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Reviews:
Faith and Thought, Oct. 16, 2010
A Philosophical Colleague
One of the very nice side benefits of
teaching at St. John’s University, the second largest Catholic
university in the country, is the vast variety of people you meet.
Having the opportunity to teach students from all over the world is
not only a challenge but a blessing. Through all my years at the
University I also have been blessed by meeting dedicated, unselfish
people who are ready and eager to serve the needs of the students.
Members of the administration, professors and staff are genuinely
impressive in their desire to live out the mission of the
University, part of which is to serve the needs of those who are
poor.
The benefits I gain regularly from faculty
members at the University have been on my mind lately because of a
new book written by one of the philosophy professors. I met this
professor, more than thirty years my junior, about ten years ago. He
had gained a doctorate in philosophy and was teaching part time at
St. John’s. When he applied for a full time position at the
University I spoke to one of the people on the hiring committee and
said something like “This young professor has a great grasp of
philosophy, is very dedicated, loves teaching the students at St.
John’s and is a deeply committed Catholic. He is a perfect fit for
St. John’s. We should grab him.” I have no idea if my comment played
any role in the hiring of Dr. Glenn Statile but I do know that now
that he is a full time professor at the University his presence is
living up to everything I said about him. This has been on my mind
since I have looked through his new book: Polymathic
Investigations: Essays on a Variety of Topics (New York, Seaburn
Publications, 2010) $18.00, pp.240)
I hope the title of Glenn’s book does not
frighten potential readers from reading it. One philosophy professor
at St. John’s once described Dr. Statile as a “polymath”, that is
one learned in many subjects. The term fits Glenn perfectly. And the
title of his book is a good one that captures just what he has
accomplished in the text. Here are some of the titles of the essays:
“Meaning, Mystery and Marian Art:, “The Cosmic and the Comic:
Einstein’s Scientific Spirituality”, “ Alan Paton’s Cry, The
Beloved Country: A Tale of Two Media”. “The Good Habit: the
Depiction of Nuns in the Novels of Rumer Godden”, “Forgiveness and
Its Discontents”. Even the titles suggest something of Statile’s
skill with words. In addition to being clever, he is an excellent
writer, his style combining both depth and clarity, which is a
combination not easily achieved. In his essay on Marian Art Statile
writes the following:
“In her Magnificat the Blessed
Virgin Mary proclaims that her name and memory will continue
to be blessed in generations to come (Luke 1: 48). The
history of Marian art testifies to the enduring truth of this
prophecy. Such art also provides the ardent student of Christian
culture with ample resources for faithful reflection of a
philosophical nature, as well as for delving more deeply, by means
of prayerful meditation, into the mystery of the Trinity, the
central mystery of the Catholic faith….
Marian art presents us with a
visualization of the cycle of Christocentric mysteries presented in
the Rosary. As such, contemplation of and meditation upon such
mysteries, with the visual aid to the imagination that is provided
by great works of religious art, can only lead us closer to a
magnified intellectual appreciation of and a closer personal union
with the persons of the Most Holy Trinity. To borrow from St. Teresa
of Avila, contemplation of great works of Marian art, with their
total absorption in Christocentric themes, can help to guide us
along the way of perfection until we reach that interior castle
within us in which resides the temple of the Holy Spirit.”(pp.5, 7).
During the last ten years Glenn has
been a regular lecturer in the adult education series that I
moderate on the “Catholic Novel” at the Immaculate Conception Center
in Douglaston, Queens. Every lecture that he has given has been
extremely well prepared, so well prepared that several could
probably be published. He and I have also done several television
shows for NET. When we have worked together, I have often been
impressed by the amount of research he has done on the subject and
his almost complete mastery of the subject.
There is a great deal of discussion today
about the future of Catholic education, on all levels, elementary,
high school, college and university. Having Glenn Statile as a
colleague has helped me to be hopeful for the future and grateful
for his presence.
by Father Robert Lauder
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