Paul Wilkes, often seen in the pages of the New Yorker or the New York Times Sunday Magazine writing on issues of faith in the modern age, turns in a compelling biography of a modern-day Catholic cleric. Entering the priesthood in the idyllic 1950s, Joe Greer's expectations were completely upturned by the dramatic changes of Vatican II and the wrenching realities of ministry in inner-city Boston. Rather than enjoying the peace of a well-appointed rectory, Fr. Greer winds up riding the stone-pelted school buses of Boston during the angry days of desegregation. Never claiming sainthood for himself, Greer struggles with very human temptations -- and occasionally falls to them, only to repent and try again. Finally, as the pastor of a suburban Boston church, Joe Greer faces the greatest challenge to faith anyone can confront -- he is diagnosed with a rampant and unyielding form of cancer. How this good man of a faith always open to doubt deals with the most dangerous temptation -- the temptation of despair -- shapes the crux of this well-told spiritual biography

This book is a time capsule: a portrait of a family mired in 70's suburbia. I must have read this book 5 or 6 times when it first came out. The family portrayed is drawn with great clarity and sensativity. I've always surmised that they lived on Long Island in New York State but the real location of their home and their names are never revealed. Its really "Anywhere, USA" and the author's narrative is knowing and compasionate but never intrusive. All those great themes thrown in the forefront of American culture by the social activisim of the 60's make very real and sometimes bittersweet appearances. I only wish that Wilkes would write a sequal. I've always wondered what happened to the 3 kids in the family.

This book contains a lot of substance in terms of applying monastic principles to daily life. It is well thought out and I extracted some useful information from it.

However, being a Traditional Catholic, certain things in the book were major sources of irritation for me. The author regards Karl Rahner and Teilhard de Chardin as brilliant theologians! There is also a lot said about Catholic Monks learning from Buddist Monks! This book is definately a product of post concilliar thinking.

Your position on eccumenism will determine whether you like or dislike this book.

I have had a hard time thinking of this book by it's main title: Beyond the Walls. I have been calling it (in my mind) Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life which is, of course, its subtitle.

I had hoped for more personal stories of life at the monastery, and then life outside the monastery with the author putting his monastic lessons into practice. While there was a good bit of that, there was also a lot of philosophizing which I often found tedious. I felt as if I had to slog through the theory to get to the next practical application.

Nonetheless, the lessons learned were valuable, and I'm glad I own this book.

Wilkes offers us an invitation into monastic spirituality, not for monks this time, but for you and me, for our daily lives, right where we live, in the midst of day-timers, cell-phones and soccer practices. For another book like "Beyond the Walls", look up THE FAMILY CLOISTER: BENEDICTINE WISDOM FOR THE HOME, by David Robinson (New York, NY: Crossroad, 2000, 192pp., trade paperback). Welcome to the cloister without walls!

Buy the book! The Index of Excellent Congregations contained in the book is worth the price. It provides an excellent beginning point for discovering mentoring congregations throughout the United States.

Beg congregational leaders to study the best practices represented by these congregations. Urge congregational leaders to at least visit the web sites of some of the congregations. Organize a journey to visit one or more of these congregations.

Paul Wilkes, with the sponsorship of a Lilly Endowment grant, has been looking for excellent Catholic and Protestant congregations in the United States. He found 300 Catholic parishes and 300 Protestant congregations. A book entitled, Excellent Catholic Parishes, profiles eight parishes, and this book profiles nine congregations.

The research team was looking for Protestant churches that impact the lives of people and make a difference in their communities. These congregations are beacons of hope and guidance and examples of what it really means to be a practicing Christian today.

Another key point is that they were looking for reproducible models of excellence that would act as a travel guide for the spiritual strategic journey of other congregations. They found many of them!

As a member of the Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, I must admit that I have been anxiously awaiting this book since January. The Lilly Endowment funded Paul Wilkes, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, to study the attributes of Protestant congregations or Roman Catholic Parishes that lead to excellence. One result was this guidebook to 300 Protestant congregations. His criteria does seem to define what I couldn't have put into words myself. As I have moved around the country, I have noted that some congregations cause the Holy Spirit to stir within you as soon as you meet your first member. This book describes what these unique congregations do to reach out to others and share this knowledge of the Lord. He describes the joy the members experience as they live out their Christian lives as members of these dynamic communities. This would be a great resource for anyone looking to either find a congregation to call home or to get ideas for their current congregation.

Jay Rosenbaum is for some people just an ordinary conservative rabbi doing his job. A year spent with him by the author reveals another aspect of the man who struggles with trying to get his congregation to live an observant life and enjoy the full spiritual richness of Judaism.

We get the opportunity to witness the day by day ups and downs in the life of Rabbi Rosenbaum's family as well as congregation. Rabbi Rosenbaum has his own hopes and dreams for his congregation but will they follow along with him? Or will they resist any changes and insist on staying at their comfort level? The Rabbi has a great challenge ahead of him which I found most intriguing in this book.

Rabbi Rosenbaum's story is the story of the current crisis in American Judaism. Through the tracking of his one year we see the intrigues and infighting going on with the congregation. The issue of declining membership and inter-marriage permeates through the story. Another great issue is that of clergy burnout. The Rabbi puts far more into his commitment than the congregation's leadership is willing to compensate him. Yet through it all, Rabbi Rosenbaum maintains his hope and desire for his people to become a true community of Jewish faith.

His struggle with faith becomes your struggle.A congregational trip to Israel confronts him and them with their true sense of spirituality. I enjoyed the tension of the Rabbi and the members who had to make a stand as to what they wanted for their lives.

While reading this book you will gain a deeper appreciation of the work of the Rabbi, the need for Judaism to serve the needs of its new generation without compromises and the need to find ways for Jews to survive in an enticing American secular culture. Rabbi Rosenbaum shows us a little light in which these issues must be confronted and resolved if Judaism is to be a relevant force in the 21st century.

I grew up in a Conservative Jewish congregation very similar to the one Wilkes described, and I always wondered about the "priestly" status of the typical Conservative rabbi. In the Conservative movement, rabbis are generally observant of traditional Jewish law while their congregants are often not even aware of it. I've always figured that was a lonely and frustrating life. Wilkes did a great job of showing me exactly how lonely and frustrating it can be.

Now, that may not be true for every Conservative rabbi, and Wilkes does a good job of pointing out the occasional rewards that go with the job, but in general, I'm amazed anyone would choose that kind of a vocation.

While other religions sometimes differentiate between clergy and laypeople (most notably Catholicism), Judaism has always taught that anything the rabbi is expected to do, his congregants are as well. But when those congregants are otherwise committed to a busy American lifestyle, the rabbi often lands the thankless task pointing out their Jewish responsibilities.

In one of the most touching threads running through this intricate book, Wilkes describes the rabbi's struggle to organize a congregational trip to Israel. The congregation has many families who are willing to come along but only -- it seems -- if their rabbi doesn't accompany them.

The rabbi, to his great dismay, discovers that the families don't want the rabbi along to enforce standards of Jewish observance like the Sabbath or kosher laws. They want spirituality, sure, but on their own terms, not "his."

This book describes with eerie precision the "observance gap" between clergy and laypeople in the Conservative movement that has led me -- and many other Jews -- to look for spirituality within other movements of Judaism.

I can't even begin to imagine the extent of the research Wilkes must have done, but he's managed to get every detail of this book exactly right... you find yourself forgetting it's not written by a Jew.

There are many touching moments in this book, particularly when Wilkes focuses on the rabbi's chaotic family life and the sacrifices which, he fears, will all amount to nothing. Yet it ends on an optimistic note, leaving the reader with the possibility that it will be alright after all, for the rabbi, his family, and for all Jews, wherever they may find themselves.

Disturbing, yes, but eminently worthwhile for its unique insight.

Paul Wilkes' report of a year spent with Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum in Worcester, Mass is compelling and gritty. The book is honest and gritty and displays both the good and the bad aspect of the Rabbi's life. The book is easy to read, honest and really makes you think.

For lovers of great photography, one of the real gaps for a long time has been a monograph on this master of Euorpean street photography, whose images of Paris in the 30's in particular are among the greatest of their kind. Since the unfortuante deletion of the magnificent mid-80's reissue of PARIS BY NIGHT there has literally been nothing available except an over-priced paperback from Germany (I beleive) that has made its way to US museum bookshops and the like. What great news it was that Abrams, who are one of the best houses for this sort of thing, was publishing a major catalogue to accompany the travelling exhibit now at the National Gallery in Washington. The book was delayed several times earlier this year (no doubt to the chagrin of the museums the exhibit has already passed through) and has finally arrived in time for Christmas.

It is sad indeed to report that the book is a total disappointment- at least so far as the images themselves are concerned:

One: The source material and printing of the picutres are truly second-rate - without richness, luster, or dimension. Many look like photocopies from magazines or other books. They are oddly glossy but flat. Compare these to the incredible matte reproductions in PARIS BY NIGHT and the contrast between what can be done with with what is here is nearly heartbreaking.

Second: What is with the recent tendency to print photographs in an oversized, right-to-the-edges format with no sense of border or space to let the composition breathe and no sense of frame lines. The bleed-over simply kills the impact of many of these photogrpahs. It's a ruinous way to present great imagery. (It afflicts Abrams' new Bill Brandt book as well but to a lesser extent because the printing of that book is so much better.)

Third: There is very little that is new here. For such a major undertaking it comes across as a routine collection of well-known images, a greatest hits, that ends up delivering little emotional punch or insight into this great artist. Compare this to Abrams' own exhaustive works like Walker Evans: The Hungry Eye and you'll see what I mean.

With so many great photographers receiving deluxe treatment in the past few years from Abrams' W. Eugene Smith book last year to Bulfinch's Lartigue mongraph, it is a real shame that someone as seminal but poorly represented in print as Brassai should receive such a well-intentioned but unsatisfactory tribute. PLEASE BRING BACK PARIS BY NIGHT!

I am surprised that this book has gotten such mixed reviews here -- it is the definitive book on the subject. The essays are full of new information and elegantly presented. The design of the book, bleeds and all, remind me of the particular way Brassai made his books (which is why we care about Brassai today). The reproductions look like the original prints! The book is smart and real.

I saw this exhibition at the National Gallery of Art and bought the book. The exhibition blew me away and so did the book! It is the best exhibition book on photography I have seen. The print quality of the photographs is superb and the text is excellent. This book is a lesson in photography, political science, and sociology.

I was SO EXCITED to stumble across this book while looking for some nightime prayers for my toddlers: I was already a big fan of the author having read a couple of good books he's written for adults, "The Good Enough Catholic" and more recently "Monastic Wisdom for Everyday Life." But more importantly, this book answers the very reason I went a-looking for a collection of night prayers in the first place: fears about things that go bump in the night, anxiousness about the next day's big events, or the cumulation of the current day's excitements and disappointments are best smoothed over by the comforting ritual of child-friendly prayer. Only then can kids drift off into a peaceful sleep. And Wilkes' prayers truly speak to a little one's experiences, each one devoted to a special theme that interest children, such as "A Prayer After a Bad Day," "A Prayer About Doing Something New," "A Prayer About Being Afraid," and "A Prayer About Going to School" (28 in all). But what REALLY made me bring this book to the checkout counter was this observation, found within a very helpful "Author's Note" at the back of the book: that each and every prayer begins with the same line: "Dear God, I know you love me so much..." He says it's because he'd noticed that his little boy always mouthed/remembered the words that began all of his favorite books. My little ones do that, too--and what a great line to have them remember, especially as they drift off to sleep!

Mr. Wilkes, also the author of The Good Enough Catholic, presents examples of parishes that he and other Liberal, dissenting types would champion as beacons of Catholic-lite. One example is Christ The King in Las Vegas.
The church has no kneelers, so nobody kneels. The Tabenacle which houses our Lord's body has been shunted
off to a side chapel! Pita bread is used for Communion and,
if you walked in to the Church, you'd never guess it was a Catholic Church. There is nothing adorning it's walls. No Stations of the Cross, no nothing. Not real orthodox stuff.
Word of mouth and trial and error are better guides.

This book, ostensibly for the practicing Catholic, profiles eight parishes in the United States in which the the Church is taught to be changing, stylish, and peculiar to circumstances, rather than the one, holy, apostolic, and Catholic Church it has been since the time of Christ. The parishes profiled in this book are run by laymen (to the delight of the pastors themselves) and the holding to and teaching Christian truth is not mentioned anywhere as the objective of a good Catholic parish. I am glad to have read this book, as these parishes will be easy for me to avoid in my travels.

Mr. Wilkes offers an inspiring overview of "excellent" Catholic parishes, but the nuts and bolts of running an "excellent" parish are ignored. This is not a "how-to" book as much as a presentation of church communities too good to be true.

In fact, I have been to three of these "excellent" parishes and can assure you that they are simply hyped parishes who at one time or another had a charismatic pastor. They are the flavor of the month, and in a few years will look as faddishly ridiculous as afros or SUVs.

St. Mary Magdalen in Florida, where I grew up, is now a parish ruled by a "lay-ocracy" of parishioners, typically wealthy, who push through their own programs at the expense of less influential members. They recently raised money to renovate their 25 year old chuch, but wealthy members convinced a weak pastor to spend the money on a gymnasium instead. A product of central Florida's explosive growth, they will be saddled with brick-and-mortar monuments in years to come.

Old St. Pat's in Chicago prides itself on a celebration of diversity and ecumenism. One Holy Week, the pastor and his parishioner confidantes decided to cancel the Holy Thursday liturgy in favor of a Seder--limited seating (100 people) at $20 a head. Most parishioners were excluded from a celebration of one of Catholicism's most solemn liturgies. Fortunately, Cardinal Bernardin had a proper liturgy in the cathedral not far from good old Pat's.

Santa Monica in California is a touchy, feel-good church with a dynamic pastor, lots of wealthy parishioners (then-Mayor Riordan donated $1 million to repair a bell tower damaged in an earthquake), and enough film stars in attendance to rival Spago's. In the country's largest diocese, it offers good liturgies and an involved community that is unrivaled by other Los Angeles parishes; the diocese has no commitment to liturgy, so anything rising a few inches above the ruck is bound to be considered "excellent."

Mr. Wilke would do better to look at the true nature of his parishes, which may not have been possible in his short stays. The diamond may shine on first look, but closer examination shows a diry black core.

thinking of returning to the church but at odds with some of the church's teachings. The author brings up virtually all of the controversial points of Catholicism and tells why you don't necessarily have to leave the church even if you disagree with some of the teachings. However, I hated the title, and I objected to the overall tone of the book. It implies that you can justify anything and still consider yourself a Catholic. No, the church isn't perfect, but I think you have to wrestle long and hard with your conscience to still consider yourself a Catholic when you disagree with church teaching . You aren't supposed to feel good about it! This book just doesn't convey that.

Fortunately, I'm back, having discovered that not all Catholics are as wishy-washy about their faith as the author!

When I first saw this book, it seemed perfect for me. I was tempted to blame the Church's politics for my spiritual malaise: "If only it could be just a bit different...just a bit more in keeping with what *I* want..." After reading the case studies, though, I wasn't attracted to the "do-it-yourself" Catholicism he describes.

After some searching outside the Church, I realized that the root of the problem was my pride driving me to try to remake God (and His church) in my own image. If I believe that the Catholic Church was founded by Christ, and continues to be guided by the Holy Spirit, then surely it's worthy of my obedience. (If I don't, there are 23,000 Protestant denominations to choose from. )

I wonder if the vocal dissenters and quiet rebels understand that there's great joy and freedom to be gained from obeying the teachings of one's religious leaders in a disciplined way, rather than just picking and choosing? This concept is still holding its own in Eastern religions, but it seems to be out of fashion among many Christians. And books like this one do nothing to help.

Paul Wilkes' "The Good Enough Catholic" is like taking the fundamental theology course in the seminary. The difference here is that Wilkes has a popular writing style that makes the theology accessible to many people. The main point Wilkes makes is that many Catholics,who want to be loyal to their church, but also find some practices and teachings troubling, are trying to find some ways to be "good enough," even though they may not understand or are able to be "perfect" in their practice. The idea of being "good enough" is that sometimes many people have to settle for something that seems less than the ideal of what one should be as a Catholic.

Wilkes treats the fundamental topic in Catholic theology, scriptures, church, sacraments, marriage, priesthood, the papacy, etc. by attempting to find ground somewhere between the extreme positions of absolute loyalty and an attitude of skepticism. He finds much in the Catholic tradition that speaks well of being Catholic. He refers to the moral teachings of the church as the most comprehensive and systemitized than any other religion. He also demonstrates that throughout the church's history there have been different emphases and nuances in how and what the church has taught.

Wilkes' book is positive and honest. He includes quotations from lay people and clergy throughout using opinions that spread the gamut of Catholic thought. He summarizes very clearly some complicated history. He presents some failures of the church along side great successes, showing how the institution of the church can be guided by the Holy Spirit as well as be mislead by the popular culture of the time.

I believe this book to be balanced in its approach. It can be applied easily to RCIA programs as well as other adult education in the church.