skyrydr's Full Review: David Gibson - The Coming Catholic Church: How the...
This book, by David Gibson, is an insightful chronology of major events and actions that have been taking place since the Vatican II Council. It is apparent from reading this book, that the Catholic Church is indeed, at a major crossroad in its history.
The idea of the recent scandal is not a symptom of the problem, but rather a symptom of an overwhelming lack on leadership on the part of the Vatican and the American bishops who have indefensibly tried to sweep the actions of a few under the proverbial carpet. Gibson draws the reader's attention to the fact that the scandal itself raises the hackles on people, however, the reaction has been more toward bishops who have not been caring about their flocks, and more protective of big, little boys who never grew out of their stages of arrested sexual development.
However, he is very balanced in his approach to explore the feelings of those good and honest priests who have lived thru the hurt and betrayal of the parishoners and has tried to honestly reflect where they are in the mix.
Gibson is honest, sometimes painfully so, yet his writing style moves quickly and he supports his thinking with enough historical data , but not too much as to distract the reader from the initial point being made.
He is skillful in his writing, very human in his approach and often takes the view of the local parishoner or the member of the Church to articulate his points. He does a great job from the Catholics in the pews, to those priests who move forward in their daily lives in their rectories.
The only issue he does not really spend adequate time on is the issue of the role of women in the Church. But, since that would be such a significant transformation, that might be best addressed in a treatise all of its own.
This is an excellent book that ends on a high note of hope and gives all of us something to look forward to as we move to the Coming Catholic Church.
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