When Christian practice (de)forms us
Do practices make us better people? Lauren Winner isn't so sure.
In Review
The Dangers of Christian Practice
On Wayward Gifts, Characteristic Damage, and Sin
Yale University Press
Recall a jarring scene in The Godfather: Michael Corleone, poised to take over the family business, is making vows as the godfather for his new nephew. “Do you renounce Satan?” the priest asks. “I do renounce him,” Michael affirms. “And all his works?” “I renounce them.” “And all his pomps?” “I do renounce them,” Michael enunciates.
But spliced between these renunciations and Michael’s credo are scenes of ghastly killings carried out on Michael’s orders.
Maybe liturgy isn’t as formative as some theologians have suggested. Maybe Christian practices aren’t as effective as some would have hoped.
