iconographical, liturgical – which might, ject of the Transfiguration; it works as an my confusion and lack of faith, I ‘saw’ Jesus
on the surface, seem somewhat incoher- episcopal memoir; it works as an account away from all the distractions because of
ent. It sets out a personal reflection on of a theological engagement with both of the purging nature of the whole experi-
the meaning of the Transfiguration, seen the above. It was also, for this reviewer at ence.’ This sums up, effectively, the pur-
from the triple perspective of the Gospel least, a fine primer on the works of Nikolai pose, nature and result of writing this
accounts, the later tradition of writing and Grundtvig, Denmark’s answer to John valuable book, and goes a long way towards
art on the subject, and the Bishop’s own Mason Neale. informing the purpose, nature and result
reading of the two, and is thus both tel- I should like to give vent to my inner of reading it.
escopic and kaleidoscopic. codicologist, and add two points on the
Daniel Lloyd reads Theology
He takes the stages of movement production and presentation of the book
at St Stephen’s House
through the story – in chapters entitled itself. I went to remove the book from my
‘promise’, ‘ascent’, ‘change’, ‘visitors’, ‘enthu- desk one evening, in order to peruse it in
siasm’, ‘cloud’, ‘voice’, ‘descent’ – and adds the comfort of what is laughingly called
to that the narrative of his own life and my ‘easy-chair’. Imagine my shock, gentle BLOOD AND RAGE
difficult confrontation with leukaemia. In reader, when I discovered that I had actu- A Cultural History of Terrorism
so doing, he reminds us of the true nature ally got hold of The Spiritual Letters of Michael Burleigh
of Theology: the Queen of Sciences, the Francis Wagstaffe: Messrs Darton, Long- Atlantic Books, 320pp, hbk
summit of thought, and the godly answer man and Todd seem to have gone all out 978 0 00724 127 9, £25
to Satan’s showing of the world to Christ to make the books superficially identical:
from the pinnacle of the mountain. It is the typeface is the same, and the rather It is always agreeable and affirming to
only through a truly theological working- fuzzy and pixellated reproduction of have your (I will not say prejudices) your
out of life’s experience that we can see the Theophanes the Greek’s icon ‘The Trans- carefully calibrated opinions, your sober
kingdoms of the world spread out before figuration of the Lord’ and informed judge-
us, and it is only with and in Christ that recalls, in its greenish ments about political,
we can even attempt to reach out for the tint and golden hue, cultural and religious
glory of them. the capering bishop on life confirmed by a
Each of the central chapters is prefaced the front of that other writer of high repute
by a meditation on the concept with which classic tome. This was, and academic distinc-
it is to deal. There is a curious combina- I thought, ominous, tion in a book of sig-
tion of the personal and the populist here, and not in a good way. nificance and authority.
as memories of youthful mountaineering I hope the foregoing Perhaps, in a vain
and meteorology are mixed in with some has shown that this moment, something
remarks on the well-known Australian initial fear was not jus- of the glory rubs off. It
portraitist, musician and Renaissance tified. is doubly satisfying to
Man Harris’s depiction of Her Majesty Secondly, the array read a book which bril-
the Queen: I can think of few writers who of reviewers’ comments liantly and insolently
would include Rolf, Ramsey and Raphael on the back cover is refuses to conform to
within a few dozen pages of one another. worthy of note. There the flaccid, mediocre,
Nevertheless, for all its oddities, this book is a gushy tribute from liberal consensus that
works. It works on the level of introduction Maxwell E. Johnson, of passes for scholarship
to scholarship and tradition on the sub- the University of Notre and that so permeates
Dame, followed by every level of our woe-
Forward In Faith
warm words from Professors John Barton fully inadequate educational system.
and John Anthony McGuckin, of Oxford Having always thought that the French
Lincoln Diocese
and Columbia Universities respectively, existential philosopher and savant beloved
Trent
and it is good to see the fruits of the lat- of the left, Jean-Paul Sartre, to be a squalid
ter’s engagement with a work in which he and tawdry intellectual fraud, it is satis-
Regional Festival
is extensively cited. These are succeeded fying to see his reputation roasted on an
by three magisterially, majestically bland epigrammatic spit by Michael Burleigh in
Saturday 3rd May 2008
sentences from Dr Stevenson’s quondam this robust and immensely enjoyable book.
12 noon
colleague on the Bench, Lord Harries of Nor does Sartre suffer alone in what can
Pentregarth. He writes that the book ‘is be seen as the final volume of a trilogy in
Lincoln Cathedral
particularly strong on the way the Trans- which Professor Burleigh has scrupulously
President and Preacher
figuration has been interpreted down the and vigorously examined the culture of the
ages’, which must encourage and affirm the violence of modern times from the French
The Rt Revd Keith Newton good Prelate of Portsmouth, who states Revolution to the present day. This book
Bishop Of Richborough
that this is his primary aim before the con- brings his magisterial and masterly survey
Provincial Episcopal Visitor
clusion of the very first paragraph on the to a triumphant conclusion. He writes with
very first page. a passionate engagement. This is history,
Enquires:
The last words should be given to and (taking the three books as a whole)
Mr Daubney 01507 568231
Kenneth Stevenson himself, however: ‘I this is religious history with attitude. It is
was ‘chosen’ for the illness, I ‘ascended’ sharp and polemical: sometimes he slashes
Priests wishing to concelebrate for the treatment, I had my appearance with the rapier, sometimes he wields a
contact Fr Paul Noble SSC
‘changed’ through the treatment, I wanted bludgeon.
01205 362734
to ‘hold’ certain moments of it all... I was We all bring our preconceptions to the
aware of a voice speaking occasionally in books we read and here several of mine
26
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newdirections
■
April 2008
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