David Matzko McCarthy

A very interesting book, mostly concerned with a fascinating critique of what the author sees as an excessively personalist cast to recent Catholic theology of marriage in D. vonHilldebrand JPII and so on. Matzko McCarthy presents his alternative approach. I'm not sure that his critique of "personalist" theology holds -- or that he fairly characterizes their work; but his reflections on the nature of Christian and married love are very good.

The book is problematic for we Catholics, though, since Matzko McCarthy's work also attempts to find support for same-sex marriage in a critique of sexual difference as a basis for a theology of marriage. You read that last sentence correctly, M.M. is not critiquing gender as "constructed" -- he's arguing against sexual difference as meaningful (or at least as definitive) to theological reflection on marriage. If someone tells you the sky is green he must be an academic. For a critique of HIS approach (and other similar ones) check out "Creation and Covenant" by Christopher C. Roberts.… (mere)

I did overall enjoy the book, and thought it did well in providing a path for Christians living in middle-class zones to follow Christ as the Scriptures would have them to do so. Hospitality and a return to truly modest living were the two high points of the book, and there are many quotation worthy sections throughout. I did not appreciate the author's attempt to rationalize infant baptism, nor the idea that large church buildings were anything like what Jesus had in mind in Matthew 5:13-16. Otherwise, however, it contained many good thoughts.… (mere)