Australian Religion Studies Review 77 Book Reviews Reviews Editor: Victor Hayes

Sati: Historical and Phenomenological 127). However, Daly doesn't appear in the Essays. Indexes to Sharma's book, or in the 150 Sharma, Arvind, (with Ajit Ray, Alaka item bibliography (though Eric Sharpe Hejib and Katherine Young) does, if he can recognise his first rtame on (Foreword by M. N. Srinivas) Delhi: p. 119). And, while Mayo is mentioned in Motilal Banarsidass, 1988. xvii + 129 pp. tile Bibliography and in two obscure Rs. 75 Cloth ISBN 81 208 0464 3. Rs. 45 (second hand?) footnotes (n. 79 and n. 87), Paper ISBN 81208 05615, her significance is kept obscure. Ajit Ray's contribution, however, sees sati as a local The word Sati ('suttee' is an development of a wider ancient custom Anglicization of the Sanskrit) refers both to behind which may be discernable "the the Hindu woman, just widowed, who is jealousy of men over women". (p. 56. Cf. being consumed alive on the funeral pyre pp. xi,59f) of her husband and to the rite itself, the act Arvind Sharma has a strange liking for of so-called "self-immolation" (pp. xv, 75). little essays of two or three pages. Hence The word 'Suttee', Sharma tells us, came his nine assorted "chapters" take up only into use in 1787 and has the same double 50 pages ( about one-third of the total reference as Sati. The complexity of the number). His first chapter, however, is subject is well grasped from an inspection more substantial, as are two essays by Ajit of the eighty entries under 'Suttee' in the Ray, and one by Alaka Hejib and index. Katherine Young. There is also a Foreword One doesn't have to be a scholar of by N. M. Srinivas and 30 pages of Hindu tradition to imagine the horror of Endnotes (363 of them!). Some of the concremation. For most of us, each one of Endnotes deserve inclusion in the text, but the untold thousands of women who were some of the "chapters" (eg 5 and 7) are burned alive is a mind-numbing witness to brief and inconsequential enough to have the power of ideology. A man, need it be been Endnotes. The book does lack a said, was not required to climb onto his coherence and organisation that would deceased wife's funeral pyre, place his normally be provided by single­ dead wife's head on his lap and be burned authorship, but Sharma tries to make a alive. It was life and re-marriage for men. virtue of "repetition". He says it's (Cf. n. 113) "inevitable" and even "desirable". It isn't. Many Westerners will have read Mary To read all the essays is to find answers Daly's moving and fighting account of to most of our spontaneous questions, eg, Suttee as one of the major expressions of Why did (how could) the widow do it? "the Sado-Ritual Syndrome" (see her Gyn/ How could family and friends have gone ecology, 1978, pp.l07-133) .. Daly is strongly along with it? Who should have the credit influenced by Katherine Mayo's powerful for the abolition of the rite? How did the Mother India (1927); and mentions some of custom arise? and what's really behind it the controversy it provoked (Gyn/ecology p. anyway? 78 Volume Two, Number 2

In chapter 1 Sharma looks at Western Sharma, when sati came to be used as a reactions to sati going right back to Gree~ moral justification for Indians to submit to accounts of the spectacle in the 4th century British Raj. The argument ran: Horrid rites OC. Some Greeks were moved to pity, like sati prevailed in India. These were some to exuberant praise, while others stamped out by the British. If the British described the custom as savage and .. " were npw to leave India, there would be a inhumane. Such Western reactions..; a 'mix" relap~:irttobarbarism. It was in the British of admiration and condemnation - interest then to "sensationalise" sati and continued down into the 19th century, to "monopolise the credit" for having the events that lead up to abolition. (pp. 6- abolished it, playing down any role that 10) Hindu scholastic opinion and Hindu In the 19th century, the depth of feeling government had taken against sati. (p. 10£) and incomprehension among many The missionaries get their due from Ajit missionaries was extreme. William Carey, Ray in chapter 10. He credits them with for example, tried to stop a burning in "keeping the issue alive in the conscience 1799. When all his arguments failed, an of the people in both India and Britain", utterly frustrated Cary exclaimed to the , and "helping indirectly to organise that priests that it was "shocking murder". The Hindu response for abolition which played priests replied that it was "a great act of an important part in the termination of the holiness". (58) Soon after, Joshua rite". (p. 64). Srinivas, however, thinks the Marshman anguished: ''1'0 have seen role of the missionaries was equivocal. savage wolves thus tearing a human body, They may have been moved by limb from limb, would have been compassion for the victims of sati but they shocking; but to see relations and also wanted to show that Christianity was neighbours do this to one with whom they superior to Hinduism and he~d the had familiarly conversed not an hour solution to the many social ill~pf the before, and to do it with an air of levity, Hindus. (ix) was almost too much for me to bear". (p. The indigenous attitudes toward sati are 600 dealt with in chapter 2, which points It may seem somewhat perverse to briefly to "a fairly persistent tradition" of worry abut who should get the credit for indigenous protest against sati; in chapter the abolition of sati. The book recognises, 6, which examines the scriptural evidence of course, Lord Bentinck's action in 1829, that could be adduced in defence of sati; but it also makes out a case for Rammohun and in chapter 4, which argues that by the Roy (chapters 9 and 11), for the mid seventeenth century the role of the / missionaries (chapter 10); and for the Brahmans had changed f~om that of indigenous tradition (in various chapters). dissuasion from the commitment of sati to Clearly the British jurisdiction had a that of persuasion and perpetration! Of problem: to be in favour of religious Sharma's other contributions, chapter 3 is a toleration seemed to leave them effectively rather contrived statement that admiration condoning murder and suicide. (p. 51). But and condemnation towards sati cross having chosen to abolish sati, says Srinivas, cultural lines, and "Chapters" 5 and 7, they "hogged" the credit, which "annoyed each two-pages long, probably should - and continues to annoy - many Indians". have been footnotes. (x) (Srinivas points out that "the Tantrics Still on the question of indigenous denounced sati in strong terms; Akbar and attitudes, Ray points out that Bentinck's some Maratha chiefs fought against it; and action was supported by a strong native Albuquerque abolished it in Goa in 1510". ; response ("sweeping over the country") in (x» favor of abolition (p. 55). But he shows also A new twist occurred after 1857, says that in the first half of the 19th century Australian Religion Studies Review 79

there were not only opponents but Religions and Comparative Thought: advocates of sati and, in addition, a great Essays in Honor of the Late Dr. Ian "silent majority" of the uncommitted. This Kesarcodi-Watson silent majority was "indifferent" to the Edited by Purusottama Bilimoria and Peter arguments of the opponents of sati because Fenner. Sri Satguru Publications, Delhi: of an insensibility which comes form 1988, xxiv, 459 pages, IRs 285. "witnessing from your youth the voluntary burning of women among your On the 12th of May, 1984 Ian Kesarcodi­ elder relatives, your neighbours and the Watson, who had been teaching in the inhabitants of the surrounding villages, Department of Philosophy at La Trobe and by observing the indifference at the University since 1974, died at the age of 45. time when the women are writhing under In remembrance of him a group of 28 of his the torture of the flames". (p. 54, quoting friends and colleagues have contributed Rammohun Roy; d. p. 65) articles which have been edited and On the other hand, public indifference to published by Purusottama Bilimoria and the arguments of the advocates of sati was Peter Fenner in a volume entitled Religions due, il! Ray's view, to "the impact of the 'and Comparative Thought. liberal tradition of medieval India - that of As is appropriate for a scholar with very Ramananda, Kabir, Dadu and Nanak - broad interests in the fields of Indian which questioned the validity of studies, philosophy and comparative meaningless ceremonialism in religion and religion, the book contains articles denounced the autocracy of the priests". covering a wide range of topics. There are, (p.54) for exampled, comparative discussions of In the final chapter, Hejib and Young Indian and non-Indian religious traditions adopt a phenomenological approach, like N. Smart's liThe Convergence of exploring sati in its religious setting. It's Religions" (pp. 247-256) and M.J. the most absorbing paper in the collection. Charlesworth's II Australian Aboriginal The authors realise that this approach Religion in a Comparative Context" (pp. could place them in an invidious position 257-263) as well as essays in philosophy, by creating the impression that they ar~ some comparative like J.L. Shaw's trying to justify the custom when today's IISingular Existential Sentences: humanistic values and feminist Contemporary Philosophy and the Nyaya" , perspectives arouse only strong feelings of (pp. 211-240) and some wholly within one condemnation. But, as the authors put it, school of thought like liOn the Concept of they want "to understand what was Hindu Vastu in the Vaisnava-sahajiya Tradition of aboutsati, for stripped of the adjective Medieval Bengal" by G.A. Hayes (pp. 141- Hindu, sati was nothing but a suicidal act 149). or homicide". (74). This last chapter makes Others, like P.M. McKibbin's ''The Shanna's whole book important reading. Personalities of Prakrti - Keys to a Feminist Predicament" (pp. 265-284) and P. Fenner's - Victor C Hayes, II A Therapeutic Contextualisation of South Australian College: Sturt Campus Buddhist Madhyarnika Consequential Analysis" (pp. 319-351), examine Indian concepts in the light of contemporary secular issues. Still others, such as IIUnravelling the meanings of Life?" (pp. 407-459) by R. Sylvan and N. Griffin are more difficult to categorise but not less interesting for that. Organising such a varied wealth of 80 Volume Two, Number 2 material was clearly a problem for the Krsnacarya, who underwent a spiritual editors in that they could have ordered the change while retaining his arrogant articles according to several different areas personality, to explore the way in which of interest. They have chosen to group the the hagiography of a religious tradition articles under three headings: Eastern must be viewed as far as possible from the Philosophy and Religions, Cross-Cultural' inside i,f it is to be accurately understood. Studies in Philosophy and Religi9n and M.D. Mclean's "Ramakrishna: the General Philosophy and Religion. Such an Greatest of the Saktas of Bengal?" (pp. 151- arrangement is reasonable though it does 172) looks at the Bengali mystic have the effect of leaving some articles Ramakrishna in relation to the Vedanta of separated that might have better been his follower Vivekananda and the Sakta placed together. For example, the three devotionalism of his eighteenth century articles on the Bhagavadgita, G.M~&iley's precursor, the poet Ramprasad Sen. " An Essay on the Bhagavadgita as an Finally, there is "The Purpose and Impediment to the Understanding of Christology of the Fourth Gospel" (pp. Hinduism" (pp. 113-122), E.J. Sharpe's 387-406) by J. Painter, an interesting "The Bhagavad Gita and the West" (pp. examination of the doctrines of the Son of 289-292) and "On Not Having Regards for Man, the Son of God and the logos as set Fruits: Kant and the Gita" (pp. 353-367) by forth by John. P.A.E. Hutchings and P. Bilimoria, are Religions and Comparative Thought is bot~ placed some distance from each other with a valuable collection of articles on religion\ one under the first of the headings and the and philosophy and a worthy tribute to a other two under the second. man of learning and passion. Since there would not be space in a review for a discussion of each of such a -R.K. Barz, large number of artiCles, attention will Australian National University unfortunately have to be confined to the salient points of a few of them in order to give an idea of the character of the collection as a whole. In his Introduction Aboriginal Australians and Christian (pp. ix-xiii) to the volume, G. Bailey Missions: Ethnographic and Historical provides a moving and intimate view of Studies. Ian Kesarcodi-Watson's career and work. Swain, Tony and Deborah Bird Rose P. Masefield's "The Origin and (editors) Development of the Preta in Early Adelaide, Australian Association for the Buddhism" (pp.47-69) 'is a careful and Study of Religions, 1988. 500 Pages $29.9 fascinating descripHon of the relationship . (order from SA Government Printer, 282 of Vedic ideas of sacrifice to the plight, Richmond Road, Netley SA 5037 according to two Pali texts of the spirit, or peta of the deceased individual who has At last, a wide-ranging collection of been remiss in his or her almsgiving. studies on Christian missions in "Buddhist Thought Reflected in East Asian Aboriginal Australia! Christian missions Landscape Art" (pp. 71-86) by L.R. Oates were at the forefront of change and their outlines the blending of ideas from Indian impact has been enormous but far from Buddhism, Taoism and Shinto in the uniform; they have been hailed as saviours formation of Zen aesthetics as seen in of the Aboriginal people and denigrated as landscape gardening and ·the tea agents destructive of Aboriginal culture. ceremony. D.R. Templeman's study of Whilst undoubtedly both views may be Buddhist Tantric hagiography (pp. 87-1(0) correct, a systematic coverage of the issues uses examples like the biography of is long overdue and the editors must be Australian Religion Studies Review 81

congratulated for bringing together such a central to the theme of the book. diverse range of studies. There are thirty An overview of the whole complex three contributions in this volume. Who subject is given by Burridge who places the would have thought there were so many book into a clear perspective. "As with any studies of Aboriginal missions and yet, other faith, from a cultural point of view even so, whole areas of the topic have been Christianity seems to offer poisons with its omitted. nectar" (p 29). This is because The volume is organised in four parts "missionaries brought to Aborigines not and, given the diversity of the subject, it is just a foreign faith which might have been not surprising to find that some sections fit as acceptable to them as to anyone else but together better than others. Nevertheless a faith in foreign cultural wrappings" (p the organization into sections has made 24). quite surprising sense of the material and The third contribution is a refreshing, co-ordinated it into manageable groups. personal look at a Catholic mission in the The first section entitJed Perspectives: Kimberley region by Alroe who describes Comparative, Philosophical and Reflective himself somewhat proudly as a "failed offers a broad overview of the role of missionary". He introduces at this early Christianity as "the hand-maiden of stage in the book the two sides of the Europeanization" (p 53). missionary-Aboriginal equation, namely The editors say in their introduction that that Aborigines depended upon the two assumptions underlie the book and missionaries but equally true is the fact form the organizing principles around that missionaries depended upon the which the collection is based. One is that Aborigines. "Strehlow suggested that Christian missions "had an immense traditional Aboriginal communities impact on the lives of Aboriginal peoples survived because of the missionaries. I in Australia" (p 1) and secondly that think his paradox may need reversing. The Aborigines "responded to the mission Kimberley missionaries were, and are, presence in a coherent, reasoned and very aqaptable parasites that depended on intelligent manner" (p 2). the survival of their host for their The first section is intended to be a more continued existence" (p 41). removed and philosophical approach than The government welfare cult has now that taken by the specific studies which replaced the missionaries but even more so follow. Although the editors had intended in clear biological rationality, it depends that this section would stand back and be upon the continued poverty and able to "highlight the diversity of opinion" powerlessness of Aborigines for its (p 5), it in fact largely describes the failure existence. The Berndt team provides, as of Christian missions in theological terms usual, a study of considerable depth and their success as the bearers, indeed drawn on long years of intensive field initiators, of cultural change. work. They show qow mission aims The volume commences very fittingly remained constant even across quite wide withan Elegy in Yir Yoront by Jack Bruno, sectarian differences. 'The basic intention a senior Aboriginal man who lived much was to change thesocio":cultural systems of his life at. the Mitchell River Mission in and the individual lives of the people with northern Queensland. In this study of whqm they worked" (p45). religious change it places very clearly the The last cOlltribu tioll iIi this overview importance of Aboriginal religion. "The section is by Tonkinson who ~I'aws on his Ancestors set down the world as it is" (p field work at Jigalofig;to refled on the all 13). Unfortunately it is one of only two pervasi\>-e f()le 'of ~ssiOilarie$ as agents of Aboriginal contributions and it comes first change irrespective of wh?';the in~ividuals by way of background rather than being might be. But he 'shows that such a .view 82 Volume Two, Number 2

by itself is an inadequate model of change. attempted patronage by the missionaries Thus he raises the two way process of and selective acceptance by the c;hange in which Aboriginal people Aborigines" (p 319). attempt to develop an "empowering The final paper in this section by Bell symbiosis" (p 71). returns to the more general discussion and Part II is a substantial contribution as such is not well located in this case covering the history of nine different study section but nevertheless makes good .missions. As such it provides a very good critical reading. coverage on a case study basis of mission The last section contains some very history in Australia. The historical interesting material and should not be perspective suggests that early ignored because it comes at the end of a missionaries were much less tolerant of long book. I thoroughly recommend use of \ Aboriginal cultural and religious views the book as a reference source and than those who followed later. therefore it is not necessary to read it all The diversity of viewpoint as well as through at once. This last section . region makes this section a comprehensive commences with some of those wonderful study of the historical perspective. In Captain Cook stories which abound in Tasmania, Plomley says, "Christianity had Northern Australia. This is the second of entirely failed them" (p 99). Green on the two Aboriginal contributions to the book other hand describes certain missionaries and as such offers a refreshing and as the only people putting out a loud "cry different perspective. But something of this for justice and equality" (p 172). He other view is also glimpsed in Deborah describes the work of people he calls Bird Rose's chapter entitled Jesus and the "exceptional protestant missionaries in Dingo. Western Australia" (p 156). Stockton This section sums up the varied patterns evaluates the outstanding commitment of of social change that occurred as a result of some "maverick" catholic missionaries missionary enterprise amongst Aboriginal who were largely deserted by their church. people in a myriad of settings. "They were driven by a passionate zeal for Overall the book spells out clearly that a people" and "often lacked the church change was far from uni-directional and support they deserved" (p 209). The article that the Aboriginal role in that change is by Edwards and Clarke is a very good seldom ·appreciated. The editors recognize source of reference on Uniting Church that there are noticeable gaps even in such missions across Australia looking at both a comprehensive collection. Unfortunately the problems and the .perceived successes. the Aboriginal view, so essential for a Part III also cont(}ins nine contributions balanced appreciation, is miniscule and and clearly it is impossible to comment on there is virtually nothing on religious roles all of them. These are detailed case studies of Aboriginal women. Maybe a second of particular missionaries placed in some volume will address these issues? kind of social context. The division between Parts II and III is not at all clear -Fay Gale since all contributiQns in these two sections Professor of Anthropology are descriptions of individual missions and and Pro-Vice-Chancellor missionaries and none can be appreciated The University of Adelaide outside the social environment in which they were acting. Willis makes a very important contextual point when he says that the exchange between missionaries and Aborigines "took place within the.context of Australian Religion Studies Review 83

The World's Religions . have bothered to footnote their chapters, Sutherland, Stuart, et aI, eds. and works cited in chapters are not listed Boston, Mass. in the suggested further readings. The G.K. Hall and Company, 1988. xiv + 995 index, while lengthy, is not overly pp. US $75.00 cloth ISBN 0-8161-8978-1. ambitious and omits a number of topics and cross references that would assist the . Quite simply, "the aim of this book is to enquirer. offer a survey of the world's religions" (p This is not to say that the work is 3). To achieve this the editors, all from unredeemable. In fact it provides a great King's College London, have compiled a deal of useful information that cannot be fifty-eight chapter handbook of nearly 1000 found in any other single volume. Worth pages. The chapters are gathered into six special mention are the chapters on parts; religion and the study of religions traditional and new religions that tend to (four chapters), Judaism and Christianity be overlooked in such compendia; equally (fourteen chapters), Islam (thirteen valuable are the discussions of generally chapters), Asian religions (thirteen neglected segments of mainstream chapters), traditional religions (eight religions - Chinese and Indian Christians, chapters) and new religions (six chapters). North American and Chinese Muslims, etc. Clearly the volume is, if nothing else, What the collection lacks in overall encyclopaedic in coverage. reference apparatus and editorial direction Each part except the first opens with an is offset by its unpretentious and introductory chapter by the section editor straightforward approach to the various - absolutely essential given the rather religions. The general introduction does nondescript general introduction by not clearly specify the intended audience, Sutherland. The parts then consist. of a but the tone and content of individual series of geographically, temporally or chapters suggest that upper secondary, topically specific chapters as appropriate; large public and basic undergraduate thus Part 5 on traditional religions has library collections might want to find room chapters on Shamanism, Australian for The World's Religions on their shelves. aboriginal religion, Melanesian religions, Maori religion, African traditional religion, -C.E. Connan North American traditional religion and Charles Sturt University Latin American traditional religion. Each chapter is by a different, usually British, specialist - although the ubiquitous Peter Clarke is responsible for Australian Religious Studies: A ten per cent of them. The rather Bibliography of Post-graduate Theses nondirective editorial policy is reflected in 1922-1986 (Sydney): the wide variety of styles and approaches Bentley, Peter, compo and ed. used in these chapters. Some are National Catholic Research Council, 1988, exemplary for their clarity, precision and vii + 100 pp. A$6.50 pap. ISBN 0-949347- unpretentious style. (eg, Frend on early 02-7 (available from ACBC Secretariat, Christianity), while others (e.g., GPO Box 368, Canberra 2601). Barrington-Ward on modern Christianity) are frustrating in their failure to present a This bibliography lists 661 theses and full picture of their topics. Most of the dissertations presented at fifty-two tertiary chapters include all. too brief suggestions institutions (twenty-nine of them for further reading, many of which overseas). To be eligible for inclusion these overlook key works (e;g., no Buber in the research presentations "must contain an modem Judaism chap~er). Few a1,lthors \ aspect of religion with an Australian 84 Volume Two, Number 2

component or orientation". Religion, says subjects in the contents page, which makes Bentley is "broadley defined and includes it more than likely that one will overlook not only Church based studies but studies potentially useful subject areas. of other religions and works about the Any library supporting postgraduate . contents and nature of religious beliefs and research in religion or theology will want attitudes." (p 11). this initial guide to Australian research Thus, masters degrees of many kinds degrees in these areas. Perhaps it can be (including a "Master of the Built updated with regular supplements in an Environment" - which sounds like a appropriate journal pending a revised creature from Raidersof the Lost Ark), edition. doctorates in all shapes and sizes (including research for the Doctor of - G.E. Gorman Ministry (D Min) which Some years ago Charles Sturt University replaced the BD) and even something called a ''finline Thesis" all come under Bentley's scrutiny. While all this sounds most impressive A Scholar's Guide to Academic Joumals one wonders why Bentley should concede in Religion that "it is quite possible that some theses Dawsey, James M. have been inadvertently excluded from ATLA Bibliography Series, 23 Metuchen, this bibliography", when even a cursory N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1988. ~iii + 290 pp. online search of Dissertation Abstracts US$32.50 cloth ISBN 0-8108-2135-4 Interntltiontll would show a number of (available from James Bennett Library overseas theses and dissertations with Services). Australian content that have been omitted. Still, the compilation is a good start and This timely and useful guide to 530 one hopes that some appropriate body journals that publish articles in religion (AASR or ANZTLA perhaps) will fill the and theology is based on a questionnaire void left by the NCRC's demise. survey of the journals' editors, with Following the Introduction (which says additional information taken from the nothing about the choice of 1922 as a journals themselves and from Ulrich's. starting point), Acknowledgements and Nowhere does .Dawsey indicate his criteria Abbreviations, the bibliography is for inclusion, and it is painfully apparent arranged under fifteen broad subject that Australia and New Zealand figure categories (eg, "aboriginal ~tudies", only peripherally, with no mention of "Jewish studies", "ministry in the church") Compass, ARSR, ANZTLA Newsletter, . which are further divided as appropriate Phronema, etc. (fourteen subdivisions under "education", That negative note aside, this _for example). Each entry consists of entry compilation does provide excellent number, researcher, title, degree, date, guidance to those journals that are listed, awarding institution - all one needs to although, inevitably, editors' names may know. Brief abstracts or keywords would not be quite current. The journals are have been useful in the case of such titles arranged in thirty-three subject areas (e.g. as "Attitudes toward authority among "ethics and religion", "sacred music", tertiary students in South Australia", "religion in Africa"), and each of these which appears under "other" in the sections concludes with cross references to sociology of -religion section. An author titles in other sections which provide some index concludes the work. The only major coverage of the subject. This is a organizational complaint is that the subject particularly useful feature, as perhaps fifty subdivisions are not listed with the main percent of religious studies serials are Australian Religion Studies Review 85

multi-subject in focus and fit neatly into no Introduction to the New Testament single subject category. My own preference Koester, Helmut would have been for a single alphabetical 2 Vols. Berlin: Walter De Gruyter and listing of titles and a detailed subject index. Company, 1987. Price not reported, pap. The existing index of journal titles leads ISBN Q-:89925-351-2 (vol. 1) ISBN 0-89925- only to the numbered main entries and not 352-0 (vol. 2) also to the cross references, which is somewhat limiting. First published in German in 1980, the Ea€h of the main entries provides, when two volumes in. this paperback English known, the following information: title, edition are titled History, Culture and editor, editorial address, subscription Religion of the Hellenistic Age (vol. 1) and information (but not subscription address), History and Literature of Early Christianity subject focus, audience, submission (vol. 2). They have been translate4 by the requirements and &:lection process, where author, correcting errors and omissions indexed. Accompanying the main listing noted in Plumacher's detailed review of and description of jo~rnals is a list of the German edition in Gottingische Gelehrte abbreviations, compiler's introduction (but Anzeigen 233 (1981): 1-22. no sample entry), three quite vapid As one might expect of Koester, an contributions on writing and getting eminent student of Bultmann, his two published (pp. xvi-xxiii), an appendix of volumes are a monument to the historical­ style manuals and the journal index. critical method in the sense that they Especially for the "new chum", Dawsey unfailingly place early Christian literature has provide excellent guidance on what within its proper context of the history of journals publish and their evaluation , religions. This is clearly implied in the criteria. This should improve one's chance work's stated purpose: "my primary of getting published, which is a main concern is to present the history of the intention of the work. But even veterans early Christian churches, since it seems to will find this useful as a remin.der of long me that the student of the New Testament forgotten, or perhaps even never must learn from the outset to understand considered, journals from around the the writings of the earliest period within world and reflecting a wide range of their proper historical context" (p. xix). To religious traditions. Still, the main achieve this Volume 1 discusses the drawback-is the limited number of entries Hellenistic age under six headings: in the face of an ever increasing body of historical survey (5 chapters); society and serial publications. Accordingly, one economics (7 chapters); education, strongly encourages both publisher and language and literature (4 chapters); compiler to consider a major expansion in philosophy and religion (4 chapters);. a. subsequent edition, with' revisions Judaism in the Hellenistic period (3 published quinquennially. chapters); the Roman Empire and One lovely typographical error cannot Hellenism (6 chapters). Volume 2, again in pass without comment: St. Mark's six parts,covers sources for the history of Canberra 'appears as"St. Mark's Carttena" early Christianity;(4 chapters); from John - a subconscious reflection on the banana ' the Baptist to the early church (3 chapters); theology propagated by St. 'Mark'sRevietv? Paul (4 chapters); Palestine and Syria (5 chapters); Egypt (3 chapters); Asia Minor, - C. E. Gorman Greece and Rome (3 chapters). Cha~tes Sturt Urii~ersity , Eachchapter'is'extremely readable and presented in straightforward, uncluttered language; both features are generally not found in theological works translated from 86 Volume Two, Number 2

German, as students are well aware. The Oxford Movement and Its Leaders: A Footnotes are not provided, which will Bibliography of Secondary and Lesser frustrate some, but there are bibliographies Primary Sources. with each chapter and chapter section. Crumb, Lawrence M. These bibliographies have been updated A TLA Bibliography Series, 24. Metuchen, and revised somewhat to suit the needs of N.J.: American Theological Library anglophone readers. In addition a list of Association and Scarecrow Press, 1988. often cited titles appears at the end of the xxviii + 706pp. US$62.50 cloth ISBN 0- work, along with a glossary and indexes of 8108-2141-9 early Christian writings, subjects and authors. All of this endmatter, along with Appropriately, the compiler trained for the preliminary Preface, Introduction and . the priesthood at Nashotah House, list of abbreviations, is identical in the two America's one strong educational link with volumes. Only the contents pages differ, the Anglo-Catholicism that emerged from when in fact the entire list of contents the Oxford Movement (OM) that is the could well have appeared in both volumes. subject of this extensive· bibliography. To appeal further to students there are a Crumb clearly has a passionate love affair number of charts, maps and half-tone with the OM and all that it represents- for illustrations scattered through the text, only such passion could sustain one although these are largely unremarkable. during the long hours needed to collect, What stands out most clearly in this analyze and organize the information that commendable text is its comprehensive constitutes the core of this 5688 item treatment of early Christian: literature bibliography. (both canonical and non-canonical) in In the bibliography Fr Crumb lists books, chronological sequence. This is perhaps pamphlets, chapters, articles, theses, most strikingly visible in Chapter 7, manuscripts, microforms and tape "Sources for the History of Early recordings related to the OM. Major Christianity"; as any weary biblical studies primary sources have been excluded, but lecturer knows, nothing is more likely to coverage of secondary materials published put students to sleep than discussion of the between 1829 and 1987 is as New Testament canon, textual and form comprehensive as possible. A Preface criticism, etc. Yet Koester manages to outlines the scope, a~angement and convey the essential information in a content of the work; an Introduction, manner that is both refreshing and though a bit sophomoric, gives a useful accurate. Furthermore, h~,is quite free of summary of OM for those who know little any discernablebias, ~~~owing students to about it. This is supplemepted by a reach decisions for themselves about chronology and 'lineage' of the OM. A list interpretive matters. Accordingly, of abbreviations concludes the frontmatter, Introduction to the New Testament is and two appendices (''Bibliographic recommended without reservation as an ghosts" and 197 editions of and, ideal text for advanced undergraduates, commentaries on Newman's Apologia plus for better theological students and for any three indices (of authors, periodical titles library requiring a solid reference and subjects) follow the bibliography. handbook on the New Testament and its Entries in the bibliography (pp 1-552) are milieu. arranged chronologically to provide a history of the Movement; Crumb himself -G. E. Gorman must describe the further arrangement Charles Sturt University with years. "Entries are arranged as follows: first, books and other separately­ published items, arranged by author; next, Australian Religion Studies Review 87

chapters in books (including articles in Reforming Religious Education. The encyclopaedias), arranged by editor (or, in Religious Clauses ,of the 1988 Education some cases, by title); finally, articles in Reform Act. periodicals, arranged by periodical title" (p Cox, Edwin and Josephine M. Cairns, xi). Truly! In the last category, periodicals, The Bedford Way Series. London: Kogan Crumb has followed an absolutely Page (in association with The Institute of diabolical practice of citing the journal title Education, University of London), 1989 ix only in the first entry, then using "same" + 101 pages. Nine pounds, paper, ISBN 1 for all succeeding entries from the same 85091 898 8. (Available from Kogan Page, journal. In at least one instance this results 120 Pentonville Rd,London Nl 9BR.) in forty entries (5034-5075) from the same journal; imagine ,how it feels to go back Britain today is Christian, Post-Christian, through an endless litany of "same"! This Multi-faith and Secular. All of these at is one of the bibliographically most inept once! A recent visit to several centres and compilations it has been my misfortune to conferences in England brought home to review, and the ATLA should feel quite me the problems and opportunities schools ashamed for having the title in its are having with respect to the legal otherwise commendable series. obligation to teach RE and provide daily One questions this choice of Collective Worship. arrangement, surely users would find it far The new book by Edwin Cox (Emeritus more acceptable to search through Reader at the Institute of Education, alphabetical author entries within years. University of London) and Josephine Equally unfriendly is the lack of running Cairns (lecturer in charge of RE courses at heads and a failure to introduce any the Institute of Education) is a concise and variations in the typeface used to produce eminently readable account of the state of the camera-ready copy. Despite these play. The subject will be covered more numerous shortcomings the compilation fully in a future Review, but for the has some positive features aside from its moment this brief note. thorough coverage. In particular Crumb The Cox and Cairns book is prompted by has been careful to cross reference entries the need to examine the provisions of the wherever possible, and there are many· 1988 Education Reform Act with respect to scope notes to indicate the content of RE and worship in schools. The authors items. The indexing is also very thorough, also helpfully relate these provisions to the especially the choice of terms in the subject historical situation that has produced them index; but note again the unbelievably and to the educational and social situ~tion obtuse policy decision "only the first in which they have to operate. ' appearance of a work is cited; see that Cairns assesses the extent to which the citation for cross-reference to later provisions of the 1944 Education Act were appearances ..." (p 659). handicapped by the fact that they w'ere not One must conclude that, because, there is entirely suited to the culture of the time, nothing so comprehensive on the topic, and asks "whether the new provisions are this work will fill a genuine gap most more realistic and likely to provide adequately in terms of its coverage. But do opportunities for a genuine education take several Panadol before trying to use it, about beliefs and vcdues". (Preface) Cox and attach a health warning for your points out the ambiguities'of the new Act library users. Crumb belongs in all, and the problems and opportunities, ~t will specialist'theological collections, and in create for pupils, teachers, parents and other libraries with a healthy hatred of others involved. ' users. ' ~.E. Gonnan, The Appendix contains reactions to the Charles SturtUniversity Act onthe part of individuals from within 88 Volume Two, Number 2 ) certain of the main belief communities; his "process of humanisation" (a central Christian, Hindu, Humanist, Jewish and concept in this book) as being compatible Muslim. with the "Social Construction of Reality". In comparing/contrasting the situation In the RE area specifically, Grimmitthas in Australia and Great Britain, one sees moved away from the dualism of interesting analogies as well as important existentialism and phenomenology. Now differences. Hence, while the book will be the two strands of his system are "Shared of obvious interest and help to all teachers Human Experiences" and "Traditional of RE in British schools, to headteachers, Belief Systems" closely intertwined. educational policy-makers, leaders of "Shared Human Experiences", the "non­ religious communities and the informed religious" strand, refers to the human public, it will also be of interest to their "givens" of life. These "givens" are facts Australian counterparts. about human life which are constant, irrespective of culture and ideology. -Victor C. Hayes Holding beliefs is a "given", in the sense South Australian College, Sturt that we all do it, and it is not necessarily religious. The "religious" strand, Traditional Belief Systems, has its base in Substantive Religious Education and Human Religious Categories (or key concepts in Development religion). Grimmitt identifies Human Grimmitt, Michael "givens", Substantive Religious Categories Great Britain: McCrimmon, 1987 $50.00. and core human values as the sources of his two strands. There is a dialectic Michael Grimmitt's introduction to the relationship between these three sources. public at large was through his first book, The human "givens" imply certain core­ What Can I Do in RE? (1973) which values (eg order, purpose, meaning) and advocated a dual framework involving act as a kind of value imperative. Core­ what he called the existential approach values can be interpreted as spiritual and the dimensional approach. values from the perspective of Substantive His second major work was RE and Religious Categories. (For example, the Humanisation (1978) which had a great core-value of order, meaning and purpose effect in Australia as it was gi ven as a is seen in the Substantive Religious series of lectures at the seventh national Category of "Providence"). conference of the AARE (1978) where the As far as course content is concerned, the theme was "Decision Making for Life in Shared Human Experiences come through Moral and ReligiOUS-Education." as Adolescent Life-World Curriculum and In his latest book, RE and Human the Traditional Belief Systems appear as Development (1987), Grimmitt presents a Religious Life-World Curriculum. fully fledged rationale for RE and a Together they constitute the contribution complete curriculum based on that of RE to the student's personal rationale. One can detect much of the basis development. of this book in his writings from 1978, but In the second half of the book (some 120 now, rather than a speculative look pages) the author provides curriculum forward with help from the sociological illustrations of this theory. He presents a and anthropological areas, we have a spiral curriculum matrix formed from the complex and detailed construction. The application of the four organizing work is indebted to Hirst and Phenix, but categories - family, local community, also to Berger and Luckmann who see plural society 'and world-wide community reality as a social construct. Grimmitt sees - to five themes of particular significance Australian Religion Studies Review 89

to human development; growing, and the price of the book ($50). celebrating, learning, acting and believing Nevertheless, the book is a challenge for together. This matrix can be used to anyone working in the field of RE and combine content from the Adolescent Life­ represents the mature thinking of a major World Curriculum and the Religious Life­ theorist. Some may be daunted by the World Curriculum. complexity of what Grimmitt is proposing This material contains more than 120 but, as usual, he maintains a steady supply curriculum units suitable for use at of helpful diagrams and flow charts. I secondary school level. They are drawn found detailed attention paid to the book from Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, very rewarding and it has provided me Judaism and Sikhism, and are flexible with a far stronger rationale for my own enough to form the basis of a five year thinking about RE. course. Possible problems will be the limited - Cliff Bowers market for such art approach in Australia, Chaplain, Croydon High School (SA)

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