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Category: Books
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 Title: Mary For Evangelicals  | views:76 |  Book Review John L Ng Feb 10
Mary For Evangelicals
By Tim Perry, InterVarsity Press. 2006
Evangelical reactions to Mariology fall into two main camps – an ignorant silence or an incensed rejection. There are those who know little and say even less about the place of this peasant mother of Jesus in our faith and practice. Then there are those, based on what they see and know, are violently against any acknowledgement of her. Yet this simple woman played a significant role in shaping a truer spirituality in the church. There is not one single church father or mother whose spiritual formation was not touched by Mary. It certainly surprises me that church luminaries like Augustine, Anselm, Thomas Aquinas, and Martin Luther were devotees of Mary.
It would seem the church today is diminished that much more without a clearer (in place of “clearer” more balanced?) and reasoned understanding of Mary in its spiritual theology. Tim Perry’s thoughtful and balanced (in light of above change, in place of balanced, “thought provoking”)work is helpful toward that end. He is a professor of theology at Providence College, Manitoba, Canada. The monograph is divided evenly into three sections:
Part 1 looks at Mary through Holy Scripture, in the letters of Paul and the gospels, mainly in Matthew and Luke, to know her and her role in redemptive history; Part 2 traces Mary in church history. At different epochs, various names were bestowed upon her: New Eve, Mother of God, Queen Mother, Mother of the Church. They encapsulate the church’s thoughts of her from the Patristic period to modern times; Part 3 works toward an evangelical Mariology, seeking a useful dialogue toward a doctrine of Mary’s person in our spiritual imagination and a doctrine of Mary’s work in our telling of the Christ event.
Since the divine election of Mary as the human agency through whom the Son of God came into the world, this simple handmaiden of faith and obedience has provoked pietistic devotion and fervent veneration among believers in many traditions. To be sure, some responses are vacuous but much is genuine and serious. In a real sense, the church teaching has struggled in history to match this profound devotion with a formulated theology.
However, not all Mariology is reasoned or biblical. Needless to say, the following examples are without biblical credence: the notion of Mary’s perpetual virginity of the patristic era, her immaculate conception of the fifth century and her bodily assumption (taken up to Heaven without physical death) of the 20th century. As in all theological intercourse, when a doctrine is pushed to its extreme the result is, at best wrong, and is at worst, heretical. Likewise, the Protestant reformation’s silent rejection of all Mariology is just as wrong and extreme.
Perry calls us back to a more balanced response to this iconic image of faith, devotion and obedience. “Mary’s life is a faith-filled life in a very real world. Hers is a world as full of threats and challenges and joys and sorrows and moments of doubt and fear as ours. Her persistence in that world, her reliance on grace . . . marks that life as an example . . . for all who would claim the title ‘disciple’.” (p. 295) I have to confess that it was out of ignorance that Mary has been ignored in my faith formation. Just as the iconic images of David and Paul have been inspirational and instructive, the inspiring image of Mary can also illuminate brightly my walk with God in faith and practice.
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| Review submitted: 2010/2/17
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| Category: Movies
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| Title: Mr. Brooks | views:253 | Review by John L Ng Jul 06
While leaving the theater after enjoying a thriller of a movie, Mr. Brooks, directed by Bruce A. Evans, I felt guilty. For two reasons. I was strangely attracted to Kevin Costner’s serial killer. I actually liked him and was silently rooting for him. Mr. Earl Brooks, a successful business man and the Portland Chamber of Commerce’s man of the year, is a good man. He is a devoted husband and a gentle father. When he speaks his voice is slow and soft with thoughtfulness. He is endearingly kind and patient with almost everyone. As I said, in the light of day, Mr. Brooks is a good man.
But when darkness falls on his day, he is transformed into a maniac monster who kills people in their acts of love, arranges their bodies in loving poses and meticulously vacuums the crime scene. His murderous impulses are fed by his alter ago, Marshall, played shamelessly by William Hurt. Visible only to the audience, he leans and whispers devilish thoughts of homicidal fun to Mr. Brooks’ ear.
I also felt guilty because I grinned with amusement throughout the movie. But there is nothing funny about human depravity. All the characters are dark with murderous tendencies. An amoral photographer, played by the comedian Dane Cook, catches on film Mr. Brooks in the act of murder. Instead of reporting him to the police he wants in on Mr. Brooks’ next spree. Detective Tracy Atwood, played by Demi Moore, while investigating several homicides, entertains murderous thoughts toward her cheating husband.
And then there is Mr. Brooks’ daughter, Jane. She suddenly drops out of college after a classmate has been mysteriously murdered. Instinctively, her father suspects that Jane is responsible and blurs out to Marshall, “She has what I have.” That bit of pathological insight captures what we are all afraid to admit – the dark side of our nature is passed down from generation to generation.
The omnipresence of evil is real and personified in every character. Every one is flawed with dark tendencies and every one has something sinful to hide. It was not a fun movie, but I enjoyed it. The bantering between Mr. Brooks and his alter ego makes evil fun, their whining, bullying and empathizing. That is why it was so disturbing afterwards. The movie reminded me how much I enjoy the thoughts of sin. There is an inner Marshall in all of us, conning us to believe that there is no greater pleasure than doing bad and getting away with it.
I got home and repented of my enjoyment of a dark movie. But my repentance was short lived. To complete my joy, I had to tell others how enjoyable was Mr. Brooks and urged them to go see it. But I warned that they would feel guilty for enjoying sin. |
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| Review submitted: 2009/2/27
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