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The Order of Things |
Author: Father James V. Schall
Published: 2007-10-31 |
List price: $16.95
Our price: $12.71
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As of: December 04th, 2008 02:58:15 PM
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Customer comments on this selection.
 really, though!
I thought the back-cover praises highly exaggerated. Then I read the book, and realized that it is quite impossible to write anything worse.
"A Book about. . .Well, Everything"
Father James V. Schall, Georgetown Professor and political theorist, has written a wonderful book. Tackling such topics as Divinity and the Godhead, the Cosmos, the human soul, and other topics, he presents his reflections and arguments in a simple, yet comprehensive and logical fashion. Yet, the genius of the book is not in the individual topics, but rather in the deft synthesis of ideas and concepts, in the intertwining, if you will, of these seemingly separate "orders" into a coherent whole.
The joy is in the reading. For an ostensibly dry subject, Father Schall manages to maintain a high level of reader interest throughout the 230+ pages. A well-formed index and selected bibliography provide the reader with additional source material should he or she wish to explore specific topics further. Without compromising intellectual integrity THE ORDER OF THINGS puts things simply and directly -- the hallmark of solid scholarship and human creativity.
A Veritable Smorgasbord of Unified Reflections on Order
Fr. Schall's text is quite a distillation of the central idea that there is an order to things and that this order is part of a unified whole when viewed from the foundational building blocks of the Godhead. I picked this text up because it seemed to providentially be placed in my path in several different locations in my local bookstore which I had visited only with the desire to find books to later purchase online more cheaply. I am glad that I picked this book up immediately.
Although it is merely 234 pages, "The Order of Things" is a dense, but approachable, read which takes on a panoply of considerations in order to see the overall direction of the Creator, His cosmos, and the parts therein (particularly man). It is difficult to lay out the fullness of Schall's presentation in a short review since he pulls from many philosophical, theological, and cultural sources to address and consider a great variety of topics related to order. However, in short, it can be said to be an arrow which strikes the heart, having passed through the Godhead into the world and then into humanity. Schall's considerations are centered on that order which is the dynamic ordering of love in the Trinity, even if that is only implicit in much of the text. His exposition of order (and its contrast to disorder) is not one of a static nature but one which draws its unity from the initial consideration of the Triune God.
This is a book that one can revisit many times (and I intend to do such over time). I highly recommend it as a veritable smorgasbord which touches the depths of the soul.
Not Just A Book But A Meditation On Order
Like the previous reviewer, I am a fan of Fr. Schall. He is the wise type of professor I always enjoyed but rarely found. This book is not an easy read, but it certainly is well worth reading because of its wisdom encompassing subjects ranging from political philosophy to aesthetics, in terms of both faith and reason. Fr. Schall is equally comfortable quoting both Plato and Peanuts and many of the great minds of the Western tradition to show that reality has an objective order that is divinely ordained. This order begins with God and extends to creation and all its aspects-angels, humans, plants and matter, law, ethics, science, knowledge, beauty, etc. The ascent of the order leads to God via the mind knowing and contemplating truth, goodness and beauty in all their varying aspects of being. The book is also a profound meditation of philosophical anthropology discussing the human being in all his relationships-self, others, city and state, good and evil-to explain how goodness and love enhance the order of reality while evil alienates and creates disorder. Ultimately, he shows that that both the material and immaterial orders of realty point to God's love for humans and that our ultimate destiny and happiness is the origin of all order, God himself.
Challenging, thought provoking, and relevant
First, full disclosure: I have long been a fan of Reverend Schall.
This ambitious book, in under 250 pages, tackles many of the biggest questions surrounding our existence and our obligations. In a time of atheist chic, Rev. Schall takes a serious look at why things are the way they are. He weaves together many classic ideas from Plato to Aquinas to Tolkien and Lewis. And, his writing is accessible to someone without a philosophy degree, but merely a deep curiosity about existence and reality.
Counterintuitively, the author starts with the macro perspective -- The Orderly and Divine -rather than starting, like Lewis' "Mere Christianity" at the personal level. As his focus narrows, the higher-order ideas and lessons wrap neatly around the more personal.
An absolutely delightful read. The material is not easy, but is presented in clear and enjoyable prose. The greatest challenge, however, is less in the understanding of Rev. Schall's points than in the acceptance of them in one's life.
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