Cunningham, David S. Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2002. 237 pp.,
$18.99 (US). ISBN: 158743044 (PB).
[1] Theology is boring. It is important, I realize, but books containing
it provide some of the driest reading imaginable. I find, for example
that extended discussions of homoousious vs. heterousious
should not be undertaken while operating heavy machinery. With this
bias in mind, it is with much surprise and with great delight that
I enjoyed my recent reading of David S. Cunningham's Reading is
Believing: The Christian Faith Through Literature and Film. Cunningham's
work is one of the best short introductions to Christian theology
I have read. In this text, Cunningham explores the twelve assertions
of the Apostle's Creed by reading them alongside (mostly) contemporary
works of literature.
[2] Each chapter begins with a selection from the Creed followed
by a brief discussion of its implications. Following Cunningham's
unpacking of each creedal statement, he reads it alongside a work
of literature (and in one case, a film). Cunningham's methodology
is consciously derived from diverse sources like philosopher Martha
Nussbaum and theologian Bryan Stone. Stone's influence is substantial,
as his book Faith and Film: Theological Themes at the Cinema
also explores the specific lines of the Apostle's Creed alongside
contemporary works of art. Unstated is Cunningham's indebtedness to
the contemporary literary method of intertextuality. His approach
explores intertextual connections between these otherwise unrelated
texts of the Creed and literature.
[3] A strength of Cunningham's approach is that it engages the nonspecialist
in concrete instances of theology in action. One example especially
highlights this strength as he connects the phrase "The Forgiveness
of Sins" with Helen Prejean's powerful book Dead Man Walking.
Forgiveness in the abstract is a creed which most anyone can affirm.
But the explication of forgiveness within the concrete example of
parents forgiving the killer of their children shows forgiveness in
extremis, where it is much more difficult to affirm and where
it is rarely encountered.
[4] A second example is the extraordinary connection of Graham Greene's
The End of the Affair to the phrase "The Resurrection
of the Flesh." Read alongside this impressive novel, Cunningham
explores how the Creed provides a necessary corrective to the dismissive
attitude toward the physical body that many in contemporary Christendom
hold. The love for God and the relationship between lovers is beautifully
described. Additionally, he explores the power the female protagonist
retains over the rest of the novel, even after her death.
[5] Other selections of Cunningham include "Conceived by the
Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary," read in conjunction with
P.D. James's The Children of Men; "Ascended into Heaven,
sits at the Right Hand of God" with Shakespeare's "The Winter's
Tale;" and "The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints"
with Barbara Kingsolver's Animal Dreams.
[6] The primary weakness of Reading is Believing is its brevity.
Cunningham does not have the space to do much more than present a
brief outline of the particular work of literature. Such a constraint
is necessary to cover the entire creed in a manageable 237 pages.
Since Cunningham (rightly) assumes that his reader has likely not
read all of these texts, he provides a detailed plot summary of each
of these works. The only problem with this approach is that he spends
so much time setting up these texts that the payoff - where he allows
the text to intermingle with the Creed - is often brief.
[7] A consequence of his brief exploration of how the texts interrelate
is that he might miss some other significant points of contact. For
example, he uses Toni Morrison's Beloved to discuss the phrase
"He will come to judge the quick and the Dead." In his discussion
of this text Cunningham quotes Morrison's epigraph "I will call
them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved which was
not beloved" (Romans 9:25). While Cunningham rightly discusses
the epigram in the context of Romans, he omits its precursor in Hosea
1:10 and 2:23. Hosea is also another text concerning slavery, violence
and children. Its connections to Beloved could also have been
explored.
[8] As I read through this text, come of his choices seem unhelpful.
For example, Nikos Kazantzakis' The Last Temptation of Christ
appears an odd choice for the phrase "Jesus Christ God's Only
Son." The creed uses this phrase to highlight the uniqueness
of Christ's relationship to God, while Cunningham uses this novel
to focus upon the much neglected humanity of Christ. Cunningham makes
an important point, but I do not think that this novel supports it.
But Cunningham is receptive to this criticism and is aware that his
reader might make alternate conclusions. Part of the satisfaction
that comes from reading this book is derived from the fact that it
is a game that anyone can play. He encourages alternate suggestions
and even provides several other examples at the end of each chapter.
[9] This text is an excellent introduction to Christian theology
and would particularly be useful as a textbook in that area. I suspect
that students particularly will appreciate the integration of story
and theology. The text is organized to be pedagogically usable. He
includes discussion questions and additional theological texts at
the end of every chapter.
[10] But the greatest strength of this text is its connection between
systematic statements of belief and story. By incarnating theology
in story, Cunningham returns theology to the genre of narrative from
whence it came. As theology approaches narrative, its application
and appreciation are enriched. Cunningham should be commended for
this effort. His work is articulate, educational, and perhaps most
impressively, never boring.
John Vassar
Louisiana State University, Shreveport, Louisiana
jsvassar@pilot.lsus.edu
