Re: [Marxism] Brisbane: Catholic hierarchy move against progressive priest

[Gary MacLennan <gary.maclennan1@xxxxxxxxx>]

The leaflet I wrote on this is probably too long for this list. I have also
been reading Karen Armstrong's The Battle for God - her book on
fundamentalism in Judaism, Christianity and Islam.  Her book is hopelessly
idealist when it comes to analysing radical movements.  Nevertheless she
does make interesting if over use use of the mythos - logos distinction,
Mythos as the name suggests has to do with the emotive and poetic religious
interpretation of reality. Logos is the practical rational engagement with
reality.  According to Armstrong's schema the pre-modern world contained a
balance of mythos and logos which has been lost in modern times.

My initial reading of the St Mary's community drew upon Gramsci and
characterised them as the Church of the Intellectuals in that they were
evolving a new theology. But I think I down played the liturgical element.
I was struck by the images on tv of the women in the congregation bouncing
up and down and singing and of the priest holding up the Host in the most
melodramatic element.  These were images very foreign to my experience of
Catholicism. Clearly mythos was at work.

>From a practical and logical point of view ie from the point of view of
logos, It does not make sense to close down the one full Church in
Brisbane.  But as I said in my leaflet it is the success of the radical
clergy in St Mary's that is the problem for the hierarchy. It is the fact
that the church is full that worries them.

so what we have here is a win-win situation.  If the hierarchy succeed in
closing down the church it will be a near fatal blow for Catholicism in
Brisbane.  The hierarchy will victory themselves to death. (Mann kann sich
totsiegen as Deutshcer once remarked to Ben Gurion.) If the congregation at
St Mary's prevails, then that will be a serious blow to the patriarchal
elements that control the Catholic Church.

So as Marx once said "all in all the times are delightful".

regards

Gary
________________________________________________
YOU MUST clip all extraneous text when replying to a message.
Send list submissions to: Marxism@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Set your options at: 
http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40archives.econ.utah.edu