THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC WEEKLY MAY 19, 2014 $3.50 The Theological Project of James Alison GRANT KAPLAN OF MANY THINGS Published by Jesuits of the United States 106 West 56th Street hen we hear “The harvest behaviors such as selfishness, collective New York, NY 10019-3803 is abundant but the greed and the hoarding of goods on Ph: 212-581-4640; Fax: 212-399-3596 laborers are few,” our a mammoth scale.” In the preface, Subscriptions: 1-800-627-9533 W www.americamagazine.org minds turn at once to priestly or Cardinal Peter Turkson said everyone facebook.com/americamag missionary vocations. But there’s more is called “to examine in depth the twitter.com/americamag to it than that: The Gospel of Luke principles and the cultural and moral isn’t just describing a labor shortage. It values that underlie social coexistence.” PRESIDENT AND EDITOR IN CHIEF is important to keep in mind that the As this week’s editorial points out, we Matt Malone, S.J. only reason there is a labor shortage is would do well at this moment to recall EXECUTIVE EDITORS that there is an abundance in the first this truth. Robert C. Collins, S.J., Maurice Timothy Reidy place. Before we get to any practical In other words, we need to MANAGING EDITOR Kerry Weber questions, then, we might profit from remember who we are: gifts of God LITERARY EDITOR Raymond A. Schroth, S.J. some reflection on what a marvelous who are called to give in return. No SENIOR EDITOR AND CHIEF CORRESPONDENT thing it is that the vineyard exists at all, one is saying that being a banker or a Kevin Clarke for this reminds us of the primordial business executive is necessarily a bad EDITOR AT LARGE James Martin, S.J. fact of human existence, an essential thing. Only that being a selfish banker POETRY EDITOR Joseph Hoover, S.J. truth embedded in each of our hearts: or business executive is a bad thing, ASSOCIATE EDITOR Luke Hansen, S.J. All is a gift. All that is and was and will just as being a selfish schoolteacher ASSISTANT EDITORS Francis W. Turnbull, S.J., Olga ever be began with God and will return is a bad thing. We should remember Segura, Joseph McAuley, Ashley McKinless to God in the fullness of time. The that, in case any one of us is tempted ART DIRECTOR Stephanie Ratcliffe harvest, in other words, is a gift. It is, in to scapegoat others for our troubles, COLUMNISTS John J. Conley, S.J., Daniel P. Horan, fact, the gift itself. whether they’re conservative bankers or O.F.M., James T. Keane, John W. Martens, Bill McGarvey, Angela Alaimo O’Donnell, Margot To be a Christian disciple is to liberal protesters. Let us recall that in Patterson, Michael Rossmann, S.J. live one’s life in this truth, the truth all likelihood, every one of us has been CORRESPONDENTS of gratitude, the truth that God-in- a part of the problem at some point John Carr –Washington, D.C. Christ is the origin and destination of in our lives. I know I have. And I have MODERATOR, CATHOLIC BOOK CLUB everything. The very opposite of this learned the hard way that throwing Kevin Spinale, S.J. truth is grandiosity, the lie that I am, stones is inadvisable for those who live EDITORIAL E-MAIL or we are, the origin and destination in heavily mortgaged glass houses. [email protected] of everything. In gratitude, we see our All that God asks of us may sound lives as gifts, freely given; in grandiosity, terribly lofty, even naïve. It does to PUBLISHER AND CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Edward Spallone we see them as earned possessions. my ear at times. What is more naïve, DEPUTY PUBLISHER This sense of entitlement more often though, is any notion that we can Rosa Del Saz than not leads to greed and calculating be rescued from the world’s colossal VICE PRESIDENT/ADVANCEMENT self-interest. troubles by something other than the Daniel Pawlus So much of our world is built on truth, however difficult it may be to DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR principles of mutual self-interest and hear, however seemingly impossible it Kerry Goleski rational choice, the laws of supply may be to live out. OPERATIONS STAFF and demand. These things are not God knows it isn’t easy. So God Chris Keller, Glenda Castro, Judith Felix necessarily bad in themselves, but it is gives us the gifts we need to give to ADVERTISING CONTACT [email protected]; 212-515-0102 sometimes not easy to see, watching one another in return—the grace of SUBSCRIPTION CONTACT/ADDITIONAL COPIES events on Capitol Hill or on Wall creation, the transformative power of [email protected]; Street or in The City or in Hong Kong, love, the redemptive power of mercy. 1-800-627-9533 that the world and its resources are, in And as if all that weren’t enough, God © 2014 America Press, Inc. fact, gifts from God, gifts of which we sent us something else: his only son, are merely stewards for one another whose grace not only makes possible and for future generations. our generosity, but whose earthly Cover: The processing of the first detainees at In October 2011, the Pontifical vocation provides us with the real Camp X-Ray, Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, on Jan. 11, 2002. Camp X-Ray closed in April, 2002. Reu- Council for Justice and Peace said the world example of how to do it. ters/U.S. Department of Defense/Petty Officer global financial crisis “has exposed MATT MALONE, S.J. 1st class Shane T. McCoy/Handout/Files Contents www.americamagazine.org VOL. 210 NO. 17, WHOLE NO. 5051 MAY 19, 2014 ARTICLES 14 MORALITY AND MORALE The experience of U.S. soldiers inside Guantánamo Bay Luke Hansen 22 DEFENDING ‘THE WORST’ An interview with the lawyer of an accused terrorist Luke Hansen 25 RENEWING THE TRADITION The theological project of James Alison Grant Kaplan 14 COLUMNS & DEPARTMENTS 4 Current Comment 5 Editorial Facing Inequality 6 Reply All 8 Signs of the Times 11 Column The West Knows Best? Margot Patterson 28 Generation Faith Johnny Unites Marie Kalas 38 The Word The Witness of Hope John W. Martens 25 BOOKS & CULTURE 30 TELEVISION “Orange Is the New Black’” OF OTHER THINGS The World According to Wes BOOKINGS Objects of Contemplation ON THE WEB Reporting and video dispatches from Guantánamo Bay from Luke Hansen, S.J. Plus, the debut of “The Living Word” web page, a collection of resources from America’s multiyear collaboration with the American Bible Society. All at americamagazine.org 30 CURRENT COMMENT Bishop Keenan explained that he wanted to live Nigeria Takes the Lead simply, but also echoed Pope Francis’ desire to be part of A long overdue “rebasement” of Nigeria’s gross domestic a community, saying he hoped to find “people who could product in early April nearly doubled the nominal size form a family with me and support me.” His example serves of the country’s economy overnight. Incorporating new as a reminder that we should not live simply solely for the sectors like telecommunications and the booming film sake of sanctifying ourselves, but we must do so on behalf industry, the recalculation more accurately reflects the of others as members of the body of Christ. And the call real economic gains made by the most populous nation in to live simple, communal lives is not for clerics alone. All Africa over the past two decades and pushes it ahead of Catholics strive to live out “the common priesthood of the South Africa as the continent’s largest economy. faithful,” and we must challenge each other to examine Under different circumstances, this new ranking might our own actions and motives: Do we condemn others’ have inspired a measure of national pride. As it is, the extravagance while isolating ourselves in enormous houses news throws into sharp relief the disturbing reality that fenced off from our neighbors? Do we call for greater impressive growth rates have done little to improve the community and then walk by our neighbors without lives of most Nigerians. Extreme poverty—61 percent greeting them? Do we remember Paul’s words in the First of the population lives on less than a dollar a day—and Letter to the Corinthians? “If I give away everything I a severe lack of government services and infrastructure own…but do not have love, I gain nothing” (13:3). are at the root of the insecurity that plagues the country’s majority Muslim north. A week after the new G.D.P. was announced, Boko Haram, the Islamist rebel group, carried out a rare bombing attack in the capital city of Abuja, Talking About Race killing more than 70, and abducted an estimated 200 The National Basketball Association moved surprisingly girls from a boarding school in Borno State. According quickly to punish Donald Sterling, owner of the Los to Amnesty International, in 2014 alone at least 1,500 Angeles Clippers, for his racist remarks. Just days after people, more than half of them civilians, have been killed his comments were made public, Mr. Sterling was fined in a relentless cycle of attacks, reprisals and executions. $2.5 million and banned for life from the N.B.A. by There can be no justification for the atrocities the league’s new commissioner. Players and fans were committed by Boko Haram. But the grievances that fuel gratified by the league’s actions, but a bad taste still the insurgency—corruption, deteriorating or nonexistent lingers.