Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #74397 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-16
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780465013678
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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From Publishers Weekly
Neuhaus, who died in early 2009, moved along the theological continuum during his life from liberal Protestant to conservative Catholic. Along the way, the Catholic priest who was editor-in-chief of the journal First Things never shied from controversy and continually offered provocative theological insights on the nature of American religion and politics. In some ways, his last book picks up where his early book, The Naked Public Square: Religion and Democracy in America, left off. In this sometimes repetitious but always challenging look at American Christianity, Neuhaus argues that Christians live in exile in a foreign land, for they always live with the hope of returning to the Kingdom of God. Neuhaus maps out the territory in which Christians find themselves, shaped by the liberal irony—and its shortcomings—of the late philosopher Richard Rorty as well as by the many shallow spiritualities of the self proffered by New Age religions. The final pages of this book poignantly afford a glimpse of Neuhaus's own embrace of hope as he made his final journey toward the New Jerusalem. (Mar.)
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Review

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Customer Reviews

I can not believe i am the first to review
this book for Amazon.

I hope i am not assuming incorrectly that most of the readers of this review are familiar to a greater or lesser to degree, with the thinking and works of Richard John Neuhaus. Most of those who like/love him will enjoy this book; most of those who don't, will not like this book. Fr. Neuhaus's oevre is massive; I can only refer you to his journal First Things, for a more comprehesive understanding of his thought.

although this book must have been in the works for months, it takes special poignancy in the light of the passing of its author on January 8, 2009. Neuhaus takes special care over the book's title, discussing what it means for a Christian to be in exile in America in 2009. He takes great care to compare this with Jews in exile in Babylon in the 6th century before Christ.

The theme of the book is for Christians to take hope, that as bad as things might seem now, for the triumph of the [Judaeo] Christian Messiah and his family the Church, things have been worse. Hope is probably the single most central theme of the book, which is different from an effervescent optimism, but is anchored on the guaranteed truth of the death and resurrection of Christ.

The book is more of an homilitic exhortation than a reasoned thesis. I think the author wasted too many pages on the thought of Richard Rorty, but they can straighten that out at their respective destinations. For Fr. Neuhaus, to despair is to believe that the exile Christians now feel is permanent; for progressives, it is to to think that the utopian thoughts/feelings we have had are permanent.

A voice from the beyond
Fr.Neuhaus died Jan. 8, 2009. This is his last book and it read like a warning voice from the great beyond.. The "Babylon" of the title is not the "whore of Babylon" of excitable discussion but the place of Jewish exile from their home in Jerusalem. Fr. Neuhaus rolls his intellect over the question of how we should live as good citizens in exile from our true and promised home with our creator. You will find no better reflections on this question.

Especially enlightening is the chapter devoted to examining the philosophy of Richard Rorty. For those, like myself, who haven't been able to unravel the obtuse philosopher this chapter will be extremely rewarding in helping you see into the moral and philosophical confusion that so dominates our age.

Chew well and digest slowly
Early in the book, Fr. Richard John Neuhaus wrote: "When I meet God, I expect to meet him as an American." When Fr. Neuhaus died in January of 2009, I expect that he did. As was evident from his writings, he was a good citizen of both the City of Man and the City of God.

AMERICAN BABYLON addresses this question of how to live as a Christian in an increasingly secularized society. Fr. Neuhause draws several parallels: the Israelites during the Babylonian captivity and the early Christians in pagan Rome--to name just a couple. Throughout the book runs the theme that we are "aliens and exiles" in this "eartly city" while on pilgrimage to our true, and heavenly, home. The author quotes the letter to Diognetus, written by a 1st century Christian to a pagan who was curious about how Christians perceived their place in the world. "Though they are residents at home in their own countries," it says, "their behavior is more that of transients; they take their full part as citizens, but they also submit to anything and everything as if they were aliens. For them, any foreign country is a homeland, and any homeland is a foreign country...The soul is captive to the body, yet it holds the body together. So Christians are held captive to the world, and yet they hold the world together."

Fr. Neuhaus also addresses the very real difficulties Christians face in today's American culture. He delves deeply into how certain modern philosophies have shaped a culture that is antipathetic to Christianity, yet holds out hope that--no matter what our current circumstances--the outcome has already been determined in our favor if we remain faithful. One example he gives is that of St. Thomas More, who--right before he placed his head on the chopping block--stated: "I am the King's good servant, but God's first." The great distinction is to live for "this world" only--or for the world to come. Living only for the here-and-now carries with it an existensial hopelessness; while living for eternity carries the promise of unending happiness.

While AMERICAN BABYLON was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read, it was not what I'd call "light" reading. In some parts, Fr. Neuhaus's writing is ponderous comparable to the epistles of St. Paul. Once sentence of 31 words had 6 commas in it just to keep the ideas straight.

Also, his forays into the forests of competing philosophies can get you lost unless you follow him closely. The section on Richard Rorty is particularly complicated and convoluted--probably because Rorty's writings on "liberal ironism" were themselves so complicated and convoluted. But overall the book was hearty fare for those with the patience to chew well and digest slowly.