Caesar and God. The Priesthood and Politics by Roger Vekemans, S. J. (review)

BOOK REVIEWS 5!l8 its copious references, handy indices, the synopsis of its main argument as well as apposite examples and analogies. Basically scriptural, clearly pertinent, and highly significant in today's world is the analogy of the human father and his wishes for his son, particularly a recalcitrant one. Among its liabilities are repeated typographical errors, a poor binding, and especially, as has been said, its tedious argumentativeness. In summary, this reviewer wonders if the author is really bringing new answers to old questions, or merely restating old answers in the face of new questions. St. Mary of the Lake Seminary Mundelein, Illinois CHARLES R. MEYER Caesar and God. The Priesthood and Politics. By RoGER VEKEMANS, S. J. Translated from Spanish by Aloysius Owen, S. J., and Charles Underhill Quinn. Maryknoll, N. Y.: Orbis Books, 1972. Pp. 118. $8.95, paper. The author is a Belgian Jesuit sociologist who has dedicated himself to work in South America. The book is a result of some jottings made in preparation for taking in a round-table discussion of the subtitle topic: " The Priesthood and Politics." Actually this topic occupies just the last chapter, less than a quarter of the book. The first two chapters are on " The Church in the World " and " The Church and Socio-political Matters." These two preliminary chapters are rather hard reading; partly, perhaps, because they are like jottings, with numerous quotations from various writers with the author's comments on each; but even more so because of the language. The difficulty would seem to stem from the original and not just the translation, since some of the quotations, also from Spanish, are much easier to read Words like "theonomy" and "kenosis," as well as frequent use of Latin, Greek and French terms might well cause difficulty to a non-theologian. Expressions like " tenuous specification of eschatological relativization" (p. 51) and "reifying extrinsicism and notional prefabrication " (p. 59) might well stop even a theologian. Occasional misspellings make one wonder whether a new word is meant. " Corporavitism " (p. 46) turns out to be " corporativism," but whether " importunate caricature " (p. 56) is really meant to be that, or should be " unfortunate caricature '' is still not clear to this reviewer. In spite of the language, some ideas do come through clearly. It is a function of the Church and of religion to restore all things in Christ, including socio-political life. This does not necessarily mean that all must be changed. The socio-political sphere is autonomous. Religion's function 524 BOOK REVIEWS with regard to it is to point out whatever is contrary to God. Sociopolitical problems usually do not require some one clear particular solution but are open to several possibilities, so that most political activity is concerned with options rather than with one obligatory solution. People who are religious must also be interested and involved in political processes. Nevertheless, since all Christians should be one in love and community, and since the Eucharist and preaching of the word are the principal means of achieving and promoting this unity, and since the priest is primarily the minister of the Eucharist and of the word, he should not become involved in political action that promotes one of several options. By coming out strongly for one among several possible solutions, he may find himself a cause of disunity instead of unity. The author does not advocate for priests " estrangement from politics " but rather an "avoidance of a militant political commitment." (p. 111) The priest should rather teach religious and moral doctrine but leave it to the laity to work out the political actions to achieve justice. The author is speaking about political activity by a priest as a citizen, not about a priest's actually becoming a candidate for political office. However, what he says seems to apply to such a case a fortiori. Much of what he says about the priest's function as a unifier of many and the consequent need to be somewhat at a" distance from the world" (p. 106) might also be applied to a support of priestly celibacy, although he does not mention this application. The final chapter is well worth reading. Jesuit School...