In C.E. 410 the Vandals had been looting and pillaging all over the Empire for decades, but now the unthinkable had happened and Rome had fallen. It would be only a matter of time before the whole gigantic complex structure of Roman civilization would fall apart and take everybody down with it. Darkness and death seemed inevitable. Augustine believed that Rome had fallen because the Christian Church had been subservient to a pagan secular authority. He advocated that the state should obey the moral authority of the Church. However his reaction to the barbarian raids was to offer a way of escape from the world by turning away from its harsh reality by forming closed monasteries. The material world according to Augustine was unimportant. As the religious communities retreated into isolation it left the rest of the population into the beginning of the dark ages. Thus these shepherds of God left their flock to the mercy of a crumbling and dangerous world.
The traditional role of a shepherd, through the ages, has been to guide its flock. Anyone familiar with the role of a shepherd knows that he does not lead but rather walks surrounded by them or directly behind them. Jesus perfectly reflects this example. He was a teacher, healer, lover, listener, comforter, etc., for both saint and sinner. In John 10:11-16 Jesus tells us . . . .“I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep. When the hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away; so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them. There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd.”
We can know from reading the Gospels how Jesus ‘surrounded’ himself with people from all walks of life. Many came from questionable backgrounds such as the hated tax collectors, prostitutes, etc. but most of all the poor and marginal in society- which would no doubt have included homosexuals. No one was ever excluded from his touch or presence. In his humility he washed the feet of his disciples but never assumed the role of worldly leader. Instead, he always knew he needed to follow the will of his heavenly father (John 15:9-10). And in that we constantly find Jesus shepherding and serving those in need.
What an incredible understanding the brief passage from John that illustrates what Jesus meant to be a good shepherd. Here he tells us that as the good shepherd he is prepared to die for the sake of his flock and amazingly even for those who are not even part of the original flock! The meaning of that statement reveals the true depth and power of his unconditional love. The good shepherd reaches far beyond all limitations we have ever put on our definitions of who God came to save. This is surely the ultimate expression of God’s unconditional love for all humankind regardless of our belief, religion, colour or race. This is truly The Good News!!!
Today empires are crumbling all around us but not just those of a political nature. It seems that empirical religions throughout the world may have forgotten what it means to be a good shepherd.
There is nothing in Canada's secular newspaper the National Post Religion Blog to suggest it cannot be ecumenical or is restricted to one religion. In fact, the invitation to 'get down on your knees and blog' clearly states that "this section is intended as a forum for everyone who has an interest in today's great religious issues. You will find a range of commentary on religion and society, intercine(?) battles within faith and the meaning and purpose of religious beliefs and observance. All views are welcome and being religious is not a requirement to join in the comment sections." However, its articles and views often appear to have a particular Roman Catholic interest sparking a variety of debates. It even has acquired a 'resident' Roman Catholic priest. Perhaps we could now invite a representative from each major religion.
If the Catholic Church seems to be a frequent target, in this blog, it is only because many people, Catholic or otherwise. are directly and indirectly affected by its global influence and exposure. You don't have to be Catholic to notice Pro-Life rally's, to be aware of its position on gays, abortion, etc. and its ongoing demand to impose legislation of its particular brand of ethics and morals throughout the country. The fall-out of these issues affect everyone. It should not come as a surprise that some of these views are going create battles within the faith when they conflict with inherited beliefs.
Some of the issues raised in Charles Lewis' recent article 'Dear Catholic reformers: thanks for the advice, really' suggests that the Catholic who does not share the Orthodox view of the Church is 'free to go'. We know that many have. But does the Church belong only to the conservatives? Where would you draw the line? How would you know? And, finally who would decide? A religion based on such criteria is better known as a cult. Religion that 'grows like wildfire' due to the strict observance of orthodoxy will not survive. History has shown it will be quickly taken over by more evangelical religions such as is happening in South America. The Church may continue to resist change or reformation, but change is the way of the Spirit.
Statistics reveal that today, in North America, there are more lay people (especially women) studying theology then members of the clergy in our seminaries. This represents a major shift in what was once, and until recently, considered to be the exclusive domain of the clergy. Educated lay people are learning today that matters of religion belong to them as much as it does to the institution. While this may be seen by some, especially the clergy, a serious assault on their authority, it does not really need to be so. When scripture tells us that the 'body of Christ' is made up of many parts we need to consider sharing our combined and unique God given gifts for the good of building his Kingdom.
What the Catholic Church is experiencing is a challenge to its authority. But that challenge is no different than it was for Peter and Paul on the question of circumcision. A wise spiritual advisor once said "A Church in crisis is a church alive"! The battle between 'conservative' and 'liberal' was every bit as intense between rivalling Bishops at Vatican II. At times it was even vicious! Just read O'Malley's book What Happened at Vatican II. Change is inevitable – Jesus said it was even necessary if we were to experience transformation- it's called metanoia or repentance.
We may not all be experts on matters of religion but our unique experience of God cannot be denied. Nor should this experience be dependent on fixed formulas or legal requirements. God meets us where we are – not where someone or an institution would have us be. There is the mystery! Vatican II teaches that while Dogma and doctrine can inspire and guide us it must never become the substitute for an informed conscience in Christ.
In recent years the Catholic Church has indicated a desire to return to a more predictable understanding of the 'faith'. This has been expressed in various documents such as 'Dominus Jesus' (2000), Catechism of the Catholic Church (1993), Canon Law 1983). Some of these documents contain wonderful scriptural interpretations, but they all reflect a legalistic rather than a 'holistic' approach to religion. This negative approach makes it extremely difficult to encourage any true and honest dialogue among God's people. Instead we become angry and issue forth judgments based on unquestionable teachings of the Church. This attitude leads only to division. Who is in and who is out. Jesus never turned down anyone, that I recall. So, what is really needed is dialogue, not monologue. We need dialogue between clergy and laity and more importantly with God - that requires reformation!
The role of the any religious institution is to bring people into a personal relationship with God. A God, to quote St. Angela of Foligno, who is present in everything that exists, in a devil and a good angel, in heaven and hell, in good deeds and in adultery and murder, in the beautiful and the ugly. So why can't we learn to see him in all those issues that are being presented in the Holy Post Blog. In the end these exchanges must lead us to grow in our faith and not force us to pour new wine into old wine skins.
Charles Kimball, author of 'When Religion Becomes Evil', identifies five warning signs of corruption in religion.
Absolute Truth Claims
Blind Obedience
Establishing the "Ideal" Time
The End Justifies Any Means
Declaring Holy War
According to professor Kimball, "one or more of these five signs always precedes any instance of religiously sanctioned evil. Knowledge of such corruption is invaluable in today's world, yet it is not sufficient in itself. Whether one is a true believer or a die-hard secularist, it remains necessary to take the next step from the knowledge of these factors that predict when religion becomes evil to a clear understanding of how religion can remain true to its authentic sources and force for positive change."
Absolute Truth Claims
The Roman Catholic Church, for example, continues to make absolute truth claims particularly under recent documents such as 'Dominus Jesus' (2000) issued by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger which declares the Roman Catholic Church to be the only "instrument for the salvation of all humanity." While the Catechism of the Catholic Church (#847) still makes the exclusive claim that "Outside the Church there is no salvation". Most significantly the Catholic Catechism holds that Jesus not only founded the Church but appointed bishops as successors of the apostles. Based on Jesus' Jewish background there are few theologians today that are prepared to agree with this unnecessary power seeking claim.
Absolute truth claims in the context moral absolutism is the ethical view that certain actions are absolutely right or wrong, regardless of other contexts such as their consequences or the intentions behind them. Thus lying, for instance, might be considered to be always immoral, even if done to promote some other good (e.g., saving a life), and even if it does in the end promote such a good. Readers can judge for themselves the consequences of maintaining an attitude of moral absolutism. Surely a morality founded on faith, hope and love is preferred over any form of control.
There are few issues today that evoke greater controversy within the Catholic Church and other religious communities then matters dealing with abortion, gays, same-sex marriage, birth control or sexual abuse. The fact that all of the aforementioned topics involve some aspect of human sexuality should cause us to question why? The Bible and Jesus actually has very little to say about sexual norms. Nature and science may yet provide us with the best answer. Those opposed to any discussion on these matters are usually individuals who are prepared to stake absolute truth claims on behalf of their religious communities. In recent months several high ranking members of the Catholic clergy have stated that abortion, for example, must not be allowed under any circumstances. However, there are fortunately others like Professor Daniel McGuire, who will quickly point to several conditions under which abortion may be considered (see my previous blog 'Sex and the Church').
Blind Obedience
The Roman Catholic Church today comes down pretty heavily on those that do not follow its teachings. However, they can be quite selective when it suits them. Its teaching office known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith until 1965 was still known as the Roman Congregation of the Inquisition. The prefect, or head, of that congregation was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (1981-2002). He was the putative author of Canon 1436.1 of the Code of Canon Law, which states, "One who denies a truth which must be believed with divine and Catholic faith, or who calls it into doubt, or who totally repudiates the Christian faith, and does not retract it after having been warned, is to be punished as a heretic or an apostate with major excommunication." Under these terms opposition and any further discussion was often quickly squelched.
Some teachings have however managed to circumvent certain church rulings. Statistics have shown that 80% of Catholic women have in one time of their lives practiced birth control. These facts have gone almost unnoticed, yet today we hear again and again demands by some bishops that politicians who do not follow church teachings should be denied communion. Again Charles Kimball warns his readers that blind obedience within any religious movement that seeks to limit intellectual freedom and individual integrity of its adherents is showing a sure sign of corrupt religion. Dr. Kimball an ordained Baptist minister who received his Th. D. From Harvard University, explains that other forms of 'blind obedience' are also found among Religious Sects and Cults, Charismatic Authority Figures, Enslavement to Doctrines and Withdrawal from Society.
Blind obedience, to paraphrase noted theologian Hans Kung, is the great stumbling block that prevents world peace because we have been, so far, been unable to promote unity or peace among the world's religions. "Working together for the common good must become a major focus of interfaith dialogue in the years ahead" concludes Dr. Kimball. Unity, not conformity can only be found through a appreciation of diversity. Today we still find many people who seem to prefer a rigid believe system at the expense of world peace or at the least understanding among the various Christian faiths.
Establishing the "Ideal" Time
For centuries, there have been well-meaning students of Bible prophesy that have sought to see signs from current events that indicate we are near the second coming of Christ - despite warnings from Jesus to the contrary. Regardless and according to some popular media preachers we are living in a time when turbulent global events – wars, natural disasters, and famine – help fuel the notion that the world is fast approaching a seven year period of great tribulation during which Satan's forces will rule under the leadership of the Antichrist. Please refer to my blog' dated June 1, 2010 under the title 'End Times and Armageddon' for your complete doomsday scenario.
The End Justifies Any Means
Many notable authors of religious history have detailed the amazing speed at which the early persecuted church became the persecutor. Church history is full of famous heretics who, if not anathematized, were summarily dispatched to the next world. (see also my blog on 'Heaven and Hell', February 19, 2009). There is little more to be said about the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, or the famous witch hunts beginning in the sixteenth century. Opposition to Church teachings were often dealt with in harsh and inhuman ways. Today, the Vatican prefers silencing and excommunicating those who fall out of favour or dare to question official church teachings. Thus we have learned that in these cases the end appears to justify any means.
Declaring Holy War
When speaking of a declaration of a Holy War most of us will think about the current conflict in the Middle East and the religious Jihad promoted by Muslim extremist. But how is this declaration different from the Crusades endorsed by Pope Urban II launched against Jews and Muslims? Baptist minister Charles Kimball reminds us that "overwhelming evidence suggests that the followers of Jesus were pacifist for the first three centuries. However, with the rise of power of Constantine in the fourth century religion became linked with state power and the tables were turned." Augustine (354-430) with the help of a monk named Gratian developed the theory of a' just war'. Christendom supported by the theology of a Just War now became a powerful weapon to be used against any group perceived as evil. The criteria for a Just War can still be found in the Roman Catholic Catechism, paragraph 2309. Finally, is it perhaps time that Christians, as well as all other faiths, return to their God given role (remember your divine indwelling?) as peacemakers?
Religious fundamentalism involves above all else a desire for certainty and the power to enforce that certainty over others. Fundamentlists like order, conformity, and the absence of opposition, and they are willing to do battle royal to achieve this state of affairs in their culture.
Catholicism: The Original Fundamentalism
Catholicism has been engaged in something like a holy war for most of its history. Heretics abounded in the medieval period (Cathars, Waldensians, Free Spirits, etc.), and were invariably harshly dealt with by the Church authorities, who permitted no challenge whatsoever to their power base. (Catharism, or Albigensianism, which flourished in the south of France from the llth to the 14th centuries, even became the subject of a full-blown, and ultimately successful, crusade against its domain.) Then, in the early 16th century, the Reformation came on the scene, setting in motion a long-running conflict with the Protestant movement: a conflict which continues, if only rarely in violent form (as in Northern Ireland), into our own century. (Each side is still competing with the other for converts, with American Protestant evangelicalism latterly making inroads into traditional Catholic strongholds in South America.) The Reformation generated a Counter-Reformation on the part of Catholicism, which was reasonably successful in stemming the advance of Protestantism throughout Europe, and even winning back territory from Protestant control (France reverting to Catholicism after being on the brink of going Protestant, as a case in point). Having weathered the crisis, Catholicism consolidated its position as a major world religion with an aggressive recruiting policy and a practised ability to exercise tight control over the lifestyles of its adherents: 'Once a Catholic always a Catholic', as the popular saying goes.
Despite the development of Protestantism, Catholicism continues to regard itself as not just the only true Christianity, but the only true religion [Dominus Iesus- 2000]. Over the years it has amassed a battery of doctrines to reinforce its claims to this exalted status. Papal infallibility is a latter-day addition to its authority, although the Church hierarchy had never been in much doubt over the tightness of its actions before (as Jonathan Riley-Smith has drily noted, '[f]or most of its 2,000-year history the papacy has not been in the forefront of reform'). Vatican pronouncements are handed down as law, whether on the subject of contraception, [abortion], priestly celibacy, or women priests - to name some of the most contentious issues on its current agenda. While a certain amount of debate is permitted to take place on such topics, it's at a rarefied level in the hierarchy where the laity have little input and decisions tend towards the very conservative. Catholicism has a very strong sense of history, and is more concerned to preserve traditional authority than to respond to cultural change. Considerable pressure has been exerted over the issues mentioned above - contraception, priestly celibacy, women priests - but so far to little avail. As far as the hierarchy are concerned, these are matters of dogma on which only they have the right to pronounce, and they expect their pronouncements to be followed to the letter. Doctrine wins out over the social cost of the Church's ban on birth control in poorer areas of the world (South America, for example), even though the improvement in the quality of life that a change in policy would bring seems obvious to everyone except the Catholic authorities. Although Christian fundamentalism is traditionally associated with Protestantism, it's worth remembering that it has no monopoly on that attitude.
Here follow some other provocative insights from Stuart Sim from his book fundamentalistWorld.
Religious fundamentalism's great selling point is that it provides a sense of security for believers in what has become an ever more disorienting world, but it does so at the expense of cultivating an intolerance of others which can have devastating effects on global politics.
The more militant religious fundamentalism becomes the more likely it is to create clashes between rival belief systems.
Christian doctrine notwithstanding, there will be little forgiveness of sins, if those sins concern the fundamentals of belief.
What fundamentalism involves above all else is a desire for certainty and for the power to enforce that certainty over others. Fundamentalists like order, conformity, and the absence of opposition, and they are willing to do battle royal to achieve this state of affairs in their culture.
what fundamentalist share is a burning conviction of the rightness of their beliefs and the necessity to impose them on the rest of us.
Once doctrine, always doctrine, is the immutable fundamentalist law; the script must be followed regardless of who suffers (it's their fault anyway).
Fundamentalism by far is not the inclusive domain of some Catholics. It is also found in many sectors of our world religions, for example:
Muslim Fundamentalism
Muslim fundamentalism is an enormously simple, powerful, earthy, sometimes cruel, absorbing, socially fortifying movement, which gives a sense of direction and orientation to millions of men and women, many of whom live lives of bitter poverty and are subject to harsh oppression. It enables them to adjust to a new anonymous mass society by identifying with the old, long-established High Culture of their own faith, and explaining their own deprivation and humiliation as a punishment for having strayed from the true path, rather than a consequence of never having found it. – Ernest Gellner
JEWISH FUNDAMENTALISM
It stresses the obligatory salvation of the Jews and their return to Israel as a precondition for the establishment of the Kingdom of God on the Davidic throne of Jerusalem. These events, foretold by the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel and the last book of the Christian Scriptures, Revelation, create a rigorous framework within which all fundamentalists can understand past and future history, not as a purposeless record, but as a statement of divine will and a preparation for His eventual triumph over the forces of the Antichrist in the coming conflict known as the Tribulation.
This brief summary is by no means a complete history of religious fundamentalism. No religion is exempt according to Sim. Nor is fundamentalism restricted to religion. Stuart Sim's book also describes how fundamentalism impacts us through politics and the economy. This well researched book helps us to better understand and reject the negative forces often present in this violent world in which we live. It is no news to anyone that a widespread spiritual awakening is currently taking place - one that has two distinct aspects. On one side, we find a resurgence of religious fundamentalism that embraces a historic view derived from the Middle Ages - a literalist belief that proclaims this world to be the kingdom of a remote transcendent authoritarian father-God, alternately wrathful and beneficent . . . On the other side and in opposition to this view, we have the spiritually awakened and expanded perspective of the secular humanist who perceive an omnipresent, immanent Divine Presence of Creative Force existing within all creation, one that is benevolent, life enhancing and life sustaining. (Mind Before Matter)
Several Years ago I came across the brilliant little book 'Fundamentalistworld –The New Dark Age of Dogma', written by Stuart Sim, Icon Books, U.K., 2004. This thought provoking book provides an in-depth analysis on FUNDAMENTALISM and how it impacts our world politically and religiously. I sincerely hope it will cause readers to renew their personal convictions and beliefs against the Creator of all humankind – and thereby come to embrace and project a love that is totally unconditional and all inclusive.
Several years ago my wife Ann counseled a dear Catholic friend (Mary (not her real name) about a particular crisis Mary was dealing with.At one point during the conversation Ann suggested that Mary present her problem directly to Jesus and wait for his response. “Oh, no I couldn’t do that!” Mary promptly responded”“For heavens sake", Ann replied “Why not?”“Because”, Mary sobbed, “ I couldn’t possible present Jesus with my silly little problem while he is hanging on the cross”.
For those who still hold a view of a punishing or impotent God and tremble with fear of hell , Saving Paradise will help them to recover an ancient world view that is life transforming and earth affirming.It reminds us of a biblical perspective that does not reserve paradise for the dead but invites the living to find grace, justice, peace and compassion – here and now- amid the jangling discord of violence and war.It may mark the beginning of a paradigm shift in contemporary Christian understanding and interfaith dialogue.
This remarkable book reveals that during their first millennium, Christians filled their sanctuaries with images of Christ ... as a shepherd, a teacher, a healer, an enthroned god; he is an infant, a youth, and a bearded elder. But there were no images of a dead crucified Christ.Neither will you find any references to purgatory and hell as a place of eternal of pain and suffering.
Saving Paradise turns upside down the history of the church's view of Jesus' crucifixion and its stress on the importance of suffering. The authors attempt to show that for the first thousand years of its existence, the Christian church placed much more emphasis on the resurrection and paradise than the crucifixion. The Christian church of the first millennium never stressed that Jesus' suffering on the cross was necessary for the salvation of humanity.
What changed?How did the Christian churches, until this day, come to embrace such terrifying images as hell and purgatory?Why do they still exist today? One can still find booklets such asWhat Will Hell Be Like? filled with terrifying images of suffering and pain supposedly attributed to St. AlponsusLiguori (1696 –1787). At the same time many evangelical churches continue to spread the word of God under a similar threat of heaven and hell.
Many people today would be surprised to learn that these fearful images and theological ideas did not prevail in the Church until the ninth century beginning with the Carolingian campaign to subdue the Saxons.
The authors tackle what they consider the subversion of the Christian message -- exemplified by the ninth-century Holy Roman Emperor Charlemagne, who instituted the death penalty for conquered people who refused to convert. The Carolingians constructed a Christian piety that used violence to convert pagans and then taught its victims to regard their violation as justified and sanctified.
The Carolingian theology of the Eucharist drew humanity to the dead Christ and separated believers from the living Christ with his power to teach, heal, and give life to all.Christ no longer offered love and abundant life but judgment to be feared and suffering to be repeated by the faithful.Salvation, once a community of life in paradise, now meant escape from guilt and punishment.
The crucified Christ confronted communicants at every Eucharist, accusing them of killing him.To be an unrepentant, sinful Christian was to be judged a murderer by Christ the victim and judge.Those who knelt before the divine victim petitioned for mercy for their sins, hoping not to be condemned to hell.
The Carolingians cut the connections between great power and great responsibility, and denied divine power in humanity, forfeiting their ethical obligations to protect life on earth.
Was the Eucharist the crucified body or the resurrection of life?The Carolingian Eucharist placed ritual murder at its center and a dead body on the altar of life.This new theology of the Eucharist took away the life-giving love of Christand made him a victim. His corpse’s power to judge sin alienated Christians from communion with Christ and from the love and support of the community of the saints.It isolated individuals and left them terrified.
Now the Christian trembled in the presence of the crucified Savior, guilty and overcome, begging for mercy
Penalties and punishments proliferated for the faithful and unfaithful alike.The torments of the martyrs, like that of the good thief became standard in devotional images.
The ninth century’s new focus on the crucified Christ coincided with a shift in the Christian prohibition against the shedding of human blood.For centuries, the church had taught that participation in warfare was evil, that killing broke the fifth commandment, and that soldiers were to perform penance to cleanse their soul from the stain of blood.At the dawn of the Holy Roman Empire, Christianity began to lose its grip on the sinfulness of killing.A new age began – one in which the execution of Jesus would become a sacrifice to be repeated, first on the Eucharistic altar and then in the ravages of a full-blown holy war (crusades).
To this day the most recognized symbol of the Roman Catholic Church remains the figure of the crucified Christ. The theology that supports that symbol is largely based on the ideas first put forward by St. Anselm (c.1033 - 1109). He stated that the work of Jesus was "salvation" - saving those who believed in him from the impossible abyss that separated God from humanity, bridging it with his own body. Thus many people today accept the idea that Jesus offered up his body to satisfy a vengeful God.
James Carroll, 'Constantine's Sword', (2000) writes "The first result of Anselm's theology of salvation was, as we saw, to solder the faith to the cross, and to make the death of Jesus more important than anything he had said, despite his clear statement that "the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life". His death counted for more than his having been born, having lived as a Jew, having preached a gospel of love in the context of Israel's covenant with a loving God, having opposed the imperium of Rome, even having been brought to the new life of Resurrection. The death obsession of the flagellants was deemed holy, and the blood lust of the crusaders was sanctified . God, too, had blood lust. Christ's agony on the cross would now become the black flower of the Western imagination - on armour, in Passion Plays, in paintings, in altar carvings, in rituals like the Stations of the Cross, and ultimately in the cross at Auschwitz."
St. Anselm's influence or theology were to have severe consequences in the following centuries. Furthermore it fully supports the claims made by Brock and Parker in their story SAVING PARADISE.
In 1231, Pope Gregory IX made the torments awaiting the bad thief vividly real.He launched the Inquisition and licensed the church to use torture to discipline heretics and protect the faith.
Frightful images of martyrs being boiled or burned alive, disemboweled, speared, beheaded, stoned, devoured by beast, tortured on a rack and taunted by demons began the appear in religious art and literature.
In the thirteenth century, postmortem paradise began to morph into purgatory.The Second Council of Lyons in 1274 established that “purgatorial and purifying penalties” would take place after death for sinners who had failed to render full satisfaction for their sins before they died.Once Christians died, they still had to be purged of every trace of sin before they could enter the heavenly paradise.
The living could pray for the dead, perform masses for them, or buy indulgences to lighten their purgatorial load.As purgatory heated up, the distance between heaven and earth stretched ever wider.In the Divine Comedy, Dante (1265-1321) detailed his visionary pilgrimage through hell and up the steep mountainof purgatory.By the fourteenth century, to die in an agony of torture had become a spiritual ideal.Public spectacles of torture and execution became popular, which the faithful could find repeated in Passion images and again today withMel Gibson’s The Passion’.
More recently, fundamentalist factions such as The Society of St Pius X., previously excommunicated by Pope John Paul II, are now being invited back into the fold despite denials of the Jewish Holocaust and stating that the Inquisition, which resulted in the deaths and torture of thousands, merely reflected an “attitude toward heretics comparable to that of our Lord.”
At this point I can only think of what Jesus might say, forgive them Father, for they do not know what they do or say!
Resources:
Rita Brock & Rebecca Parker, Saving Paradise – How Christianity Traded Love of This World for Crucifixion and Empire, Beacon Press, Boston, MA., 2008.
A review by Fr. Diarmuid O'Murchu Brock, Rita Nakashima & Rebecca Ann Parker (2008), SAVING PARADISE. Probably the single most inspiring book I have read in the past ten years! After an extensive study on how Christian art depicts the death and resurrection of Jesus throughout the first millennium, the authors highlight that the image of the suffering Jesus on the Cross is an invention of the 900s and only became widespread with the Crusades in the 1100s. The dominant imagery of the first 1,000 years envisaged "paradise" as happening within the living creation itself, and salvation required the Christian to engage seriously and justly with creation in the here and now (paradise), rather than seeking to escape into the salvation hereafter made possible by the the suffering of the cross. A revolutionary and inspiring read!
