Nearer, My God

by William F. Buckley Jr.

Book Overview

This is the story of one man's faith, told with unrivaled reflection and candor. William F. Buckley, Jr., was raised a Catholic. As the world plunged into war, and as social mores changed dramatically... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385478186
• ISBN13: 9780385478182
• Release Date: October 1997
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 313 Pages
• Weight: 1.34 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

Exceptional Writing

Mr. Buckley is an exceptionally talented man; his writing is only one of many disciplines at which he excels. And even within this field he is an accomplished novelist, essayist, speech writer, author of monographs, and the author of a syndicated national newspaper column. This particular work could be legitimately characterized as theology although the author denies that he is so qualified. By his definition this may be true, but his level of expertise on Christianity, and on being a Roman Catholic far surpasses the knowledge the majority of the practitioners of the faith can claim.I came back to this book for a second reading after Mr. Buckley was mentioned several times in the new book by Gary Wills, "Why I Am A Catholic". Mr. Buckley's working title was the same as that of Mr. Wills, but when his book was published in 1997 it had become, "Nearer, My God". Mr. Wills and Mr. Buckley had worked together with Mr. Wills having written for the National Review. Their personal preferences in the political sphere were to become incompatible, and the professional relationship ended."Nearer My God", is not as critical of the Church although it does raise a variety of questions about Vatican II, and the decline of virtually any form of religious instruction in education, public or private. Mr. Buckley shares the changes that have taken place at the preparatory school he attended, and includes at the end of his book a list of quite prestigious private schools generally founded by Christians, and their present course offerings that are devoid of anything other than religious homogeneity. The effort spent ensuring that any discussion/teaching is as far from any study of specific religions, is either laughable, or offensive depending on the reader's point of view. It brings to mind recent court rulings that took place within days of each other involving the constitutional issue of the separation of church and state. Within days two rulings were handed down, one stating The Pledge Of Allegiance was unconstitutional due to the words, "under God", and then within days a ruling that school vouchers could be used for religious schools was deemed legal. Genius or even common sense is becoming harder to find residing upon the benches of the judiciary. The decision regarding the pledge was particularly obscene as it was brought in an effort to bolster a child custody case, and not for any legitimate discourse on constitutional law.Mr. Buckley is a devout Catholic, and while he may take issue with the decisions of The Vatican II Council, he does not attack the Church as an institution. The book explores the Catholic Faith in a variety of ways. He shares a brilliant discussion on a variety of points from the theologians Arnold Lunn and Father Knox. He then invited a group of familiar names that had either found, or converted to The Catholic Church as adults, Lance Murrow, Whittaker Chambers, and many more.The discussions range from what either kept them from convertin

Great for Catholics and non-Catholics alike

William F. Buckley's extraordinary literary talents come forth once again in this personal journey and growth within his chosen faith. Totally unlike most of his books that I have read, I found myself compelled to keep the pages turning, and found that many (certainly not all, since I have yet to have an audience with the Pope!) questions and experiences I have also shared. Highly recommended.

A Book that Will Take on Greater Importance with Time

I am a former Catholic turned evangelical. I must say that despite great differences in Catholic and evangelical thought, there is a goldmine of information that Buckley presents. First, Buckley's employing Cardinal Newman's defense of Catholicism is an excellent presentation of Catholic thought. Equally interesting are the real-life apologetics afforded by Monsignor Knox to one, Mr. Lunn (the latter converted to Catholicism in part due to M. Knox's incisive responses). Evangelicals must understand Catholics, and they will walk away from these exchanges with a vivid, intelligent overview. Incredibly enough, the platforms used to buttress Catholic doctrine serve well, in logical terms, for Christian apologetics at-large. These gems, alone, are well-worth the read. Another fascinating feature includes snippets of responses from various luminaries on their opinions involving three questions. I won't spoil the plot; suffice it to say their responses bring joy to anyone thirsting for relevance in the Gospel and the Christian faith. The slice of life descriptions of involvement with David Nevin, Grace of Monaco, Charleton Heston, Malcolm Muggeridge, etc....well, you won't want to miss these. There is a wide difference between Catholicism and the evangelical world. Nevertheless, the essentials of Christianity are captured in Buckley's recountings--to the extent that reading them creates an intellectually and emotionally satisfying journey. The reader must invariably see Christ just as He was portrayed at the climax of "Ben Hur": God, Who is near. Lastly, I surely came away in awe of Buckley's caressing of the English language. Yes, Bill, "Well done, Lord...our Lord." And, "well done" to His servant, too.

A Returning Catholic

I just had to put my two cents worth in about this book. I have been reading it slowly, and piecemeal, over some time, and have some rereading to do and a way to go. However, it has already happened that I am getting other books on the subject of my faith, Roman Catholicism, --now--knowing that this is going to result in my return to The Church--after many, many years of absence--in the not too distant future. What I had to comment on is perhaps a minor point, but I really must. I read the reveiws of this book here today, and I thought that the reveiw that complained about, specifically, the author's having enlisted the help of Clare Booth Luce, Malcolm Muggeridge, and Fr. Niehaus as members of his "Forum" was a customer review. I went to check the book on this point o fact: the first two were both dead before the author could ask them to particpatein his "Forum"-so of course they did not. I came back to this page only to dicover that the review in which this error had been made was not a customer review at all--the reviewer for the Kirkus Review made this error. I think he should at least get his facts correct, even if perhaps this is small point relative to what he was trying to say. Also that is not all that's wrong with that reveiw. In the first place, there is noithing wrong with the author's having had his "Forum"--and had either or both of Clare Booth Luce and Malcolm Muggeridge been able to join it--so much the better. Not only was there nothing wrong with it--it was a good thing. I have yet to read "Experiencing Lourdes" but I seriously doubt that the criticisms of it--whether by any professionals or customers-- are valid. Further, I am absolutely unaccepting (though I will have to live with it) of the fact that the Latin Mass has been abolished--and I don't happen to feel that the change has had the intended effect, or a positive one. I attended a private Roman Catholic day school in Ohio from 1st to 6th grade which was also a convent--and we had Low Mass (in Latin) every morning before classes except Fridays when we had High Mass which of course the entire school (1-12) sang in Latin. No one had a problem singing. No one was "reserved". It was the most natural thing in the world and I loved it, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Also, we dod NOT sound bad! Further, I don't think that the part of the part(s) of the book devoted to the deveolpement of the current situations and states of affairs in the preparatory schools dicussed was irrelevant, boring, or anything of the kind. I hadn't heard of his prep school--and he may never have heard of mine which was in Massachusetts and has long since ceased to exist, probably becuase the first headmistress, who had been there for years when I got there, was irreplacable. The headmistress was a converted Catholic, and other teachers werre Catholic. Attendance in a Christian church every Sunday was mandatory. When I complained to one teacher and the he

The Aescetics and Joy of the Catholic Christian Faith

This was the book that drove some important decisions in my life. Mr. Buckley has gathered from his own experience some deeply personal relections on Roman Catholic faith. I cherish his effort in writing about his life and knowledge of the church in a manner that is spiritual and reflective of a deep sense of grace. Chapter 8 on Christ's Crucifixion and Chapter 9 about St. Bernadette's experience at Lourdes were stunning to me. I was quite struck by the personal honesty displayed for public view, but I got a sense that Mr. Buckley might someday return to the subject for a sequel. Hopefully he will continue to explain Catholicism in his interesting, witty and challenging manner. Although this book was a tremendous joy to read, it is at times challenging in it's vocabulary and depth of intellectual thought. Well worth the effort for the appreciative reader searching for some of the toughest theological questions. Casual readers will probably find the slog of the first few chapters more difficult that easier digested works. A Five Star Feast for faithful inquirer's of Roman Catholicism.