O ff the Shelf
Book Reviews
On the Immorality of Illegal Immigration by Father Patrick J. Bascio AuthorHouse Neighbor: Christian Encounters with “Illegal” Immigration by Ben Daniel Westminster John Knox Press Reviewed by M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) These two books could not be more dissimilar. One is a prolonged diatribe on the dangers of what is perceived as the uncontrolled illegal influx of foreigners; the other places the dilemmas of immigration within a personal narrative to comprehend better those who face hardships in their quest for an alternative future in a foreign land. The title of Bascio’s work–On the Immorality of Illegal Immigration: A Priest Poses an Alternative Christian View–is at once reflective of its content and, in this reviewer’s opinion, misleading. The key word is “immorality,” a term that appears repeatedly throughout the book. The tone is often combative and alarmist: “Groups that favor illegal immigration often invoke the Almighty and wrap themselves in the mantle of compassion as their justification for turning a blind eye to the terrible consequences to America of our porous borders.” Bascio reviews the points that are brought to bear in the national debate against the entry and presence of undocumented immigrants in this country: the danger of Hispanic gangs; the negative impact on job availability and wages for American unskilled labor (especially among African Americans); the additional
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financial burdens on the education system and law enforcement; and the dangers to national security. All of these issues are important realities that need to be addressed, but it is unfortunate that he makes no attempt to communicate or engage contrary views in any meaningful way. The presentation is one-sided and sometimes shrill. Given the author’s wealth of experience in the Caribbean, both in the pastorate and in education, this limited perspective is a bit surprising. More regrettable is the misleading nature of the subtitle. The book contains no theological discussion beyond the occasional comment that the author does not agree with the pro-immigrant stance of the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The only biblical text cited (and only once) is Romans 14:1-2. The last chapter closes with a sampling of letters written to Bascio by Mexican women who express longing that their husbands return home. The old adage “you can tell a book by its cover” proves true in this case. The cover of this work depicts the author in a US Air Force Veteran cap. “Keeping America Safe” would make a suitable subtitle to Brascio’s On the Immorality of Illegal Immigration. Ben Daniel’s Neighbor offers a very different cover
(faces of immigrants and a picture of the border fence) and focus. Frank Schaeffer, son of well-known conservative Christian apologist Francis Schaeffer, contributes a passionate foreword in which he shares how his mind has changed on the topic of immigration and calls on the reader not to be swayed by nationalistic rhetoric. The author, a Presbyterian pastor (PCUSA) in Northern California, divides his 10 chapters into three sections, each of which ends with stimulating reflections and suggestions for action. The book’s conclusion is followed by a list of 10 study questions that probe political, socioeconomic, and religious beliefs and practices. The endnotes and index make this a helpful reference source. Daniel writes: “My desire for this book, then, is not so much that it will inspire charity or political activism (though I do not wish to discourage either), but that readers will recognize in undocumented immigrants the potential for long-lasting, lifegiving friendship.” Part one looks for guidance to the broad Christian tradition, from the opening stories about Father Toribio Romo González, patron of migrants and pilgrims, to a brief look at the biblical material and church history (including Calvin’s Geneva!). This is an ecumenical exercise designed to reshape the religious
imagination and to direct a stance on the complexities of immigration in a spiritual and more humane direction. In these chapters and every subsequent one, Daniel weaves in his personal experiences and describes how they shaped both his mind and heart. This is a book largely about people who live in the chaos surrounding border realities. Part two focuses on the efforts of a congresswoman seeking legislation reform and the compassion of a federal judge in Las Cruces, N.Mex., who tries to handle his courtroom and caseload with Christian sensibility. Part three deals with several concrete dimensions of immigrant life: ministries of solidarity and aid for distressed travelers on both sides of the border, the provision of water in the desert, the new sanctuary movement, and education initiatives to empower immigrants. What make these discussions compelling are the personal accounts that illustrate the breadth and depth of the problems and the urgency of concrete solution. This is an immigration discussion from an explicitly Christian stance as it should be–with a human face. My recommendation? Be aware of Brascio; read Daniel.
M. Daniel Carroll R. (Rodas) is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament at Denver Seminary and author of Christians at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible (Baker Academic, 2008). He frequently speaks on a biblical framework for the immigration debate and blogs at bit.ly/7ev6u.
Religious Faith, Torture, and Our National Soul Edited by David P. Gushee, co-edited by Jillian Hickman Zimmer and J. Drew Zimmer Mercer University Press Reviewed by Bret Kincaid Colonel Jessep, Jack Nicholson’s commanding character in A Few Good Men (1992), compellingly pushed what was then the edge of the envelope where human rights and national security collide. When the Navy prosecutor (played by Tom Cruise) demanded the truth, Jessep fiercely retorted, “You can’t handle the truth!” Jessep then barked out that Americans, while enjoying the luxury of opposing the violation of human rights, sleep comfortably at night knowing that the military keeps Americans safe even as soldiers may be violating human rights. This “truth” also casts its shadow over torture, an issue Americans have been debating intensely since 9/11,
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the beginning of the s o - c all e d War on Terror. This e xc e l l e n t b o o k represents the antitorture side of this debate. It is a compilation of papers presented at the 2008 national summit on torture put on by Evangelicals for Human Rights (EHR) and the National Religious Campaign against Torture and hosted by Mercer University. Not everyone at the summit would concur with EHR’s motto–“No Torture. No Exceptions”– but each of the 30 voices included in the volume takes the position that the use of torture is immoral. Especially noteworthy are the many dimensions of the issue that the book addresses: a history of the US “drift” toward torture since 9/11; what torture does socially and psychologically to victims and
perpetrators; Christian, Islamic, and Jewish theological analyses of and sermonic reflections on torture; and the politics of policy advocacy against torture. Generally, two or three prominent and knowledgeable presenters either offer an independent viewpoint on a subtopic or one person presents his or her perspective and others respond to it. The only exception to this is the paper offering a “practical way forward” for policy advocacy, which unfortunately focuses exclusively on party politics rather than also looking toward people with nonpartisan NGO and culture-shaping experience. If consulted, such people certainly could have provided encouragement and guidance to those who worry about, and want to change, the current opinion polls demonstrating large swaths of support for torture under certain circumstances. Still, this virtual primer on torture policy was as compelling as it was painful to read. I felt queasy reading
some of the personal stories of those who have worked with Guantanamo inmates and those who have been tortured. Poring over the policy history, personal testimonies, and opinion polls of evangelicals’ positive attitudes toward torture will depress anyone who accepts Glen Stassen’s original thesis that the morality of torture cannot withstand Jesus’ call to love both our neighbors and our enemies, which is the genuine grounding of human rights (not the Enlightenment). But David P. Gushee’s paper strikes a hopeful note, despite the fact that this emergent evangelical anti-torture movement has been resisted by some evangelical leaders. Perhaps widespread reading of this book would begin bending toward justice Colonel Jessep’s “truth” presently embraced by too many evangelicals. Bret Kincaid is associate professor of political science at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa.
Living into Hope by Joan Brown Campbell Skylight Paths Reviewed by Francesca Nuzzolese Written with the verve of an activist and the heart of a pastor, Living into Hope: A Call to Spiritual Action for Such a Time As This is a testament to the transformation that can occur when faith and action go hand in hand. It is also a compelling call to people of all faiths to work in unity to bring hope and renewal to the human community. The book is primarily centered on the life and work experiences of its author, Rev. Dr. Joan Brown Campbell, a woman of great faith and vision who has served alongside such historical heroes as Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. (in the US civil rights movement), Archbishop Desmond Tutu (in the commission for a reconciled South Africa), and Patriarch Pavle of the Serbian Orthodox Church (in peacemaking efforts during the conflict in Yugoslavia). While narrating her own journey into hopeful living over four decades of active service–as executive director of the US office of the World Council of Churches, as general secretary of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA, as a pastor and faith-warrior–Campbell draws out themes that are as critical to the work of peacemaking, reconciliation, and faithful activism today as they were in the past century. Highlighted in the tripartite structure of the book, these themes are love and unity, reconciliation and renewal, and faith in action. Each part of the book offers anecdotal and historical evidence of the miracles of transformation that occur when people of faith seize opportunities to stand up
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for what is just and honorable; w h e n Christians are willing to make radical choices, even at the cost of their worldly stability; and when they have the courage to view the world through God’s eyes and are moved to spiritual action by the suffering of the innocent. Particularly touching are the accounts of her life-threatening (and life-giving) involvement in the deliverance of US soldiers during the conflict in Yugoslavia; her pastoral and political involvement in the difficult negotiations for the life and destiny of Elian Gonzales, the small Cuban boy caught adrift in the waters between Cuba and USA; and her faithful, ordinary, everyday involvement in “dangerous dreaming” for a world engulfed in compassion. Lest the reader be content with lessons of hope coming from the author’s own life, each chapter ends with pointed questions for personal reflection and an unambiguous invitation to seize the moment for radical action. To compound the message that action is as important as reflection, the book ends with structured lessons and guidelines for group work (such as home group study) so that opportunities for hopeful, active living may be sought out and taken hold of by individuals and faith communities in all places, at all levels, and, most critically, at such a time as this! Francesca Nuzzolese is associate professor of spiritual formation and pastoral care at Palmer Seminary of Eastern University in Wynnewood, Pa.
The Good and Beautiful Community by James Bryan Smith InterVarsity Press Reviewed by Poosawtsee
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In The Good and Beautiful Community, the third in a trilogy of books focusing on “good and beautiful” aspects of the Christian life, Smith considers community through a series of false narratives (“Worship is an obligation we owe to God”) and their corresponding true narratives (“Worship is an invitation given by God”). This approach works well for young Christians concerned with story, reason, and coherent writing. The exercises for each chapter are quantifiable and thus serve as more than just discussion starters. For example: Spend two hours with God this week, work toward inviting another person to visit your faith community, and focus on one aspect of worship each week and find a specific way to apply it. Some of the exercises are designed to take place between meeting sessions, while others extend well beyond the reading of the book. The final chapter asks us to create a “soultraining plan,” which may sound hokey but is actually a natural send-off for the book. The design leaves the book open to each person’s needs and emphasizes taking care of self as much as anything else. What drew me in most was that Smith addresses things that are already on the minds of Christian readers, particularly millennialists like myself and most of my friends. I’ve recently been in discussions with friends who were raised Christian and still keep the faith but feel that church and those in it have left them feeling unengaged. In one recent late-
n i g h t di s cus sion with this group, we all came to the agreement that people our age want our churches to have less “excitement” and more of a sense of holding us accountable. If we feel the church isn’t affected whether we’re there or not, why go? Echoes of this appear in chapter 6 of the book, which affirms the church that expects something of its members and eschews the self-marketing church looking for ever-larger attendance. Chapter 8 builds on these ideas with a beautiful and relatable narrative of what makes church matter to a young person (ever thought that church rock bands come across as a much better idea to leadership trying to attract young people than to actual young people?). This chapter contains Smith’s touching letter to his almostgrown-up son, outlining substantive things only church provides, such as the sacraments, community worship, and the reciting of creeds together. Like the book in general, the letter is sincere but lighthearted and prompts decisions without sounding demanding. Because of its ability to recognize people’s need to have expectations placed on them, along with the way it echoes thoughts many readers are already having, I recommend this book for your next personal or communal spiritual endeavor. Ben Poosawtsee grew up as a missionary kid in Thailand and currently resides in Grand Rapids, Mich., where he works for a nonprofit arts organization.
Radical by David Platt WaterBrook Multnomah Reviewed by Glynn Young
www.tandf.co.uk/journals/rfia
Imagine setting up a card table in New Orleans’ French Quarter, next to the tarot card and palm readers, voodoo priests, fire eaters, minstrel shows, magicians, and other entertainment hawkers and religious “isms” that wash up amidst the tourists. Then imagine offering to tell people’s futures while you give away Burger King tacos to the homeless. Then imagine the birth of a vibrant ministry to the homeless, led by one of those people who showed up to have his future read and to snag a free taco. Such a scenario would be alien to the vast majority of American Christians. Most of us would smile and inwardly cringe, thanking God that we were not “called” to that
particular ministry, or to the slums of India, or to AIDS ministries in Africa, all so far from our comfort zone. That is precisely the point that David Platt makes in Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream. Pastor of The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham, Ala., Platt maintains that we American Christians have so identified with and are so cocooned within the economic and social culture of the American dream that we may be turning ourselves into the “whited sepulchers” Jesus so railed against, the people of whom Jesus will say “I never knew you.”Instead, Platt describes something “radical”–the gospel–and what it means to
accept it, believe it, make disciples in it, and multiply it. The gospel is a dying to self, an acceptance of that “instrument of torture” called the cross, and a willingness to sacrifice who and what we are to further God’s kingdom. Chapter after chapter, Platt makes his compelling case (increasing the reader’s discomfort proportionately). He does what a good expository preacher will do: question, provoke, afflict, encourage, entreat, and help the listener understand the truth. “We Christians are living out the American dream in the context of our communities of faith,” he says. “We have convinced ourselves that if we can position our resources and organize our strategies, then in church as in every other sphere of life, we can accomplish anything we set our minds to.” Radical is not a contempo-
rary version of the old social gospel. Platt avoids that by providing a clear articulation of the theology of Christ. In the chapter entitled “There Is No Plan B,” he describes seven truths from Paul’s letter to the Romans, establishing the primacy and uniqueness of Christ. These truths are well known: “All people have knowledge of God” and “God has made a way of salvation for the lost” are two. But the mandate to “go to all nations” is not for some but for all. We are all called “to go.” Radical is a clearly drawn, solidly based, and well argued statement of what the gospel is and what’s expected of us who accept it. And that is, indeed, radical. Glynn Young is director of online strategy and communications for a Fortune 500 company in St. Louis, Mo.
Official journal of the Center on Faith & International Affairs (CFIA) at the Institute for Global Engagement www.cfia.org Free sample articles from Volume 1, Issue 1 to the present! To access click on the ‘News & Offers’ link on our website. To subscribe click ‘Subscribe Online’ at: www.tandf.co.uk/ journals/rfia Executive Editor: Dennis Hoover Assistant Editor: Anna Carrington Founding Publisher: Chris Seiple
The Review of Faith & International Affairs The Review of Faith & International Affairs is a quarterly journal dedicated to providing analysis and commentary regarding the role of religion - for good or ill - in global affairs.