WHEN THE TREES SAY NOTHING: WRITINGS ON NATURE

Book Author: Thomas Merton

Review Author: Sister Ruth Ann Nistler, OSF, Little Falls, Minnesota

In this small book, we see Thomas Merton very much akin to St. Francis in his love of creation. For 169 pages he expresses very poetically his love for trees, mountains, birds, flowers . . . everything in nature. He says he and these creatures "form on ecological balance."

Merton speaks of "mental ecology" and also "non-ecology": Examples include "the destructive unbalance of nature, poisoned and unsettled by bombs, by fallout, by exploitation: the land ruined, the waters contaminated, the soil charged with chemicals, ravaged by machinery," etc.

He also says "there is not poverty so great as that of the prosperious, no wretchedness so dismal as affluence. Wealth is poison. There is no misery to compare with that which exists where technology has been a total success."

Speaking of other countries, "where they have nothing," he says to the people there: "Do you imagine that if you became as prosperious as the United States you would no longer have needs? Here the needs are even greater. Full bellies have not brought peace and satisfaction, but dementia."

Merton does not extol poverty as a basic virtue, as Francis does, and he says that "for [myself], it is necessary to live alone, that the silence of the forest is [my] bride, and the sweet dark warmth of the world is [my] love. It is necessary for me to be present alone at the resurrection of Day, for at this moment all the affairs of cities, of governments, of war departments, are seen to be the bickerings of mice."

Merton's idea of poverty and his insistence of the necessity (for himself) to be alone differ radically from Francis' love for Lady Poverty and for community. But it is very interesting to see to what extent Merton's ideas are quite "Franciscan."

This book also gives a new picture of Thomas Merton and his spirituality.

GREEN SISTERS: A SPIRITUAL ECOLOGY

Book author: Sarah McFarland Taylor; Harvard University Press

In this time of evaluations by Rome of religious communities of women in the United States, SISTERS ONLINE thought it would be of value to bring back this book, which is about Roman Catholic women religious communities actively engaging in tending and healing the earth. Although this book is a work of extensive academic research and scholarship, it will appeal to any reader who is interested in environmental activism, nature mysticism, social justice, feminism, Catholicism, or monasticism.

Sarah Taylor gives an exciting account of how religious communities long committed to social justice and peace have come to connect with environmental concerns and ecological activism. There is a helpful critique of agribusiness that monopolizes seed distribution world-wide and of the bioengineering that renders seeds sterile, and she describes the myriad ways in which these sisters are confronting our planetary crisis. Taylor also addresses the different ways these religious communities understand themselves as being caretakers of the deep core of their Catholic heritage.

This book will raise questions for the reader, especially: What are the risks and rewards of replacing distinctly Christian language with the language of contemporary cosmological physics as interpreted by Fr. Thomas Berry? Is it theologically sound to argue that the "passion of the earth" is an extension of Christ's passion? How does it affect our prayer and our community life when praying "stations of the earth" replaces praying the Stations of the Cross? Are Christian symbols and rituals being emptied of their distinctly Christian content, or is their meaning being wonderfully deepened and expanded? Taylor is convincing in her claim that religion is as dynamic as any other living system and is in a perpetual process of change and creative redefinition.

Get the book! You won't be sorry.

A NEW CLIMATE FOR THEOLOGY: GOD, THE WORLD AND GLOBAL WARMING

Book Author: Sallie McFague

Review author: Sister Mary Zirbes, OSF, Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota

Are we the only ones who matter? How do we understand God in a world where we are dominating nature? How do we understand ourselves in such a way that we might shrink our impacts?

Sallie MeFague maintains that global warming occurs because we lack an appropriate understanding of ourselves as inextricably bound to the planet and its systems. "A New Climate for Theology" not only traces the distorted notion of unlimited desire that fuels our market system, it also points out an alternative idea of what being human means and what a just and sustainable economy might mean in an unfolding universe of divine love and human freedom.

Sallie McFague, a Christian theologian, brings the fruits of decades of thinking about God and the world, about individual and community, about humanity and nature, about reality and metaphor, about the sacramental and prophetic, to bear on the critical issue of climate change. She calls Christians to new feeling, new acting and new thinking. Perhaps as the threat to our world that she describes so well presses more obviously upon us, the Church will begin to listen.

I found this book to be deeply insightful, inspiring and challenging to my Christian call. I would be so happy to know how others of us think about and respond to the challenge Sallie McFague so passionately places before. us.

TRANSFIGURATION

Author: Fr. John Dear, SJ

In his introduction of this book, Fr. Dear says,"Every one of us can have a transfiguration experience at some point in our lives if we dare follow Jesus all the way to the cross and resurrection." According to Dear, if we follow Jesus on the road of peace, we are transformed. Desmond Tutu writes the Foreword and says about the book, "a clarion call for us to be engaged in the project for world peace. We ignore it at our peril."

One of the early chapters in the book deals with Moses and Elijah. It speaks about how Moses begged God to send someone else to face the Pharaoh. Perhaps in our own lives we want others to "confront Pharaoh"—the Dorothy Days, Dan Berrigans, and Bonhoeffers of our time. Even the disciples present at the Transfiguration wanted to remain safe.

Many chapters in the book are related to the Transfiguration stories in the Gospels. Fr. Dear ties these stories to prophets in our own time—Martin Luther King or perhaps Oscar Romero. We are told we need to pick up our own cross and "transfigure" our part of the world. We each must play a part. Fr. Dear, as we know, doesn't just write about this, we know he lives it not only in his home state of New Mexico but around the world at well. This book is a good read and calls us to action.

THE DESERT MOTHERS

Book Author: Mary C. Earle. Published by Morehouse Publishing, 2007.

Review Author: Ruth Pallansch, Associate with the Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, MN.

In 1999 I first read about Desert Mothers and learned of their great influence on women (and some men) during the third and fourth centuries. Last year I came across this newer book and bought it.

Authored by a female Episcopal priest, the short chapters provided rich food for thought about how to remove oneself from daily life and dwell on the basic premise of life: Love God and love one another. Those Desert Mothers became very wise and in their solitude practiced discernment and humility. To those who sought their wisdom and other gifts, they gave love, encouragement and support.

This is a treasure of a book, which I will read again.

REDISCOVERING VALUES: ON WALL STREET, MAIN STREET, AND YOUR STREET

Author: Jim Wallis

Jim Wallis wrote this book with the hope that it would start a conversation about the deeper roots of the economic crisis, how we lost our way, and how to find it again. The book tries to provide "A Moral Compass for the New Economy."

Yes, we need an economic recovery—but we also need a moral recovery. We all want to know when the recession will end. but it is more important to ask, "How will this crisis change us?"

We cannot go back to business as usual, because it is business as usual that got us into the mess in the first place. We need to replace what is "normal" with a "new normal." "Rediscovering Values" asks some of the most challenging moral questions about where we went wrong as individuals, communities, and as a nation. It starts a conversation!

FINDING FRANCIS, FOLLOWING CHRIST

Book Author: Michael Crosby
Review Writer: Sister Gloria Haider, Franciscan Sisters of Little Falls, Minnesota

"Finding Francis, Following Christ" is an extremely insightful book providing a deep understanding of Francis and his times. However, Crosby goes further than Francis' time in this book by making many insightful connections to contemporary times. He does this so well that Mary Jo Leddy, author of "Radical Gratitude," says about this book: "Francis lives! He walks right off the pages of this remarkable book and into the violent world of America today. Michael Crosby has given us the opportunity to meet Francis as if for the first time." To this statement, I personally say "Amen."

Crosby's main theme throughout the book is the pattern of violence/withdrawal/and fulfillment in the life of Jesus and Francis. Within this pattern, one surrenders the prevalent violent worldview and "catches" or embraces something new. One example is the life of Jesus happens after John the Baptist is killed. At this time Jesus withdraws from the violence and preaches repentance and the embrace of a new kingdom of love and peace. Francis also withdraws from the violence of this times and embraces the worldview of peace and non-appropriation.

Crosby goes on to show how in conversion we surrender part of our worldview and embrace something new, how the Eucharist is a sign and summit of the "surrender and catch" of Jesus Christ and, finally, how authentic joy is the "catch" from a life of surrender.

As compelling as this book is, it is not a fast read. Be prepared to chew the words over and over again. If you do so, you will enter the radical world of Christ and Francis in a new way.

A PERSISTENT PEACE: ONE MAN'S STRUGGLE FOR A NONVIOLENT WORLD

Author: John Dear, SJ; Loyola Press, 2008.

Review by: Ruth Pallansch, Associate, Little Falls MN Franciscans

This Jesuit priest is well known for his efforts to bring real peace to our world. There have been great struggles for him from his religious order, law enforcement and multiple agencies that see war and conflict as sources of income. Yet, he is faithful to the commitment he made at a very young age.

This book chronicles his journey and is very inspiring. My favorite part came early in the book, when he was discerning how best he could serve the poor and fight injustice. He had been exposed to the Franciscan way and subsequently obtained permission to speak to a Franciscan vocation director to see if he should go "Franciscan." After describing his plan to change the world, to speak out on the issues, he was told: "John, you sound like a Jesuit. I don't think you would be happy hanging around street corners. Changing the world is your plan, that is a Jesuit's vocation, not a Franciscan's." So, happily, John went on to ordination, seeing that Jesuit priesthood allowed him the better path.

The book is an excellent read.