A Generation Betrayed

Rating:
Summary: A Generation Betrayed
Review: A worthwhile book for the theologically and educationally well-informed in the combat zone of liberal vs. traditionalist Catholicism. Keane has chosen two particularly thorny types, ultraliberal lay Catholic Boston College professor and author Thomas Groome and ultrafeminist wannabe linguist Elizabeth Schüssler-Fiorenza, for target practice. He hits bull's-eye after bull's-eye.

The careful reader will discern that the undermining of beliefs of all sorts is not limited to Catholic schooling but is found at all levels of American, yea, even Western education in general. Ever since the Revolution of '68 there have been forces at the professorial level transforming the thinking of students. The students, in turn, have endeavored to transform society into a purely secular concept.

As a theolinguist, I paid particular attention to Schüssler-Fiorenza's approach. Neither she nor Groome is a professional linguist--and it shows. In Chapter 7 (on the Trinity) it becomes immediately obvious that neither Groome and Fiorenza nor Keane understands the crucial difference between grammatical gender and human sex differentiation.

The book examines the extent to which Groome was philosophically influenced by noted--and some not so noted--liberal theologians. It also outlines Schüssler-Fiorenza's indebtedness to certain prominent feminists.

This is not a book for the uninformed. Unlike the Anglican Communion, the Catholic Church has a magisterium and can prevent or counteract the spread of the theology of heretics and apostates run amok, like former priest Groome and Schüssler-Fiorenza or retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.

The typesetter needs to add the umlaut to his stock of diacritics.

Rating:
Summary: A Generation Betrayed
Review: A worthwhile book for the theologically and educationally well-informed in the combat zone of liberal vs. traditionalist Catholicism. Keane has chosen two particularly thorny types, ultraliberal lay Catholic Boston College professor and author Thomas Groome and ultrafeminist wannabe linguist Elizabeth Schüssler-Fiorenza, for target practice. He hits bull's-eye after bull's-eye.

The careful reader will discern that the undermining of beliefs of all sorts is not limited to Catholic schooling but is found at all levels of American, yea, even Western education in general. Ever since the Revolution of '68 there have been forces at the professorial level transforming the thinking of students. The students, in turn, have endeavored to transform society into a purely secular concept.

As a theolinguist, I paid particular attention to Schüssler-Fiorenza's approach. Neither she nor Groome is a professional linguist--and it shows. In Chapter 7 (on the Trinity) it becomes immediately obvious that neither Groome and Fiorenza nor Keane understands the crucial difference between grammatical gender and human sex differentiation.

The book examines the extent to which Groome was philosophically influenced by noted--and some not so noted--liberal theologians. It also outlines Schüssler-Fiorenza's indebtedness to certain prominent feminists.

This is not a book for the uninformed. Unlike the Anglican Communion, the Catholic Church has a magisterium and can prevent or counteract the spread of the theology of heretics and apostates run amok, like former priest Groome and Schüssler-Fiorenza or retired Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong.

The typesetter needs to add the umlaut to his stock of diacritics.

Rating:
Summary: Toxic catechesis
Review: Eamonn Keane has done Catholics a great service in his penetrating analysis of the writings of two key figures in recent religious education - Thomas Groome and Elizabeth Schussler Fiorenza. Dripping with degrees and accolades these two have managed the deconstruction of the Catholic faith while supposedly teaching it. Groome in particular has bamboozled Catholic education offices into using his books as texts. Influenced by the Chilean Marxist Paulo Freire, Rahner and Boff he'suspects' divine Revelation, the Papacy, the ministerial priesthood, the sacraments - in fact everthing but himself. Keane presents what the church does teach and shows how far removed it is from Groome's politically based pedagogy. Excellent investigative writing by Eamonn Keane - Introducton by Msgr Wren, Foreword by Donna Steichen, Preface by Bishop Bruskewitz