Mother Teresa's Crisis of Faith: a Grab Bag of Responses

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.

Al Mohler's response, “Trust Christ, Not Feelings,” is found here. See also his blog.

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."

Doubt: A Severe Mercy?

Today I read an interesting article in Time magazine online about a new book about the secret life of spiritual doubt in the life of Mother Teresa. The book is called Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light (Doubleday). The book contains letters Mother Teresa wrote over several decades to her confessors and spiritual advisors in which she admits to deep, almost paralyzing spiritual darkness. Fascinating. I haven't read the book, so I'm not endorsing it, but the article paints an endearing portrait of someone in deep spiritual pain.

The author of the article discusses possible causes. Was it because God isn't really there? (so the atheists claim) or was it because of some inability of Teresa to receive love? Or, was it a "severe mercy," something Teresa needed to keep her humble or to enable her to more closely understand Christ's sacrifice? The article is worth reading, and I think we should discuss the topic of doubt. Have you had doubts? Have you sensed that God was distant? Are there possible benefits that doubt can bring into our lives?