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Title: Nearer, My God: An Autobiography of Faith by William F. Buckley ISBN: 0-15-600618-9 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 1998 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.88 (26 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: The Aescetics and Joy of the Catholic Christian Faith
Comment: This was the book that drove some important decisions in my life. Mr. Buckley has gathered from his own experience some deeply personal relections on Roman Catholic faith. I cherish his effort in writing about his life and knowledge of the church in a manner that is spiritual and reflective of a deep sense of grace. Chapter 8 on Christ's Crucifixion and Chapter 9 about St. Bernadette's experience at Lourdes were stunning to me. I was quite struck by the personal honesty displayed for public view, but I got a sense that Mr. Buckley might someday return to the subject for a sequel. Hopefully he will continue to explain Catholicism in his interesting, witty and challenging manner. Although this book was a tremendous joy to read, it is at times challenging in it's vocabulary and depth of intellectual thought. Well worth the effort for the appreciative reader searching for some of the toughest theological questions. Casual readers will probably find the slog of the first few chapters more difficult that easier digested works. A Five Star Feast for faithful inquirer's of Roman Catholicism.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Book that Will Take on Greater Importance with Time
Comment: I am a former Catholic turned evangelical. I must say that despite great differences in Catholic and evangelical thought, there is a goldmine of information that Buckley presents. First, Buckley's employing Cardinal Newman's defense of Catholicism is an excellent presentation of Catholic thought. Equally interesting are the real-life apologetics afforded by Monsignor Knox to one, Mr. Lunn (the latter converted to Catholicism in part due to M. Knox's incisive responses). Evangelicals must understand Catholics, and they will walk away from these exchanges with a vivid, intelligent overview. Incredibly enough, the platforms used to buttress Catholic doctrine serve well, in logical terms, for Christian apologetics at-large. These gems, alone, are well-worth the read. Another fascinating feature includes snippets of responses from various luminaries on their opinions involving three questions. I won't spoil the plot; suffice it to say their responses bring joy to anyone thirsting for relevance in the Gospel and the Christian faith. The slice of life descriptions of involvement with David Nevin, Grace of Monaco, Charleton Heston, Malcolm Muggeridge, etc....well, you won't want to miss these. There is a wide difference between Catholicism and the evangelical world. Nevertheless, the essentials of Christianity are captured in Buckley's recountings--to the extent that reading them creates an intellectually and emotionally satisfying journey. The reader must invariably see Christ just as He was portrayed at the climax of "Ben Hur": God, Who is near. Lastly, I surely came away in awe of Buckley's caressing of the English language. Yes, Bill, "Well done, Lord...our Lord." And, "well done" to His servant, too.
Rating: 5
Summary: Exceptional Writing
Comment: Mr. Buckley is an exceptionally talented man; his writing is only one of many disciplines at which he excels. And even within this field he is an accomplished novelist, essayist, speech writer, author of monographs, and the author of a syndicated national newspaper column. This particular work could be legitimately characterized as theology although the author denies that he is so qualified. By his definition this may be true, but his level of expertise on Christianity, and on being a Roman Catholic far surpasses the knowledge the majority of the practitioners of the faith can claim.
I came back to this book for a second reading after Mr. Buckley was mentioned several times in the new book by Gary Wills, "Why I Am A Catholic". Mr. Buckley's working title was the same as that of Mr. Wills, but when his book was published in 1997 it had become, "Nearer, My God". Mr. Wills and Mr. Buckley had worked together with Mr. Wills having written for the National Review. Their personal preferences in the political sphere were to become incompatible, and the professional relationship ended.
"Nearer My God", is not as critical of the Church although it does raise a variety of questions about Vatican II, and the decline of virtually any form of religious instruction in education, public or private. Mr. Buckley shares the changes that have taken place at the preparatory school he attended, and includes at the end of his book a list of quite prestigious private schools generally founded by Christians, and their present course offerings that are devoid of anything other than religious homogeneity. The effort spent ensuring that any discussion/teaching is as far from any study of specific religions, is either laughable, or offensive depending on the reader's point of view. It brings to mind recent court rulings that took place within days of each other involving the constitutional issue of the separation of church and state. Within days two rulings were handed down, one stating The Pledge Of Allegiance was unconstitutional due to the words, "under God", and then within days a ruling that school vouchers could be used for religious schools was deemed legal. Genius or even common sense is becoming harder to find residing upon the benches of the judiciary. The decision regarding the pledge was particularly obscene as it was brought in an effort to bolster a child custody case, and not for any legitimate discourse on constitutional law.
Mr. Buckley is a devout Catholic, and while he may take issue with the decisions of The Vatican II Council, he does not attack the Church as an institution. The book explores the Catholic Faith in a variety of ways. He shares a brilliant discussion on a variety of points from the theologians Arnold Lunn and Father Knox. He then invited a group of familiar names that had either found, or converted to The Catholic Church as adults, Lance Murrow, Whittaker Chambers, and many more.
The discussions range from what either kept them from converting sooner, to which ideas finally made up their minds. There are discussions on all of the hot buttons currently at issue, and while these discussions are not devoid of feeling, they lack any manner of rancor.
This book is as lacking in fuel for animosity filled debate, as Mr. Will's work is filled with its opposite. Both books represent an opportunity to learn from extremely bright people who often share the same sources for their discussions. The books differ in the level of criticism and the manner by which it is presented. I have always felt that many readers are put off by Mr. Buckley's work as they feel attempting his work is a daunting task. Mr. Buckley has a brilliant mind and a true love of the written and spoken word. A dictionary at hand when reading his work is often an aid. I don't feel than anyone who has passed on his work would regret a change of mind. He is an original thinker, and will long be remembered for his contributions to literature.
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Title: The Lexicon: A Cornucopia of Wonderful Words for the Inquisitive Word Lover by William F. Buckley Jr., Jesse Sheidlower, Jesse Sheidlower ISBN: 0156006162 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1998 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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Title: Buckley: The Right Word (Harvest Book) by Samuel S. Vaughan, William F. Buckley Jr. ISBN: 0156005697 Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 1998 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: Let Us Talk of Many Things : The Collected Speeches with New Commentary by the Author ISBN: 0761525513 Publisher: Prima Lifestyles Pub. Date: 01 April, 2000 List Price(USD): $30.00 |
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Title: Nuremberg: The Reckoning by William F., Jr. Buckley ISBN: 015602747X Publisher: Harvest Books Pub. Date: 01 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: Letters to a Young Conservative by Dinesh D'Souza ISBN: 0465017339 Publisher: Basic Books Pub. Date: 01 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $22.00 |
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