Reviewed Book: Cort, John C. Christian Socialism: An Informal History. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 1988

Cole-Arnal, Oscar

English

Wilfrid Laurier University

ConsensusVolume 16Issue 2 Lutheran Pietism Article 1411-1-1990Christian Socialism: An Informal HistoryOscar Cole-ArnalFollow this and additional works at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensusThis Book Reviews is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Consensus by anauthorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact scholarscommons@wlu.ca.Recommended CitationCole-Arnal, Oscar (1990) "Christian Socialism: An Informal History," Consensus: Vol. 16 : Iss. 2 , Article 14.Available at: http://scholars.wlu.ca/consensus/vol16/iss2/14Book Reviews 139rage against nature—and be miserable—or accept it, and grow spiritually.Indeed, argues Julian, God’s pronouncement on the first couple—“you areearth, and to earth you shall return”—shows divine mercy, for death putsa limit to suffering. Pagels’ answer to the question why the majority ofChristians chose Augustine’s interpretation of the fall goes beyond theoriesof social control (humans are evil and need to be governed) to the humandesire to understand and explain suffering and death as not simply randomor quid-pro- quo punishment for wrong doing but as impersonal pattern:the fault lies in the primal parents.At the annual meetings of the Canadian learned societies in religion atUniversite Laval in May 1989 a two-hour session was devoted to Pagels’book, with Pagels present to respond to the respondents to her book.Among the corrections and amplifications they suggested, one might in-terest readers of this journal who stand in the Augustinian tradition (e.g.,Lutherans): in the chaos of the late Roman Empire, Christians in theirhelplessness might well have found the doctrine of divine grace more com-pelling than the guilt that Pagels suggests.A fascinating book. In the words Augustine says led to his conversion,“Tolle, lege” (“Take, read!”). Then one can look forward to reading JeremyCohen’s forthcoming work on Genesis 1:28, “Re Fertile and Increase, Fillthe Earth and Master It”: The Ancient and Medieval Career of a BiblicalText (Cornell University Press, December 1989).Harold RemusWilfrid Laurier UniversityChristian Socialism: An Informal HistoryJohn C. CortMaryknoll, N.Y.: Orbis, 1988xiii-f- 401 pp.No one would contest seriously that John Cort has the credentials to un-dertake “the battle” for Christian socialism against the ideas and practicesthat emerged from Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations. He is a militantof many years, serving as a garment-worker organizer, as a member of theCatholic Worker movement and as a socialist journalist. Further, there haslong been a need for an easy-to-read book about Christian socialism thatprovides an overview rather than specialization.On the positive side, the book guides the reader with care and clarity,and there is a dignified sense of dialogue throughout. Unlike so many otherauthors Cort does not attempt to manipulate his audience. He is verydirect about his own biases. “So this is an opinionated history,” he tellsus, “but all writing of history is by definition opinionated.” Also, Cort140 Consensussets his definitions at the outset, thus allowing the reader to make someimmediate assessments to guide his or her own critique. Cort’s attempts tolink biblical, early church, medieval. Reformation and modern history to hisgeneral theme is laudable, as are his sections which single out women andblacks in order to highlight their contributions to Christian socialism. Hiscommitment to ecumenism by a demonstrable attention to both Catholicand Protestant socialists is commendable indeed. His extensive quotes areuseful cLS well, providing welcome opportunity for the protagonists to speakfor themselves.However, in spite of these very positive characteristics, Christian So-cialism has some serious flaws which reflect not only the author’s legitimatebias but also his claim to deal with a holistic perspective. His handling ofthe biblical material, especially with respect to Jesus' message of the King-dom, is far too sketchy, and his linking of patristic and medieval thought tothe socialist battle against Adam Smith is a bit contrived. Definitionally,though he struggles mightily to be fair and though he achieves some successin these matters, his own Fabian blinders limit his analysis seriously. Evento consider Jacques Maritain for inclusion in his book calls into questionhis own definitions of socialism; the centrist Maritain wcls always an avowedantisocialist and conservative in spite of his guarded acceptance of plural-istic democracy. Also one cannot help but be chagrined by the exclusion ofserious attention to much of the Third World which has been so instrumen-tal in its contributions to Christian socialism. “Whole continents—notablyAfrica and Asia—whose importance cannot be overestimated, will be al-most invisible,” he tells us. If they are that important (and they are), thenone might ask why he did not give them their due. Finally, in spite ofhis dedication to “democratic” socialism, he gives overwhelming space totheoreticians, intellectuals and popes. To be sure, activists and groups ofmilitants receive some attention, but they are not given the attention theydeserve. Too much space is provided for papal social thought that couldhave been utilized to describe such mass movements as the Latin Amer-ican base Christian communities, the Jeunesse Ouvriere Chretienne, theCanadian labour churches, Marc Sangnier’s Sillon and the worker-priests,to name but a few.John Cort’s Christian Socialism is a valuable book, an instrument ofdialogue for one branch of the tradition he espouses. However, it is onlythat and should be heralded simply as a western social democratic form ofChristian socialism with all its glory and limitations. It is not a Christiansocialist magnum opus, nor should it be treated as such. As “an opinionatedhistory” it needs to be balanced with other opinions from the same commontradition.Oscar L. Cole ArnalWaterloo Lutheran Seminary

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