Marcus MESCHER.  The Ethics of Encounter:  Christian Neighbor Love as a Practice of Solidarity.  Maryknoll, NY:  Orbis Books, 2020.  pp. 197.  $40 pb.  ISBN 978-1-62698-376-2.  Review by Amanda C. OSHEIM, Loras College, Dubuque, IA 52002. 

Mescher offers a thoughtful examination of the theological foundations and ethical implications of Pope Francis’ call for a culture of encounter.  He begins by describing social wounds that require encounter, as well as the circumstances and structures that are obstacles to such encounters.  Mescher employs Charles Taylor’s buffered self as a lens for viewing this social context.  Whereas religion should have the potential to breach the buffered self, Mescher writes, “Domesticated Christianity in the United States is privatized, banal, and oblivious to the needs of others, and enables self-exculpating deception about one’s own complicity in others’ suffering” (25).

In the second chapter, Mescher turns to the story of the Good Samaritan to construct a theology of encounter rooted in love of neighbor and cast in terms of solidarity:  “Solidarity aspires to cultivate inclusive friendships, but remains incomplete unless and until people generate a shared commitment to building a just ordering of society for the unity and integral development  of the human family in right relationship” (38).  Thus, Mescher envisions a love of neighbor which goes beyond the golden rule in order to transform the social order towards greater justice.  He draws several conclusions for a theology of neighbor from his exegesis:  1) no one stands outside the bounds of being loved as our neighbor; 2) acting as a neighbor is required of all and at all times; 3) virtues required for acting as a neighbor including courage, mercy, generosity, humility, and fidelity; 4) the need for orthopathy, or the correct way of being affected by Christ’s example and teachings; 5) commitment to moral action that moves beyond the minimum to a radical ethic of love and justice. 

With these conclusions in place, in the third chapter Mescher turns to the question of how we may follow Christ’s injunction to “go and do likewise.”  He advocates for a social imagination that reflects Christ’s kenosis which “focuses not only on human goods like flourishing and fulfillment but on the vulnerability, sacrifice, and courageous and compassionate actions necessary to more fully realize them.  It attends to others’ needs and inspires a contextually appropriate response.  It operates on the personal and communal level, guiding ‘the way’ of discipleship from the personal to the structural” (81).  Here Mescher proposes practices of solidarity not as a “break” with one’s way of living.  Rather, similarly to fidelity and self-care, solidarity must be integrated into one’s daily life.  From Mescher’s perspective, solidarity requires conversion, however, that conversion ought to take root in one’s own social context. 

Based on his earlier exegesis, Mescher next explores virtues that aid the daily practice of encountering others.  These virtues both draw us towards encounter and help us to encounter others more fully.  He underscores that these virtues require personal practice as well as communal commitment in order to create a culture of encounter which fosters belonging and militates against exclusion.  Mescher highlights Homeboy Industries as an exemplar of the practices and purposes of a culture of encounter.  His ideas take on a particular life in this section; more frequent inclusion of community-based narratives throughout the text could aid Mescher in illustrating how the virtues that aid encounter take shape within a variety of social structures and contexts. 

In the fifth chapter, Mescher envisions an ethics of encounter that can shift cultures through shared and reciprocal practices that create and sustain communities of belonging.  He sees families as integral to bridging the divide between our care for those nearest to us and our neighbors, particularly when “family life focuses on social responsibility and solidarity” in a way that “resists divisions between kin and nonkin” (150).  Similarly, through an ethics of encounter, other pre-existing social structures may also help to foster a culture of belonging. These range from schools to businesses to community and faith-based organizations. 

Theologians and graduate students will find in Mescher’s book a seminal articulation of the ethical implications of Pope Francis’ teachings on encounter.  His project has several strengths.  First, the topic itself is valuable, both in terms of exploring Pope Francis’ teachings and also in light of unjust and alienating sociopolitical structures within the United States.  Second, Mescher’s work helps us to explore what encounter means in light of scripture, tradition, and the social context of many people in the United States.  In doing so, he helps to strengthen our understanding of what encounter requires of us and how we may more fully encounter one another through communities marked by mutual love and justice. 

Finally, Mescher embeds solidarity in our daily life and choices.  This helps to counteract the romance of loving those who are vulnerable or in need, which can lead away from relationships that are mutual and reciprocal and towards relationships rooted in harmful dynamics such as White saviorism.  By linking solidarity with other virtues that are developed in daily life and through our encounters with others, Mescher does not close the door on radical forms of discipleship.  Instead, he recognizes that intention, practice, time, reflection, and support is necessary for conversion towards solidarity.  Without ignoring the ambiguity and risk of encounter, this book encourages the church to develop its moral imagination and to meet our neighbors with both courage and hope.