Fernand Dumont

Comptes rendus / Reviews of books: Les approches empiriques en théologie Marc Pelchat, directeur Coll. «Théologies pratiques», 4 Québec, Faculté de théologie, Université Laval, 1992. 390 p

and complicated parts of the modern world, and he wisely gets his retaliation in first by stating that he is not prepared to accept &dquo;know-nothing reductionist arguments which claim that one cannot generalize from large populations&dquo; (p. 353). I nevertheless happen to believe that the mechanisms by which 19th-century Ulster acquired a belligerent provincial identity are not reducible to the covenanting theology of Ulster Presbyterians who comprised only half the province’s Protestants and a quarter of its total population. I also believe that Akenson’s stimulating book, for all its bold brush strokes, is essential reading for those interested in the

Foi et culture Henri Bourgeois Coll. «Parcours» Paris, Centurion; Montréal, Éditions Paulines, 1991. 191 p

ceux qui sont les plus suceptibles d’6clairer le cheminement d’un monde en train de passer au christianisme, au milieu de difficult6s militaires qui s’aggravent dramatiquement a partir de 378 (bataille d’Andrinople). Entre une époque constantinienne encore triomphaliste et une époque theodosienne en proie au doute devant les menaces croissantes qui p6sent sur la survie de 1’empire, 1’auteur d6monte les m6canismes d’une argumentation th6ologique qui accorde un role croissant aux interventions divines dans l’interpr6tation des victoires et d6faites imp6riales. Pour ce faire, il precede a une 6tude minutieuse du vocabulaire de Constantin, Lactance, Eus~be, Firminus Maternus et Lucifer de Cagliari pour la premi~re p6riode; Ambroise de Milan, Ammien Marcellin, Claudien, Prudence et Paulin de Nole pour la seconde. La presentation mat6rielle du volume laisse à d6sirer; non seulement en raison du manque d’homogeneite du syst6me de reference (prive de table des abreviations) ou des lacunes et confusions dans les relev6s de l’index (deux Th6odoses confondus dans la meme rubrique), mais surtout parce que le r6sum6 de la page 4 de couverture contredit la conclusion g6n6rale de 1’oeuvre : on ne sait plus si la fin du me revalorise la part humaine plut6t que d’exalter encore davantage l’importance de 1’aide divine (ou vice versa) pour la defense de 1’empire.

Église et politique Hippolyte Simon Coll. «Parcours» Paris, Centurion; Montréal, Éditions Paulines, 1991. 141 p

In the 1950s, the American nationalization process was likened to a melting pot, a designation repudiated in Canada with the elusive phrase multiculturalism. John Syrtash, a Toronto lawyer, explores the problems and possibilities of enshrining such a concept in law. He does not present a systematic overview of the issue nor attempt a theoretical inquiry into the intersection of religion and culture in law, but poses for the careful reader a challenging perspective from which to understand the complexities of religion and law in a multicultural society. By focussing

Entretiens d'automne Yves-Marie Congar Coll. «Théologies» Paris, Cerf, 1987. 113 p

Two of the three essays in this collection were first presented at a regional meeting of the American Academy of Religion held at Queen’s University, Kingston, in April 1987. Paul R. Johnson (D’Youville College, Buffalo, NY) explains why the prevention of the spread of AIDS entails moral obligations on the part of both persons with AIDS and of society as a whole. Bruce L. Mills, a doctoral student in religious studies at the University of Ottawa, attempts a psychological explanation of the widespread and deep-seated fear of AIDS. The third essay was commissioned by the editor to deal with the theological dimensions of the AIDS crisis. Its author, William P. Zion of Queen’s University, focusses on the association of AIDS with homosexuality and explores the roots of Jewish and Christian hostility to gays and lesbians. He concludes that compassion, not condemnation, is the appropri-