John McNeill, a gay-and-proud Christian scholar, made history with his landmark 1976 book "The Church and the Homosexual." "Both Feet Firmly Planted in Midair" is McNeill's autobiography, and this latter book reaffirms his stature as one of the lesbian and gay community's great spiritual voices.

The book begins with McNeill's boyhood in an Irish Catholic family in Buffalo, New York. He vividly describes his experiences as a soldier in Europe during World War II. Particularly harrowing are his memories of slave labor in a German prisoner-of-war camp. We also learn of his academic study of the work of French philosopher Maurice Blondel, his ordination to the Roman Catholic priesthood, and his awakening to the world of gay love and sex.

Particularly important are the chapters describing the aftermath of the publication of "The Church and the Homosexual." McNeill was eventually expelled from the Jesuit order. He also writes of his relationships with a number of gay Christian groups and leaders, and pays warm tribute to his lover, Charles Chiarelli.

McNeill's writing style is full of insight and compassion. He is also a delightfully learned and literate writer--the book is spiced with references to and quotes from James Joyce, Kurt Vonnegut, Viktor Frankl, the Roman poet Virgil, and many other authors.

The book's annotated bibliography to the works of its author makes it a valuable reference to scholars.

The people quoted on the book's back cover blurbs describe McNeill as a "gay saint" and a "prophet," and "Both Feet. . ." lives up to these tributes. It is a stirring spiritual autobiography that resounds with moral authority and intellectual depth. McNeill's life story is a convincing testament to the possibility of integrating gay love and sexuality into a committed Christian life.

I am a gay ordained minister of the gospel, and this book helped me accept my homosexuality. It is suberbly written and researched. A must for anyone coming out, and a definite must for any minsiter workign with the gay community. God bless the author.

"The human race, without intending anything of the sort, has undertaken a gigantic uncontrolled experiment on the earth. In time, I think, this will appear as the most important aspect of twentieth-century history, more so than World War II, the communist enterprise, the rise of mass literacy, the spread of democracy, or the growing emancipation of women." (J. R. McNeill)

Over the past few years there have been a spate of histories of the 20th century. Most of them have been written from traditional, often Eurocentric, historical perspectives that focus upon political history set in the context of socioeconomic development and ideological and military conflict. J. R. McNeill's *Something New Under the Sun* replaces the political narrative, usually found at the center of histories, with an environmental one. It invites readers to reevaluate the legacy of the 20th century.

By any measure, the 20th century is, as McNeill characterizes it, "a prodigal century." In terms of growth of population, economic development, and energy production and consumption, it is a case of 'quantity having a quality of its own.' On the one hand, it is a triumph of the human species. (McNeill suggests readers consider that over the past 4 billion years of human history, 20% of all human life-years took place in the 20th century.) On the other hand, this prodigal century - this triumph of human ingenuity - has also exacted an unprecedented environmental cost. It is this trade-off that McNeill's book explores.

McNeill's approach is interdisciplinary, and the book is divided into two sections. The first section is organized around transformations to the lithosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and hydrosphere, and the resulting pollution and resource depletion. Each topic includes a (very) brief conceptual introduction, case studies from around the world, (black and white) photos, maps, and tables. This section also includes the best example of unintentional environmental consequences. McNeill introduces Thomas Midgely, the inventor of leaded gasoline and Freon, "[who] had more impact on the atmosphere than any other organism in earth history."

In the second section, McNeill introduces the 'engines of change" - 1) population growth, migration, and urbanization, 2) energy, technology, and economic growth, and 3) politics and environmental awareness. The pulses of 'coketowns' and 'motowns' take place amidst the tumultuous social, economic, and political events of the 20th century. Environmental awareness doesn't take root until the 70's - a critical period for women as well. (His examples of Rachel Carson and Wangari Maathai were well chosen - and gendered.) In his epilogue (So What?), McNeill's history portends an environmental crunch, a change of circumstances - a dilemma unlike the world has witnessed so far.

"With our new powers we banished some historical constraints on health and population, food production, energy use, and consumption generally. Few who know anything about life with these constraints regret their passing. But in banishing them we invited other constraints in the form of the planet's capacity to absorb wastes, by-products, and impacts of our actions. The latter constraints had pinched occasionally in the past, but only locally. By the end of the twentieth century, they seemed to restrict our options globally. Our negotiations with these constraints will shape the future as our struggles against them shaped our past." (J. R. McNeill)

*Something New Under The Sun* is written in a popular style well suited to both non-fiction readers and students. Readers of environmental historians like William Cronon, William McNeill, or Alfred Crosby will certainly find McNeill's book interesting. Personally I think that McNeill's global perspective of the 20th century will stand the test of time.

McNeill's basic thesis is that in environmental terms, the 20th century has been unprecedented in human history and planetary history in general. He points out that the impact of humankind's breathtaking technological advancements in the last 100 or so years can be likened to a major cataclysm, like an asteroid hitting the planet. The book provides a wealth of background information on a number of major technical/technological developments, and how they have improved the lives of many people but also damaged or imperiled the air, water and soil that sustain all life. McNeill is hardly a Luddite or a primitivist, but he does make some reasonable calls for restraint and, perhaps, a worldwide assessment of where human economic/industrial/technological activities are taking the planet. Interesting in this vein is his consideration, toward the end of the book, of how the economic thought of the last century, with its adherence to the concept of unlimited growth, has played a key role in preventing such an assessment. As he points out, overcoming this way of thinking represents a daunting task, since these (Anglo-American) economic doctrines have assumed the status of irrefutable dogma - like any system of religious beliefs.

For a throughly researched, densly written , book of facts to be readable is almost a contradiction. Yet this is exactly what J.R. McNeill has accomplished. He is a Historian, most interested in change, objective in his assesment of those changes (Who and What benefits, Who and What doesn't), anthropocentric(a viewpoint too often missing in environmental studies), and broad-minded concerning possible approaches to problems (the shark has done very well for a very long time).

What makes this such an important book aside from its readability and penetrating analysis, is perspective. J.R. McNeill considers history without consideration of the life-support system of Earth or ecology that neglects social forces, incomplete and capable of leading to dangerous conclusions. Further, "Both history and ecology are, as fields of knowledge go, supremely integrative. They merely need to integrate with one another."

Having grown up in Pittsburgh, Pa., I can attest to the author's history of Pittsburgh and to his grasp of the complexity of problems there (for instance: Andrew Carnegie found the level of pollution intolerable, later some unions fought smoke-control). In today's world, no matter where we live or what work we do,environmental issues will arise.

This book by elucidating the processes and trends that underly today's world, gives us a foundation on which to base our opinions and choices, working toward the day when we , in the author's words, "Make our own luck, rather than trusting to luck..."

Author John McNeil is psychotherapist, and a very intelligent one at that. His personal stories reflect outrageous attitudes of the Church. He is a corageous writer, and I commend him for that.

The book's scientific discussions are interesting. Its textual discussions, however, did not strike me as very convincing (except for the discussion on arsenokoitai---although McNeil misses the literature linking the word to sexual slavery).

McNeil misses several logical points about the story of Sodom that, if he had used them, would have made his case much stronger.

McNeil's Greek discussion of Romans 1, I think, was a waste of time. More attention should have been focused on the context of idolatry.

McNeil misses the parallels between the Canaanite's transgender prostitutes and Leviticus 18:22/20:13.

So although I do agree with McNeil's broad conclusion, that the biblical texts do not prohibit homosexuality, I think another update is neccessary.

The minister at my local southern baptist church told me about this book, when my husband of 20 years began having an identity crisis problem. I found the information in this book to be helpful in dealing with his feelings of homosexuality. We did infact split in the end but the split was much cleaner than it might have been had I not found this book. There is an arizona resource helpline that also assisted me and recommended this book, they can be reached at 1-480-987-3979 or 1-480-831-6200, at the later number ask for Vicki.

I find John McNeill's The Church and the homosexual a clear example of what I call "Brave Theology". Mc Neill does not write an unfounded claim, but establishes his arguments on grounds of a hard work of scholarship. To support his views, he appeals to bible theology, philosophy and human sciences. Thus, he forces moral theologist to take his book into account, whether they like it or not. I am firmly convinced that in the future John Mc Neill will be remembered as a pioneer who dared challenge The Church's unsuitable and unacceptable view on homosexuality.

Freedom is found in chaste love, not in the libertarian distortion of the gospel offered by this former priest.

If you're seeking freedom as a homosexual Catholic, contact your local Courage chapter.

This is an enlightening book and a gift to gay and non-gay people of good will. I found "Freedom, Glorious Freedom" to be both healing and a celebration of the love of God for all people. McNeill's scholarship, love of God and gift as teacher are as clearly present here as in his previous two books. I found Part 4 ("The Gay Love of God And God's Love Of Gays") most helpful in its eye-opening understandings of the New Testament. I doubt any reader could follow McNeill's explications in this section without forever seeing the New Testament in a new and more loving light - the love that Jesus not only preached but lived.

I am a gay, ordained minister of the gospels. This book is superbly written and researched. A must for me on coming out, and a must for anyone who ministers to the gay community. God bless this author for taking this chance in his life.