Irish Jesuit Province

The Torchbearer. Paul of Tarsus by Aılbe J. LuddyReview by: R. McG.The Irish Monthly, Vol. 79, No. 940 (Oct., 1951), p. 458Published by: Irish Jesuit ProvinceStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20516444 .

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IRISH MONTHLY

ST. PAUL

The Torchbearer. Paul of Tarsus. Ailbe J. Luddy, O.Cist. Dublin. Gill. 1951. 10/6.

Any book which helps to bring the Person of Christ Our Lord or His

early followers and disciples more vividly before us, deserves a welcome

from Catholics. The enthusiastic reception given to the radio plays of

Dorothy Sayers, to Fulton Oursler's popular life of Christ?to mention

only a few of the better known works?indicates how avidly men will read accounts of the Gospel and the early Church, if only they be

presented in palatable form.

We are thankful that Dom Luddy has turned his attention to works of this kind, for which he is well equipped. In an earlier work, The

Nazarene, told in the form of letters, his skill in biography and his

knowledge of historical background combined to produce an interesting and readable life of Our Lord. In The Torchbearer he has produced something similar about St. Paul.

It is a pity, perhaps, that the author did not keep the same letter

pattern in this book. Most readers will agree that its best chapters are those in which he deals with the Letters of St. Paul, or composes imagi native letters of his own, purporting to come from Gamaliel, the Rabbi, or Benjamin, Paul's nephew. In our opinion the most valuable feature

of the work is the detailed background and the historical setting given for each Epistle.

In the fictional portions the author is not quite at his ease. It is an

extremely difficult matter to portray the people of Gospel times, to put our modern jargon into their mouths, and succeed in avoiding the in

congruous. In depicting St. Paul himself, the author never errs?his

words and actions are always felt to be in keeping with the real Paul. But Dom Luddy is less happy with his other characters; there is a Holly wood touch about some of them. It is doubtful if even the most seasoned cinema-goer will read such expressions as

" Gosh, no ", "

Absolutely rotten ", or "

If I had my way with him they'd be taking him off the floors and wall with blotting paper ", without a sense of unreality.

One last criticism, which may be largely a matter of opinion. Would it not have been better for the author to concentrate on the actual

Scriptural accounts and use his descriptive powers, for instance, on the

very vivid and realistic incidents in the second half of the Acts of the

Apostles, rather than create his own purely fictional characters and

scenes? Where could one find more exciting matter than in the account of the shipwreck or in the encounter with the silversmiths?

Dom Luddy, to be sure, has described these: but they would seem to lend themselves to fuller and more imaginative treatment.

These are pin-pricks, however, and do little to lessen one's pleasure m reading the book. It can be recommended to all who wish to learn more about the great Apostle. Many who would shy at a more in

tellectual study will find here light and absorbing reading. R. McG.

458

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