Book Review: For God and my Country: Catholic Leadership in Modern Uganda

Abstract

I consider this periodization and the descriptive titles important as a historiographical revision. In the selections and treatments of the “threads” (or elements) of Christian tradition, however, I have a couple of questions. The selection of the six threads seems to reflect the ecclesial tradition of the author and his church tradition. All six are natural in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but some of the “threads” are also points of contention for some Protestants. Other elements may be considered factors for the newer churches to split from traditional churches. The place of liturgy, sacrament, and arts among some Protestants, for instance, is much less significant than that of Orthodox and Catholics. While the selections themselves are good and acceptable, a clear qualifying explanation would have been helpful. Secondly, the book largely gives equal treatment to each element of the tradition in the different periods. While this is understandable to some extent, the significance of some elements of the tradition in some periods over others makes such equal treatment questionable. For instance, the making of Christian Europe between ca. 600 and 1000, theological developments in the period between 1000 and 1453 through scholastic scholars such as Anselm, Abelard, and Aquinas, and the role of scripture in the Protestant Reformation deserve greater treatment than given in the book. These few drawbacks, however, do not diminish the achievement of this book. The book may best serve ecclesial academia as an introductory conduit into the rich layers of Christian tradition.