Requiem: A Lament in Three Movements

Oden (A United Methodist) here writes about his views on current church issues. Oden himself believes the church should return to the creed based faith of classical orthodoxy (and rediscover the Eastern Church fathers). What Oden describes are various incidences he has come up against. One incident is when he was at Drew University's chapel and the sermon was given on the goddess Sophia, and the alienation he felt. Another is when he went to private mass before the pope, and how powerful that experience was. Oden tackles the whole issue of what it means to be "post-modern," which to him means the period of time after the failure of Modernism and the attitudes of this generation. He stingingly critiques the faddish pursuits of many seminaries and professors. Oden is not ultra-conservative. He believes in biblical criticism, and even believes women can preach, and he is clear to make this point. One of the most useful parts of this book, is his 5 or so page, "Open Letter" which is addressed to believers (especially in the Incarnation and the Resurrection) entering into an ultra-modern seminary. Oden gives advice on how to keep faith and to assert one's rights. Overall a good book that while sharply criticizing hyper-modernism, does not fall into extremism in the other direction.