Christian Martyrs for a Muslim People (review)

The Evian Accords of 1962 liberated the Catholic Church as well as Algeria from colonialism. With Algerian independence, the Church undertook an existential, transformative project to take into account decolonization's dislocations. From 1962 to 1964, approximately 900,000 European settlers ( piedsnoirs) left Algeria. During the colonial era, the Church's principal mission was to serve this Christian population that Algerians intensely identified with oppression, although religious orders, notably the White Fathers and Sisters, provided charity for Muslims too. Critical of colonialism that deepened during the War of Liberation (1954–62), Archbishop Léon-Etienne Duval (elevated to cardinal in 1965) perceived two insistent postcolonial imperatives: (1) the perpetuation of the Church's presence; and (2) the reorientation of the Church's mission.

According to Father Martin McGee, O.S.B.: "Cardinal Duval's ministry in Algeria could be summed up in the word friendshipand its corollary dialogue, both of which he saw as the keys to the future" (p. 26). Although the Second Vatican Council called for interfaith encounter, Duval already practiced this position. Inspired by Augustinian "fraternal love," Duval carefully cultivated positive relations with nationalist governments transferring vacant properties to Algerian authorities, while engaging in private coopération(teaching and training), featuring Muslim access to Catholic schools and libraries. By separating the Church's mission and identity from the colonial past, Duval preserved a presence, albeit a small but significant one. McGee states: "By refusing to identify the Gospel message with a particular culture or race, Cardinal Duval won acceptance for the remnant of the Christian Church left after independence" (p. 27). In many respects, Duval's praxis, carried on by his successor Archbishop Henri Teissier, and, in particular, the witness of the nineteen murdered religious, remain paradigms for inaugurating and increasing interfaith relations between Christians and Muslims.

McGee's book examines the fragility, vulnerability, and tragedy of the Catholic postcolonial history in Algeria. The book is divided into three parts. The first part provides an overarching general historical "background." A nonspecialist could have benefited from a more detailed account of Algeria's history from 1962 to 1992, e.g., its multiple economic and social problems that the Church also addressed. Nevertheless, McGee's principal intention is to chronicle Christian witness and martyrdom. In part 2, he devotes most of the book to a series of biographical portraits of the nineteen Catholic religious who lost their lives from 1994 to 1996, victims of the escalating extremism of Algeria's civil strife (intermittent violence still occurs in Algeria). Their poignant stories and writings affirm an extraordinary testament. Among those killed were nuns in Algiers, priests in Tizi-Ouzou, and monks in Tibhirine. The third part considers "the future" of the Church in Algeria. To McGee, there will be a future as long as the Church practices a theology of "encounter" that respects Muslims and their traditions. Indeed, the "Algerian Church" serves rather than proselytizes Muslims. On the other hand, Evangelicals pose problems for the Church and the already greatly diminished Christian presence in Algeria. Overreacting to reports of Evangelical conversions in Berber Kabylia, the government passed a law in 2006 that severely restricted Christian activities. McGee adds appendices featuring the "Reflections of Msgr. Teissier" and the interreligious "Ribat Es-Salam."

To partake in the "sacrament of encounter," there must be "mutual understanding." Murdered as he entered his residence in Oran, Bishop Pierre Claverie constantly emphasized the importance of empathy, dignity, and love for the other. The courage displayed by the martyrs astounds and inspires. They served Arab and Berber Muslim communities, knowing that extremists targeted their lives. Their love for the Algerian people ultimately equated with their love for Christ.

McGee's book is well written and is especially timely and important. It is not a eulogy for lost lives but an appeal for continued Christian charity, humanity, and engagement. If there is to be a substantial and sustained spiritual encounter between...