Good day Hivers and Book Clubbers,
Last review was a short introduction into a specific branch of Protestant theology, so I decided to remain within the realm of religion for my next read, which I had left unread on my bookshelf for a few months now. This time it's regarding Catholicism, more specifically an autobiography of Maria-Teresa Tauscher (1855-1938). Tauscher was a German Catholic nun who founded the Order of Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus, an order that spread around the world as the 20th century went on. The copy I have in my posession is a 2nd edition Dutch translation from German, dating from 1980.
Early life
Tauscher was born in 1855 in a small village in eastern Germany. Raised religiously by a father that was a Lutheran pastor, she wanted to help the needy from an early age onwards. As she grew up to adulthood, she found herself more and more at odds with the Lutheranism of her father and a large part of her surroundings.
A trip in her 20s to the Catholic Rhineland (western Germany, close to the Dutch and Belgian borders) opened her eyes and it became her wish to become a Catholic, and also a Catholic nun. Although her family was none too happy with this state of affairs, she got their blessing after a few years.
Suffering and Poverty
One of the commonly recurring motifs in the book is that of suffering as a part of Christian life. Tauscher often even prays for more suffering things to happen to her. And I have to admit myself, that suffering seems like something that is pretty far removed from modern Western Christianity, both in presentation and practice.
What do I mean by that? As for the 'practice' part: compared to many other parts of the world, Western Christians are pretty well-off in material terms (with many individual exceptions, of course). Also, disastrous situations like wars are not known to recent generations. This reduces suffering as part of the Western Christian belief to only the spiritual/mental realm, perhaps.
As for 'presentation', it often looks like Christianity presents itself to the outer world as a type of everlasting party. It's all a good time, for Jesus loves you all. Of course the last part is true, but there is more to it than that. If you live on in disbelief, etc., both Protestant and Catholic doctrine will say that Jesus will be the one that judges over you. It's not all a party if you end up on the wrong side of that equation.
One part of the suffering in Tauscher's life story stems from the abject poverty she and her order live in, in which they are totally dependent on very small allowances and gifts from their benefactors, wherever they may be. This worries her often, though she reduces worries in this area by a remarkable amount of trust in God, that His will be done. And if that is to reduce her life's work to ash, so be it. It's a strength of faith few have, I'll admit that much.
Catholic Bureaucracy
Another thing remarkable about the story is the everlasting presence of what I would simply term the 'Catholic bureaucracy'. Tauscher travels quite a lot around Europe to get official recognition for her charitable work in Germany, and to found her order after doing multiple years of said work. In the end, she is not able to found an order in Germany because the local cardinal has a personal dislike of her (quite petty), so she founds the order in Sittard, in the south-east of the Netherlands.
Also, she travels to Rome multiple times to make it official and ask for advice and help with her labours. Traveling these distances in the late 19th, early 20th century was quite time-consuming, doubly so because of the intermittent health issues she suffered. Being sent halfway across Europe for things that could be solved easier are one of the weaknesses of the Catholic system at the time, in my opinion.
Conclusion
Tauscher's story is remarkable, both as a lifelong expression of faith, and a further look into Catholic religiosity in particular. Myself as a Calvinist disagree with several parts of the doctrine described within (reverence of saints, the need for celibacy, central temporal authority in Rome, etc.), but can appreciate her steady faith as a fellow Christian. She sometimes writes in disapproval about the 'so-called Reformation', and views the faith of her father in a negative light, but not overly so. I wonder what she would have thought about the almost post-Christian Europe of today.
I'm not sure if this book is available in English for any readers wanting to look further into this, but the ever-mighty Internet might be able to help you out further. I hope you've enjoyed the read, and it's always possible to leave a comment for questions and further additions. Since I'm currently having vacation, I'm spending quite a bit of time on reading books, so I'll be back with another review soon enough. Until the next one,
-Pieternijmeijer
(Top image: book cover)
I so want to open up a debate about Christian suffering but cant without diving into the historical relevance of the Jacob and Esau story, controlled opposition and how governments depend on the suffering they create to take further advantage of people like this lady in your story.
She was following her own divine path but still sought approval from unnecessary people and organizations whose perceptions were forged from the suffering created by said governments and religious organizations. It is a very intense feedback loop.
Well conveyed and written post bro. I was really surprised I got into it!
Glad to know you enjoyed it. Many bible-stories are examples of the bearing of suffering, though I would think the story of Job is a more direct example of old-testamental suffering linked with material destitution, than the betrayal-aspect of Jacob and Esau.
The story of Jacob and Esau is the beginning Christianity and Judaism.
I have to be careful going further on the subject. Some people disagree with certain concepts of Zionism and the origins of Christianity. It is quite a contentious subject.
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