The Radical Tradition: Revolutionary Saints in the Battle for Justice and Human Rights

By Gilbert Márkus

Book Overview

No Synopsis Available.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385471823
• ISBN13: 9780385471824
• Release Date: October 1993
• Publisher: Doubleday Books
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.70 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.7" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Christian Religious Zeal for Social Justice

Who are the men and women honored as saints by the Catholic Church? Why were these devous, courageous, and often difficult people widely believed to be doing God's work? Marcus, a Dominican friar and Catholic chaplain to the University of Edinburgh, uncovers a surprisingly long history of social activism in sixteen poignant profiles of relatively obscure saints. Long before Thomas Merton pleaded for peace during the Vietnam War and Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan went to jail for pouring blood on nuclear weapons, the core teachings of the Catholic Church have inspired - and protected - many crusaders for radical social change. "Acting as if you have faith" has brought out the noblest side of humans - and sustained many uphill challenges to corrupt earthly powers. This vital book illuminates that religious zeal, exceptional faith in things unseen, deserves more credit than it usually gets today when secular historians often highlight only the negative aspects of church history.I learned a tremedous amount from this odd, little scholarly book: Labeling poverty and oppression as social sins long predates liberation theology; Teresa of Avila showed God's grace could provide woman with exceptional intelligence; and Antonino of Florence (1390-1444) overcame pervasive apathy by caring for plague victims and orhans; and Vincent De Paul, sometimes called the "father of social work", developed programs to help the poor. This fascinating history, espcecially for socially conscious Catholics, shows dynamic individuals identifying the stupidities and cruelities of their own societies - in service of their God and their souls. A wonderful counter to too-prevalent notion that pure selfishness is the only way to live.