The Remaking of the Church by Richard P. McBrien (review)

946 BOOK REVIEWS thought and method. Towards the end of his preface to the whole work he writes: "Commentarium sat prolixum me fecisse non diffiteor. At, ni multum fallimur, commentaria non sunt iudicanda ex eorum prolixitate aut brevitate, sicut neque ex vetustate aut novitate. Si vera, si solida, si profunda sunt, unquam erunt nimis longa, semperque nova erunt; sin autem falsa, si imbecilla, si superficialia, unquam erunt nimis brevia, semperque erunt vetustissima." (p. XVII) CoRNELIUs WILLIAMS, 0. P. Salvatorplatz 2a Munich, West Germany The Remaking of the Church. An Agenda for Reform. By Richard P. McBrien. New York: Harper & Row Publishers, 1973. Pp. 179. $6.95. The avowed purpose of this book is to present an exercise in practical ecclosiology taking into consideration not only the why of change, but also the how; not only the mystery of the Church, but its remaking (p. XV) . In order to attain this end, Fr. McBrien adresses himself to two inextricably related issues: ... the theological and political conflict in contemporary Christianity, with special reference to recent years of change in Catholic attitudes and practice (Chapters I and II) ; and the determination of specific proposals for institutional change through which such conflict can constructively he resolved (Chapters III and IV) . (pp. XIV-XV). These, indeed, are ambitious goals which the author sets out to attain in 175 pages. The brevity of the book forewarns the reader that he can expect no more than a broad analysis of the present situation, as well as a schematic presentation of an agenda for reform. Once this remark is made, it must be added that the author presents a very thought-provoking analysis of the present situation along with worthwhile suggestions for institutional reform. In Chapter I, entitled "The Passing of the Torch," Fr. McBrien vividly recalls the hope and the optimism generated in the Church, the churches, and the world by the documents of Vatican II. Yet, less than a decade later we find the Church marked by excessive conflict, polarization, and a debilitating drainage of human resources while the membership and even its leaders are often beset by a widespread sense of frustration. The two root causes of this development, according to the author, are: . . . the failure of church leadership to provide the general membership with adequate reasons for change and, second, the failure of church leadership to demythologize its own self-image, in the light of contemporary theological perceptions . (p. 14) BOOK REVIEWS 947 Seen in these terms, the solution to the problem would lie in more participation , on the part of all members, in the life and mission of the Church. It is especially in Chapter II, " The Fallen Torch," that Fr. McBrien tackles the problem outlined above. The root cause of this problem is a theory-and-practice gap which has existed in the Catholic Church since 1965. Practice must be firmly based on theory and flow from it. Practices, especially new ones, imposed by authority without adequate presentation of the explicit and implicit underlying theory cannot be maintained for long without disorienting the people. On the other hand, theory which is not allowed to run its normal course can only lead to frustration and discouragement among its advocates. The author presents a tripartite schema of Theories with their corresponding Practices: Theory A: Scholastic, Counter-Reformation ecclesiology-Practices A: Pre-Vatican II Catholic Church. Theory B: Vatican II ecclesiology-Practices B: Moderate conciliar and para-conciliar reforms. Theory C: Post Vatican II ecclesiology-Practices C: Movement toward more radical reform. As might be expected, it is Theory A and its corresponding practices which bear the brunt of the attack. The author proves beyond doubt that the convocation of Vatican II was well inspired, and yet it is in this section that I find that his schema suffers the most from generalizations which weaken rather than strengthen his position. During the Time of the Church, which is characterized by growth and development, it is inevitable that there be divergent schools of thought. To label any one of these as THE teaching of the Church may serve the purpose of rhetoric but not that of historical truth. To state, for instance, that the notion of the...