Religion

386 LEiTERS IN CANADA that centre on his multi-named bark and its breasting of the rum-dark seas. Everything in it, boat, crew, wit, plunges into the depths, except the human observation, which remains superaqueous. Many, of course, will find Mr Mowat as charming as he has always been, and to them I wholeheartedly recommend this work. (JOHN M. ROBSON) RELIGION The Canadian religious output in 1969 breaks down into three main categories: theological, biographical, and educational-devotional. By far the greater part of the writing was done by faculty members of the University of Toronto and among these, certain professors of St Michael's College were very active. Gregory Baum's Faith and Doctrine. A Contemporary View (Toronto: Griffin House, 136, $5.25) continues and amplifies The Credibility of the Church Today and gives notice of yet another book in which he will re-interpret 'the entire Christian teaching.' (p.l18) Baum's main point in this easy-to-read book is that today Christians are undergoing a new experience of the Gospel. For Catholics this creates tension in the institutions which reaect a past experience of the Gospel. Institutional reform is needed as well as a reinterpretation of the Church's entire teaching. Baum refers with enthusiasm to Vatican II and discusses faith, doctrine, and apologetics with frank simplicity. His book should be helpful to the Catholic who is struggling to rethink just about everything he has ever associated with the Church and the Bible. Any Protestant who has been moulded by the theological and Biblical revolution of the past four decades will find Baum's Biblical inSights and Christological e'mphases very familar. He articulates them with the joy of fresh discovery but makes no reference to the great Protestant theologians, for example, Karl Barth, who did so much in our time to recover for Christianity precisely such insights and emphases. The claim is put forth that it is possible to express what the Church believes by describing the new selkonsciousness created by faith without belittling the transcendent character of faith. 'The transcendent dimension of faith is its very essence.' (p.17) DeplOring the loss of interest in apologetics among Catholic theologians, Baum claims that we must search for the human reasons why people believe. His own RELIGION 387 position is succinctly stated: 'People become Christians and stay Christians if the Gospel of Christ explains, purifies and multiplies their depth experiences.' (p.68) One wonders whether the really significant COntemporary question is not this one but rather why people don't become Christians! Father Baum argues that the Catholic Church is unique, that is, the only Church at this time which is able to reformulate the Gospel as the Good News for the contemporary world. One of the reasons for this uniqueness is that she is able to come to an authoritarian doctrinal consensus , thanks to her collegial structure. Unfortunately, Baum offers no convincing argument to support the claim that such a consensus is achievable. It is curious that after making such a claim he should speak of a 'non-homogeneous doctrinal development' (p.l02) as the Church enters a new age! Although the Catholic Church is necessary for the understanding of the Gospel, Baum says: We need the brothers, the whole community". the experience of all Christians.' Note: 'As a Catholic I add that we need the authoritative ministry of the Word (bishops and pope) who sift the convictions of the Christian people ". and ". come to formulate the Spirit-created consensus.' (p.1l9) This kind of paternalism is hardly in the best interests of the ecumenical cause. The reference raises the question as to whether Baum is prepared, in any radical way, to challenge the present structure of the Catholic Church. Not only does he speak frequently of the 'authoritative magisterium '; he also goes out of his way to criticize One Bishop Simons as theologically naive for suggesting that SCriptures by themselves are an adequate foundation for Church preaching. One wonders about the alleged consensus in the light of such polarization within the Catholic Church. Moreover, Baum's attempt to affirm the infallibility of the collegial magisterium through a tour de force in which he...