The response to the Time magazine article about Mother Teresa's crisis of faith has elicited responses from nearly every quarter. I've gathered links to a wide variety of perspectives, including Catholic - a seminary professor and a discussion list - Evangelicals - a seminary president and several prominent scholars and thinkers - a philosophy professor, a liberal Christian, two atheists, an editorialist, and even an essay on an Islamic website. Let's not forget the name of the book that is causing all the stir. Here's the bibliography: "Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light" (Doubleday: 2007), by Mother Teresa and Brian Kolodiejchuk (ISBN-10: 0385520379; ISBN-13: 978-0385520379). You can order it from Amazon.com.
I've checked all the links, so they should work. I'm still fascinated that so many people are fascinated with this story. Here's the list, with a few comments:
The original article in Time magazine, entitled "Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith," by David Van Biema, is found here.
Here's an essay in the conservative journal "First Things: The Journal of Religion, Culture, and Public Life." It is entitled “The Dark Night of Mother Teresa,” by Carol Zaleski.
I begin a list of responses by Evangelicals with one of the guys of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola: “Why Was Mother Teresa Sad?” by Fred Sanders.
Rick Phillips' response, “Mother Teresa’s Redemption,” is found here.
Chuck Colson responds with, "Suffering Servant: The Letters of Mother Teresa."
Rod Dreher, editorialist for Dallas Morning News, responds here.
NT/Jesus scholar Scot McKnight has a good discussion on his blog, "Jesus Creed." Here's the link.
Christian pastor/philosopher/professor Phil Steiger of Colorado Springs, CO, responds here.
Liberal Christian theologian Willis E. Elliot responds with an essay entitled, "Faith + Doubt = Progress."
Prominent atheist Christopher Hitchens offers criticism of Mother Teresa and the Roman Catholic Church with an essay entitled, "Teresa, Bright and Dark."
“Mother Teresa – The Scandal of her Faith,” by Dr. Anthony Lilles, Academic Dean, St. John Vianney Theological Seminary, Denver, CO, responds directly to Hitchens.
America's favorite "village atheist," Sam Harris, responds with an essay called “The Sacrifice of Reason."
I have three good discussion lists. First, Netscape. Then Catholic Answers Forum. And finally, Crosswalk had a good discussion, but now the link I had to it is dead. Try searching Crosswalk.
The interesting Islamic response is from Muslimmatters.org. Read the essay, with responses, "What to Make of Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith."
1 comment:
It's remarkable how certain individuals have decided they possess a comprehensive understanding of the workings of Mother Teresa's mind along with the full reality of her inner struggles. As if simple reading of letters and confessions are sufficient to understand the depth of a person's thought life.
I simply find it fascinating that such extensive obsession exists to the point where we can reference a writer as primarily an outspoken "Mother Teresa critic." It strikes me as a rather amusing claim of insight.
But, of course, boys will be boys, and "experts" will be "experts."
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