Friars' Bookshelf 367

God the Unknown. By Victor White, O.P. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1956. pp. viii, 205. $3.00. To foster interest and thought about contemporary theological problems, Fr. Victor White, author of God and the Unconscious, has gathered together thirteen essays which will serve to whet the readers' appetite for further reading of St. Thomas. Some of the selections have been previously published in various periodicals; others are appearing for the first time in print. The first grouping is a series of papers on the nature and method of Theology; a second group examines a few particular problems; finally there are three essays of an apologetic or ecumenical type. Though all the papers have a certain stimulating appeal, those on the "Prelude to the Five Ways" (the proofs for the existence of God) and on the "Atone ment" particularly pleased this reviewer. All the papers present a refreshing, thought-provoking approach to the questions under discussion. Throughout, one becomes aware that Father \i\Thite is truly a master of Theology, one thoroughly imbued with the thought of the Angelic Doctor. He at once mani fests a keen insight into theological principles and doctrines and a far-reaching familiarity with the tenets of modern Protestants, es pecially Karl Barth, as well as the teachings of Hinduism and other Eastern groups. At times Fr. White's thought becomes a bit com plex and involved, but the reader will be rewarded for penetrating to the core of the difficulty. Perhaps the most important point to be gleaned from the volume, besides renewed interest in modern thought, is the awareness that St. Thomas must be read in context and must not be too readily set aside in discussion of modern problems. God the Unk1·10wn is highly recommended to all serious theological readers. C.M.B. Contemporary European Philosophy. By I. M. Bochenski. Translated from the German by Donald Nicholl and Karl Aschenbrenner. Los Angeles, University of California Press, 1956. pp. 326, $5.00 I. M. Bochenski, a Polish Dominican priest and professor at the Catholic University of Fribourg, Switzerland is a mathematical 364 Dominicana logician of the first magnitude. Some years ago, he absented himself from his highly specialized studies to write on the more general theme of contemporary European philosophy. His book was immedi ately acclaimed for its accuracy, clarity and brevity ; soon it was translated into Spanish, French, Dutch, Japanese and now into English. Its appearance in this country is timely, for Father Bochen ski has recently completed a term as vi siting Professor at the Uni versity of Notre Dame. The book has seven chapters, an Appendix and an extensive Bibliography. The first chapter sketches in bold strokes the philo sophical currents of the 19th century and the first decades of this century. Contempory thought is then divided into six categories the Philosophies of Matter, Idea, Life, Essence, Existence and Be ing; a chapter is devoted to each division. Individual philosophers and schools are treated as subheadings under the appropriate chapter, e.g.. Bergson and Dilthey under Philosophy of Life, Dialectical Ma terialism under Matter, etc. All the important men and schools are here-Heidegger, Husser!, Russell and Whitehead; less familiar names also find a place-Croce, Hartmann, Alexander, etc. On the average, ten pages are devoted to each figure, indicating his approach, principal notions and contributions. Criticism offered is minimal but often penetrating. The Appendix presents an outline of Mathe matical Logic which alone would distinguish the work. The trans lators have nodded somewhat in the Bibliography; rarely have they indicated which of the foreign language books there suggested have appeared in English. All in all, it is an excellent introductory text. High praise should be accorded to the University of California Press for presenting a man of Bochenski's stature to an American reading public. It is hoped that translations of his other works more specialized but also more valuable studies-will soon appear. J.M.C. Scientific Humanism and Christian Thought. By D. Dubarle, O.P. Trans lated by Reginald Trevett. New York, Ph ilosophical Library, 1956. pp. vii , 119. $3.75. Giant strides have been made during the last decade in the physi cal sciences, as Father Dubarle, a French Dominican, brings out in Scientific Humanism and Christian Thottght. Especially in technol ogy, developments have reached the point where they are about to have a radical influence on ordinary human lives. Father Dubarle examines several of these developments in close detail. Advancements in nuclear physics, culminating at present in terribly destructive Friar's Bookshelf 365 weapons, may bring about a great industrial revolution when the power of the atom is economically harnessed. Almost incredible electronic calculating machines have had a profound effect on the new science of Cybernetics-the study of the functionings of the human brain-and can present men with knowledge in many areas hitherto inaccessible. The problem is the future of science and of humanity, affected by scientific progress. Father Dubarle envisages "disasters beyond the reach of our imagination," perhaps even the destruction of our civilization itself, as the possible eventualities if science is allowed to continue its mad rush unchecked by the reins of Christian reason. Because of the high stakes involved, there is an obligation on Christian thinkers to take up the problem before it gets out of hand. Scientific Htunanism and Christian Thought is a synthesis of five essays which were first delivered to European audiences between 1947 and 1952. To establish complete harmony between modern scientific advancements and Christian philosophy is a task requiring much more than 119 pages, though. Father Dubarle has not attempted an exhaustive study of this contemporarily important thesis but rather has limited himself to several thought-provoking aspects of the prob lem together with a hint of the direction the eventual solution must take. Care must be taken to avoid misinterpreting a few rather startling statements which, taken out of context, would indicate a false philosophical foundation from which to approach the problem. The rather high price might discourage many who would profit by reading and considering the ideas proposed in this small book. G.A.V. Hernan Cortes, Conqueror of Mexico. By Salvador de Madariaga. Chicago, Henry Regnery Co., 1955. pp. ix, 554. $6.50. The age of the Spanish Conquistadores has filled the pages of history with deeds of bravery and high adventure which are almost without equal. Salvador de Madariaga, Spanish historian, journalist and diplomat has captured the spirit of this age in his biography of the greatest Spanish captain of them all, Hernan Cortes, conqueror of the Aztec Empire of Mexico. With vivid and moving language he portrays all the phases of Cortes' dramatic life. He follows the young, penniless Cortes on his journey from Spain to the Indies in search of fortune and glory; he watches him rise to a position of honor and authority; he describes the webs of intrigue which sur rounded him, the plots launched against his dreams of conquering the 366 Dominicana mysterious empire high on the Mexican plateaus : he traces every detail of Cortes' famous march to the Aztec capital; and finally, he delineates the character of Cortes in victory and defeat. in success and disappointment. Few biographies are so vivid, so full of warmth, and so accurate in their portrayal of men and events. The value of this book however, does not rest on these points alone. Its chief merit is its effective reply to the almost four-hundred year old ~'Black Legend" of English historians. The most potent weapons Senor Madariaga uses in combatting the now almost tradi tional misrepresentation of Spain's role in the New World are scholarship and forthright objectivity. Thus he uses extensive pri mary sources, especially the eye-witness account of Bernal Diaz. He gives credit to Spanish achievements where credit is due, and with equal vigor he unhesitatingly censures instances of Spanish mis conduct. Added to this is his clear understanding of what the his torian's perspective must be in analyzing the events of the past. Cortes and his contemporaries are not examined according to the views and social conventions of the twentieth century, but in the light of their own times. This is true history. First published in 1942, Senor de Madariaga's work received immediate recognition. It is certain that this second edition will re ceive an even greater acclaim and appreciation among scholars and lovers of history. A.N. Catholic: Church Music. By Paul Hume. New York, Dodd, Mead & Company, 1956. pp. xiv, 259. $4.50. During the year of his recent illness Pope Pius XII issued just one encyclical letter: Musicae Sacme Disciplina. Not only was this document unique for the year 1955 but it had the added distinction of being the first encyclical in the Church's long history devoted specifically to this subject. As Paul Hume, able music critic for a leading Washington newspaper aptly remarks at the beginning of his excellent book, "the Church has a lot on its mind besides the problems of improving its music." And yet there is almost unprece dented ecclesiastical emphasis on this subject today. Music, of all the arts, "is most intimately associated with the liturgy," and should effectively counteract the modern tendency to regard religion merely as an aid to personality and successful living. The modern liturgical revival is actually helping to replace religion in its proper perspective as "the homage which mankind owes to Friars' Bookshelf 367 its Creator." But because of the exalted purpose of Church music "to increase the glory of the sacred rites" (Musicae Sacrae Disci plina)-it is necessary that the quality or "character" of this sacred music be of especially high caliber.

Load more