Review: "Wild at Heart"

Recently, Scott and I read the book Wild at Heart. This is an astute look at the innerworkings of human nature, and particularly what it means to be masculine. John Elderidge has spent many years in counselling and ministry and inflects his musings on the nature of masculinity with experience. Elderidge focuses on comparing the masculine nature of men to the nature of God by identifying three main categories that define masculinity: each man has a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to fight for.

Initially, Scott and I agreed that these seemed like pretty narrow categories to fit into and that on the surface it would seem that some, if not most, would not desire to be included in such categories. Scott mentioned that he has never been a fighter and certainly avoids hurting another person at all costs. Scott has the desire, in fact, to been a healer, which seems quite the opposite of a fighter. Upon further reading and reflection though, we decided that being a fighter doesn't mean that every man is called to be a soldier, but rather men must be willing to "fight" for good always and to allow their strength to show through in this.

The call to men to step up to their roles and over-come their childhood created fears and views of themselves is a great one indeed, yet a reader may want to retain a skeptical eye throughout the piece. Generalizations about men are helpful in explaining the state of men today, but one must temper it with the experience of men in your own life. It is important to remember that every man might not fit 100% into these categories, but may be stronger or weaker depending on personality and environmental influences. Also, another point of caution would be regarding the tendency towards "theology from below" in which Elderidge makes several assumptions about the nature of God based on his observations of humanity. This seems to be a more evangelical-protestant point of view of God, so I overlooked it slightly, but it is still something to be aware of.

Overall, this is a thoughful view of the meaning and action of masculinity and what it means to be a man. Much of what Elderidge notes of the "feminization" of culture and of men rings true and I have often thought that this is the way in which our culture is moving as well. This call of "letting boys be boys" is helpful in a time when parents and educators are so quick to medicate their boys for being exactly what they are. Elderidge asks us to fight this tendency by understanding why it is that boys act the way they do, and to be able to respond accordingly.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a thoughtful outlook on the importance of the difference of the sexes and what is behind masculinity at its heart.

Review: "What Went Wrong with Vatican II: The Catholic Crisis Explained"

In this sophisticated yet accessible take on the situation surrounding Vatican II (on which many Catholic's blame the crisis of the Church), Ralph M. McInerny defends the Church and Her council without compromising what abuses have followed it. As a professor of philosophy at Notre Dame, the author has spent much of his life in the trenches, so to speak, of the Catholic world and what the reactions and teachings following the council entailed. "What Went Wrong with Vatican II: The Catholic Crisis Explained" offers a picture of the Church from the perspective of someone who has both lived and studied the Church before, during, and after the first modern council, which rocked the Church violently.

McInerny is fast to point out that Vatican II, nor its documents, are the problem with Vatican II. In fact, it is on authority of the Pope and the bishops together with him that make every part of the council as valid and essential to Catholicism than any other council before. Rather, it was the sociopolitical climate that led to such seemingly disastrous effects in the Church following and even during the council.

Here are some interesting points that I found in this gem of a book:

• In the US, many theologians PRIOR to the council were beginning to advocate the use of birth control for married Catholic couples. In anticipation of what they presumed would be something that was looked at by the council and previous teaching would be reversed in light of modern scientific advances, these theologians told Catholics they could use birth control and it would just be a matter of time before the Vatican followed suit. When before the council ended Pope Paul VI wrote the encyclical Humane Vitae, which clearly and definitively bars Catholic couples from using artificial birth control for family planning, many theologians began to openly dissent the teaching of the Magisterium.

• Rather than weakening it, as I have heard in my local parish (*Pax Christi*, ahem), the second Vatican council actually strengthened and reinstated the place of the Pope, bishops, and Magisterium within the hierarchy of the Catholic Church.

• Vatican II is mainly the backdrop of what was going on outside of it, but it was with the "anti-spirit of the council," as then-Cardinal Ratzinger dubbed it, that the rogue Catholic theologians infected the teaching body of the Church in the US and throughout Europe as well

• The greatest way to get the Church back on track, as she is currently heading, is through prayer and fasting (just as Our Lady has given us messages through Fatima, etc, time and time again)

The book was written in 1998, so one might imagine there could be a lot added to this saga ten years later. Still, the thoughtful consideration of the texts of the council and the news and proclamations of both followers and dissenters leads to an exceptional discussion of the Church and her teachings as followed by the faithful.

"What Went Wrong with Vatican II" is a great read for anyone who would like to consider the implications and future of a post-conciliar Church. A small warning: this book does discuss some nuances of Catholic teaching that may not be as apparent to a reader less familiar with Catholic doctrine. McInerny does, however, write fluidly at a level accessible to many, which should ease any tension one might have with the actual content of the book.

Rating: Recommended