Philip SHELDRAKE, ed., Surrender to Christ for Mission: French Spiritual Traditions. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, 2018. Pp. 204. $24.95,pb. ISBN 978-0-8146-8786-4. Reviewed by Nathan R. KOLLAR, St. John Fisher College, Rochester, NY. 14618.

The collective memory of U.S. Catholicism is found in this book. Knowingly or unknowingly many of the religious orders responsible for our health, education, and welfare systems originated during the revolution filled centuries of modern day France. To mention a few of their founders: Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac, Jean-Jacques Olier, Pierre de Berulle, Jean-Baptiste de la Salle, Jeanne Chezard de Matel,  Francois de Sales, Jeanne de Chantal, Madeleine Sophie Barat, and Charles de Foucauld. In addition to these, materialistic real world influences are the indirect spiritual influences that impact that memory through the formation of those providing these services as well as the writings of their founders such as Francis de Sales’Introduction to the Devout Life and the Treatise on the Love of God or the example and writings of saints and writers such as Therese of Lisieux’s Little Way and Catherine de Laboure’s Miraculous Medal and Marguerite-Marie Alacoque, the Apostle of the Sacred Heart.

A collective memory is composed of many strands. Surely these individuals, their hopes, desires, and spiritualities are part of who we are as an American Catholic Church. This book is a summary of perspectives on what these French men and women of the 16th to the 19th century did and what prompted them (their spirituality) to do it. It is a result of a conference held at a the Oblate School of Theology, San Antonio, Texas, to mark the bicentenary of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in November 2016. The theme of the conference is the theme of the book: the French Spiritual Tradition. Saying that is the theme does not mean that all the authors agree on exactly what that theme is.  It is obvious as one reads the book that the eight authors have a different interpretation of what that means. Perhaps Sheldrake, in his introduction, provides us with an explanation of why the various interpretations occur when he says that “It should be emphasized that there is not a single ‘French School’ of spirituality but several distinctive trends…” all of which are represented in this book as its authors explain the diverse mystical experiences, strict asceticisms, and the ways they dealt with the health and education of the poor. Such diversity of understanding is also found in diversity of style—as always happens with a book that contains eight different authors between its covers.

A two hundred page book can never provide enough information dealing with the men and women of this movement, and it does not. Nor does it provide enough enabling contexts to bring these spiritualities of the past into the present for the benefit of our mutual future.For example, how did the Romanticism of the age influence the imagery and feelings associated with the Sacred Hearts’ Devotions discussed in several of the chapters?   This is, of course, a question of hermeneutics. It is well known, for example, that the proclamation of the French revolution  of Liberté, égalité, fraternité was not easily accepted by the Catholic Hierarchy who envisioned a France of hierarchy, order, and morality; a country ruled by a God given monarch—and  the values of the revolution were seen as immoral. How do we understand the desire for the education of the poor? Could this be a desire of the former ruling class to bring them into line with the monarchist and clerical party? What makes these spiritualties “French” beside the geography of their practitioners?  And, last, is there any causal link between these spiritualities and the 41% of the French population that says it is Catholic and the 10% of contemporary French Catholics who attend weekly Mass and these spiritualities? How do we judge the benefit of these spiritualities for our present spiritual life?

Perhaps some of these authors would be able to benefit us with a vision of not only the past but how it lives in our post modern times?