Perils of Writing on Religion

This comes from reading a posting on Abuse Tracker today, Wednesday, September 17, 2008, about the spiritual perils of religion writing, a/k/a "Fresh Ideas on Religion in Whole-Grain Journalism Form." Went to the original and found this Website --

http://www.religionwriter.com/faith-life/conversion/on-the-spiritual-perils-of-religion-writing-qa-with-rod-dreher/

Good article. Leads people like me, who yack-yack on – and on -- into sitting and listening for once. Caveat for traditionalists or those already locked-in tight: a tinge of pluralism is allowed in the article.

Some here might want to know about it, without assuming they already do. I followed up on the remark in the article about "reading Romanesco," and got to Poynter Institute, where there is more. Fascinating stuff, to me, who wants to write about religion and the law, the two parts, so to speak, of my life, now in its third, the best of the three. The religion part was short – 8 years – but lifelong lasting. The law part has been more or less overlooked, until I got back home to NH where it was practiced for 40 years, a bit longer than 8, and thus, a major part of a lifelong being there, doing that.

Castigating Church by castigating its bishops should be left, I think, to castigators. I'm two formers: Jesuit and lawyer, neither one of which was focused on castigation. Chip constantly says to me, "Dad, coach up. Not down. Up." It's as easy to knock down a stumbling, tattered church as it is to obliterate a losing college football team. They are either in the BCS' Top 25 or are simply left to alumni and local street fans, alumni wannabes.

In reading the article at Religion Writer, I was impressed that Rod Dreher converted from Roman Catholicism to the Easterns. Kaiser has impressed me with autochthony, and I've written about it. As a dream. But, why bother writing about autochthony, especially without ever having experienced it religiously, when it's right next door? If, if, if I follow Dreher's moving on, I'd be with a Catholic religious group which is not Roman, my huge stumbling block. Thus, could be actually living in autochthony for religion, too, along with other aspects of my being. Everything in, above, around me is autochthonous, except RCC. I would not be standing outside autochthonism – lurking? -- with curiosity, even longing, just looking in the window. The door's open. Is conversion also an exercise of will-power, a/k/a obedience, like most other stuff we are told to do by those wielding the power of authority?

Story? Thich Nhat Hanh asked Dan Berrigan, "What is the first thing they taught you in your novitiate?"

Dan replied, "They taught us how to meditate. And you?"

Nhat Hanh said, "They taught us how to open a door."

See, one of my intellectual deviations is going down, often and rapidly, the twisting road of lunging toward logical conclusions, where I usually hit a dead-end. My way of proceeding is upset with RCC politics, has an attachment to Zen, fondness for Compaňeros, and yet is churchless wherever we go, save for ECC In Longmont, CO, which was definitely autochthonous!

And the dead-end itself shouts out that religion itself, not this ism or that, is the problem, which is why isms are so bunky and oh! so disappointingly human, preeminent in power, riddled with error, and God-less, apparently, though looks can be deceiving. Except, except, there's a path off in the corner, leading to what some call "Spirituality," just a circumlocution for "Religion," and eager souls trundle on.

They -- me, too -- do not see a second path at the dead-end. The Easterns are there. The Gospels are, also. And they have been there for millennia. Autochthonously. Nothing Roman about either Easterns or Gospels. Just have to get used to lots of incense and funny hats on those conducting services . . .

Unless, of course, Bishop Eugene Robinson moves to NH and starts an autochthonous churchly society, no-name actually, but loaded with integrity. Or somebody like Pedro Arrupe, SJ, becomes Father General of Jesus' Society. [Question: is JS after a name the same as SJ?]

Writers on religion, or God in our daily lives, could take a long view at this article and follow up on it by sitting and thinking and surfing, if they want to write, really, about religion as a way of life, rather than as an intellectual discipline where degrees like Master or Doctor are required before writing. Or at least some familiarity with surfing the internet, where searchers can begin with Wikipedia. No computer? Read Time or Newsweek or US News and World Report. Go to the local library. Try Amazon.com. Heading? "Religion."

Story? I think from Bill Johnston, SJ, Jesuit from Ireland in Japan for a lifetime, student, practitioner and writer in, of and about Zen and Christianity.

Jesuit Zen student says to Roshi: "You should be reading Paul Tillich. Great Christian theologian."

"Ah so. Why?"

"He writes about Christianity better than most. Has authority. Very Zennish, too. "

"Good. Any more about him, beside writing?"

"He teaches in a university. Well, I think he does. He got caught for seducing female students, and lost tenure, I think."

"Ah so. Do not think I read. We pay attention to what person does, not what person writes."

+++++