help one understand one’s daily spiritual experience (20). The purpose of this book is to enable non-Ignatian scholars — but Ignatian lovers — to be sufficiently equipped to teach others the rules of discernment. It is understandable that one might ask why teaching Ignatian spirituality to non-Jesuits is pertinent. Fr. Gallagher takes up this question. He describes the rules, which are at the heart of Ignatian spirituality, as a gift to the entire Church (51).

Fr. Gallagher starts the book with a clear layout of its purpose. The book is for teaching future teachers of the Ignatian rules, which means that Fr. Gallagher will spend less time explaining the rules while focusing more on explaining how he presents the rules. He begins with the principles he follows in teaching the fourteen rules of discernment. His main focus is on the text and examples (15). He proposes exposure of the text to the people, to give them access to the very words of St. Ignatius. This allows the richness and depth of the rules to come forth (15–16). This is aided by concrete, relatable examples of everyday life (27).

Next, Gallagher presents a number of teaching principles. The first is to “immediately demystify” Ignatius’s rules of discernment so that the content is less overwhelming. The second is to focus on the key rules of discernment when time is limited. The third is to emphasize grace, since God is the true worker of the interior life and governs all things through his loving Providence. The fourth teaching principle is to inhabit an attitude of reverence towards the spiritual dynamics going on in an individual’s life. The fifth is to not regard spiritual desolation a thing of shame, especially since it is a common experience. The sixth is to show respect for the individual’s questions, since questions normally emerge from the person’s experience. The seventh is to respect the pedagogy of St. Ignatius and to trust what he does and what he does not say. A final two principles reinforce the teaching and to explain who “the enemy” is.

With this foundation in place, Gallagher now proceeds with a presentation of his methodology for teaching others the rules of St. Ignatius. He discusses all fourteen of the first week’s rules for discernment, making numerous comments about what he says, why he says it, and what he hopes to instill in his audience. He presents each rule step-by-step, frequently providing commentaries and regularly reminding hearers of his purpose.

Upon completion of the explanation of the fourteen rules, Gallagher proceeds with a helpful plan for presenting the rules to others (254–63). He suggests preparing two handouts, one with the text and the other with examples. He also suggests ways of visually presenting the main paradigms: the steps of discernment (“Be aware, understand, take action”), the main two movements (towards or away from God), and a visual of the ups and downs of the consolation-desolation fluctuation. Fr. Gallagher uses PowerPoint or other media to present these visuals. In addition, he promotes the use of personal reflection time and group discussion to the degree that time is sufficient.

The last thing that Fr. Gallagher touches on is the rules of discernment for the second week of the spiritual exercises. He purposefully does not present them because his audiences are not adequately prepared for that experience (265). He acknowledges the legitimacy of the inquiry and alludes sufficiently to the second-week rules.

My orientation towards this book is as a deacon preparing for diocesan priesthood. Having attended Gallagher’s conferences at the summer program for the Institute of Priestly Formation in Omaha, Nebraska, and reading a number of his works, I have been exposed to analyses of Ignatian spirituality. However, the majority of my reading is Carmelite and Dominican (St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Fr. Jordan Aumann). Ironically, even with my basic non-Ignatian spiritual orientation, I have discovered that the Ignatian method is very highly applicable to the assistance of parishioners.

Though accessible, Fr. Gallagher’s style is sophisticated. This book is worth reading. One easily absorbs the heart of Ignatius through Gallagher’s patient presentation. With the reading of each paragraph, one easily feels that one has mastered the content only to harvest another ream of material with a second reading, and so on. This book is an excellent reference for projects on prayer, discernment, and the spiritual life. It belongs in every priest’s library.

Deacon John Hayes studies at the St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he is finishing his final year of seminary formation.