I haven't read Quest, so I can't comment on the notification at all. But I have read almost all of Elizabeth Johnson's other books, and have found them to be of great use to me as a Christian, a Catholic, a Jesuit and a priest. She is one of my favorite theologians.
Link (here) to read Fr. James Martin, S.J. full piece at America.
4 comments:
Fr.Jim,
You are one of the most widely read Jesuits in popular media,you are the most prominent writer at America. Don't you think you have an obligation to read the book before you "knee jerk" defend Sr. Johnson?
Most complexity should be avoided. The Catholic Church has a distinct role. It must stick to a simple message, communicated simply. So defending Sister Johnson’s work is a mistake. Her work isn’t appropriate for Catholics. (This is not a statement about her correctness or incorrectness.)
But there are other ways for someone with a more advanced understanding to help in this existence.
For example, one could help reform the basic structure of society to reflect “love your neighbor”. The structure of “democratic” governments no longer represents public values (as proven by poll after poll, year after year). The education system ignores the values of society in measuring their success (corporate values pervade even Catholic higher education). Corporations exist in a societal context while they are allowed to ignore societal values. Monetary policy/credit is controlled by the interests of the wealthy rather than the interests of the public. All these problems can be fixed by changing the structure of organizations and/or the laws allowing them to exist in our society.
Some may think that these are exclusively worldly issues. That is not true. Society itself can be a role-model for God’s values. Living God’s values is a far more effective teaching tool than any sermon, book, or class. And as we become capable of hearing more complex truths, God is capable of sharing those truths.
It sounds like the bishops haven't read her books either.
Fr. Jim... another fail
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