I have just finished reading Father Anthony Gittens book A Presence that Disturbs: A Call to Radical Discipleship. While I found the premise of the book very interesting I found my reading was very disturbed by several passages which I found to be, frankly heretical. Particularly in chapter two; The Holy Spirit:Advocate, Comforter, Life-Giver. Gittens is quite without any humility whatsoever since he alone claims to knows what the Holy Spirit is doing in the Church. Essentially this chapter, supposedly on the Holy Spirit is in reality a treatise advocating women priests.
There are other passages where he accuses the Roman Catholic Church of 'forgetting' about Christ and setting up a self-serving and authoritarian church. I see a clear thread running through Gittens who is influenced by so called "Liberation Theology". He would like to see a Catholic church in the image of yet another Episcopal, Protestant sect.
Whatever happened to the idea that Catholic Priests, other theologians and writers of religious books have to submit their work to be checked for Theological orthodoxy. The Bishop's Imprimature.? Doesn't that happen anymore?
Following on from this my own observation leads me to wonder whatever is wrong with the Missionary Orders? Gittens is CSSp. Why are they so often Liturgical and Theological 'liberals' (aka spirit of Vatican II men)? What is wrong with just obeying the Magisterium and in teaching what the Church has always taught? Just asking.
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