Dominic Kirkham reviews An Introduction to Radical Theology by Trevor Greenfield O Books (Winchester). 2006. £12.99. 208 pages. Pbk. ISBN: 1905047606 reviews Like most things in life, I find writing book reviews difficult, but not because I’m incompetent. Rather it is because anything that I feel is worth reading should be read by everyone else – a recipe for madness if ever there was one, I know. But I also have a sense that the world of literary criticism can be (sometimes at any rate) a deeply unsatisfying one, with its subtle pressure to be seen as part of an elite (a snobby club even) with its demigods up on pedestals, smugly proclaiming an intellectual superiority; almost Gnostic in the exclusive, condescending sense of the word. And the hubris that goes with it. Made even worse by the high quality printing, presentation, price and profit that we take for granted. But, here goes.
The Evil Inclination takes its name from the title of the first chapter of the book in which Frank Walker – one of Sea of Faith’s elder statesmen – confesses he nearly murdered a pupil in a class he was teaching.
And it gets better. The Evil Inclination is appallingly badly proof-read, with massively varied material from a long global preaching/teaching ministry of an eminent Unitarian preacher and pastor with few clues to which of the last 50 years the 48 chapters belong. To that objection, one reply would be – the chapters stand by themselves. No overarching theme, no progression of thought. Just humanity, wry observation, gentle humour. You feel warm at its down-to-earth wisdom, ministered to, as one should be, looking up to be fed.
Among its many virtues, is the solid base in Cambridge that a long ministry there has given Frank, from which to draw the threads of pastoral and intellectual experience and weave them into a basket of truth that can provide the reader with a resource for tasting, savouring a chapter at a time.
From Obituaries to Fundamentalism; to Divorce from Gnosticism. To and from both Realism and Non-realism. And much else. All human life is here.
When I wrote to tell Frank I was proposing to submit a review to Sofia, he wrote back: ‘The book is mostly based on old sermons, which sounds very off-putting, but to lighten the mood, a number of comic stories are included. As the sermons were written to be read aloud, the style is in no way academic, but conversational, which I hope renders the prose style readable.
The book makes no pretensions to being a work of scholarship – though of course I respect scholars and genuine scholarship...The book was written over a long period of time – the earliest sermon being over 50 years old. Therefore discerning readers may spot various inconsistencies.
My response to that is – well, so is life.’ As an ex-Trinitarian, who is still deeply wedded to the idea of numerical imprecision when it comes to matters philosophical and theological, I have only recently come to an appreciation of Unitarianism as a base to stand against the whole idea of heresy, despite the paradox implied in the word itself. It has often seemed to me that there is nothing more idolatrous than a simple monotheism fuelled by the arrogance of Platonic metaphysics with its implied unitary idea of truth. Fortunately, there is none of this in Frank’s book.
My response to the book is – go out in droves, SoFties or non-SoFties, and buy it now. If you want a classic, down-to-earth piece, or pieces, of liberal humanity, this is among the best. These are chapters to savour one at a time. A great book for contemplation. Two of the chapters are meditations in themselves. Good for local group study. Lenten?
I still, to my shame, know little of the world of Unitarianism. But this book gives an insight into what I hope is typical and maybe best in it. Thank you, Frank for pushing back even further the boundaries of my awareness and understanding.
The Evil Inclination is available from Sébastien Castellio Press, 130 New Road, Haslingfield, Cambridge, CB3 7LP, price £10 including p & p (cheques: Frank Walker) or from GA Mail Order Service, Unitarian HQ, Essex Hall, 1–6 Essex Street, London WCR 3HY (cheques: GA Unitarian).
Ken Smith is editor of Portholes and Sofia Letters Editor.
Frank Walker, The Evil Inclination (and Other Tales of the Unexpected), Sébastien Castellio Press (Cambridge). 2005. £10.