A worthy read for anyone interested in the modern relevance of Christian teaching.
A bold defense of Christianity against its most ardent critics, the New Atheists.
Besieged both by scandal and the rise of a vociferous group of critics, the Catholic Church has, in the eyes of many, failed to mount a strong defense of itself. In his first book, Gravino takes it upon himself to do precisely that. He focuses on the increasingly popular contention that celibacy, as a form of unhealthy sexual repression, caused the difficulties the church has had with pedophiles. First, the author argues that there is no clearly observed causal connection between Christian sexual morality and the transgressions of some of its priests; the connection, one often drawn by the church’s detractors, is more the expression of a cultural prejudice than an empirical inference. Also, Gravino says that a Christian moral psychology is actually the key to human flourishing and what is now generally referred to as mental health. The practice of self-control regarding one’s desires, including sexual activity, is a principal instrument of happiness as it is understood in spiritual terms. Afflictions that have plagued contemporary society—sexually transmitted diseases, unplanned pregnancy, obesity, etc.—are all results of a lack of self-restraint, which Gravino says is the result of spiritual decline. According to Gravino, the popularity of Freudian psychology, which looks at sexual expression as ungovernable, plays a key part in the libertinism that now presents itself as an alternative to Christian teaching. The entire study is painstakingly researched and meticulously documented as well as carefully argued. Gravino presents his case in the spirit of the natural law teachings of St. Thomas Aquinas, eschewing a facile reliance upon scriptural authority in favor of an appeal to rational demonstration. “I contend that the Bible contributes genuine knowledge to the understanding of our species. And I furthermore insist,” Gravino writes, “that when science wanders into the terrain of our species and contradicts the truths of the Bible, it does so at a terrible cost, decreasing knowledge rather than increasing it.” The author’s tone can be a bit peremptory at times, undermining his philosophical and scholarly caution. However, his is a clear and principled defense of the church that is arguably superior to anything the institution has offered on its own behalf.
A worthy read for anyone interested in the modern relevance of Christian teaching.Pub Date: July 9, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5153-8086-3
Page Count: 284
Publisher: CreateSpace
Review Posted Online: Sept. 23, 2015
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.
Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955
ISBN: 0679733736
Page Count: 228
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955
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