by Bishop Geoffrey Robinson
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Book Description
Drawing on his own experience in responding to abuse, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson in this explosive work methodically offers a critique of the church's use and misuse of power, from the pope proclaiming infallibly down to the preacher claiming a divine authority for every word spoken from the pulpit. Going back to the Bible and, above all, to the teaching of Jesus, he presents an approach to sexual morality that is profound, compassionate, and people-centered. He stresses the priority of the hierarchy of holiness over the hierarchy of power. ¬ He offers nothing less than a vision for a church of the third millennium--a church that wants to see in its members the responsibility appropriate to adults rather than the obedience appropriate to children and wants to help all people to grow to become all they are capable of being. You will love or hate this book but not be able to remain neutral. Through the story of sexual abuse and the church's response, I came to the unshakeable belief that within the Catholic Church there absolutely must be profound and enduring change. In particular, there must be change on the two subjects of power and sex. --From the Introduction
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Average Customer Review:
1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
Ambiguity and Paradox, 2008-07-31
Goeffrey Robinson does a masterful job on ambiguities in the Catholic Church and his rehetorical questions sharpen that description. At first, as was another reviewer,I was put off by the questions. I discovered that the questions express the ambiguity.
I believe that he misses the depth of paradox. Diversity consitutes unity. He only mentions subsidiarity in a meditation but fails to join solidarity and subsidiarity in his discussion on tensions.
I also believe he makes many true statements. Sexual abuse is an abuse of power. The system in which authority is exercised limits the proper exercise of the full power of the Church.
Reading his book reminded me of my study of Modernism. It was a time when Church structures had become inadequate to meet the issues of the day.
I believe that the book will bear fruit if readers can help the Church die to,lose,give up,change those structures of its power system in order that it may live the unity in love for which Christ prayed.
One of my professors used to say that grasping paradox is deeper than discovering contradiction. Ambiguity affirms the reality of opposing positions.
Rev. Cris Janson
cjanson@swbell.net
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
Inspirational, a must read, 2008-07-04
Bishop Robinson's book is full of history and ideas to mordanize the Catholic Church. It will help explain why the church got to where it is today and then how we can all (laity, clerical, religious) change the church.
This book will change you and the way you look at religion and the concept of Church.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
confronting power etc, 2008-07-03
This is a profoundly spiritual and honest publication. Not always easy to read but always rewarding, sometimes uniquely so. i defy anyone to read this book without being surprised by its frankness and its sincerity
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
An outstanding call for true Catholic Church reform, a tour de force, 2008-07-01
This is a really excellent book, coming directly to grips not only with the Roman Catholic Church's clerical abuse problems, but with history's iron grip on both governance and doctrine and the Church's inability to get beyond that grip -- due to structure, resistance to paradigm shifts, and a failure of will. Clerical sexual abuse is shown as a prime example of the Church's dysfunctional structure, marginalizing of the laity, and centralization of power far from where the rubber meets the road.
An earlier reviewer was put off somewhat by the author's use of rhetorical questions. I do see her point, but I think Bp. Robinson was extremely clever to make his points that way, rather than by flat declarative confrontations with the Roman Curia. Sadly, instead of maturely responding in kind, the hierarchy once again shot itself in the foot with its overblown reaction both to problem statements and to suggested paths out of the morass. (The impact on me of Roger Cardinal Mahony's appalling letter to the author was that I immediately bought and devoured the book.)
Highly recommended. Benedict XVI and his team should be encouraging such thinkers and questioners, and engaging them in reasoned twenty-first century dialogue, rather than harking back to the fifth century (Augustine) and the sixteenth (Council of Trent) and hiding behind "creeping infallibility." I hope Catholics, both laity and clergy, will have the guts to read this book and use it as a step on the ladder of reform. Ecclesia semper reformanda est (the Church must always be reforming. Always.)
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
A Balance of Power, 2008-06-29
Bishop Robinson shows how the power in the Catholic Church has been unduly concentrated over the centuries due to the absence of checks and balances. He presents a modern view of the roles that Scripture, the world, and discernment play in developing a knowledge and understanding of God. He suggests changes to the governing structure of the Catholic Hierarchy that do not violate Scripture and would allow more rapid response to needs in various parts of the world. This book should be read and discussed by all adult Catholics.
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