Under the Mercy: A Sequel to "A Severe Mercy"

by Sheldon Vanauken

With eloquent, moving prose, Sheldon Vanauken tells about those years after the death of his beloved wife, of how he moved step-by-step through the darkness of his grief into the light of God's love. But this poignant volume is more than a sequel to the runaway best-seller, A Severe Mercy: it is a continuing autobiography, and an engrossing chronicle of Vanauken's writings, and always, a challenge to live the spiritual life. Under the Mercy also mirrors the times during which Vanauken redefined his life. He takes readers through the turbulent sixties, that decade of campus unrest when he—as a college professor—became directly involved in civil rights and the peace movement. Caught up in the Spirit of the Age, Vanauken drifted from the Spirit of God. But gentle nudges from God led him back towards the Obedience. It was a chance rereading of one page of mentor C. S. Lewis that was used as a channel of grace. He corrected his errant course and was soon again under the Mercy. His spiritual journey led him to eventually cross the English channel to Rome and become a Roman Catholic. Under the Mercy is a vivid record of a then wayward disciple's return to the Obedience—an intensely personal and moving story. What a great book Vanauken has written on plain Christianity! It's a fine work. - Dr. Clyde Kilby Thomas Howard remains one of the most insightful and delightful religious writers today. He combines profundity with genuine style. - James Hitchcock, St. Louis University Sheldon Vanauken, author of the best-seller A Severe Mercy, has been a professor of History and English at Lynchburg College, Virginia, and is also the author of Gateway to Heaven.

Genres: Nonfiction, Christian, Biography, Memoir, Spirituality, Christianity, Religion

263 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1985

Reviews

[Jonah Twiddy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This sequel to what has become my favorite book ever written, A Severe Mercy, is not at all the same. If you're looking for another tearjerking love story, look elsewhere. What you will find instead is an honest and sincere autobiographical account of a man who continued to live even after the climax of his story was told. Far from a quiet, happy ending, Vanauken relays how he was swept up into the angry anti-war and feminist movements of the 60's, turned back to Christ and penned his love story in the 70's, and finally his slow move into the Catholic Church in the 80's. Throughout these stories are sprinkled many of his uncut essays and articles published during these time periods that give a glimpse into his thoughts as they were at the time providing the raw picture of a man in-process. The effect of reading was, for me, to remember that life is never the fairy tale we want it to be, and that God is not constrained to fairy tales.

[JP McLane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this book 4.5 stars if I had the option. The first half of the book is moderately interesting but tends to self promotion of Vanauken’s lesser known works that haven’t the depth of A Severe Mercy and this book. I did find many parallels between his experience of the racial tensions and anti war movements in the 60’s and what is going on today in the United States which was quite interesting.

The second half of the book was absolutely superb. His chapter on feminism is a must read. The last two chapters in the book I found incredible. Crossing the English Channel is such a powerful case for Catholicism.

If you read this book, and I think everyone should, you should first read A Severe Mercy (also one of my favourite books) and then slug through the first half of this book. The second half is worth it.

[Grant Klinefelter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars simply for the beauty of his writing. Three, or possibly even two stars for the content. The beginning and final chapters are beautiful; the middle chapters are a bit muddled. I love Sheldon’s writing and even I was skimming in the middle chapters.

I thoroughly enjoyed his reflections on love and longing post Davy’s death, his consideration of marriage after loss, and his thoughtful reflections on feminism and racism - even if I would land in different places than he.

His journey into Holy Mother is truly fascinating and a great read.

The book exudes the reflective life. One I hope to live and model.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will be disappointed if you are expecting a replica of A Severe Mercy. Under the Mercy is an examination of Vanauken’s life after Davy’s death, and contains many of his other writings and ponderings to help encapsulate the journey of his mind and soul. It is not driven by a great romance, but in some ways, I enjoyed this more than its more famous prequel.

[Adaelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

There were parts of this that dragged, parts of it I struggled through, but overall, I loved this book, and it brought home a beloved story in a different way, and I’m glad to have read it.

[Jessi Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

the sequel to one of my favorite reads. an honest journey beyond grief. his love story with Davy was not just the peak of his life & her loss was not the end of his life. this book goes past his grief and into the present after reconciling with loss. poignant!

[Claire Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read under the mercy because a severe mercy was so meaningful. Although I love Van and Davy- I cannot recommend those book to everyone who loved a severe mercy. It has a lot of essays throughout and you go from feminism in one chapter to civil rights to different types of loves to Catholicism. It is hard to get through, but the snippets is Davy and their story made it worth it.

[Danny Collier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following the death of his young wife, not long after these “good Pagans” converted to the Christian faith (Church of England), the 1950’s saw Sheldon Vanauken, a young professor of history, commence his teaching career in Lynchburg, Virginia. The 1960’s saw Sheldon struggling with the righteous civil rights movement, then the morally-gray anti-war movement, and finally (as he later reflected and admitted) the unrighteous feminist movement. By then, Sheldon had all but lost his faith - at least until several nudges in the early 70s led him back to “the Obedience”. The path of faith (a la Canterbury) and obedience eventually led the middle-aged professor farther than he had planned to go (a la Rome). Sheldon realized that just as a good Pagan must deal with the claims of Christ, so too the faithful (thinking) Christian must face the claims of the Catholic Church. Not wanting to go all the way, the historian, lover of literature and poet put off the decision. It occurred to Sheldon that no decision was itself a decision. He recalled his similar desire to follow Christ, but nevertheless a reluctance. The good Pagan, however, by then had seen too much of the reality of Christ and knew he could not not proceed by bending the knee. So too, now as a follower of Christ, Sheldon had seen too much of the reality of the Catholic Church. Despite his reluctance, he realized he could not not proceed. Sheldon Vanauken is as gifted a writer as I’ve seen write about the Christian’s pilgrimage. Somewhere I’ve seen Sheldon’s writings compared to Saint Augustine’s Confessions. I might not go that far, but A Severe Mercy and Under the Mercy belong on the same shelf with those timeless memoirs from the Bishop of Hippo.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can’t say that it’s a universal recommend (like ASM — an all time favorite), but it will make you think, even if you disagree with most of his ideas. It will also remind you that you love poetry and that you miss Oxford, even though you’ve never been.

It’s less moonlit drives by Glenmerle and deep talks in St. Udio’s and more excerpts from his old writings. And they can be dry and kinda weird and at first they seem irrelevant. For a while I was afraid it would be a two star book. The beginning is fr tough. But the last two chapters—wow. I’ll be thinking about them for a long time. They’re about why he became Catholic, and how he was led to Catholicism by St. Clive, who wasn’t Catholic. And more importantly, they’re a look at unity within the Church.

Also, Van’s not as tame as we thought he was.

[Julia N · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a book! Never before (and I'm sure never again) will I read a book that details the author's passionate participation in the Civil Rights and feminist movements, concurrent pride in the Confederacy, drastic swing towards condemnation of feminism, conversion to Catholicism as well as essays on divorce, love, and singleness. As if that wasn't eclectic enough, these thoughts are communicated in a mélange of narrative prose, humorous poetry, academic essay, and even small sketches, with almost all of the aforementioned topics being touched on in each manner. And all from a deeply thoughtful Christian/Catholic perspective. Although I cannot say I would come to many of the same conclusions as the author, this was certainly a fascinating read. Both thought-provoking and enjoyable.

[Allison · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a narrative-style sequel to A Severe Mercy , you may be disappointed. Much drier, Under the Mercy continues the spiritual and intellectual journey of Vanauken through the tempestuous sixties and beyond. However, his essays on the feminist movement (after having been part of it), on bachelorhood and marriage, and on his journey to Catholicism are well worth reading. He saw the beginning of the secularization of the Episcopal church, and his critique of the historical criticism movement feels almost frighteningly prophetic.

A dull read if you're looking for a story, but interesting if you want to read some Christian cultural commentary.

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting perspective into what happened after Sheldon lost his wife, penned A Severe Mercy, floundered in his faith / purpose, and found meaning all over again.

I especially enjoyed the section on the "nudges" that brought him straight back to where he started and the insight into exactly why he felt he could not rest until he had put the story of his love and conversion to Christianity into writing. Also, his sound logic regarding issues of Church doctrine and his refusal to bend to the "zeitgeist" or "spirit of the age" should have us all pondering whether we're doing the same.

[Taylor May · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was so good to read Vanauken's words again. He's got a way of making the simple beautiful a f the complex simple. As much as I appreciate his journey ... I was expecting too much by having so loved a severe mercy. This is entirely different: much less moving and much more pragmatic.

[Andrea Prevatt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not nearly as good as A Severe Mercy, (but that book was inspired by the Lord). This is still thought-provoking and enjoyable.

[Rachel L. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much more academic than A Severe Mercy. Still an interesting read...thoughts on the 60s, feminism, etc.

[Briansmom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good book, follow up to A Severe Mercy. Was draggy in some areas; the author clearly was verbose and used looonngg passages to describe things that could have been shortened up.

[Tori · Rating 3 out of 5]

While not quite as rich from a seamless narrative position as A Severe Mercy, I really enjoyed to hear more about Vanauken's life after A Severe Mercy ends.

[Tami Huffman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, like A Severe Mercy, was a little difficult to read, but so worth my time and tenacity.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enlightening, though not quite as poignant as A Severe Mercy. Very much worth the time.

[Patrick O'Hannigan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This sequel to "A Severe Mercy" does not have the emotional punch of its predecessor, but then how could it? The grief and acceptance that dominated that book also made it memorable.

Honest though it is, the prose here sometimes sounds stilted to my ears, because it reads like a shotgun marriage of British and American idiom. Vanauken's Oxford education must take some of the blame for that. The question of Jesus and His church "has got to be answered," he writes, little caring that the rest of us would have written "must be answered." Moreover, the early part of the book -- about the idealism that fueled his relatively tame (mostly letter writing) forays into civil rights and feminist activism -- has tedious moments.

Even so, C.S. Lewis chose his proteges well, and Sheldon Vanauken, who died in 1996, is always worth reading. By chapter five, Vanauken hits his stride. His argument that ordaining women to the ministerial priesthood ultimately denies the Incarnation on two fronts is a powerful and (so far as I can tell) original one: If Jesus is God and "did perfectly the will of the Father" (per John 8:29 and other scriptural verses), then suggesting that God now approves what Jesus did not do when He walked among us is tantamount to saying that God has changed His mind -- which of course is both illogical and unnecessary. Similarly, Vanauken's insights into the changing nature of bachelorhood, and why C.S. Lewis remained Church of England when he was so obviously sympathetic to Catholic doctrine, are things that I have not read elsewhere.

Despite the few paragraphs that sound twee or almost comically highbrow, it is easy to agree with Vanauken ("Van" to his friends, among whom were the gifted apologists Peter Kreeft and Thomas Howard) that the beloved wife who preceded him in death smiled on this book, as she did on his earlier chronicle of their life together.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheldon Vanauken is always a pleasure to read. Nothing beats A Severe Mercy, of course, but I wasn't expecting it to--rather, it fills in some blanks which the first book had left me wondering about, and gives a glimpse into Vanauken's heart after Davy's death. Quite a trip it is, too. It's very interesting to see how he ends up questioning or repudiating much of his '60s radicalism (with the exception of his Civil Rights involvement), and whether or not the reader agrees with his later stance on, say, ordination of women to the priesthood, it's hard to deny that he's considered the issues from various perspectives (having embraced many of them at one point or another). Being a bit of a sucker for conversion stories, I also enjoyed the story of how he went over to Catholicism from the Episcopal Church. The book is also a sort of anthology of some of Vanauken's poetry, essays, and stories from the late 50's through the early 80's. While some of these were more absorbing than others, they were mostly chosen with an eye toward moving the story along and weren't just thrown in gratuitously. A worthwhile, insightful read.

[Joshua Lake · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can find my full review at Quieted Waters.

Fans of Vanauken’s first work, A Severe Mercy, will find the same light, honest writing in Under the Mercy, but this book lacks the emotional draw of the original.

Under the Mercy takes the same introspective memoir approach, but the writing is more concerned with issues than with the relationships and narrative that carried the original. The strongest and most compelling chapters are on Vanauken’s view of the roles of men and women, and on his shift from a catalyst for the feminist movement to a thoroughgoing complementarian.

[Seth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another beautiful piece of prose. Nothing lives up to its prequel, A Severe Mercy, of course, but great nonetheless. Vanauken's progression into 60s radicalism and feminism, and the subsequent transition back into theological conservatism, is a fascinating account. He describes his time of error eloquently, and ably defends the truths he ultimately affirmed. I was also surprised and challenged by his embrace of Catholicism. A provocative and soul-enriching memoir of a life well-lived by sucking the marrow out of life in faith, intellectual rigor, and a solid community of Christian love.

[bronwyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is not at all like a Sever Mercy, but is well worth the read in its own rights. It is mostly a book on theological perspectives (Vanauken's opinions to be exact). I appreciated the read because his perspectives and arguments challenged me. I'm not sure yet that his points have caused me to change any of my positions, but they have definitely helped me to see and understand other opinions, whether or not I agree with them. His arguments are well thought out and presented. I have the utmost respect for Sheldon and his account of his life-long spiritual journey.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the sequel to "A Severe Mercy". Once I discovered it, I was eager to read it. The book provides additional details to the original story, as well as commentary on the author's life.

This is a good read, but those, like me, who are looking to relive the brilliance of "A Severe Mercy" will probably find it somewhat disappointing. Vanuakin is cursed with the fabulous success of the previous work. Which is too bad, because this book is probably strong enough to stand on it's own, even if it does pale in comparison to his previous.

[Benita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very different from A Severe Mercy, but also thought-provoking. Vanauken faces his own shortcomings as a disciple and confronts them with what seems to me to be gentle honesty. The lesson I drew from this is his understanding that the only real question for a Christian to be asking is "What is God's will for me?" and then following that. Deceptively simple, and often incredibly difficult. He is intellectually honest about the struggle to do that, and doesn't shy away from it, whatever the difficulty, or whatever he's done in the past.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a 3 star book, but I'm giving it 4 because it made me think about several different issues I've either never given much thought or taken for granted that my assumptions were true. Definitely read A Severe Mercy first, and don't come to this book expecting something similar. This is a collection of essays and meditations on topics from feminism and civil rights in the 60's to the choice between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. Even if you don't agree with his conclusions, it will challenge you to examine why you hold certain beliefs.

[Karen L.]

In our adult Sunday school we have been discussing The Shack and of course that book delves much into suffering and understanding suffering in light of God. Our book discussion leader used this book also to aid to thoughts in the discussion, and it sounds amazing! It really seemed to deal with good and evil and suffering.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A memoir that comprises "the examined life" - a Christian scholar and navy man reflects on a very long and eventful life, including his encounters with CS Lewis, Anglicanism and Catholicism, and some very insightful discussions of his roles in the Civil Rights movement and as an architect (and later critic) of the Feminist Movement in the U.S. Five Stars and Two Thumbs Up!

[Erin Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars really. The book meanders a bit and was hard to follow. He also has a love of Capital Letters that is funny. He almost lost me in the friendship chapter when he said True Friendship is rare among women. His chapters on The Knights Move and why he joined The Church are great.