Living Catholicism: BOOK REVIEW: Witness to Hope by George Weigel

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May 4, 2005

BOOK REVIEW: Witness to Hope by George Weigel

Typically I'm not a huge fan of biographies. History and even personal history are interesting, but biographies tend to be a little dry. Witness to Hope, I'm glad to say, is the exception to that rule. Essentially Witness to Hope is the biography of Pope John Paul II through the year 2000. George Weigel was able to make this story exceptionally interesting because of his grasp of the way the Catholic Church works as well as his depth of knowledge in theology. The book is more than a biography, it's a spiritual treasure trove of the Pope's thoughts and personal philosopies that is sure to change the way you think - even at a practical, day-to-day level.

For example, there are three consistent themes throughout the book that made me stop and think about my own life. The first theme is that there's no such thing as coincidence. This seems simplistic, but in the Pope's life we see it lived out dramatically. The Pope believed fully that everything that happened to him, whether good or bad, was allowed by God to offer him an opportunity. This opportunity could be to increase his personal holiness or to act as a witness to others, but it always involved salvation in some aspect. Until reading Weigel's book, I had never really thought through this notion, but accepting it can obviously change the way you think of even everyday difficulties.

The second big theme is one that gave Pope John Paul II a certain "fearlessness." Several times he is referred to by others as having "no fear" or being "not afraid." This comes from the Pope's view that the worst possible thing that could ever happen already has. It would not be possible for anything worse to happen, since we've already crucified God when He visited us in the form of a man, Jesus Christ. This horrific event allows us to live fearlessly in our own lives, since nothing could ever be worse and through this disaster God has already won the battle. We are simply offering the Truth to others, that they may join Jesus Christ in His victory over death, over hell, over our weaknesses. In other words, "Do Not Be Afraid" - the theme of Pope John Paul II's pontificate - was more than a motto, it was the way he lived his life.

The final theme is one that most of us probably assent to, though we may not live it out in our daily lives. It is the notion that every person has an internal yearning for God that cannot be quenched outside of Him. Tied very closely to this is the belief that people want to know the Truth, no matter how difficult it may be for them to accept. Pope John Paul II did something no one thought would work: he preached hard, unadulterated Truth to teenagers - and they reveled in it. The World Youth Days were a staple of his pontificate and at these events the Pope called the youth to "radical conversion" to Christianity. He didn't offer them an easier path or gloss over the difficulties ahead, rather he asked them to not be afraid of letting Christ take over their lives. The World Youth Days were a watershed moment for many Catholics, since it is difficult not to be convicted when you witness two million teenagers streaming towards the Truth and calling out to hear it. But this isn't just about kids: those you interact with on a daily basis have an internal need to know more about God. And you, needless to say, have an obligation to tell them about Him. Do Not Be Afraid.

Interestingly enough, this book sat on my bookshelf for several years until I recently felt compelled to start reading it. At the time I started reading it (it's 800 pages, so it takes a while to read), PJPII was in seemingly good health. About halfway through, he died. I firmly believe the Holy Spirit intended for me to read this book at that exact moment in history - it was an odd feeling reading about the vibrant, larger-than-life Pope John Paul II while seeing him lie in state at the Vatican. But this is a must-read book in the real sense. It gives you a detailed look at the history, theology, and personal life of Pope John Paul II's pontificate, which will likely influence the Church for decades. I highly recommend taking the time (yes, it will take time) to read through this book. For non-biography fans, it's loaded with theology. For non-theology fans, it's a captivating biography of a charismatic leader who loved Christ and every single creation on earth. It's one of those books you'll never forget. And the author really “gets” the reality of John Paul II’s pontificate:

If the Church of the future knows John Paul II as “John Paul the Great,” it will be for this reason: at another moment of peril, when barbarisms of various sorts threatened civilization, a heroic figure was called from the Church to meet the barbarian threat and propose an alternative. In the case of Pope Leo the Great (440-461), the barbarisms in question were Attila and his Huns. In the case of Gregory the Great (590-604), the barbarians were the Lombards. In the case of John Paul II, the barbarism threatening civilization has been a set of ideas whose consequences include barbarous politics – defective humanisms that, in the name of humanity and its destiny, create new tyrannies and compound human suffering.

Click here to purchase Witness to Hope from Amazon.

God bless,
Jay

PS - on a side note, it contains a lot of information about our new pope, Pope Benedict XVI, as well. As Cardinal Ratzinger, he was the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and one of the pope's closest friends.

Posted by jay at May 4, 2005 8:47 PM