“Deep Below the Surface
of the Tragic Violence “

A Review of
When God Took Sides:
Religion and Identity in Ireland — Unfinished History.

by Marianne Elliott.

Reviewed by Mike Bowling.

When God Took Sides:
Religion and Identity in Ireland — Unfinished History.
Marianne Elliott.
Hardback: Oxford UP, 2010.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

Personal identity dictates who our friends are in most cases, and who we think we are contributes in a powerful way to who we list as enemies. Our friends always seem better than they really are and our enemies are never as bad as we think them to be. Apply this rationale to the last 500 years of Ireland’s history and you have the essential premise of the recently released book written by Marianne Elliott entitled When God Took Sides. Elliott, who was born and raised in Northern Ireland, teaches Irish Studies at Liverpool University. As co-author of the report from the Opsahl Peace Commission in Northern Ireland (1993), she brings a wealth of experience and understanding of the peace process in Northern Ireland. Although the foundation of the book is lectures she delivered at Oxford University in 2005, Elliott’s work flows more like detailed (and well-documented) storytelling than academic analysis. She ventures deep below the surface of the tragic violence which has appeared as an ugly scar on the face of an otherwise beautiful people and place. Elliott does not settle for a simple recounting of the seemingly endless story of action and reaction, murder and revenge or blame and defend; she offers the reader an explanation of how this cycle began in Ireland, how it was perpetuated and how it continues to this day. The results are not only important for those who hope to understand existing tensions between Northern Ireland and Great Britain or the more subtle tensions between Catholics and Protestants in the Republic of Ireland, Elliott’s work provides a model for understanding other conflicts throughout the world, especially those rooted in religion.

Elliott follows a thematic format instead of the typical chronological order. For those unfamiliar with Irish history and for those with only a cursory knowledge of “the Troubles” in Ireland, the book may be hard to follow. However, if the reader keeps in mind that the purpose is not a history of religion in Ireland, “Rather it is about politicized religion and how it came to shape the identities of people in Ireland.”, then the thematic plan makes much more sense. Again, the order of the chapters could provide a model for analysis of other critical historic conflicts (i.e. India and Pakistan, the civil war in Nigeria or the tensions between Burmese and Thais).

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Two Books on Christian Ireland

A Review by Mike Bowling.

Empty Pulpits: Ireland’s Retreat from Religion.
Malachi O’Doherty
Gill & Macmillan, 2008
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

Sun Dancing
Geoffrey Moorhouse.
Paperback: Harcourt, 1997.
Buy now:  [ Amazon ]

As Belfast based journalist and broadcaster Malachi O’Doherty reflects on the present state of affairs regarding religion in Ireland, one sentence captures both his mood and his assessment. This statement comes from the Introduction of his book Empty Pulpits: Ireland’s Retreat from Religion (Gill & Macmillan, 2008): “Where England appears to have lost its faith in two generations, we have done it in one.” O’Doherty does not write as a theologian, or clergy, or a lay leader; he writes as a keen observer of both culture and politics. Throughout the book, countless interviews and multitudes of examples create a mood of confidence for O’Doherty’s pessimistic assertions regarding Ireland’s religious climate. But there is more to this book than just doom and gloom; in very accessible language, the reader is led down the path which has resulted in a secularized Ireland. The first part (chapters 1 through 9) tells the story of a society whose dominant faith was Christian (and mostly Catholic), but one which by the 1950’s began to set their faith aside as if it were a toy of their childhood…cherished only as a fond remembrance. The second part (chapters 10 through 14) outlines the current debate in Ireland as both government leaders and officials within the Catholic Church try to understand the influence of “a la carte” Catholics, the growing element of liberalization and the crisis within the priesthood which has erased the traditional role of faith in Irish communities. Part Three (chapters 15, 16 and a conclusion) reminds the reader that there has been no triumph for atheism in all of this, just a growing apathy toward all things religious. O’Doherty concludes by suggesting there are possibilities for a comeback of religion in Ireland, but that it is highly unlikely. By the end of the book, it is abundantly clear that the author has little to no confidence in a sovereign God calling out a revived Church. Having made numerous trips to the Emerald Isle, I would suggest that only a sovereign move by God can save Ireland from the sure grip of its present secularization.

All of the above is made more puzzling by remembering the rich Christian heritage of Ireland. Celtic spirituality may be all but dead in Ireland, however in many other parts of the world it continues to inspire many on the frontiers of re-imagining Christian spirituality. Let me suggest for consideration a wonderful book published about 13 years ago entitled Sun Dancing (Harcourt Inc., 1997). The author, Geoffrey Moorhouse, tells the story behind the story of how Irish monks saved western civilization during the Middle Ages. Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization is entertaining history, but Moorhouse takes the well-known penciled sketches and fills them with captivating detail and spectacular color. Part One is an odd combination of historical fiction and spiritual meditations set in the saga of life on Skellig Michael, a Christian monastic community, from AD 588 to AD 1222. Skellig Michael is a severe piece of rock which rises dramatically out of the Atlantic Ocean a few miles out from the southwest coast of Ireland. The 44 acre island was home to a handful of monks who lived out an austere monastic vision which is both curious and inspiring. Part Two is the offer of historical evidence supporting the rich storytelling found in the first part. This work is masterfully done with 49 short chapters which are numbered according to the page numbers in Part One which they further illuminate. The effect is a deepening of understanding and an expansion of the imagination.

[As someone who loves Ireland, its history and its people, it fills me with sadness every time I consider the spiritual lethargy and aimlessness of the Irish people surrounded by the ruins of a once vibrant Christian faith. I cannot help but think that deep in the memory of Ireland’s sacred sites are the seeds of a spiritual revival rooted in devotion to God and the love of Christ. May God raise up a visible and peaceful community in the midst of that enchanted land.]

Other Excellent Ireland-related books from CBD…

	Celtic Daily Prayer: Prayers and Readings from the Northumbria Community By HarperOne
	Ireland’s Saint: The Essential Biography of St. Patrick By J.B. Bury, edited by Jon M. Sweeney / Paraclete Press
	How the Irish Saved Civilization By Thomas Cahill / Random House, Inc
	The Celtic Way of Evangelism By George Hunter / Abingdon Press
	Every Earthly Blessing: Resdiscovering the Celtic Tradition By Esther de Waal / Morehouse Publishing

“Finally Comes the Poet “

A Review of
Daniel Berrigan: Essential Writings.
Selected and Introduced by John Dear.

Reviewed by Stephen Lawson.

After the seas are all cross’d, (as they seem already cross’d,)
After the great captains and engineers have accomplish’d their work,
After the noble inventors, after the scientists, the chemist, the
geologist, ethnologist,

Finally shall come the poet worthy that name,
The true son of God shall come singing his songs.
- Walt Whitman

Daniel Berrigan: Essential Writings.
Selected and Introduced by John Dear.
Paperback: Orbis Books, 2010.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

On May 17, 1968, in the midst of the Vietnam War, Daniel Berrigan, together with his brother Philip and seven others, walked into a draft office in Cantonsville, Maryland. They commandeered draft files, which contained the information for potential draftees, took them into the parking lot and burned them with homemade napalm. Daniel Berrigan issued an apology (read: defense) on behalf of the ‘Cantonsville Nine’ (as they came to be known): “Our apologies, good friends, for the fracture of good order, the burning of paper instead of children, the angering of the orderlies in the front parlor of the charnel house. We could not, so help us God, do otherwise” (105).

This prophetic action cause national controversy. In the midst of an already highly controversial war, the Cantonsville Nine brought religion into the discussion. How could priests and other peaceable people disrupt the status quo of in such a stark way? This action saw the imprisonment of Christians, clergy and laity alike, for living out what they believed was their faith. This witness is a challenge to other Christians who have so often been complicit in war and violence.
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A Review
of

ST. PATRICK
(Christian Encounters Series)
Jonathan Rogers.
Paperback: Thomas Nelson, 2010.
Buy now: [ ChristianBook.com ]

Reviewed by Chris Smith.

Over the centuries, there have been a multitude of biographies of Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland.  And now as part of the first installment of their biography series “Christian Encounters,” Thomas Nelson has released a new biography of St. Patrick by Jonathan Rogers.  Although this is not the most extensive biography of Patrick’s life and work, Rogers does a good job of introducing Ireland’s saint.  Relying heavily on the two extant works that can most reliably be attributed to Patrick (The Confession and The Letter Sent to the Soldiers of Coroticus – both of which are included as appendices in this volume), Rogers focuses on sorting out the reality of the historical Patrick from the many Irish legends that have surrounded his life over the centuries.  The book’s first chapter does a fine job of describing the historical context in which Patrick’s life unfolded, i.e., the close of the Roman Empire. The final chapter of the book explores the theological significance of St. Patrick for the Church today as “A Witness to All Nations,” and the chapters between explore the unfolding of Patrick’s life in chronological order.  One of Roger’s recurring themes throughout the book is the parallels between the apostolic ministry of St. Paul and that of St. Patrick.  Most of Rogers’ work sticks pretty close to the realm of the factual, and one wishes at times he would have gone deeper in his historical and especially in his theological reflections.  However, this volume excels at what it is intended to be, an introductory biography, and Rogers writes with language that is clear and accessible for most readers.  If your knowledge of St. Patrick is limited to shamrocks, leprechauns and green beer, then I highly recommend that you take a few hours in this holiday season to enjoy Jonathan Rogers’ retelling of the story of St. Patrick’s life and works.

“St. Patrick’s Breastplate”
( Attributed to St. Patrick , but likely written later)

I bind to myself today
The strong virtue of the Invocation of the Trinity:
I believe the Trinity in the Unity
The Creator of the Universe.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the Incarnation of Christ with His Baptism,
The virtue of His crucifixion with His burial,
The virtue of His Resurrection with His Ascension,
The virtue of His coming on the Judgement Day.

I bind to myself today
The virtue of the love of seraphim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,
In prayers of Patriarchs,
In predictions of Prophets,
In preaching of Apostles,
In faith of Confessors,
In purity of holy Virgins,
In deeds of righteous men.

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“Getting us Back to the Basics
in a Generative, Transformational Way”

A Review of

Missional Map-Making:
Skills For Leading In Times Of Transition.
Alan J. Roxburgh.
Hardback: Jossey-Bass, 2010.
Buy now:  [ Amazon ]

Reviewed by Chris Enstad.

“The times they are a-changin’,”  goes the old song.  Societies experience periods of great displacement and uncertainty all the time.  It is easy to fall into the trap that the current economic distress being felt by nearly everyone in this country is a unique thing but that would not be the case.  When times like these do happen it is always good to have people like Alan Roxburgh on hand to put some kind of frame around it and then help lead the leaders into new territory.

Roxburgh’s new book, Missional Map-Making: Skills for Leading in Times of Transition, is just such a book.  Using the image of a map, Roxburgh sets the stage for building an apparatus for leadership in the church when it seems that things are happening much too fast and one’s sense of hope can easily be discouraged.

The maps that we were used to in this country are no longer valid and what is required are new map-makers.  Leaders are required who can lead in this “in-between” time to a new way of being the church.  Those who insist that the old maps will work again aren’t going to find a lot for them in this book but those who are thirsty for some traction will read it and share it among their own congregational leadership and other church leaders as well.

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With St. Patrick’s Day coming up next week, we a presented with a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the history of Ireland and the Irish people.

There are a number of striking issues that come to mind, when I think about the Church and Ireland.  For instance:

• The lives and work of saints like Patrick and Brendan.
• Celtic Christianity and its distinction from Roman Christianity.
• Celtic Monasticism.
• Irish Immigration to the United States.
• The deep conflict between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism.
• And more…

So, we want to know what interests you most (of the above issues or others) about Irish Christianity, and what books have you read in reflecting on these issues?

Please use the comments below to discuss.  Note: We do get hit with a good deal of spam, so we have to moderate your comments.  We ask your patience, as we try to get your comments moderated as quickly as possible.

Brief Reviews of

Thin Places: A Memoir.
Mary DeMuth.
Paperback: Zondervan, 2010.
Buy now:  [ ChristianBook.com ]

and

We Get to Carry Each Other:
The Gospel According to U2.
Greg Garrett.
Paperback: WJK Books, 2009.
Buy now:  [ ChristianBook.com ]

What is the purpose of pain? Why does God allow His beloved creatures to endure such intense suffering? How can our lives’ greatest tragedies produce anything of value? Reading Mary DeMuth’s captivating survivor memoir, answers to these questions emerge, bringing to life the truth of Genesis 50:20: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (NASB).

The premise of DeMuth’s memoirs is simple: to trace the fingerprints of God in the scars of her life, revealing for readers those “thin places” where she most tangibly experiences His presence. “The Celts define a thin place as a place where heaven and the physical world collide, one of those serendipitous territories where eternity and the mundane meet . . . snatches of holy ground, tucked into the corners of our world, where, if we pay very close attention, we might just catch a glimpse of eternity.”

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THE OTHER JOURNAL:
J. Kameron Carter on
“Haiti and The God Question.”

http://www.theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=932

…

In a nutshell, my problem here is not with the God-and-suffering or the theodicy question as such. My problem is with the way the God-and-suffering question is usually posed and with the presumptions that come with it. As a starting point, I will address how the God-and-suffering question, or the God-and-evil question, is often posed and how it works in the public imagination.

Often, the way the God-and-suffering question is posed prevents us from asking other important social, cultural, and political questions. By concentrating on the God-and-suffering question, we overlook questions about how the painful effects of natural disaster, such as the earthquake in Haiti, have been made worse due to certain social, cultural, and political factors. And I don’t mean social and political factors simply within Haiti itself—this isn’t about blaming the Haitians. I mean to call attention to how Haiti has come to be positioned internationally among the community of nations over a quite long period of time.

…

Read the full essay:
http://www.theotherjournal.com/article.php?id=932

[ Our review of J. Kameron Carter's
RACE: A THEOLOGICAL ACCOUNT ]

http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/webexclusives/asortoficon.html

Among the works of art that one finds in the Kunstmuseum in Basel, Switzerland is Hans Holbein the Younger’s The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb. Painted in 1521, it remains a stark, almost shocking image to this day. The dead, nearly colorless Christ lies in profile with gangrenous wounds visible in his hands, feet, and side. With a tilted head and half-open eyes, his face is turned slightly away from the viewer. The dramatic effect of the painting is heightened by the fact that it is a life-size depiction, stretching across the wall the full length of Christ’s body, but with a height of no more than that of a coffin (200 cm x 30.5 cm). Moreover, the painting is encompassed by a tomb-like border with the traditional inscription that reads, in Latin, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Holbein’s achievement is an austere representation of Holy Saturday, the day on which one cannot evade the fact that Christ died on Good Friday and before one can celebrate his resurrection on Easter morning.

This painting makes a memorable appearance in The Idiot, one of the major works by Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoevsky. In the story, Prince Myshkin, an enigmatic Christ-like figure who becomes embroiled in the lives of those he meets upon his return to Russia, encounters a reproduction of the picture in a friend’s home. The painting makes a profound impression upon Myshkin, who goes so far as to suggest that it could destroy a believer’s faith.

According to Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who analyzes the author’s life and work in his latest book, Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction, the painting functions as “a kind of anti-icon, a religious image which is a nonpresence or a presence of the negative.” As Williams explains, in the Orthodox tradition, icons confront the viewer with a direct gaze as worshippers seek to encounter the divine through the icon. Within Orthodox iconography, he states, the only figures ever represented in profile are demons and, sometimes, Judas Iscariot. Thus, it is unsurprising that Myshkin, whose own physical description is “plainly modeled on the traditional Orthodox iconography of the Savior,” would be so shaken by Holbein’s depiction of the lifeless Christ.

…

Read the full review:
http://www.booksandculture.com/articles/webexclusives/asortoficon.html

Dostoevsky: Language, Faith, and Fiction
(Making of the Christian Imagination)
Rowan Williams.
Hardback: Baylor University Press, 2008.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/books/10garner.html

The word taxidermy derives from two innocent Greek roots — taxis (arrangement) and derma (skin) — that when combined suggest something slightly sinister. Taxidermy was Norman Bates’s hobby in “Psycho.” Jeffrey Dahmer, the serial killer, practiced it on his neighbor’s pets. In horror movies, taxidermy often crowds the walls, derangement made manifest.

As Melissa Milgrom writes in her oddball first book, “Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy,” many people still dismiss the field as “a creepy sideline of the ‘Deliverance’ set.” And taxidermy’s problems go deeper than public relations. Many museums, eager to snag the “iCarly” demographic, are ditching their taxidermy collections in favor of Imax movies and robotic beasties. A lot of dusty, moth-eaten stuffed animals have piled up in a lot of half-forgotten museum closets. Beware which door you open.

…
Read the full review:
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/10/books/10garner.html

STILL LIFE: Adventures in Taxidermy.
Melissa Milgrom.
Hardback: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.
Buy now: [ Amazon ]