Hell's Abyss, Heaven's Grace: War and Christian Spirituality
by Lawrence D. Hart
Published by Cowley Publications
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Reviewed by Connie Anderson
Episcopalian priest, spiritual director and pastoral counselor, Lawrence Hart says in his epilogue that he is not a scholar: "This undertaking has not been an academic exploration of the causes and conduct of war...I am from a community of conscience...these words are a cry of conscience.
The who-we-love concept was very clear. "We are inclined to love our own, to love the loveable, to do good to those who do good to us, to lend to the reliable, to give to the grateful." In this section Hart reminds us to think about whether our children or grandchildren are more precious than those of people in our neighborhood, or other different parts of the city or country or world--in peace or wartime.
Hart asks us to look into someone else's face and see our common humanity, whether speaking of war or poverty or homelessness.
We're introduced to "anawin," the meek who follow the path of Christ, people without money or power or political influence or resources needed to make things happen, like Mother Theresa or Gandi.
Hart makes us consider God's blessing on war--on whose side is God?--when both sides firmly believe that their cause was just and their aim holy.
Hart eloquently reminds us of such terms as "a just war," he explains how Christians relate to that idea. Of course Hart writes about the war in Iraq-demythologizing it. "A just war, then, is a war of last resort; that is, it is engaged in for the sole purpose of self defense," he writes on page 87.
We learn about scholar John Howard Yoder's book, What Would You Do? A Serious Answer to a Standard Question. The question is: Would you kill another to protect your family? Hmmmm.
Armchair Interviews says: This is a book that will make you think, and maybe, reconsider some of the ways you think that you've held for years.