In this stirring and often surprising collection of essays,
award-winning German novelist Martin Mosebach confronts the reader with
Catholicism’s correctives to regionalism and the tyranny of fashion. He
shows us how the great wonder and beauty of the traditional form of the
Mass leads us to appreciate and recover our childlike faith in the Real
Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. He explains why popular devotion to
Our Lady, in spite of the kitsch that often surrounds it, is more vital,
permanent, and world-changing than mountains of learned discourse or
political messianism. Resting on the rock of dogmatic confession rather
than the shifting sands of journalistic opinion, Mosebach exalts the
Christ-given office of the papacy and diminishes its recent man-made
agendas.
These records of pilgrimage and reflection bear witness to the
perennially “subversive” nature of full-blooded Catholicism, which
challenges the assumptions not only of those outside the fold, but
perhaps even more, of those within it who exchange their birthright of
holy and heavenly mysteries for a mess of modern pottage. Despite the
sins and escapades of her members, the Church still makes present in our
midst an “incessant repetition of the Incarnation.” This book opens our
eyes and ears to this ongoing miracle.
“Martin
Mosebach is a writer with profound Catholic sensibilities. These
reflections on the 21st-century Church are expertly cut gems. A must
read.”
— R. R. RENO, Editor, First Things
“Martin Mosebach employs his brilliance
to defend what is of eternal value. His deep appreciation of the
Catholic faith is manifest in these essays that draw upon his love of
history, art, philosophy, and popular religious culture.”
— FR. GERALD MURRAY, Pastor, Church of the Holy Family, NYC
“In this collection of essays Martin
Mosebach has once more demonstrated his ability to provide provocative
insights into the condition of modern Catholicism. They are a tonic to
our deep-rutted discourse on liturgy, spirituality, and religious
sociology. Refreshing and challenging, they set us on new paths of
thought.”
— JOSEPH SHAW, Chairman, Latin Mass Society of England & Wales
“Subversive Catholicism offers a
treasure trove of insights on liturgy, theology, art, ecclesiastical
government, and contemporary spiritual issues. All is short and sweet,
reflecting the concise yet amazingly versatile style of a true master of
prose.”
— STUART CHESSMAN, President, Society of St. Hugh of Cluny
“Germany’s most distinguished living
Catholic writer is a novelist who seems almost to have wandered into our
time from the 19th century. But it is precisely because his mind is so
out of keeping with our time that he is able to understand it so well,
as these delightful and penetrating essays show.”
— PATER EDMUND WALDSTEIN, O.Cist., Vice-Rector, Leopoldinum, Heiligenkreuz
About the Author
Martin Mosebach, born in Frankfurt am Main, studied law, and has published eleven novels, many short stories, essays, poems, scripts for dramas, opera libretti, theater pieces, and radio plays. He is actively engaged in dialogue on contemporary issues through contributions to daily papers & magazines. Apart from many other awards, he was honored in 2007 with Germany’s foremost literary award, the “Georg-Büchner-Preis,” in 2013 with the “Literature-Award of the Konrad-Adenauer-Foundation,” and in 2015 with the “Goethe-Award of the City of Frankfurt am Main.” His most recent books include The Heresy of Formlessness: The Roman Liturgy and Its Enemy (Angelico, 2018), and The 21: A Journey into the Land of Coptic Martyrs (Plough, 2019).