Crossing Thresholds: A Practical Theology of Liminality

Abstract

Bash comments that ‘there is not a single modern category that adequately combines the empirical and theoretical approaches to emotions’ (p. 153) and concludes that ‘the new ways of identifying the sources of modern knowledge are problematic . . . there is no agreement about what necessarily constitutes moral wrongdoing.’ (p. 176). Bash then turns his attention to criminal-justice (chapter 9), exploring the relationship between remorse and punishment. He argues that whilst, in principle, there is a place for remorse in consideration of prison sentences, there are significant practical issues such as how we might ascertain ‘to what extent a person’s claim to be remorseful is genuine’ (p. 199). He suggests a ten-point taxonomy for creating an evidence-based approach to assessment. Bash brings his analysis to a conclusion in chapter 10 with an outline Christian perspective that encompasses remorse towards both God and victim. He finishes the book by stating his conviction that remorse represents a ‘compelling Christian emotion and ethic, and we neglect it at our peril. It is . . . one of “eternity’s emissaries” that leads to “purity of heart” and so to blessing and the way to “see God” (Mat 5:8),’ (p. 226). In this book Bash bravely takes on an assessment of an impressive array of contexts. Whilst possessing and demonstrating extensive expertise in his understanding of biblical text and Church history, Bash is not afraid to engage in critical dialogue with the less familiar (to him) territory of secular thinking in scientific and philosophical disciplines. Whilst not claiming to be an expert in the details of these, Bash provides an excellent summary of the relevant philosophical themes and trends sufficient to highlight both where there are helpful contributions to our understanding of remorse and where competing and conflicting theories make this impossible. Practical theology engages the modern world in dialogue with Christian perspectives in those (many) areas where we cannot simply turn to the Bible for an analogue of the modern world. In this book Bash demonstrates a strong ability in this dimension and has provided a welcome ‘fleshing out’ of our understanding of remorse based on Christian perspectives. Having forcefully argued the case that the ancient world, with its ethics of divinity and community, and the modern world, with its ethics of autonomy and community, lack a full understanding of remorse, it would be interesting to understand how Bash sees his Christian ethic of remorse working out in practice – influencing and shaping the modern landscape.