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Beyond Apathy: A Theology for Bystanders, by Elisabeth T. Vasko. Sophia Fortress Press,
2015. A response to violence is the topic addressed by Vasko in this “scholarship that matters” book. Some of the evils of the day which are expressed in this book are: apathy of bystanders,
bullying, white racism, sexual violence, and lynching, scapegoating, ethnic remarks,…many of which lead to suicides.
Vasko begins her introduction with the string of teen suicides of fifteen year old Billy Lucas, thirteen year old Seth Walsh, and eighteen year old Tyler Clementi.
The common thread of LGBTQ bullying runs through these three stories. The three had endured daily harassment and torment by peers because of sexual orientation. Later the papers were full of the story of the football team of Steubenville, Ohio, boasting about the rape of an unconscious sixteen year old girl at a party. The town rushed to the defense of the team because it was the town’s pride. In January of 2012, two high school freshwomen at a house party were encouraged to get drunk and
later were sexually abused. The town rushed to the defense of the football team once again. One of the families moved from that town and later had their former house burned down.
The author moves on to the murder of teenagers (Tyler Clementi, Trayvon Martin, and Daisy
Colementi) in 2013 and later. Escaped murderers were among white men and even policemen.
Is violence among women and murder of black teenagers to be excused on trivial excuses? Do the murderers always have the viable excuse? Do we witness injustice and stand by and do
nothing? Human isolation includes a wide range of intensity. Is it easy to claim to be among the elite who can get away with major crimes without punishment? Are we the bystanders who aid and abet perpetrators through acts of omission and commission? There are occasions when one could resists the evil but refuses to on specious excuses; such as “I don’t want to get involved with those kinds of people.” We feign ignorance in order to protect our social
status.
Vasko makes strong reasons concerning the moral obligations of persons who are socially privileged by gender, sex, or race. Moral blindness cannot be used as an excuse for abuse of any one.
- Thanks to Sr. Irene Hartman OP for this
review. Paperback, Kindle
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St. Justin: (d. 165): June 1.
Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.
As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than
the philosophers.
Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher's mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to
Christ.
Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.
For his staunch adherence to the Christian religion, Justin was beheaded in Rome in 165.
americancatholic.org site
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