The Catholic Imagination Fifty Storytellers, Scientists, Philosophers, Theologians, Musicians, fi Lmmakers and Architects Who Are Shaping the Modern World
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THE INTERNATIONAL 1 DECEMBER 2018 £3.20 CATHOLIC WEEKLY THE www.thetablet.co.uk Est. 1840 TABLET The Catholic imagination Fifty storytellers, scientists, philosophers, theologians, musicians, fi lmmakers and architects who are shaping the modern world 01_Tablet01Dec18 Cover.indd 1 11/27/18 6:52 PM 02_Tablet01Dec18 Leaders.qxp_Tablet features spread 11/27/18 7:13 PM Page 2 THE INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY THE TABLET FOUNDED IN 1840 RELIGIOUS he failure to take the denial of religious deserving of protection; the discrimination and FREEDOM freedom seriously is a black mark against persecution the West cares most about, such as over Western secularism, which has repeatedly sexuality or race, concern attributes which are deemed failed to adjust its priorities in the face of an immutable. Yet of all the standard components of THE WEST Tincreasingly alarming reality. The groundbreaking ethnicity – such as race, language, culture and report by Aid to the Church in Need, Religious national identity – it is religious belief that often IS FAILING Freedom in the World 2018, identifies 38 countries – matters most to the individuals concerned, for it is including India and China – where intolerance of that which gives meaning to their lives. MINORITY religious minorities is severe enough to be described This failure may be what prompted the British as “persecution”. And the situation is steadily government’s cowardly reaction – largely attributed to FAITHFUL worsening in at least half of them. the prime minister in person – to the plight of Asia Often the culprits are governments, or official Bibi. A government official explained that she had not bodies acting on their behalf, responding to – and been offered political asylum in Britain on her release often fomenting for their own purposes – a rise in from prison in Pakistan, because of a fear of provoking extreme nationalism. They seek to exclude, and even social unrest – presumably among British Muslims of to demonise, members of minority faith communities Pakistani origin. There was no evidence for this, and on the grounds that they do not belong. Many such even if there was, the lack of principle behind such an countries rely heavily on trade with the West, and approach is breathtaking. often also on development aid amounting to many Does Britain no longer stand for anything in the billions of dollars. Yet the West has been happy to turn world? Asia Bibi is a Pakistani Catholic who had been a blind eye. In an effort to challenge this indifference, condemned to death for blasphemy, until the Supreme an international campaign has been launched to mark Court overturned her conviction as unsound. But there one day a year as Red Wednesday, red being the colour should not be such a law, nor should Britain befriend of martyrdom: this year, it was the Wednesday of the or assist any country that has one. It is sometimes week just gone. Rallies and processions were spuriously argued that if the West put more of its accompanied by the illumination in red of iconic weight behind the defence of persecuted Christians in public buildings and similar visible symbols, in the developing world, those Christians might be countries ranging from Philippines to Italy, Britain branded as Western agents. But that is no more than and Ireland included. an excuse for inaction. Britain does not need excuses. Western secularism has a blind spot which affects It needs strong political conviction leading to action. the way public institutions act. Religion is dismissed For freedom of religion, including freedom of as a matter of opinion, and therefore not regarded as conscience, lies at the root of all other freedoms. EU he increasing focus on Facebook – the scenario, under which the United Kingdom would WITHDRAWAL subject of hearings this week before an leave the EU with no alternative arrangements in international committee of inquiry in place at all. The EU has said the May deal is its final SECOND London – is beginning to overshadow the offer. The time limit under the Article 50 leaving debateT on Brexit. Substantial funds were spent on process is due to expire on March 29. Hence either pro-Brexit advertising through the Facebook platform this government or another one, or parliament itself, BREXIT prior to the 2016 referendum, some of which was will have to find a different way forward while asking alleged to be unlawful and some of which may have the EU to agree an extension of the deadline. And the REFERENDUM been financed from or by Russia. EU is unlikely to do so except to allow another To a degree this is water under the bridge, because referendum. TO BREAK the government has now negotiated a withdrawal It need not have happened like this. Given declared agreement which must stand or fall on its merits, Labour policy of reluctant support for Brexit, Mrs STALEMATE regardless of how it arose. But one way of May could have negotiated the withdrawal deal with guaranteeing for certain that the decision to leave cross-party consent. Even if the Democratic the EU is genuinely “the will of the people” is to ask Unionists – on whom she depends for her majority – the electorate to confirm its 2016 decision by did not like the outcome, Labour MPs would have another referendum, and to do so with far more care made up for the loss of their votes, as well as taken to avoid unlawful manipulation. A ban on all compensated for any mutiny by the more extreme Facebook advertising by either side should be an backbench Brexiteers. The second referendum essential condition. possibility would hardly have been mentioned, Even if the government refuses to countenance a whereas now it is heading to the top of the list of second referendum at this stage, parliament might available options. And a parliamentary consensus demand one. With the withdrawal agreement heading would mean that misgivings about the validity of the towards a “meaningful vote” in the House of first referendum would have remained marginal, Commons in less than two weeks, there is an whatever Facebook’s exact role turns out to have increasing prospect of a constitutional gridlock been. The papers seized from an American developing. It looks very likely that the deal that businessman last week by the Serjeant-at-Arms of Theresa May negotiated will be defeated. It looks no the House of Commons, on a Speaker’s Warrant, may less likely that parliament will block the “no deal” hold the key. 2 | THE TABLET | 1 DECEMBER 2018 03_Tablet01Dec18 Contents.qxp_Tablet features spread 11/27/18 7:07 PM Page 3 Are we starting our Christmas 00 11 celebrations too early, wonders Melanie McDonagh COLUMNS CONTENTS A R T S / PAG E 1 8 Visual arts 1 DECEMBER 2018 //VOL 272 NO. 9279 Female artists SPECIAL FEATURE: THE CATHOLIC IMAGINATION in Florence JOANNA MOORHEAD 4 / Fifty minds that matter Theatre Who are the living Catholics doing the most to change the way we imagine The Watsons; ourselves and see and understand the world? / BY TABLET STAFF Melanie Dealing with Clair FEATURES MARK LAWSON McDonagh’s Notebook 8 / Shakespeare’s secret history Cinema ‘Yes, boring His poems included a daring allegory lamenting the dissolution of Disobedience people, Christianity the monasteries / BY CLARE ASQUITH ANTHONY QUINN did itself co- 9 / Advent Meditation: And hope was made flesh opt the winter Television In the first of our reflections for Advent, we are reminded that our vision is only solstice, observed Death and possible because we sit on the shoulders of giants / BY THOMAS MCCARTHY OP by pagans’/ 11 Nightingales 10 / The new face of Michael Gove LUCY LETHBRIDGE Could the Pope’s ‘care for Creation’ encyclical be helping to stiffen the resolve of B O O K S / PAG E 2 1 the man charged by Theresa May with saving the planet? / BY JAMES ROBERTS Simon Scott 12 / The Tablet Interview: James O’Brien Plummer The Ampleforth-educated, outspoken radio host talks about the clerical abuse Gandhi: The Years scandal – and explains why he is holding on to his faith / BY PETER STANFORD that Changed the World 1914-1948 Peter Hennessy’s RAMACHANDRA The Lion and GUHA the Unicorn Penelope Lively ‘A seasoned Eternal Boy Westminster figure MATTHEW DENNISON sensed “there may be a gnu” Timothy Connor NEWS lurking in the Living with Commons’/ 14 24 / The Church in the World / News briefing Buildings and 25 / Francis plans centralised response to abuse Walking with REGULARS Ghosts From the Archive 15 27 / View from Rome IAIN SINCLAIR Puzzles 15 28 / News from Britain and Ireland / News briefing Christopher Bray Letters 16 29 / Violence against faith minorities escalating Middle England The Living Spirit 17 COVER PHOTO: ANGEL OF THE NORTH BY ANTONY GORMLEY; PIXABAY, LITTLERICH JONATHAN COE 1 DECEMBER 2018 | THE TABLET | 3 04-07_Tablet01Dec18 Fifty.qxp_Tablet features spread 11/28/18 2:21 PM Page 4 features / The Catholic Imagination Fifty minds that matter Who do you think is the living Catholic doing the most to change the way we imagine ourselves and understand the world? Here is our selection of 50 men and women who are making waves and recalibrating disciplines, and adding some Catholic salt to the contemporary cultural soup Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie n James Alison Horizonte, Brazil. He left the anthropologist and literary theorist Born 1977, Enugu, Nigeria. Born 1959, London. Priest and Dominicans in 1995 but remains René Girard. Alison is known for his Writer. theologian. a priest. firm but patient insistence on Adichie grew up in an Igbo In Faith Beyond Resentment: Alison lives in Madrid, but travels truthfulness in matters gay as an family in the university town of Fragments Catholic and Gay Alison the world as a speaker and ordinary part of basic Nsukka, in Enugu State.