From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart.

Book Review.

Haw, Chris.  From Willow Creek to Sacred Heart.  Rekindling my love for Catholicism.  Ave Maria Press.  2012.

C.H.-  born and baptized Catholic.  As a teen-ager he became very involved with Willow Creek.  A friend of Shane Claiborne with whom he co-led New Monasticism.  Converted (back) to Catholicism after moving to Camden, New Jersey where he became a part of Sacred Heart Church.

Comment.  Henry.

I use the word ‘converted’ to describe Chris’ spiritual journey although I am not comfortable with the term.  Conversion has always implied ‘to Christianity’.  Being an activist and protester were very much a part of that change.  He came to terms with those aspects of Catholic theology that are often seen as problematic for evangelicals.  He is celebrated by Catholics and accepted by (some) evangelicals.   An informative resource for learning about Catholicism.

Chris’ journey back to Catholicism is very much focused on the Mass and the Eucharist.  He makes an interesting presentation about “the ostensible paganism of Catholicism.” (80)   “The ‘sacrifice of Mass’ is not about repeating or re-enacting Christ’s death as much as making it present.” (122)  “Eucharistic sacrifice is the end of the violent sacrifice.” William Cavanaugh.

Chris explains about his “American cult of neutrality” (128) e.g. I’m not religious, I’m spiritual, etc.  When tolerance becomes paramount it can become a vicious form of intolerance.

As Chris was attempting to deal with his “annoyance of Church structures and traditions” (141) he received this theological advice: “You should take the time to understand something thoroughly before you go about trying to change it.” Christopher Hall. 

Assessing the ‘track record’ of the Church involved dealing with some problematic issues, e.g. child abuse by priests.   It is the whole tradition of the Church that becomes the platform from which he does his evaluation.  He concludes that leaving the Church is not the way to solve the problems. 

The tension between asceticism and aestheticism of the Catholic Church is viewed through “art and apocalypse”. (176)  “The challenge is to combine both an extraordinary appreciation of human creativity, beauty, art, and embellishment, while also orienting one’s mind, with apocalyptic eagerness, toward remedying our world’s decay and assisting the poor among us.” (193)

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