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Not Less Than Everything: Catholic Writers on Heroes of Conscience, from Joan of Arc to Oscar Romero
In Not Less Than Everything , Catherine Wolff gathers the world's best contemporary Catholic writers, including Alice McDermott, Tobias Wolff, and Ann Patchett, to share their thoughts on brave men and women such as Joan of Arc and Oscar Romero—heroes who've challenged the dogma while holding steadfastly to their faith.In each of these thought-provoking essays, these greatly respected writers and thinkers engage personally with his or her favorite heretic, exploring the tensions that arise from conflicting demands of conscience and authority, of inspiration and orthodoxy, and from the challenge of living one's faith in the real world.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 12, 2013
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 31, 2018
I'm not sure I've ever read another book of essays, but I picked this book randomly off the library shelf when I was feeling spiritually downtrodden and I found some of the essays so thoughtful and inspiring that I went out and bought a copy to keep. In a world where Catholic leaders so often let us down, this book offers hope and a reminder that the whole can be better than the sum of its members, and that there are many holy members too. Many of the saints we so revere now were reformers who struggled against the hierarchy of their day, but never lost their faith and ultimately made a difference.
December 23, 2021
Like many anthology collections this is a bit of mixed bag but I really enjoyed many of the pieces, and it felt educational without being (too) preachy
June 28, 2013
If you know only one thing about me, apart from my occupation as a newspaper reporter or maybe the fact I grew up, proudly, in Springfield, Ill., it likely is this: I love the saints.
It's a random fact, given I am not -- and never have been -- Catholic. But it's a fact that's hard to miss, given the "saint wall" that's overtaken my living room and the sort-of saint-themed wedding my husband and I threw nearly two years ago.
I love the saints for many of the reasons Catholic writers share in "Not Less Than Everything," an essay collection on "heroes of conscience" that just came out last month. Already, I can tell you this will be among my favorite new books this year, and there are so many | to | look | forward | to (please note, author friends, I happily will accept review copies!).
The saints are not only those present, but also those who have gone before, according to editor Catherine Wolff. They are "friends of God and prophets," and "'their adventure of faith opens a way for us' that together we form 'an ongoing river of companions seeking God,'" Wolff quotes theologian Elizabeth Johnson.
And, for the editor's purpose, they are "other spiritual leaders" Catholics can look to when disillusioned by those in authority in the Church. Many of the saints in this volume -- both canonized and unofficial, even heretical, saints like Hildegard von Bingen and Martin Luther -- similarly were disillusioned by and even challenged those authorities.
Wolff writes:
Many Catholics think of saints as companions and hold a much broader sense of who a saint is than those who have been formally canonized. ... Most of us have our own unofficial list of saints: people whose unusual courage and grace we have witnessed; people whose stories have been reverently handed down.
The Catholic writers in her collection -- journalists, novelists, scholars and poets -- share the stories of those companions whose experiences have struck a chord with them. Sometimes that's straightforward, like Bo Caldwell's essay about Henry Bartel that challenged me to be willing to give up my occupation and my home like the Mennonite who started missions across China. Sometimes those essays instead "spot the rhyme" between the writer and the saint, like Tom Beaudoin's about Ignatius of Loyola, whose spiritual exercises, a "curated free fall into our own soul by way of meditations that are vivid, imaginative adventures," sparked my imagination.
"I do not know how to come to a saint or any other revered figure apart from the process of discovering why I am drawn toward or away from him," Beaudoin writes.
There are 26 essays here, and 26 saints (53 if you count the writers and editor). That's 26 new companions whose lives may draw you in, their experiences, rhyme with yours. And in reading their stories, you, too, may be inspired to live a better one, to make a splash in that river of companions seeking God.
Full disclosure: I received this book free from TLC Book Tours.
For the original review of this book on my blog, visit http://www.emmillerwrites.com/2013/03....
It's a random fact, given I am not -- and never have been -- Catholic. But it's a fact that's hard to miss, given the "saint wall" that's overtaken my living room and the sort-of saint-themed wedding my husband and I threw nearly two years ago.
I love the saints for many of the reasons Catholic writers share in "Not Less Than Everything," an essay collection on "heroes of conscience" that just came out last month. Already, I can tell you this will be among my favorite new books this year, and there are so many | to | look | forward | to (please note, author friends, I happily will accept review copies!).
The saints are not only those present, but also those who have gone before, according to editor Catherine Wolff. They are "friends of God and prophets," and "'their adventure of faith opens a way for us' that together we form 'an ongoing river of companions seeking God,'" Wolff quotes theologian Elizabeth Johnson.
And, for the editor's purpose, they are "other spiritual leaders" Catholics can look to when disillusioned by those in authority in the Church. Many of the saints in this volume -- both canonized and unofficial, even heretical, saints like Hildegard von Bingen and Martin Luther -- similarly were disillusioned by and even challenged those authorities.
Wolff writes:
Many Catholics think of saints as companions and hold a much broader sense of who a saint is than those who have been formally canonized. ... Most of us have our own unofficial list of saints: people whose unusual courage and grace we have witnessed; people whose stories have been reverently handed down.
The Catholic writers in her collection -- journalists, novelists, scholars and poets -- share the stories of those companions whose experiences have struck a chord with them. Sometimes that's straightforward, like Bo Caldwell's essay about Henry Bartel that challenged me to be willing to give up my occupation and my home like the Mennonite who started missions across China. Sometimes those essays instead "spot the rhyme" between the writer and the saint, like Tom Beaudoin's about Ignatius of Loyola, whose spiritual exercises, a "curated free fall into our own soul by way of meditations that are vivid, imaginative adventures," sparked my imagination.
"I do not know how to come to a saint or any other revered figure apart from the process of discovering why I am drawn toward or away from him," Beaudoin writes.
There are 26 essays here, and 26 saints (53 if you count the writers and editor). That's 26 new companions whose lives may draw you in, their experiences, rhyme with yours. And in reading their stories, you, too, may be inspired to live a better one, to make a splash in that river of companions seeking God.
Full disclosure: I received this book free from TLC Book Tours.
For the original review of this book on my blog, visit http://www.emmillerwrites.com/2013/03....
March 26, 2013
I've had a pretty extensive religious education, I think, compared to most people. I grew up in church, my parents were missionaries, I did Sunday School, GA's, Bible Drill, youth group, VBS, and then went on to Christian high school and got my undergraduate degree from a Christian college. So I'm well-versed in the heroes of the faith with one major caveat - they're all Protestant heroes of the faith. I think in my very Protestant education I missed out on learning a lot of the valuable lessons that can be taken from the lives of Catholic heroes. So I was thrilled when I got the opportunity to review this book, edited by Catherine Wolff, featuring prominent Catholic writers (including one of my very favorite living authors Ann Patchett) describing their heroes of faith.
Writing
In terms of writing, we are talking the cream of the crop. Ann Patchett, Tobias Wolff, Alice McDermott, Mary Gordon, etc. Every essay is impeccably written. The essay subjects ranged from, as the title states, Joan of Arc to Oscar Romero. If you're wanting historical information, it's there. If you're looking for spiritual insight or inspiration, it's also there.
Entertainment Value
In terms of entertainment value, I tended to prefer the essays that were more personal and related to spiritual growth than those that were academic in tone, but what the really means is that there is something in here for everyone. There are deeply philosophical, historical, and academic essays, and there are personal anecdotes and musings. The variety kept it interesting and I learned something significant from every essay. I read it over the course of several evenings, a few essays at a time, but it could all be read at once as well.
Overall
I highly recommend reading this. I think if you're interested in matters of faith, whether Protestant or Catholic, or of any religion, there is something to gain from reading this. It's also an example of beautiful essays from current authors on what they believe and their personal opinions on faith, which I think will appeal to any reader who is interested in the lives of authors.
Thank you to TLC for providing me with a copy to review! Click here for the complete tour list.
March 12, 2013
The “heroes of conscience” that are the subjects of the essays in Not Less Than Everything are drawn from centuries of Catholic history, including the most recent one. The “professionally religious”--priests, nuns, monks--are well-represented, as you might expect, but there are secular “heroes of conscience” portrayed here as well, demonstrating that morality and theology don’t necessarily operate in tandem.
More at The 3 R's Blog: http://www.3rsblog.com/2013/02/tlc-bo...
More at The 3 R's Blog: http://www.3rsblog.com/2013/02/tlc-bo...
March 30, 2013
This set of essays has some really moving accounts of how heroes of conscience touched the lives of the authors.
I had looked forward to reading this book. But there were a number of essays that just left me cold.
I was especially surprised at one major error in the essay on Monseñor Romero. He was not killed elevating the host. He was killed immediately after the last word of his homily. He may have been behind the altar where he would begin preparing the gifts of bread and wine. But it was not during hte consecration. I would have expected better editing.
I had looked forward to reading this book. But there were a number of essays that just left me cold.
I was especially surprised at one major error in the essay on Monseñor Romero. He was not killed elevating the host. He was killed immediately after the last word of his homily. He may have been behind the altar where he would begin preparing the gifts of bread and wine. But it was not during hte consecration. I would have expected better editing.
August 13, 2016
Brilliant essays in this collection from Alice McDermott, Colm Toibin, Jim Shepard, and Tobias Wolff, beautifully organized by their intelligent and sincere editor. I hope other lapsed Catholics find this book and connect with it because we need to talk about our heroes, and what made them so, and to remember that the Church's long history has multitudes.
September 15, 2013
Informative and inspirational.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews