Jesus Wept: Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church

Jesus Wept: Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church by Philip Shenon

This at the Popes that have served since World War II through the context of progressive politics. The author expects Popes to liberalize the church, condemn pedophile priests and denounce Nazis and the holocaust. Anything that goes against progressive ideals is viewed as negative. Alas, life is not so black and white. The church advocates forgiveness must balance that against the many groups involved.   This creates problems when society demands blood for some activities while expect to tolerate others. Celibacy is hard in the hypersexual world. Are there enough that can keep this ideal? Should priests be allowed to marry? The author shows a favoritism towards social Popes like Francis while is upset that Benedict went from a maverick to a conservative. Conservative groups are painted in a negative. Should the Catholic try to fit in with modern culture? Or should it support the traditionalists? How can one leader make all sides happy?

St. Francis of Assisi

St. Francis of Assisi by G.K. Chesterton

This biography of St. Francis portrays him as both an eccentric  human and a deeply devout follower of Christ. There are both the human and the mystical parts of his activities. He misbehaved and served during his lifetime. He helped out Claire and led to the founding of the woman's order. (It seems fitting that today that the San Francisco football team plays in Santa Clara.) We think of him as living a long time ago, yet the Christian church was already a millennia old. There were a multitude of conflicts, both in the church and society. It was a complex time that he lived. The biography is a short and to the point. The author has a great respect for St. Francis, yet still humanizes him.

Orthodoxy

Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton

This is Chesterton's positive view on his journey and acceptance of Christianity. He wrote it after his more "negative" book, "Heretics". In it he looks at some of the paradoxes and scientific challenges. Instead of seeing those as challenges to religion, he sees those as extra proof that religion has an important place in our lives and that we should adopt it. The rational approach to religion seems in line with a scientific world-view.

Against the Grain: Christianity and Democracy, War and Peace

Against the Grain: Christianity and Democracy, War and Peace by George Weigel

This is a series of essays on war and foreign relations written by a conservative Catholic theologian. Many were originally given as lectures at various organizations. The author admits that he is often considered to be a "theo-con".

The author is concerned with the role of church in the world. The church should have a role in society, however, it should be separate from society. It is not good to keep the church out of public discourse, nor is it appropriate for the church to conform to current norms. Issues like abortion and euthanasia and birth control are key areas where the church differs from society. The author feels it was inappropriate for the church to dominate the political sphere as it did during the middle ages. 

He returns multiple times to concerns about jihadism. Christianity has learned that it is best to separate church from state. Islam is still attempting to implement a theocracy. It is our duty to ensure that Islam its appropriate place. People must adhere to laws. We should not bend over backwards to religious bullies. (He mentioned the response to Danish cartoons that Muslims found offensive.) There is concern that western society has attempted to subjugate Christianity, while giving Islam free reign. The west also appears to be committing demographic suicide. Most of the west does not have a sustainable birth rate. Population is maintained by immigration, often by Muslim immigrants. These populations have greater birth rates and may dominate the western world.

Another theme is the concept of the just war. When is it appropriate to go to war? The Iraq and Afghan wars were given as examples of just wars. There was the potential for significant harm with the local tyrants in power. However, the full process was not carried out properly. He considers four different "wars" in Iraq. The first was done well. However, the country was then left in shambles. Borders were unmanned and other revolutionaries were allowed to slip in. Bad behavior and poor planning by the military led to the falling apart of culture and a disdain for Americans. The just war was followed by a bad occupation that hurt the end result.

The book provides insight into the conservative side of Catholic thought. The audience appears to consist primarily of Catholics or those with significant knowledge of Catholicism. There were a number of Catholic terms and teachings thrown about. It was possible to discern the meaning based on context, but I'd assume those with more experience would have a deeper understanding.

The Jesuits: A History

The Jesuits got started in the 1500s when a Spanish noble was injured selflessly fighting in a battle. He spent time reading in his recovery and focussed on religious works. St Ignatius of Loyola would go on devote his life to God and found the Society of Jesus.

The Jesuits take a vow of poverty and are devoted to education and service. They do not seek higher office, though will take it if needed. (The current Pope is a Jesuit.) They have been heavily involved in missionary work, both in Europe and throughout the world. They desired that supplicants make a complete conversion before baptism. (Though this would sometimes be relaxed near death.)

A few centuries ago, the order had a falling out with the Catholic hierarchy. Some countries felt they were loyal to others, while the church did not trust them. They were later rehabilitated and went on to grow.

The order was initially known to be very conservative. However they also have a strong mandate to serve the poor and support open enquiry in education. These are both associated with more liberal ideology. They continue to have a strong devotion to the church and Jesus.

This history is quite long, with a strong focus on the early history of the order. 

John Paul the Great

John Paul the Great spends some time providing a biography of Pope John Paul II. However, most of the book details the author's spiritual journey. For many immigrants, Catholicism was an "old world" custom that they sought to avoid. Their descendants needed the spiritual confirmation rather than custom to participate in the church. Pope John Paul II was keen to this and was a humble, prayerful figure that traveled the world to help spread the message of peace. This helped open the church up to many that would otherwise have not sought it. Alas, at the time, the church was also suffering from bad behavior from many priests. The Pope's great love may have made it difficult for him to take early decisive action to stop the bad actors. (This was also influenced by his experience losing his family at a young age and enduring the horrors of communism and Nazism.)

There are many scenes of the Pope's humility. When the author, Peggy Noonan, met the Pope helps show his non-judgmental nature. In the same audience as her was a rocker, dressed to the part. Pope John Paul II treated him just as the others, and even signed the music that was presented. In another instance, Pope John Paul II met with his would-be-assassin for an extended time period, and forgave him. the author had a great respect for the pope as a person - and even more for what he enabled her to accomplish in her spiritual life.