Brief Notices

BRIEF NOTICES God And His Creation. College Texts in Theology, Vol. 1. By RICHARD MuRPHY, 0. P.; THoMAS DoNLAN, 0. P.; STEPHEN REIDY, 0. P.; FRANCIS CUNNINGHAM, 0. P. The Priory Press: Dubuque, 1958. Pp. 533, with Glossary and Index. $4.95. Good College text books in theology are hard to find. The presentation of the doctrine ought to be mature, vital, and appealing; and while most texts have one or another of these qualities, few have them all. The text should be mature, that is, it should present the doctrine in a way that will challenge the college mind, the same mind that is being challenged in literature by critical appreciation of Dante and Shakespeare, in mathematics by advanced Calculus, and in sciences by college Physics, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis, and so on. We do not mean that a college theology text should be rigged out with all sorts of formulae and forbidding equations, no, but it should have a solid, scientific basis, should assume that the mind is capable of reasoning maturely on the truths of our religion. Yet the text should also be vital, stimulating discussion, prodding the student into thinking for himself, relating the problems to his life, giving him some awareness of the tremendous power of the truth, and of the realities he studies, God, Christ, grace, the Church, eternal salvation. But finally, the book should be appealing. We have had examples of text books that have been both mature and vital but somehow not appealing to the students-to the American student anyhow. For even though teachers are reluctant to admit it, the final court of appeal for a theology text book is the classroom. The judgment of the students plays an even greater role here than in the experimental science, for the theology teacher cannot take the attitude of some of our science teachers: " It's aH there in the book, let them get it out! " There should indeed be a business-like approach to the teaching of theology, with no suggestion of weakness: there should also be wisdom. And wisdom, I think, has shown that an enormous step has been taken in the teaching of the course if the students like the book. While God And His Creation may not be the dream text, we nevertheless think the doctrine is presented in a mature, vital, and appealing way. The book is scientific, but not in deadening way that has made many priests, remembering their seminary texts, shudder at the word. The reasoning in the book is carried out with a strong sense of logic, but also with a sensitive awareness against excessive dependence on the syllogistic process. The doctrine of the Magisterium is presented gracefully, and 577 578 BRIEF NOTICES abundant Scriptural sources are in evidence. The exposition is smooth and carries out the plan of the book very well, we think. Concerning that plan, it follows basically the First Part of the Summa. Two :fine introductory chapters on the sources and nature of Theology acquaint the student with the role of Scripture, Tradition, the Magisterium, and the various other fontes of the science. The the student is brought into the study of the existence and nature of God, the Trinity, Creation, with separate tracts on the angels and man. The book concludes with a chapter on the governance of the universe by God. A useful glossary and index are also included. We congratulate the Fathers of the Priory Press on this excellent book, and we hope that it will :find its way into many college classrooms, as so many of their books already have. THOMAS R. HEATH, 0. P. St. Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana Faith and Understanding in America. By GusTAVE WEIGEL, S. J. New York: Macmillan, 1959. Pp. 170. $3.75. Six of the nine essays in this collection, although somewhat revised, have already appeared elsewhere. There is, therefore, little in Fr. Weigel's current book which will be unfamiliar to those who have some acquaintance with his studies of the contemporary religious scene. Dealing with the problems of faith and world order in modern society, Fr. Weigel sees our " historical moment" as having begun after 1918. The...