Book Review: Abiding the Long Defeat by Connor Sweeney

Abiding the Long Defeat: How to Evangelize Like a Hobbit in a Disenchanted Age by Conor Sweeney

As the title suggests, author Conor Sweeney has a bit of a pessimistic outlook. The world's curent post-modern outlook that has little in common with the predominantly Christian culture that came before it. In fact, many elements are in direct contradiction with Christian views. Morality has devolved to the point where everyone is their own moral guide, leading to "anything goes" attitudes, especially with sexual morality. Popular culture makes Christianity look like it is on its way out. Sweeney acknowledges this and even argues that a lot of Christian thoughts and attitudes have unwittingly enabled this outcome. An over reliance on the distinction between faith and reason, between the supernatural and the natural, leads to an eventual bracketing off of the divine in favor of the scientifically verifiable. The next step of leaving the divine out entirely is a short step and quickly taken.

Sweeney traces this intellectual tradition and provides something of a twist to get Christianity back on track. He advocates a return to a perspective founded on the baptismal reality created by Christ. We have become adopted children of the Father, brothers and sisters to the Son, and a deep community founded on the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This foundation creates a radically different relationships between people and with the world. It's not the layering on of grace on top of nature but a new creation combining both in a dynamic way that is far different than just incorporating Plato or Aristotle into Christian theology, or shoehorning the Christian worldview into modern media distribution channels. While there can be some success in such methods, it also introduces a fundamental misdirection for the faith life. Post-Vatican II Catholic leaders like Pope St. John Paul II and Benedict XVI have shown a more authentic way to get to the roots of the Christian faith and message without watering it down to fit in modern ways of thinking and communicating. The division of the secular and the religious has to be broken down and reality made whole.

Sweeney draws a lot of parallels with Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, specifically how the Hobbits' lifestyle is more conducive to an authentically lived Christian life. They are simple and humble, loving the ground and good food and good drinks and a quiet life. This "salt of the earth" attitude is precisely what makes Frodo an ideal candidate to carry the Ring to Mount Doom. So many other characters (Boromir, Gandalf, Galadriel, etc.) would fall to the temptation to use the Ring for their own ends, though they would wind up as servants of the Ring. Frodo's lack of great ambition inoculates him to a great degree from the temptation to wield the Ring. Secular culture offers a lot of bright, shiny objects to Christian evangelists. It might be good to take a close look at what is being offered and be sure to keep the right things in focus.

In some parts of his arguments, Sweeney struggles with his ideas and what he acknowledges is a pessimistic outlook on the situation. He does provide a way for individuals to get out of the temptations and traps found in modern culture. His focus on fundamentals of faith is refreshing and heartening, ultimately providing the reader with hope that even if the world cannot be saved (and it won't be), the people in it can.

Recommended.