Review of two books about the Camino de Santiago
It is extremely risky to visit a library without a plan. Sometimes, you are rewarded by unexpected books and a new favorite author. Unfortunately, I took a library trip recently looking for books about the Camino de Santiago de Compostela and struck out twice.
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The first book, A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago, failed twice; first, it is essentially a travel guide, something I don't need. Second, it is mystical-but-not-Christian-in-any-recognizable-way. The first time it failed was not necessarily a fault; it was just not the kind of book I was looking for. The second time it failed, though, was its own fault. Read the following excerpt to see what I meant:
I don't know, I don't think it's TOO much to ask to at least give a LITTLE respect to the tradition that created this pilgrimage.
Anyway, the entire book is half vaguely "spiritual but not religious" pablum, and half travel guide. The travel guide section seems useful, so I'll give it 2.5 stars.
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The second book, Call of the Camino: Myths, Legends, and Pilgrims Stories on the Way to Santiago de Compostela, doesn't even deserve the hundred or so words I spent on the other one. I read through three quarters of it and then gave up.
Books that talk about spirituality written by those who have never attempted to live according to a religious system, are so bland and empty. It is like reading about the ocean when the writer has never felt waves dragging the sand under their feet, never accidentally snorted sea water, never had salt dry and burn on their skin, never felt sand in their bed the next morning, never ran splashing into the water, has never had the power of the sea take something away - a piece of clothing, their dignity.
Spirituality should be left to the religious.
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The first book, A Pilgrim's Guide to the Camino de Santiago, failed twice; first, it is essentially a travel guide, something I don't need. Second, it is mystical-but-not-Christian-in-any-recognizable-way. The first time it failed was not necessarily a fault; it was just not the kind of book I was looking for. The second time it failed, though, was its own fault. Read the following excerpt to see what I meant:
[At the top of the page]: "An eye for an eye only ends up leaving the whole world blind." - Mahatma Gandi
[Further down]: The Mystical Path: Today, we leave a fortified town that has witnessed countless battles... We pass the murdered relics of the Counts of Carrion and the martyred San Zoilo. But what of our own sense of justified retribution and how often have we wished someone ill? When did we last send healing thoughts of love and peace to our supposed enemy? Mahatma Gandhi means Great Soul and it takes one to incarnate in a Hindu body to re-interpret the Christian scriptural teaching (above) to remind us of the futility of revenge....This is exactly the kind of nonsense that runs throughout this book. Is it too much to ask that a book about a Catholic pilgrimage be written by, at the very least, someone moderately well informed about Christianity? Is it too much to ask that the book at least try to avoid radically misinterpreting scripture? Let's at least talk about Matthew 5:38-40 for a second. Jesus quotes the Old Testament - where the "eye for an eye" phrase originates - and then tells his followers that no, not only don't get revenge, give the person who has harmed you the opportunity to harm you again, and be radically kind and generous to your enemies.
I don't know, I don't think it's TOO much to ask to at least give a LITTLE respect to the tradition that created this pilgrimage.
Anyway, the entire book is half vaguely "spiritual but not religious" pablum, and half travel guide. The travel guide section seems useful, so I'll give it 2.5 stars.
-
The second book, Call of the Camino: Myths, Legends, and Pilgrims Stories on the Way to Santiago de Compostela, doesn't even deserve the hundred or so words I spent on the other one. I read through three quarters of it and then gave up.
Books that talk about spirituality written by those who have never attempted to live according to a religious system, are so bland and empty. It is like reading about the ocean when the writer has never felt waves dragging the sand under their feet, never accidentally snorted sea water, never had salt dry and burn on their skin, never felt sand in their bed the next morning, never ran splashing into the water, has never had the power of the sea take something away - a piece of clothing, their dignity.
Spirituality should be left to the religious.
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