What Is The Point Of Being A Christian? by Timothy Radcliffe OP, Burns & Oates 2005
Tertullian wrote in the second century that people were astonished at how Christians loved each other. He rightly asks, ‘Is there anything astonishing in how we live?’ Radcliffe’s answer to the question contained in the title of his book is basically that the lives of Christians should be marked by some form of hope, freedom, happiness and courage.
Radcliffe’s sources are wide-ranging, from theologians and poets to recent newspaper articles. However, while I understand Radcliffe’s sympathy for his Dominican colleagues, especially the famous Thomas Aquinas, he overly cites authors who are fellow Dominicans. Moreover, his points are sometimes lost in the midst of numerous reminiscences about his (albeit impressive) travels. Nonetheless, this is still an engaging and thoughtful work.