Customer Reviews

Crossing the Threshold of Hope (Random House Large Print)

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First, I'm not Catholic, but I found this book to be beautifully written and articulate. In putting together a book I was working on for Putnam, I wanted to get the pope's understanding of end-time prophecies. This was the right book, but I got much more than that. One of the poignant parts of the book was the pope's explanation for all the divisions in the Church. First, he acknowledges that many of these divisions came about because of the sins of Christians against one another. (Though he doesn't say on which side, but presumeably on all sides.) The pope is surprisingly affirmative of the different denominations that have split off from Catholicism. He asks, "Could it not be that these divisions have also been a path continually leading the Church to discover the untold wealth contained in Christ's Gospel. . . ? Perhaps all this wealth would not have come to light otherwise. . . . It is necessary for humanity to achieve unity through plurality. . . ."

I recommend the book to any non-Catholic who wants to get a more accurate perspective of what the Roman Catholic Church believes at its heart.

Crossing the Threshold is a very interesting treatise from the Holy See written in the form of an interview, where the Pope explains his views of various Christian beliefs - including his belief in God, his views of non-Christian and non-Catholic faiths, and Mariology. His views appear to negate the claims put forth by anti-Catholics and tend to look to the new millennium with hope instead of fear.

An important message in this book is reiterated strongly by JPII's pontificate: Be not afraid. Great advice from probably the greatest Pope we've had in a long time.

His Holiness John Paul II has written a book that can (and should) be read more than once. His book is, at the same time, an apologia of the Faith, a primer on morals, a critique of 20th century nihilsim in all of its forms, a pitch for ecumenism, as well as an intro to Christian philosophy and summary of Catholic theology (it may not be a coincidence that the book's format, that of responses to an interviewer's questions, resembles that of St. Thomas' Summa Theologica). The book is also, in fact primarily, an exhortation to encouragement, hope, and faith. His Holiness' erudition is astounding, his sense of humour delightful and his insights thought-provoking and moving. He says all of the things that we would expect the Supreme Pontiff of the Roman Catholic Church to say, and alot of things that we wouldn't expect. The book produced its intended effect. When I put it down, I felt encouraged and hopeful. I also felt fortunate to have been a contemporary of such a great man. This book is a major work of spirituality by one of the most important figures of the century.

Jake Hollenberg M.D. had just finished examining me in his office (two days before he died `in harness' at age 86) and he asked me about whether the kidney stones he'd diagnosed years ago had shown any signs of return. "No, thank God!" I replied. Jake, a devout Jew -- who was personal physician and also close friend to three Catholic Archbishops of Winnipeg -- said, with a twinkle in his eye, "And what God are you thanking?"

I thought of Jake today when I read again about the late Pope's best friend from childhood, a Jew named "Jerzy" who stands out in this book like a beacon to understanding between the three great religions who share the same Patriarchs, Moses and the Prophets.

"A few years ago," John Paul II writes (on page 97) "Jerzy came to me to say that the place where the synagogue (in their home town of Wadowice) had been destroyed by the Germans, no longer exists." The pope says Jerzy informed him that "the place where the synagogue had stood `should be honored with a special commemorative plaque.' And . . . at that moment we both felt a deep emotion. We recalled faces of people we knew and cared for, and those Saturdays of our childhood and adolescence when the Jewish community gathered for prayer." The pope sent his friend back to their hometown with a letter supporting Jerzy's wish "as a sign of my solidarity and spiritual union" with Jerzy and his people.

"That trip wasn't easy for Jerzy as he brought that letter to my fellow citizens in Wadowice. All the members of his family who had remained in that small town had died at Auschwitz. His visit for the unveiling of the plaque in commemoration of the local synagogue was his first in 50 years. . . . to this day, Auschwitz does not cease to admonish, reminding us that anti-Semitism is a great sin against humanity, (and) that all racial hatred inevitably leads to the trampling of human dignity."

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In today's Winnipeg Free Press newspaper a Canadian Muslim, Aftab Sabir of Calgary quotes from this book. After citing (in the book, page 93) seemingly irreconcilable differences with Islam, John Paul II is quoted as saying,

"Nevertheless, the religiosity of Muslims deserves respect. It is impossible not to admire, for example, their fidelity to prayer. The image of believers in Allah who, almost without caring about time or place, fall to their knees and immerse themselves in prayer remains a model for all those who invoke the true God, in particular for those Christians who, having deserted their magnficent Cathedrals, pray only a little or not at all.

On the opposite page from this op-ed piece, in today's lead editorial the Winnipeg newspaper reflects on "The Power of Deep Conviction" - that John Paul's "values" were more powerful that those of secular culture - money and power.

"Popular artists" mused the paper, "also talk about intangible values but you never saw such a crowd turn out for John Lennon at his death or for Frank Sinatra at his. It's not enough to talk about great subjects - you have to KNOW something and have something urgently important to say . . . Books and movies make a big commercial success in the first week (but) John Paul aimed higher. Marketing orthodoxy would say John Paul should be a media dud, which shows how far (it) underestimates this civilization and its people."

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In the paragraphs (on page 92) immediately before the one cited by the Muslim spokesman in today's newspaper, John Paul reflects on the religion that, (at least in one region of the world) is said to be the "fastest growing." His thoughts pinpoint the problem forever irreconcilable between Christianity and Islam --- or which can ONLY be resolved by the God for whom "all things are possible."


"Whoever knows the Old and New Testaments, and then reads the Koran, clearly sees the process by which (the Koran) completely reduces Divine Revelation. It is impossible not to note the movement away from what God said about Himself, first in the Old Testament through the Prophets, and then finally in the New Testament through His Son. In Islam all the richness of God's self-revelation, which constitutes the heritage of the Old and New Testaments, has definitely been set aside."

"Some of the most beautiful names in the human language are given to the God of the Koran, but he is ultimately a God outside of the world, a God who is only Majesty, never Emmanuel, God-with-us. Islam is not a religion of redemption. There is no room for the Cross and the Resurrection. Jesus is mentioned, but only as a prophet who prepares for the last prophet, Muhammad. There is also mention of Mary, His Virgin Mother, but the tragedy of redemption is completely absent. For this reason not only the theology but also the anthropology of Islam is very distant from Christianity."

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"Which God?" I wish I could remember my exact words of reply to Dr. Jacob's question while I was getting dressed in his examination room. I know I didn't allude to our little joke, in my printed eulogy distributed to hundreds of mourners at Jake's funeral a few days later when the Catholic Bishop himself delivered the eulogy at Winnipeg's Shaarey Zedek Synagogue. But I do recall Jake laughing out loud when I replied in effect that he'd asked the most profound question of all!

(I paid 23.99 for this book in hardcover when it came out in September 1995. The price may have come down but the values between these covers are timeless, and priceless. I can't recommend this book highly enough.)

Mark Blackburn
Winnipeg Manitoba Canada

As a non-Catholic Christian, I was happy to find that I agree with most of this book. (Apart from the "Mother of God" chapter.) I was impressed by the intelligence, simplicity, and balance with which Pope John-Paul presented his ideas. It seemed to me that the pope must be aware of the ideas of great Christian thinkers like Lewis, Chesterton, and Pascal, and shares the same ability to express deep truths in terms that are easy to understand.

Some Buddhists, like Thich Nhat Hanh, have complained about the Pope's view of other religions. Thich actually rebuked the Pope for misunderstanding Christianity by calling Jesus "the only mediator between God and man!" Non-Christians should realize that, in this case, the Pope is only quoting Scripture. And as he also noted, Christianity "rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions." My own research is into what the Pope calls "semina Verbi," seeds of truth, in pre-Christian cultures, (especially Asian) and I thought his approach was fair. Of course he talks about many issues in this book: the fall of communism, abortion, the status of women, salvation, the existence of God. . . and does not go into any in great detail. It is an excellent book to read for an overall understanding of Catholic Christianity and the thinking of one very thoughtful Catholic in particular.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

Pope John Paul II will be remembered in history for many things: as a world traveler, as the champion of the West over and against the Communist regimes of Europe, and as a theologian of skill and insight. Some of this insight is captured in this book, 'Crossing the Threshold of Hope', in which an Italian journalist, Vittorio Messori, quizzes the Pope on his theological, ecclesiological and biblical beliefs. Messori asks thoughtful, probing questions, and the Pope does not shrink from addressing hard questions.

One of the first questions in the book might well be summed up in a sense as 'who do you think you are?' Messori asks this with all its possible meanings; the Pope addresses the answers - does the Pope represent anything more than the remnant of powerful historical mythology, or is there something more? The Pope recasts the question, as he does occasionally in this text, seeking greater clarification. Rather than answering the question 'who do you think you are?', he changes it to 'why be afraid of who you are?' This is question that applies not simply to the Pope, but to all of us, as we stand before God as part of God's creation.

The portion of the text that deals with Mariology is particularly interesting, given Pope John Paul II's particular devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Here one gets some of the deepest of emotions from the Pope, as he talks about his spiritual life in both mystical and practical terms.

This is not a systematic theology; it is more a series of reflective responses to questions posed by someone outside formal theological tradition (although it is obvious that Messori's questions have theological depth). This spans the life of the Pope, from his early days in Poland to recent times in the Vatican; he refers to theologians and figures Catholic, Protestant and Orthodox, as well as people beyond the Christian traditions. He speaks with hopefulness toward a day when there will be greater Christian unity, and cooperation and mutual community with other religious traditions such as Judaism.

This is a good text in which to see the heart of the Pope.

The recent death of Pope John Paul II will more than likely introduce many new readers to this modern classic. It is a collection of writings published in 1994, the same year that THE CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH was promulgated. While the book has a great deal of content, and can be dogmatic at times (the word dogmatic is not mean to be a criticism-it is one of the functions of a Pope to clarify and at times define dogma), it is an intriguing book. While speaking about issues such as life, faith, the existence of God, the importance of prayer, salvation, and hope, he weaves Church teaching and personal anecdotes. We get a sense of the Pope's faith in the book, but we know that his faith was something he struggled with as well as something that got him through difficult times. We see he has favorite passages of scripture, a variety of theologians who inspire him, the ways in which Jesus' words "Be Not Afraid" became the theme of just about everything he did as Pope, and most of all we see a deep love of God, a dedication to following his son Jesus, a string devotion to Mary, and a generosity in his accepting his call.

There are many ways in which we can understand and appreciate Pope John Paul II. We can have a theological and philosophical understanding of him by studying the Catechism and his many encyclicals. We can understand him in terms of human rights by examining his many trips around the world and his reasons behind many of the trips. We can understand his place in history by recalling his role in the end of Communism and we can understand his hope for peace and reconciliation by looking at the example he set by forgiving the man who tried to assassinate him. Yet looking at any one of these areas gives a person a limited understanding of this great leader and person of faith. CROSSING THE THRESHOLD OF HOPE helps us understand the whole of Pope John Paul II and helps us appreciate the gift he was to so many-Catholic and non-Catholic alike.

"Crossing The Threshold Of Hope" originated out of a planned televised interview of Pope John Paul II by an Italian journalist. When the Pope's schedule forced the cancellation of the interview the project seemed to have lapsed. A few months later the journalist was surprised when His Holiness provided written answers to the questions which had been posed, hence, this book.

In this book we read Pope John Paul II's views on a variety of the issues which capture the imagination of the modern public. Among the topics covered are The Papacy, Prayer, and How the Pope Prays. He expounds on Jesus, His role as the Son of God, the existence of God and its proof and why God seems to be hiding. We listen at the feet of the Master as he explains the meaning of salvation, comments on the multitude of religions, evangelization and the future of the Church. The Pope's enthusiasm for the young and his passion for human rights leap from the pages.

The reader of this book gets the kernel of John Paul II's teaching condensed into a book which is readable and understandable to a broad range of the public. The message of this spokesman for Christ comes through clearly and forcefully. I cannot recommend this book too highly. Be Not afraid! Pick up and Read!

This is the best little book on theology one could ever hope to read- Catholic or Protestant. Vittorio Messori (think of him as the Larry King of Italian television) poses the questions and the Pope responds in his own script! It was supposed to be a television interview. The theme is pure and simple and so right-BE NOT AFRAID. From Christmas mystery to Good Friday tragedy to Easter joy, be not afraid- God is there- with us. The first chapter is almost humorous. Vittorio says to the Pope, 'Some people are nervous about you calling yourself the 'Vicar of Christ''. Says the Pope,in so many words, 'Don't worry about it-be not afraid- look at the big picture- trust God- He will see you through'. The whole thing is done with humility and compassion.

"Crossing The Threshold Of Hope" originated out of a planned televised interview of Pope John Paul II by an Italian journalist. When the Pope's schedule forced the cancellation of the interview the project seemed to have lapsed. A few months later the journalist was surprised when His Holiness provided written answers to the questions which had been posed, hence, this book.

In this book we read Pope John Paul II's views on a variety of the issues which capture the imagination of the modern public. Among the topics covered are The Papacy, Prayer, and How the Pope Prays. He expounds on Jesus, His role as the Son of God, the existence of God and its proof and why God seems to be hiding. We listen at the feet of the Master as he explains the meaning of salvation, comments on the multitude of religions, evangelization and the future of the Church. The Pope's enthusiasm for the young and his passion for human rights leap from the pages.

The reader of this book gets the kernel of John Paul II's teaching condensed into a book which is readable and understandable to a broad range of the public. The message of this spokesman for Christ comes through clearly and forcefully. I cannot recommend this book too highly. Be not afraid! Pick up and Read!