Book Review: Jesus of Nazareth

A little bit ironic, isn't it, that my previous book review was on The Courage to be Protestant, and this review is on the first book written and published by Joseph Ratzinger as Pope Benedict XVI! It took an awful long time for me to get through this one, and I'm still unsure what to make of it.

Many are hailing it as a wonderful book which presents an amazing portrait of the Lord Jesus, but I wasn't so fussed on it. Perhaps in trying to sound eloquent, knowledgeable and scholarly, the Pope is hitting way above my head, but I didn't really enjoy the way he was trying too hard and quoting all these important Catholic (and Jewish) theologians. It may, however, be that the translation from German to English has made it less flowing and more difficult to read.

This book is just the first of a two-parter looking a the life of Jesus, with this volume going up to Peter's confession of Christ, and the next volume (whenever it comes out) covering the passion, crucifixion and resurrection. There were some interesting insights and helpful comments, but all in all, I think this was a bit of a disappointment of a book, slightly limited by the narrowness of Catholic theology.

Early on, as he was introducing his methodology, he wrote of how 'some thirty years ago... American scholars to develop the project of "canonical exegesis." The aim of this exegesis is to read individual texts within the totality of the one Scripture, which then sheds light on all the individual texts.' (p. xviii) While this may seem new and exciting to the Pope, the fact is that the Protestant churches have been doing this for five hundred years! Perhaps we should get the Pope along to some Proclamation Trust events and preaching conferences to learn how to do it!

My irony detector was turned on and soared when on one page he criticises a group for their beliefs because 'here, obviously, theory predominated over listening to the text' (p.53) and then seven pages later he engages in the same thing by insisting that Jesus declares a time of 'conversion and penance' in relation to Mark 1:15 - penance which definitely isn't in the text!

It's maybe not surprising that I don't agree with the pope on quite a few things, not least how we interpret the Bible, and what that looks like for Christian discipleship - this wasn't a book I enjoyed reading, and I wouldn't rush out to buy one for myself. I really wouldn't recommend it - there are much better books dealing with the life of Jesus and what that means for us, which are edifying and not just plain confusing or dodgy.

Book Review: The Unquenchable Flame

For most people, Protestants especially, the Reformation is a bit of a confused blur. Fragments of information are held, but without knowing how they fit together. So perhaps you know something about Martin Luther, Archbishop Cranmer and the Pope, but how does it all fit together? What was it all about, at the end of the day, particularly when some are claiming that the Reformation is over (or shouldn't have happened under the new perspective on Paul)?

Michael Reeves has written a fairly short, snappy, and suitable introduction to the Reformation, and is perhaps one of the best books I've read this year. From a short, dramatic prologue, your appetite is whetted, and the book propels you into the turbulent times of the 16th century.

As well as introducing you to the key personalities (Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, Tyndale, Cranmer, the Puritans and a few others), and what they did and said, Reeves presents the issues and doctrines at stake in a clear and helpful way. Alongside the important doctrines, there are some nice witty touches. For example, 'Allowing Luther such freedom with a Bible was a move Rome would soon profoundly regret, but for now, Luther became a teacher of the Bible at the brand new university of Wittenberg.'

Reeves is careful and considered in his writing, though, recognising some of the problems associated with the Reformers while appreciating their stand for true doctrine. His analysis of the Puritans is particularly penetrating, seeing their 'attempt to enforce strict Christian behaviour on a nation' as one of the reasons the Commonwealth under Cromwell ultimately failed.

All in all, this book is an excellent introduction to the history of the Reformation period. Lots of ground is covered with good explanation, but in a clear and accessible way. Both highly recommended and heartwarming!

Pope Idol

William Crawley reminds us that it's just one week until Pope Benedict visits the UK Great Britain, a visit surrounded by controversy. I just want to flag up a great little series of sermons preached by Hugh Palmer in All Souls, Langham Place (London) recently: Truths Worth Dying For.

As Mark Meynell (who's also on the staff at All Souls) writes, 'But if one of the purposes of such visits is to raise the profile of Catholicism, then it is perfectly fair game to re-examine the reasons why many of us count ourselves Christian but not Catholic.'

Hugh faithfully preaches Scripture and in the process helps explain why the Reformation happened, and why we continue to hold to these great truths, the solas (grace alone, faith alone, Christ alone, Bible alone). Good for your iPod or mp3 player, and good for your soul!

A Clarification

I just wanted to put on the record that I won't be jumping ship and signing up to the Roman Catholic Church under the Pope's new free transfer scheme. And this not even though the book we're reading in Potty Training this year is Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI. That's all for now.

Angels and Demons: Book Review

Following the success of The Da Vinci Code, Hollywood is turning to another of Dan Brown's novels for more conspiracy thriller movie moments. Having previously enjoyed reading Angels and Demons, I thought I would return to it before the movie is released.

The book is centred on the events of the Vatican Conclave of cardinals, when the leaders of the Roman Catholic Church gather to elect a new Pope. The last time I read the book was round about the time of the election of Cardinal Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI, which gave it even more topical interest. Having read it again, I notice that it's even more topical, with its descriptions of the CERN Large Hadron Collider, seeking the Big Bang 'God Particle' which provides the antimatter terror threat exploited by the Illuminati. The Illuminati are the successors of a bunch of scientists condemned by the Vatican who formed a secret society to plan the overthrow and destruction of the Catholic Church in revenge.

As with the Da Vinci Code, Brown sends his hero symbologist, Robert Langdon, on a high-speed chase across Rome seeking to save lives and follow the ancient Path of Illumination, as the seconds tick away on the antimatter hidden within the Vatican. Expect more conspiracy theories, secret societies, architectural gems, suspicious characters and the usual unexpected twists in the tale.

However, the central issue which is discussed time and again is that of science and religion. Are they complementary or contradictory? How do scientists have faith, or how do churchmen view science? Will the Roman Catholic Church continue to war against the advance of science, or will it make peace with the footsoldiers of atoms?

As usual, Dan Brown's theological view seems to be all over the place. Occasionally he says something worthwhile, but then it quickly descends into nonsense again. However, it might be useful for some Christians to re-read the book (or read it for the first time) before the film hits our cinemas in May 2009, to be able to discuss the issues. Certainly, it's a page-turner, and will provide discussion starters with those on the outside of the church.

Galway

Galway Cathedral by night
Originally uploaded by Gary McMurray.

Last week I was over in Galway for the Church of Ireland General Synod. Three days of debates, reports and meetings. An interesting time, and now I'm off General Synod again, for the time being!

While I was away, I engaged in a spot of photography - surprise surprise! This is one of my favourite shots from the trip - Galway's Roman Catholic Cathedral as dusk settles.

Now I'm home again and getting ready for the exams... first one is Ecclesiology and Cosmology on Monday morning. Here goes on the finals!

Liverpool!

And now a special report on our day away to Liverpool. I was up at 3.30am and Ruth arrived at 4am, so we set off to Banbridge to lift Robert. As we pulled into his drive, there was the ominous sign of no lights. No sign of life at all (although bizarrely, there were lights on in the house across the road...). Maybe the sound of the car would bring him out of the house. Nope. Maybe if we rung his phone, he would come out. Nope, phone was off. What to do?

I knocked on the front door. Nothing. Knocked again louder. Nothing. Knocked a third time. Nothing. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I rang the doorbell. Nothing. Doorbell again, more sustained ringing. Nothing. Doorbell again and again, and behold, the sound of stirring from inside - Robert had awakened! 'Gimme two minutes' was the hurried cry from inside the door. We retired to the car, laughing.

And then we were off, on the road to Dublin. Er, well, we got as far as Scarva Street before turning back so Robert could get his college room key and his band card. But you get the idea. Eventually we were on the road to Dublin; parked up at the Quickpark and into the airport.

Flight was smooth, once we got out onto the runway to take off - the queue at the airport was as bad as the Westlink. Into Liverpool John Lennon Airport, and onto the bus to the city centre.This was Ruth's first time in Liverpool, I had been there a couple of times, but Robert was the Liverpool guide supreme. From the bus station we walked to Paddy's Wigwam - the Roman Catholic Metropolitan Cathedral. (I almost wrote the Metropolitan Tabernacle there!) We had a look around it - such a huge structure, but well laid out liturgically. Everyone could see what was happening. Sadly the original crypts were out of bounds due to exams being held there, so we made our way out to the bus stop for the city sightseeing tour bus.

Even though it was a short distance to Liverpool Cathedral, we were able to have the ticket for the whole day to jump on and off as required. Liverpool Cathedral is massive - seemingly the biggest in the British Isles, with the highest and heaviest peal of bells in the world. Up we went to the top of the tower to enjoy the view of the city and further afield. Then back down to explore the cathedral, and get lunch in the cafe. One of the most refreshing things about both cathedrals in Liverpool was the fact that you aren't confronted with a till as soon as you arrive. Rather, visitors are asked to make a donation - much better than being forced to pay a set fee when you arrive at Christ Church Cathedral Dublin, or St Patrick's Cathedral Dublin, or Westminster Abbey. The respective Deans, take note!

We got back on the tour bus, and were taken right round the two cathedrals again, before going on through the city centre, and arriving at Albert Dock. Here we find the headquarters of Granada Television. This Morning used to be filmed here, but sadly the floating weather map has been removed. In the sunshine, we had a wander around the dock, calling into the Tate Liverpool, then the Merseyside Maritime Museum and the Customs and Excise Museum. Fun stuff, although I couldn't help but wonder if the displays could be used to help the forgers and smugglers get better at their trade...

Back onto the bus again, and surprise, surprise, back round by the two cathedrals for the third time, before back to the city centre, where we left the bus tour for the day. Speaking of the two cathedrals reminds me of a couple of problems with the bus tour commentary. The claim was made that Liverpool is unique in being the only city with two working cathedrals. I'm not sure where their catchment area is - possibly only England, because within Northern Ireland there are three cities with two working cathedrals in each - Londonderry, Belfast and Armagh. The other howler was when the commentary talks about the four bells in Paddy's Wigwam's bell tower. I quote - 'They are named after the four apostles, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.' Hmm, slight problem in that they are four Evangelists, rather than apostles. Matthew and John were apostles, but Luke and Mark didn't have that role or function!

Having got off in the city centre, we wandered about, finding the essential commodity of water (in a roasting hot day). We then went into the Cavern Quarter to find the home of the Beatles - the Cavern Club in Mathew Street. From there, it was on to the World Museum Liverpool, which we explored in the last hour before it closed. This was a brilliant place - completely free (museums in Northern Ireland take note!) and packed with brilliant displays.

My favourite was the Wallace and Gromit exhibition. There you could see some of the models used in the 'Were-Rabbit' film, and there were interactive elements. One such element was where you could add your own sound effects to a clip from the film, then watch it back! In total there were five floors of stuff, with a bugs exhibition with tanks of tarantulas, beetles, scorpions, bees, stick insects and many others; and an aquarium feature with lots of colourful fish.

Then we sat in the gardens for a while, taking it easy, and marvelling at the lack of traffic in the city for rush hour. Had it been London, Dublin or Belfast (or even Lisburn) at the same time, traffic would be crazy, but in Liverpool, you could hardly notice any cars, and there were no queues!

We then went for dinner in a Chinese buffet restaurant, where there was a special offer of 10% off food for students. I have to admit, that partly swayed our decision, and in we went. We said we were students, and the waitress asked to see our cards. On seeing that we were students at Trinity College, Dublin, she refused us the student discount, because we weren't students at a British university. We were the victims of racism from Chinese people! The food was decent, although they were very prompt in coming to clear away plates almost as soon as you had finished eating, which I wasn't too fussed on.

From there, we went back out to the airport, getting photos taken beside the Yellow Submarine fixture outside the airport. Inside, it was virtually deserted as there were just two more flights going out that evening, so we grabbed the comfy chairs at the (closed) Starbucks and relaxed until the flight was called.

All in all, it was a great day. Just a pity Simon Genoe (to name and shame him) wasn't able to go with us as he was tired!

Photos will soon be available at the usual place - Flickr!

Catholicism and Christianity

What do you make of the two things - Catholicism and Christianity? Do we speak of the same thing in two different ways? Are Roman Catholics Christians?

I'm not going to give an opinion - for now - as much as provide a quotation from David McWilliams' new book 'The Pope's Children'. McWilliams is writing an account of Ireland's new elite - the generation born in and around the visit of the Pope in 1979. The generation of the Celtic Tiger, the huge rise in living standards, house prices and wealth.

And what does McWilliams say in the book that provoked my question? In a throw-away line on page 223, he says the following:

Numbers attending evangelical Christian churches are up 1000% in ten years and 78% of these people are born in Ireland, having converted from Catholicism.

The clear implication is that evangelical Christians are different to Catholicism, and that 'conversion' (whatever is meant), is needed. An interesting observation!

Mary Part Three

Having been notified by IrishAngle, the text of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission report Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ can now be read online.

Mary Part Two

Just a quick reflection on a verse from 2 Kings 18. Hezekiah was king of Judah around the time at Israel went into exile, and was the greatest king that Judah had, before or after. Why? Because Hezekiah trusted in God fully, and sought to obey him.

He removed a lot of the high places where sacrifices had been made, and destroyed the stone idols that had been worshipped. But he also destroyed the bronze serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness, because the people were now burning incense to it. Something that had reminded the people to worship God had become something that the people worshipped.

Is it possible that Roman Catholics, and some Anglicans (involved in ARCIC and such like things) have done a similar thing with Mary? Mary, as a woman, as a sinner like the rest of us, was a servant of God - a reminder of God's faithfulness. She is an example. But she is not to be worshipped.

There is a fine line between using something to worship God, and to worshipping the idol and turning your back on God. Romanists and Anglicans should be very careful in this regard!

Mary

Earlier in the week, a report was launched by the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC), which seems to be working towards an agenda of very close ecumenism, and eventual unity with Rome. The subject of this report was 'Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ', looking at how the two bodies view Mary.

For some background reading, check out the BBC News report and the Anglican Communion website. I haven't been able to download the report anywhere, and am thus depending on what the two sites mentioned have said about it.

It seems to me that the report was meant to look at the Biblical evidence on Mary, and to see how the Roman dogmas of her immcaulate conception and assumption fit with this evidence. Traditionally, Anglicans, along with other Protestants, have rejected the dogmas. But it appears from this report that the Anglicans on the committee have listened to the propoganda of the Romanists, who, it appears, have admitted they can't be proven from the Bible, and then said... 'well, it seems like this would be a good idea, or it seems like what should have happened' and have agreed to it.

Below are the two main affirmations agreed by the two sides:

“In view of her vocation to be the mother of the Holy One (Luke 1:35), we can affirm together that Christ's redeeming work reached 'back in Mary to the depths of her being, and to her earliest beginnings. This is not contrary to the teaching of Scripture, and can only be understood in the light of Scripture. Roman Catholics can recognize in this what is affirmed by the dogma - namely 'preserved from all stain of original sin' and 'from the first moment of her conception.'”

“we can affirm together the teaching that God has taken the Blessed Virgin Mary in the fullness of her person into his glory as consonant with Scripture and that it can, indeed, only be understood in the light of Scripture. Roman Catholics can recognize that this teaching about Mary is contained in the dogma” (paragraph 58).

How can Mary be without sin? There is only one who was holy, and that was Jesus! Romans 3 tells us very clearly, in a catalogue of verses from the Old Testament that 'all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God'. Indeed, in the Magnificat, the song of Mary, she said: 'My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour'. How could God be her Saviour if she didn't need to be saved?

It is sheer presumption, and an elevation of a servant of God into the 'mother of God', to presume that she was assumed into heaven. Scripture records only that Enoch and Elijah were taken into heaven, and that Jesus ascended bodily. It doesn't tell us of any others.

It seems that the Anglicans on the committee have bent over backwards to accommodate the unbiblical dogmas of the Roman church. How long must we continue with this situation of failed ecumenism? Will we end up with the Anglican church returning 'to the fold' and acknowedging the pope as the head of the church? Perish the thought!