This excellent collection of essays probes the responses of one Native American tribe to the forces of Christianity. In this posthumously published anthology of essays, McLoughlin (History and Religion/Brown; After the Trail of Tears, 1993, etc.) returns once again to the Cherokees about whom he often wrote. These pieces are so interrelated and have such a directed flow that they actually form a comprehensive study of the struggles of the Cherokees (often among themselves) over the issues of conversion to Christianity and acculturation and assimilation into the dominant Euro-American culture. The first section of the work reflects on the history of missionaries among the Cherokees and their efforts to break down traditional religion. These efforts, most successful among mixed bloods, only succeeded, according to the author, as the traditional cultures and societies that supported the indigenous religion were also broken down, thus making individualistic Christianity (as opposed to the Indians' more communal attitudes) a viable response. Part Two deals with accommodations reached by the Cherokee as they balanced old ways with the new faith. Of particular interest is ``Christianity and Racism,'' an essay on the early debate over the origin of Indian peoples: Were they one of the lost tribes of Israel or the result of a separate genesis in the Americas? Also noteworthy is McLoughlin's review of how the oral tradition became fractured with old stories incorporating elements of the Jewish-Christian tradition. Apocalyptic Ghost Dance movements among the Cherokee are examined, as are political struggles within the tribe. Though the volume could have benefited from further editing (and some ethnocentric bias is evident in the use of generic, non- tribal specific terms like 'Great Spirit' and 'conjurer'), the book is nonetheless a major contribution to the study of Native American history and religious studies.
Pub Date: Jan. 3, 1995
ISBN: 0-8203-1639-3
Page Count: 364
Publisher: Univ. of Georgia
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 1994
BOOK REVIEW
A balanced, broad summary of Catholicism's response to sexuality that will be a valuable reference tool for the layperson, although the scholar will find little that is original here. Fox, editor of the National Catholic Reporter, writes with an easy, accessible, journalistic style. The greatest strength of the book is the way he delineates the interconnectedness of the many sexual issues he tackles, e.g. gender roles, abortion, homosexuality, and contraception. His basic thesis is that Catholicism's ``natural law'' view, which Aquinas developed and which has now become the standard litmus test for Catholic morality, is the crux that defines widely variant sexual practices as sinful (natural law forbids all sexual relations not aimed toward procreation). Fox also provides intriguing behind-the-scenes explorations of contemporary Catholic politicking, such as the inner workings of Vatican II, describing how the Church was lovingly but firmly introduced to the modern era. He tells this story engagingly and expresses clear progressive opinions while retaining a nonjudgmental tone. The book is weakest, on the other hand, when Fox attempts to summarize 2,000 years of complex historical and religious changes in perfunctory digest form. Readers conversant in Catholic history may feel that Fox has sacrificed depth in favor of breadth. His insightful discussion of postVatican II Catholicism, however, more than makes up for his sweeping generalizations about the more distant past. His focus on dissenters within the Church is an especially perceptive chronicle of a growing cadre of critical Catholic thinkers who have formed unofficial but vocal groups such as Catholics for a Free Choice. Although he fails to provide definitive historical analysis of the many sex-related issues he addresses, Fox offers sensitive insights into contemporary Roman Catholic morality.
Pub Date: Nov. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-8076-1396-7
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Braziller
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1995
Diminutive sex therapist ``Dr. Ruth'' presents a sex guide for Orthodox and traditional Conservative Jews. ``People pick up the Bible for many different reasons but rarely, if ever, as a sex manual. That is their mistake,'' writes Westheimer. Here, with Jewish Week associate editor Mark, she sets out to correct this error. Westheimer begins by explaining Judaism's attitude toward sex, one which she considers particularly healthy. Judaism doesn't exalt celibacy; in fact, it frowns upon it. Women's satisfaction in marriage is not only discussed among the Talmudic sages, it is absolutely required of the husband. Lust and sexual impropriety are acknowledged and treated within Jewish law. In addition to the commandment against coveting thy neighbor's wife, Westheimer finds many explicit and implicit references to sex in the Hebrew Bible and rabbinical literature, focusing in particular on Genesis, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Talmudic and Kabbalistic sources. This last especially provides much fodder for the author. Westheimer also covers the commandments, the ritual bath, or mikvah, weddings, and the Sabbath, a day on which it is a special mitzvah (commandment) to have sex. Here the author offers a lovely metaphor for the relationship between husband and wife on the Sabbath: At the beginning of the day, the woman lights and blesses two candles, which according to Westheimer may represent the man and woman. At the end of the Sabbath, another blessing is made by candlelight, only this time the two wicks are joined together, often intertwined, representing the married couple, who have been brought closer through their sexual union. But this small gem is a rarity in a basically didactic and monotonous little book.
Pub Date: Nov. 6, 1995
ISBN: 0-8147-9268-5
Page Count: 188
Publisher: New York Univ.
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1995
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