Reviewing blasphemous material.I cannot help feeling that more harm than good will result from one item included in the November 2006 issue of your very excellent magazine (pp. 40-41). I refer to Stephen Volk's review of the book by Gail Sidone Sobat entitled The Book of Mary. I suggest that it would have been wiser to ignore such blasphemous blas·phe·mous adj. Impiously irreverent. [Middle English blasfemous, from Late Latin blasph material than to focus light on it by publishing a review of it. I also feel that, if the review were to be published at all, it should have been adequately edited. After five studious stu·di·ous adj. 1. a. Given to diligent study: a quiet, studious child. b. Conducive to study. 2. readings, I still find much of it unintelligible UNINTELLIGIBLE. That which cannot be understood. 2. When a law, a contract, or will, is unintelligible, it has no effect whatever. Vide Construction, and the authorities there referred to. . More importantly, however, it is clear that the book's author and the reviewer both have the erroneous idea that the term 'immaculate conception' refers to the manner in which Our Lord was conceived, as opposed to the miraculous mi·rac·u·lous adj. 1. Of the nature of a miracle; preternatural. 2. So astounding as to suggest a miracle; phenomenal: a miraculous recovery; a miraculous escape. 3. preservation of Our Lady from original sin original sin, in Christian theology, the sin of Adam, by which all humankind fell from divine grace. Saint Augustine was the fundamental theologian in the formulation of this doctrine, which states that the essentially graceless nature of humanity requires redemption at her conception. Any adequate review should serve to correct this error on the part of the author, instead of which, unfortunately, Mr. Volk's review only serves to reinforce it. Mississauga, ON |
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