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BOOK NOTES
The Democracy of God: An American
Catholicism by Robert J. Willis is published by
iUniverse.Inc. and is available at amazon.com.
Crisis grips the American Catholic community and, for
many, its future hangs in the balance. Current leaders
fixate on two plans. In one they march steadfastly into
the past, pursuing the illusion of a remnant group of
the righteous armored by uniformity, a sorry substitute
for a religious community. In another they resolutely
protect the status quo. Before the eyes of an incredulous
people they are transforming the Church into a museum
of religious artifacts, a fitting destination for inquisitive
tourists, occasional visitors, and the uninvolved.
There is a third alternative. Calling upon the democratic
attempts of John Carroll and John England, the incisive
comments of Tocqueville about religion in a democracy,
and the theology of Vatican II, he challenges bishops
to forsake their status as minor lords in a medieval
monarchy and, instead, to embrace a servant leadership
within the People of God.
Robert J. Willis was a Jesuit from 1953-1972, holds
master's degrees in philosophy and theology, and a doctorate
in psychology. He has documented these years as a Catholic
religious and priest in his recently published Breaking
the Chains: A Catholic Memoir (iUniverse, July 2005).
For more detailed information, visit the author's
website.
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