Bridging the Great Divide: Musings of a Post-Liberal, Post-Conservative Evangelical Catholic

Father Baron is a productive Catholic priest whose books are readable, subtle, thought provoking, and perhaps too optimistic. Baron's book titled BRIDGING THE GREAT DIVIDE should appeal to readers with "residual common sense." Some of the essays in this book were written for more "advanced" readers especially those dealing with St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Augustine, and Father Merton. Other essays appeal to those who are not well read re history, philosophy, and theology. The essays have connections and should be read patiently.The first essay focused on the Cardinal Roncalli's,the future Pope John XXIII, remark re Vatican II reforms. As Father Baron commented, the Pope John XXIII and the Vatican II attendees wanted to build a bridge between what should be conserved and what can be "reconfigured." As Baron noted, the Catholic Church should be an active force for good rather than "a museum piece." An "Orthodox" Catholic made the statement that those Catholics who did not agree with her visions of Catholicism to leave the Catholic Church. As an aside, she did have any plan to force them to leave. On the other hand, other Catholics want to dilute Catholicism to the point of meaninglessness. Baron included a litany of saints who had different views, and yet remained within the Catholic Church.Father Baron cited Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin as examples of Catholics who "bridged the gap." Dorothy Day was a Communist, a Socialist, and finally a devout convert to Catholcism. Her Catholic Worker Movement was a valiant effort to help destitute people. She was considered a "leftist" and a "radical." Anyone who now shows compassion and kindness is now considered a radical. One should note that the early Catholic martyrs were considered "radicals." On the other hand, Dorothy Day attended Mass every day, prayed the Rosary, kept the Office of the Hours, and was as devout as any devout monk or nun.What is Catholicism? An obvious answer is that Catholicism is a major religion. Father Baron defines Catholcism as "The Way." The Way is not only to be studied and defended. The Way is to be lived as though Catholicism is relevant and vital. While participating in the Sacraments is important, the Sacraments are of little use if Catholics do not walk The Way and adhere to what are known as "The Cardinal Virtues." Father Baron used a remark made by the late Bishop Sheen. Sheen said that the Three Wise Men left the Infant Christ and returned home another way. No one who encounters Christ can return the same way. In other words, men and woman who are serious about Catholicism must live a different way (The Way). The world should not change the Catholic Liturgy. The Catholic Liturgy should change the world for the better.As mentioned above, Father Baron used St. Thomas's work to enhance these essays. Baron made some philosophical comments about St. Thomas Aquinas and the late Blessed Pope John Paul II. St. Thomas Aquinas and John Paul II argued that God and people are in a human and divine order that brings people closer to each other and to the Divine. Reason and study of Creation give examples of the finite world which can lead to the Divine and the Sacred. The philosophical and theological reasoning can help those not familiar with these studies. Father Baron wrote that true freedom is authenic truth and not trivia. Father Baron viewed the Cosmos as an example of God as an artist. This requires men and woman to recognize good vs. evil and beauty vs. the ugly. To appreciate what is good and what is beauty, people must be able to contrast such concepts with what is evil and ugly. The ability to use reason and understanding to know the difference is what makes us truly human and truly humane.In re evil, Father Baron had an interesing interpretation of the Fall. The Adam/Eve story is NOT negative narrative of people as depraved. Father Baron argued that the Adam/Eve expulson from Eden was a transition for child-like innocence to adult awareness of good vs evil and responsiblity. This is not to say that defiance of the command of forbidden fruit was right. The lesson is that innocent children become adults and question what may be arbitrary authority. Not all authority is justified or right, and people learn this lesson for better or worse. Again, the knowledge of good and evil should be necessary for the Human Condition. The Incarnation may have been an effort to help people to recognize false piety, hypocricy, and insensitive authority.Father Baron wrote that true authenticity requires patience and no "quick answers." Baron's essay re such patience used the Advent Season as a background for this essay. What does Advent actually mean? Father Baron used a comment from Father Diekmann about the key concept of people. Father Diekmann used the term "Diefication" meaning that people are diefied by God, and men and women have the responsibility to live according to such a status. For Father Baron this meant that people must show compassion, mercy, kindness, bona fide love, and forgiveness. One must wonder how far the current culture has betrayed these concepts.One section of the book that did not provide good answers was Father Baron's treatment of the problem of evil. He used sections from the book of Job which are unsatisfactory. Father Baron's remark that natural and human disasters may lead to a better future is of NO consolation to those who suffer. Father Baron made a valiant attempt to reconcile the problem, but his arguements go begging. However, his explanation is better than most this reviewer has read. The book titled JOB AND THE EXCESS OF EVIL is another good attempt to explain the problem of evil.Theologcally the Cosmos was made by God and was "made good." Father Baron focused on Father Thomas Merton's efforts to establish peace. The thesis here is that violent competition and neglect of the concepts in the above paragraphy are a divorce of the Way (Christ's Way). As Father Baron explained, if some aggressive over-bearing person is confronted by another over-bearing person, conflict is inevitable. However if each is met by kindness and avoiding violence, what can the aggressive person do? Gandhi is a good example of this non-violent resistence. Blessed Mother Teresa either ignored fools and continued her work, or she refuted critics with searing response.The last sections of the book dealt with the status of Catholic clergy. Too often the Holy Office of the priesthood is either marginalized or reduced to irrelevancy. Catholic parishoners too often do not know that Catholic priests "do not grow on trees," and a shortage of priests exists. Catholics should be in a position to help Catholic clergy rather than express complaints and lack of concern or help. Catholics should not take Catholic priests for granted. As Father Baron noted, the indifference toward Catholic priests is cause for concern.Father Baron's book takes time and focus. His writing is clear, and the philosophical topics require attention to understand. If some readers claim the topics are above their heads, then they should stretch their necks. While some of the topics are philosophical and intellectual, Father Baron is certainly no snob. This reviewer's only criticism is that Father Baron is too optimistic. In an age of trivial concerns and praise of unbridled violence, Father Baron may despair. However, this book is well worth reading.James E. EgolfNovember 16, 2014

Father Barron takes an educated philosophical look at our Catholic church from both the so called right and left viewpoints and tries to find the truthful nuggets contained in both. Through the medium of short essays he provides an overview of today's church that can be digested into small pieces and leaves you hopeful that even those with whom you do not agree may offer you something valuable to learn.

Learned author. Persuasive message on the need for the Church to passionately both/and vs narrowly either/or with pieties and social mission.

this is not an easy read, but it moves the usual black and white conversation about church and life in the church along helpfully, and gives the base from which this conversation can be engaged.

Fr. Barron's most recent work is one of the most approachable, yet incisive and intelligent accounts of the most exciting movements in recent theology. I have studied with Fr. Barron, and without hyperbole I often remark to friends how he was the best professor I ever had--passionate and excitingly contemporary, immersed in the tradition yet generously critical. A wonderful priest and a masterful teacher.This book delivers the same invigoration. Fr. Barron's chapters range wide: from the postconciliar liturgy, to Joyce and narrative, to postmodern non-violence. Underlying his various treatments is an attempt at recovery: opposing the often narrow and always self-reflexive modern hermeneutic, begun in Descartes and apotheosized theologically in Schliermacher, Fr. Barron wishes to return us to a more humble, reverent posture before the universe, each other, and most especially, God.The subtitle "post-liberal, post-conservative" brings this critical, even playful, acumen to bear on current American ecclesial concerns. You will find no naive polemics here: Fr. Barron's attempt to recover a theology (even more: an adequation with reality) that transcends these jejune dichotomies opens the reader to a invigorating purview that commands such different resources as Teilhard, von Balthasar, Bob Dylan, Chesterton, Dorothy Day, and Thomas Aquinas.Fr. Barron has particular debts as well to the best in recent Protestant theology: a plus that should make this book a resource to those Catholics who stopped with Tillich. No stranger to Rahner, Fr. Barron is also able to underscore the insights he brought, while reading him within the tradition, noting various lacuna. His knowledge of von Balthasar is especially helpful here, and a needed corrective to an often one-sided emphasis in recent Catholic theology.In short, if you would like to gain a perspective into what is most exciting, most relevant, and most important for not only Catholic theology, but the life of the Church, you will find no better guide than Fr. Barron.

This is a great collection of essays by Fr. Robert Barron. It was published about ten years ago. The essay I liked most was entitled "Genesis and Joyce." It compared the themes of Fall of Adam and Eve to themes in James Joyce's novel A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN. (I need to read PORTRAIT someday.) If you like Fr. Barron you will definitely like this book.

Poorly written and full of unfounded opinion. This book is total trash and is only useful for starting campfires at best.