Loyal Dissent: Memoir of a Catholic Theologian

Fr. Curran is one of the many theologians of the late twentieth century who foresaw the coming crises in the Church and sought creative, practical solutions. Instead of being lauded for his efforts, he was pilloried, and stripped of his permission to teach at Catholic institutions by Joseph Ratzinger (the present Pontiff-- who also savaged Fr. Kung, another 'renegade theologian' whose only crime was questioning outmoded tradition). Fr. Curran's autobiography reads like a who's-who of contemporary Church dogmatics, and everyone, from Ratzinger to Fr. John Harvey (a dangerous man known for his attempts to 'rehabilitate' homosexual priests) makes an appearance. Fr. Curran was correct in predicting that HUMANAE VITAE would precipitate a mass exodus from the church in America; he also understands the need for periodic reform in a hierarchical institution like the Church, and the inherently fallible nature of human beings. If more Catholic teachers shared Fr. Curran's courage and insight, ecumenism would be the order of the day, and not discord.

I learned a lot by reading about his Loyal Dissent by Charles Curran. I was impressed that Fr. Curran tried to be fair and objective both when he disagreed with the Church and, later, when he wrote this book. I believe it took great courage for him to stick to what he believed to be true, even though he thought (and eventually knew) there would be strong consequences. I am in agreement with his belief, that Catholic theologians (or any of us) should be allowed to point out what appear to be flaws in non-infallibe Church teaching. I was humbled and impressed by his tone and his desire to continue to be loyal to a Church whose leaders have censured him. I am very sympathetic to him as one thing Catholic Church leadership does not tolerate well, is disagreement with their "official" position, even when it is not a matter of infallibility (most of them are not and, as Fr. Curran points out, the "offical Church position has changed over the years, and rightly so, as they acquiesced to new knowledge/facts). I would hope that more Catholics would read books like this, even though they can be difficult reading, as I find most Catholics are poorly informed about infallibility and why dissent may not only be possible, but desirable, if we really want to grow in our knowledge of truth. John Paul II was a good man but definitely had his flaws; I believe this book points out some of them.

Fr.Charles Curran is a loyal Catholc theologian who has challenged his Church as well as all of us to live what we believe. As he shares with the reader his journey of conflict with religious authority, he writes the story without animosity or bitterness. When he disagrees with individual Church figures, he never demeans them as persons even though they at times have treated him unjustly and punitively. His genuine Christian spirituality is evident throughout the book. While he states his belief in the responsibility of Catholc theologians to dissent from non-fallible Church teachings,Fr.Curran maintains a dignity and authenticity despite what must have been very hurtful years. Fr. Curran's memoirs made me reflect on my own attitudes and feelings that need to be renewed in the light of the Gospel message. Fr.Curran also offers us the depth of his moral theology that challenges us to understand the issues of our day. This work has created a desire to read and study more of his writings to not only live a better moral life but also to dialogue with others as we live in difficult times. As fundamentalist attitudes even within the Catholic Church grow in grandiosity and arrogance, Fr.Curran teaches a theology that invites dialogue and a pursuit of truth that I believe will lead to peace, inclusion and love for one another. As one reads his story, you become convinced that he not only is a great moral theologian, but also a dedicated priest and a genuinely good and loving person.His is a story of dignity in the face of suffering and a story of hope because we have men like Fr.Curran in our midst.

Curran's recent book is, in my opinion, a great read, providing not only good biography -explaining his development and growth as a theologian--but also the historical perspective needed for understanding our time in the history of the church and the developments in theology that occurred before, during and after Vatican Council II. Having become an adult prior to Vatican II--I remember well Pope Pius XII, Eugenio Pacelli, and the election of John XXIII, Angelo Roncalli--and being thoroughly absorbed in the theological arguments being offered by the various ideological camps within the church during the turbulent and exciting days of Vatican II and after Vatican II, I thought this book provided the needed historical perspective for understanding the conflicts that developed during the past 40 years. Curran leaves no doubt that he is a committed Christian, a stellar Catholic theologian who, in my judgment, has been treated like the prophets of old--very badly. He is clearly a balanced and mature person, as is manifested by his self-effacing narrative and the fact that there is no bitterness to be found in the telling of his story. I have read one critical review of Curran's book, and it was clearly written by someone who had already made up his/her mind about Curran and his contribution to theology, manifesting a belief that theology is nothing more than catechesis and that mature married Catholics require ongoing adult supervision by the hierarchy, especially with respect to sexual morality. Do yourself a favor and read it. I could hardly put it down once I started reading it. Robert Stewart

This is one of the most interesting books that I have read in some time. Regardless of your personal secular or religious political position, this is a very well-written book that is sure to be a page turner! Charles Curran lays his entire experience out for the public to read. Unlike many biographies and memoirs, Curran's work is not dry and inapproachable. Rather, his writing is laden with humor, satire and human-interest stories from his life that touch the heart of the reader. In addition to the biographical portion of the book, outlined in the first three-quarters of the work, Curran presents a survey of his moral theology corpus as well as a commentary on the state of theology in the modern era. It is very interesting. If you want to hear one of the most famous stories surrounding Roman Catholic Theology, the Roman Curia and the Academy in the United States from the point of view of the prime subject - Read this book!