Goeffrey Robinson does a masterful job on ambiguities in the Catholic Church and his rehetorical questions sharpen that description. At first, as was another reviewer,I was put off by the questions. I discovered that the questions express the ambiguity.

I believe that he misses the depth of paradox. Diversity consitutes unity. He only mentions subsidiarity in a meditation but fails to join solidarity and subsidiarity in his discussion on tensions.

I also believe he makes many true statements. Sexual abuse is an abuse of power. The system in which authority is exercised limits the proper exercise of the full power of the Church.

Reading his book reminded me of my study of Modernism. It was a time when Church structures had become inadequate to meet the issues of the day.

I believe that the book will bear fruit if readers can help the Church die to,lose,give up,change those structures of its power system in order that it may live the unity in love for which Christ prayed.

One of my professors used to say that grasping paradox is deeper than discovering contradiction. Ambiguity affirms the reality of opposing positions.

Rev. Cris Janson
cjanson@swbell.net

Bishop Robinson's book is full of history and ideas to mordanize the Catholic Church. It will help explain why the church got to where it is today and then how we can all (laity, clerical, religious) change the church.
This book will change you and the way you look at religion and the concept of Church.

This is a profoundly spiritual and honest publication. Not always easy to read but always rewarding, sometimes uniquely so. i defy anyone to read this book without being surprised by its frankness and its sincerity

This is a really excellent book, coming directly to grips not only with the Roman Catholic Church's clerical abuse problems, but with history's iron grip on both governance and doctrine and the Church's inability to get beyond that grip -- due to structure, resistance to paradigm shifts, and a failure of will. Clerical sexual abuse is shown as a prime example of the Church's dysfunctional structure, marginalizing of the laity, and centralization of power far from where the rubber meets the road.

An earlier reviewer was put off somewhat by the author's use of rhetorical questions. I do see her point, but I think Bp. Robinson was extremely clever to make his points that way, rather than by flat declarative confrontations with the Roman Curia. Sadly, instead of maturely responding in kind, the hierarchy once again shot itself in the foot with its overblown reaction both to problem statements and to suggested paths out of the morass. (The impact on me of Roger Cardinal Mahony's appalling letter to the author was that I immediately bought and devoured the book.)

Highly recommended. Benedict XVI and his team should be encouraging such thinkers and questioners, and engaging them in reasoned twenty-first century dialogue, rather than harking back to the fifth century (Augustine) and the sixteenth (Council of Trent) and hiding behind "creeping infallibility." I hope Catholics, both laity and clergy, will have the guts to read this book and use it as a step on the ladder of reform. Ecclesia semper reformanda est (the Church must always be reforming. Always.)

CONFRONTING THE PROBLEM OF CHURCH ABUSE, THE AUTHOR HONESTLY SEES THE CHURCH IN ITS OFFICIALS AS GUILTY OF PREFERRING CHURCH DEFENSE OVER THE HURT TO VICTIMS. MUCH BEYOND THAT, THE AUTHOR STRONGLY RECOMMENDS CHURCH SUSIDIARITY AND COLLEGIALITY AT ALL LEVELS, IF GENUINELY ACCEPTED, AS A HUGE BEGINNING OF NEEDED REFORM.

Bishop Robinson shows how the power in the Catholic Church has been unduly concentrated over the centuries due to the absence of checks and balances. He presents a modern view of the roles that Scripture, the world, and discernment play in developing a knowledge and understanding of God. He suggests changes to the governing structure of the Catholic Hierarchy that do not violate Scripture and would allow more rapid response to needs in various parts of the world. This book should be read and discussed by all adult Catholics.

This book is about much more than sex abuse. It is a well-written review of the many problems that institutional Catholicism is facing in the 21st century.

Bp. Robinson deals with many facets of morality, shows where the Church has gone off the rails, and makes suggestions for the future. As one example, his treatment of the subject of Papal infallibility is excellent -- and devastating.

I expected to read one more expose of sex abuse in the Church, instead I am getting much, much more than that. Bp. Robinson is to be commended. (As an aside, it is no wonder that many other RC Bishops are condemning him, as he shows just how systemic Roman Catholicism's problems are.)

It is obvious that Bp. Robinson loves the Church (the whole church!) and wishes to be part of the solution. Unfortunately, many other Catholic Bishops are content to remain part of the problem.

One complaint: rather than make statements at various points in the book regarding conclusions to be drawn, the author instead is prone to ask rhetorical questions. They can become a bit tiresome after a while, but do nothing to water down his message.

I highly recommend this book.

The scandals of pedophile Priests have done untold damage to the Catholic Church, and "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus" seeks to address the issue directly. Criticizing the church's abuse of power and looking to the Bible to offer a new approach to the church's stance on sexual morality, Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church strives to focus on the people and to be forgiving of their flaws. Calling for a gradual reformation of the Catholic church, "Confronting Power and Sex in the Catholic Church: Reclaiming the Spirit of Jesus" is highly recommended for community library collections concerning Catholicism.

Sorry--I have no time. I'm well qualified, though, for the five-stars. I was a nun under canon law for ten years, and am still in a non-canonical religious community. I have studied the Church and religion all my life, but am well rounded, with a Ph.D. in Spanish, minors in History and French, and 83 years of living as a seeker. I've been a congregationalist, atheist, Quaker, and Catholic, but I'm now a very fallen-away Catholic. My post-doctoral passion has been Our Lady of Guadalupe, and I've had the finest experts in Mexico as my friends. I've translated the source document into English (published in Mexico), participated in symposia, written articles, am published in the U.S. and Argentina, and have given countless slide lectures all over California and in Santa Fe. Trust me on the five stars!

I look forward to reading this book, but have not yet had time to do so.