This is an original and very well thought out book. O’Brien is not a theologian, but a philosopher, though he has made his career as a college administrator. Because of this, he takes a different approach to the subject of ‘church” and religion than most authors. He is not terribly concerned about prescribing results or defining appropriate theology. He even wants to move beyond mere morality to deeper matters.
He looks at three questions: What is the proper voice of the church? Is there a voice of Christian faith? Can what is said about Christianity be fundamentally distorted by how it is said? In all of this, he is more concerned about the proper process than forcing a result (how Obama-like).
He is quite capable of standing some traditional formulas on their head. He is willing to agree that outside the church there is no salvation. That many who are not part of this sect or who don’t believe a particular set of tenets are nevertheless saved is not a problem for him. If they are saved, then they are part of the church by definition. Salvation and forgiveness are important because they were important to Jesus. Other matters, not so much.
So, is there a proper voice (the medium being the message) for Christians? In this he focuses on Jesus, identifying him not as a messenger, but the Message – the Word. Any voice used by Christians should be based on that of Jesus. Not his specific teachings or sayings as passed down to us, but his life, which is God’s Message. Text proofing and developing elaborate theologies may be the work of churches, but Christians have not just a model of how to behave, but a Savior. One who did not come to identify enemies, but to forgive those who identified Him as an enemy.
Concerning the voice of Christian faith, he put Christian morality to one side. Yes, the Golden Rule is fine, yes we should all be good, but what does that have to do with Christian faith? What is the content of our faith and how should we speak it. Do we claim forgiveness for ourselves and expect God to refuse it to others? Are we satisfied with promoting morality, instead of living a truly Christian life?
Finally, he looks at how Christianity speaks affects to reception of what it says. As unChristian: What a New Generation Really Thinks about Christianity… and Why It Matters by David Kinnaman and Gabe Lyons documents, the voice used by most Christians just about obliterates the message/Message. The book concludes with a series of proposals for reforming the Catholic Church, which is a very large order, but which can also be the basis of a personal renewal. A greater awareness of just how much my “voice” affects how my message is received would be a great gift.
Along the way, O’Brien uses new and inventive frames. Throughout the book, he considers how to view our world. He uses the image of an author who creates characters, but they soon escape His control. He doesn’t want control, but knows that they will be best off if they live the kind of life He has scripted for them. O’Brien views a self-scripted life as the prototypical and original sin. Jesus comes to show (not tell, since a good author know it is better to show rather than tell) what a life that accepts God’s script is like.
Though some of the book is specifically Catholic, this work will reward the careful reader of any faith, especially Christians. It is quite a change of pace for readers of religious books. Note that this is far from pop theology, but well worth the effort.
