Customer Reviews

Loyal Dissent: Memoir of a Catholic Theologian (Moral Traditions series)

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I am a cradle Catholic who has been fascinated by the changes in moral theology post Vatican II...particularly the paradox of how Catholics think and act vs. how the Church teaching (magisterium) approaches modern dilemmas...I have followed the personal saga of Fr. Charles Curran through my college, medical training and teaching practical medical ethics...then became a friend of a friend of Fr. Curran and briefly met him twice at Catholic Theological Society of America meetings...

This book chronicles his life's journey from his upbringing, through his international notoriety...some call him a courageous Saint who will be recognized long after he is gone...others see him as a destructive evil force...

But all acknowledge that he is one of today's most well-known, controversial, published and knowledgeable Catholic theologians.

Fr. Curran spends much of this book chronicling his stance that the Papal teaching against birth control is not an "infallable teaching"...and that this distinction makes it subject for debate and open discussuion...and within one's conscience, certainly not obligatory.

While the first seven chapters of Fr. Curran's life journey is worth reading...readers unfamiliar with him or his contributions to the discipline of Moral Theology should first read Chapters 8 'My Moral Theology' and 9 'The Development of Theology in the Past 50 years'...then go back to Chapter 1 'Beginnings'...

Those who are not familiar with the academic world may find the description of Father Curran's removal from his Professorship at Catholic Univ a bit too detailed and tedious... (that's why they are ACADEMICS, right!) but an important chronicle for him to restate from his detailed memory and perspective...

Those not familiar with the Catholic Church upheavals after Vatican II may question what all the fuss was about...

And those who have not read any of Fr. Charles Cuurran's many well written works on moral and social theology will not gain the sense that they know this man...

This was an important book to be written...it gives the memoir of a singular priest-scholar who studied, reflected and began a dialogue at the heart of Christian meaning. It creates a context for his many works, and my suggestion would be to read it in parallel with one of his better known books ("The Moral Theology of Pope John Paul II" <2005>, "Catholic Social Teaching :1891--Present" <2002>, The Catholic Moral Tradition Today: A Synthesis" <1999>, "the Origins of Moral Theology in the United States:Three Different Approaches" <1997>) because it is through his theological expositions, coupled with this highly personal memoir...that his ideas come to life.

It would be a great thing if every person with such a reputation would write their memoir...so that we could know the woman or man behind the headlines...the person who held a belief beyond their own day and beyond the boundaries of conventional thinking.

This is one of the most interesting books that I have read in some time. Regardless of your personal secular or religious political position, this is a very well-written book that is sure to be a page turner!

Charles Curran lays his entire experience out for the public to read. Unlike many biographies and memoirs, Curran's work is not dry and inapproachable. Rather, his writing is laden with humor, satire and human-interest stories from his life that touch the heart of the reader.

In addition to the biographical portion of the book, outlined in the first three-quarters of the work, Curran presents a survey of his moral theology corpus as well as a commentary on the state of theology in the modern era. It is very interesting.

If you want to hear one of the most famous stories surrounding Roman Catholic Theology, the Roman Curia and the Academy in the United States from the point of view of the prime subject - Read this book!

Curran's recent book is, in my opinion, a great read, providing not only good biography -explaining his development and growth as a theologian--but also the historical perspective needed for understanding our time in the history of the church and the developments in theology that occurred before, during and after Vatican Council II. Having become an adult prior to Vatican II--I remember well Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, and the election of John XXIII, Angelo Roncalli--and being thoroughly absorbed in the theological arguments being offered by the various ideological camps within the church during the turbulent and exciting days of Vatican II and after Vatican II, I thought this book provided the needed historical perspective for understanding the conflicts that developed during the past 40 years. Curran leaves no doubt that he is a committed Christian, a stellar Catholic theologian who, in my judgment, has been treated like the prophets of old--very badly. He is clearly a balanced and mature person, as is manifested by his self-effacing narrative and the fact that there is no bitterness to be found in the telling of his story. I have read one critical review of Curran's book, and it was clearly written by someone who had already made up his/her mind about Curran and his contribution to theology, manifesting a belief that theology is nothing more than catechesis and that mature married Catholics require ongoing adult supervision by the hierarchy, especially with respect to sexual morality. Do yourself a favor and read it. I could hardly put it down once I started reading it.

Robert Stewart

Fr.Charles Curran is a loyal Catholc theologian who has challenged his Church as well as all of us to live what we believe. As he shares with the reader his journey of conflict with religious authority, he writes the story without animosity or bitterness. When he disagrees with individual Church figures, he never demeans them as persons even though they at times have treated him unjustly and punitively. His genuine Christian spirituality is evident throughout the book. While he states his belief in the responsibility of Catholc theologians to dissent from non-fallible Church teachings,Fr.Curran maintains a dignity and authenticity despite what must have been very hurtful years. Fr. Curran's memoirs made me reflect on my own attitudes and feelings that need to be renewed in the light of the Gospel message. Fr.Curran also offers us the depth of his moral theology that challenges us to understand the issues of our day. This work has created a desire to read and study more of his writings to not only live a better moral life but also to dialogue with others as we live in difficult times. As fundamentalist attitudes even within the Catholic Church grow in grandiosity and arrogance, Fr.Curran teaches a theology that invites dialogue and a pursuit of truth that I believe will lead to peace, inclusion and love for one another. As one reads his story, you become convinced that he not only is a great moral theologian, but also a dedicated priest and a genuinely good and loving person.His is a story of dignity in the face of suffering and a story of hope because we have men like Fr.Curran in our midst.

I did not expect my views to be changed when I read this book. I considered myself to be slightly troubled by but loyal to the sexual teachings of the church, and I read this book so that I could better dialogue with a friend who was having trouble with those issues and wondered if he could still be Catholic. As I read Curran's careful defense of his positions, his explanation of the role of the theologian and the Magisterium, his thorough historical backing, and the treatment he was subjected to, I felt all the vague ideas I had crystallize and I had no choice but to see that issues were way more complicated than I thought, and that Curran's "dissent" is not so radical at all, and that if we want to grow as a Church we cannot dismiss him! I was impressed with the value he places on the human person, his dedication to academic thoroughness, and his loyalty to his friends and supporters. I think this book should be required reading for moral theology courses. I graduated from a Catholic college, and I had NO IDEA about any of these thoughts. I'm sure that's how they wanted it, but read this book and you will see that to censor this man's views is ridiculous!

This book is a must for those who feel that Church politics plays a roll in what is considered good and bad. For the person who tries to lead a Christian Life in a world where communications brings alternative views on just about everything, this helps with ones' personal holiness. It is amazing how hard the Church comes down on those that disagree with it. Galileo is the most important example that comes to mind. Fr. Curran tries to use modern knowledge to question some of the teachings. That the Church preaches a united front is probably why Catholics in the United States do not follow some of the current teaching that do not really appear reasonable. It is not situation ethics it is a real attempt to be Christian and yet live in 2006. The United States, compared to Europe's practice of religion, is a country of saints but Americans do set their own course. Fr. Curran's book gives one a bit of hope that if one is pursuing another intelligent course than the Church united, they are not doomed to Hell.

I learned a lot by reading about his Loyal Dissent by Charles Curran. I was impressed that Fr. Curran tried to be fair and objective both when he disagreed with the Church and, later, when he wrote this book. I believe it took great courage for him to stick to what he believed to be true, even though he thought (and eventually knew) there would be strong consequences. I am in agreement with his belief, that Catholic theologians (or any of us) should be allowed to point out what appear to be flaws in non-infallibe Church teaching. I was humbled and impressed by his tone and his desire to continue to be loyal to a Church whose leaders have censured him. I am very sympathetic to him as one thing Catholic Church leadership does not tolerate well, is disagreement with their "official" position, even when it is not a matter of infallibility (most of them are not and, as Fr. Curran points out, the "offical Church position has changed over the years, and rightly so, as they acquiesced to new knowledge/facts). I would hope that more Catholics would read books like this, even though they can be difficult reading, as I find most Catholics are poorly informed about infallibility and why dissent may not only be possible, but desirable, if we really want to grow in our knowledge of truth. John Paul II was a good man but definitely had his flaws; I believe this book points out some of them.

To understand what this sharp thinker, Charlie Curran was up against, consider the words of Monsignor Kevin Irwin, now in charge of the same theology school at CUA. What was an immolation of a brilliant man's career at the institution has become, in the maw of denial, a fruity dish:

"Faculties undertook fruitful (and, yes, sometimes painful) dialogue about how Catholic theology could be academically and scientifically rigorous and also simultaneously be for the good of the church's theology and official teaching where the latter means an ongoing evolution of official church teaching and the legitimately probing questions and opinions of theologians."

(More fruity than scientifically rigorous to be sure.)

Monsignor Kevin Irwin, interviewed by Michael Sean Winters National Catholic Reporter

Fr. Curran is one of the many theologians of the late twentieth century who foresaw the coming crises in the Church and sought creative, practical solutions. Instead of being lauded for his efforts, he was pilloried, and stripped of his permission to teach at Catholic institutions by Joseph Ratzinger (the present Pontiff-- who also savaged Fr. Kung, another 'renegade theologian' whose only crime was questioning outmoded tradition). Fr. Curran's autobiography reads like a who's-who of contemporary Church dogmatics, and everyone, from Ratzinger to Fr. John Harvey (a dangerous man known for his attempts to 'rehabilitate' homosexual priests) makes an appearance. Fr. Curran was correct in predicting that HUMANAE VITAE would precipitate a mass exodus from the church in America; he also understands the need for periodic reform in a hierarchical institution like the Church, and the inherently fallible nature of human beings. If more Catholic teachers shared Fr. Curran's courage and insight, ecumenism would be the order of the day, and not discord.

Disappointing. It reads more like a history than a memoir; but like a war history without knowing what led to the war. It is mainly a book of events; events surrounding Charlie Curran's fight for academic freedom, against the Catholic Church magisterium's efforts to maintain standards in faith and morals. It is missing, however, the details of Curran's differences from Catholic teachings, and more importantly, there is nothing personal or human of Curran's memoir beyond that of Charlie Curran the academic person. He writes of his disappointment with the colleagues who did not support him, and with the Church's processes to censure and, ultimately, cause his departure from Catholic University of America (CUA), but there is no sense of internal turmoil, of attempts at spiritual discernment, or concern for his own soul, or the souls of those who accept his moral theology.

Charlie Curran went from being a faithful priest and Vatican trained theologian, to being censured from teaching as a Catholic theologian and being a theologian who is Catholic. It relates the story of how his disagreements with the Vatican on moral theology led to actions by CUA, and arguably unfair actions by the Vatican and several loyal bishops that exiled him from much of the Catholic community. It discusses those actions and his responses. Unfortunately, this book never discusses exactly what he taught that the Church found so objectionable. Clearly, the topic of contraception was one issue, but only hints of anything else come at the end of the book.

From the beginning, he never seemed to try to conform to Catholic theology. His first teaching job after his doctorate was in a seminary where taught that there were not just four marks of the Church, but five - the fifth being "sinful". (In my mind, he failed (and still fails) to see a difference between the Church comprising and being run by sinful people, and the Church, created by Jesus Christ and guided by the Holy Spirit, itself being sinful.) After leaving that seminary, having disturbed a few "right wing" Catholics, he went to CUA where he competently taught moral theology, but gained no national renown until the issuance of Humanae Vitae. He then led the charge against the encyclical, and in support of contraception, for which the Church hierarchy tried to discharge him from CUA. In the name of academic freedom, he marshaled fellow academics in and out of CUA, CUA students and the press to prevent his being released from his tenured position. He won the battle and continued to teach theology. By the mid-80s, however, after his apparent continuation of his line of theology and growing influence in the Christian ethics/moral theology community, the Vatican reasserted itself at CUA. After some political wrangling with the Church, then CUA and finally, the legal setback in the Washington DC Superior Court, Curran left CUA. Since then, he has led a successful career as a theologian and maintains support in both Catholic and Protestant circles.

In the last few chapters, he establishes his views of how theology should be conducted, and his view of the problems with the Catholic Church's approach. Still, nowhere does he state his theological positions that got him into trouble with the Church. He says he does not disagree with the fundamentals of Catholic teaching, but that he has (unstated) nuanced differences, which were repressively and unfairly attacked by the Church hierarchy. He agrees with the Church's teachings on social justice, but disagrees with them on contraception, divorce, abortion and homosexuality, as he feels they are outdated. He also feels that he is free to disagree with them, and remain loyal, because they are non-infallible teachings, which he says is the same as fallible teachings. The memoir does not go any deeper into what his differences are. One will have to read his other writings to find out.

In the last chapter (10), Curran does finally discuss what he means by being a "loyal Catholic," and he discusses other areas where he disagrees with the Church. To be a loyal Catholic, he believes that all that is required is to believe the Nicene Creed. He disagrees on much else. He believes priests should be able to marry, women should be able to be ordained, and priests have no special roll from laity except to preside at liturgies. He also believes contraception and sterilization can be (are?) justifiable, as can abortion. It is at this point that I can understand why Protestant theologians consider him ecumenical and embrace him; he is barely distinguishable from them. Perhaps his possible continued belief in Catholic infallible systematic theology, such as the Real Presence and Immaculate Conception, separates him. Also, I can see why he is popular with many Catholics; he provides a moral theology that is easier and more agreeable than the Church's teachings, at least with regard to contraception and abortion. If your conscience tells you it is not sinful, it isn't. St. Jane Frances de Chantal said great-souled individuals are made to suffer spiritual martyrdom; individuals weak in love are not and are allowed by God to go their mediocre way. Curran is a theologian for those Christians on the mediocre path. From reading the memoir, his moral theological concerns appear to be academic, not salvific.