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Title: Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life
ISBN: 0385522282
Author:
Charles J. Chaput
Publicate Date: 2008-08-12
Publish: 2008-08-12
List Price: $21.95
Average Customer Rating: 4.5
Format: Hardcover
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Amazon Lowest New Price: $11.70
Amazon Lowest Used Price: $8.95
Amazon Merchant Price: $14.93
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| Customer Review: |
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1: Render unto Caesar
This book talks to catholics and other Chistions about the dificult issue of political involvement. Some issues (such as abortion) go beyond politics, or the beliefs a particular church: they are issues of human rights.
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2: Outstanding
Archbishop Chaput has written a brilliant primer on church, state and the Catholic life. Among many subjects, it especially deals with recent Church history, in particular Vatican II and its interpretation, and explains the writings of Josef Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI. "Render Unto Caesar" also effectively justifies the history of the Papacy and of the Church in the Reformation, particularly in the life of St Thomas More, and does so in the context of many modern political questions.
Best of all, this book is well-written in forthright and plain English. It is also written with realism about the nature and foibles of humans, and is accompanied by sound historical references and a refreshingly limited use of personal anecdotes.
While written from an American perspective, "Render Unto Caesar" can be read by Catholics anywhere, especially in the rest of the English-speaking world where "cafeteria-Catholicism" has been a feature of the public lives of some Catholics.
"Render Unto Caesar" would be suitable for students, laymen and practitioners, and belongs in the library of any Catholic interested in politics and law-making.
An outstanding effort.
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3: Refreshing and radically courageous
Charles Chaput is one of the most honest, heartfelt Catholic authors of our time. His societal observations in Render Unto Caesar are both honest and sobering, yet his insights are deeply inspiring in the way that they challenge a person of faith to truly LIVE what they say they believe. "Render Unto Caesar" challenges the world's logic, yet does so for the sake of preserving the goodness of our society - in our marriages, in our families and thus, by extension, the peace and joy of our nation as a whole.
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4: Hoping for more definitive statements
The book is very conversational in style with many stories mixed in with some church teachings. I had been hoping for more definitive statements and guidance. It did lead me to go and read Living the Gospel of Life, which provided more of the guidance I was hoping for. Archbishop Chaput does state that if the book does nothing else than lead people to read Living the Gospel of Life, then the book will have accomplished its goal.
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5: A Return to State Religion?
Chaput is the Catholic archbishop of Denver, and the first Native American archbishop ordained. Render Unto Caesar is both a religious and a political book, weaving the two together. His main thesis is that people of faith, particularly Catholics, need to be more vocal about their faith, be faithful Catholics first, before their national citizenship, and that Catholic politicians need to reflect their Catholic beliefs before their personal ones. There is a good deal of the history of the Catholic Church's involvement in secular politics and governing, and the history of Catholics in America, including the election of the first Catholic president, John F. Kennedy. On those areas, Render Unto Caesar reads very well. The aspects of requiring American citizens and elected leaders to follow directions as interpreted by Catholic leaders, many of whom making those policies are not Americans, leaves something to be desired. When JFK was running for office, anti-Catholic groups spread conspiracy theory that the decisions coming from the White House would actually be made at the Vatican. The same sorts of rumors surrounded Mitt Romney's election run, this time focusing around his Mormon faith.
While Chaput's position may make sense in a religious setting, and there is no reason why people of any faith cannot reflect it in their public, political and social lives, and still make decisions based on their own conscience. That freedom of choice is the most basic right of American citizenship, and advocating anything else brings back memories of state religions, pogroms and religious wars--all of which we fought one war to free ourselves from.
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