A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Tim Egan
Discussion venue: Chris's garden in Wellow, suitably socially distanced. 6th August 2020. A lovely evening.
Although this book scored no more than average results from the bookclub all agreed that the subsequent debate about Faith and Religion was one of the most wide ranging and interesting for several months.
Timothy Egan is an American journalist, a lapsed Catholic with Irish family,educated by Jesuits who sets out on the Via Francigena seeking faith and spiritualism in his life.
He plans to “Find God in Europe before God is gone” however, most of the 40,000 pilgrims who walk the route each year are simply,according to the body which maintains the VF “seeking space to learn how to waste time“. Early on he tells that his sister-in-law is dying of cancer and also that his brother suffered badly In his childhood having been molested by a local priest. He sets out on the twelve hundred mile journey from Canterbury to Rome writing about the history of Christianity up to the present day. He finds that in this cradle of Christianity religion is almost dead which he finds unsurprising since “God seems to ignore suffering whilst presiding over the slaughter of countless millions in the Wars of Religion , the slave trade, the great war, Stalins mass executions and genocides in Germany, Uganda and Cambodia.
Whilst walking, driving and taking buses and trains he is accompanied by his son, daughter and wife on stretches of the route with whom he discusses their beliefs or lack of them whilst at the same time offering up prayers for a miracle to help his dying sister-in-law.
He is also joined by a long line of the most important figures in Christian history, Saints Augustine and Jerome, Joan of Arc, Martin Luther, Calvin, Henry VIII and current personalities - the Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope John Paul and Pope Francis with whom he unsuccessfully tries to arrange a meeting to discuss some of his questions and doubts.
He has a particular respect for Pope Francis who he believes is doing much to turn around the Catholic Church and atone for the many generations of sexual exploitation in the past within the priesthood. He respects Pope Francis for his modesty and simplicity and lack of pomp and ceremony.
Early Christians and the early monasteries that were established through Europe taught enlightenment, skills and everything that was progressive and humane. By the Middle Ages this code of living had become more a means of dictating authority and control as the monasteries became corrupted. The upper echelons of the monastic hierarchy were often the most corrupt sinners in need of the religion that they preached.
Although his journey is gruelling at times particularly crossing the Alps he passes through some staggeringly beautiful scenery and untouched villages which seemingly have stood still since the Middle Ages when more than 2 million pilgrims walked this route yearly.
Mark W
Quite a pleasant and easy read, interesting in the description of the places on the way and a bit of European history thrown in and a bit of self discovery which he didn’t actually find particularly enlightening or engaging. The middle was ok, through France and Switzerland, and over the Alps, with some interesting places but he thought the Italian section a bit weak, and was starting to be irritated by the end. The book was obviously written for an American audience.
The most profound line in the whole book was the opening line ‘The passage to eternity begins in the Piccadilly line to Cockfosters’.??
The observation at the end when he got his certificate that he felt ‘like the scarecrow when he got his brain’ was just a bit of a disappointing end to the journey, which made him feel that this was, after all, a bit of a travelogue with some historical bits thrown in. He felt the author was running out of steam, both physically and inspirationally by the time he got to Rome.
Willm
Better than expected because there wasn’t much “spiritual stuff“ He questioned whether we are spiritual beings-in his view we are more like animals. The book was a very decent travellogue. The descriptions of the authors struggle with the weather and the mountains was very real as was his description of the horrors of religion. At the end of the book he didn’t understand why the author still clings to the Catholic Church and his desire to believe. This was beyond Williams comprehension given the level of religious corruption over history. He could not understand why one would wish to grasp for religious belief!
A decent informative reading experience.
John
To his surprise enjoyed the book much more than expected. He assumed it would be just another voyage of personal discovery by a “lost” American – as so many have written about their Compostela walk. This was a much more nuanced and thought-provoking story of a pilgrimage/walk/journey through time. The author surfaced many of the confusions and contradictions that those who struggle with formal Christian teaching face. He well-captured the complicated relationship with the Christian (particularly Catholic) church as an institution/faith – with its spiritual strengths, ability to provide comfort and inspire hope, yet also the source of so much suffering and bloodshed.
As a story he found it took time to get into and felt that it petered out towards the end but he particularly enjoyed the time in France and Switzerland not only by capturing the drudgery of such a long walk, but also the way he explored some “big” issues such as Christian-driven slaughters or using St Joan to highlight the uncertain attitude of the Catholic church to women (a church in which there are 50% more nuns than priests???). He also warmed to his positive take on the present Pope’s fraught balancing act between the forces of the past and the needs of the future.
Maybe not a travel masterpiece, but certainly readable and provocative
Steve
Struggled significantly with this book. because the author was an American. He liked the breezy style.The book was easy to read. He liked the fact that this was a walk with a purpose and all the interesting facts connected with the VF. He knew nothing of Joan of Arc or the massacre of Wassy. The author was good at descriptions but the book contained so much cliche and self indulgent writing. He struggled again and again with the American style. It was as if the book was being written for a National Geographic audience. Steve commented that the major problem with religions have been the “dumbed down“ institutions created around those religions and not necessarily the religion itself.
He was thankful that the author had flagged up various questions but he had not given Steve any answers nor did he care about the authors quest.
Chris B
Well researched but somewhat haphazard book. A lot of fascinating facts and musings about the places and people encountered. Sometimes felt more like a guidebook. He had hoped for more about Faith And the author never seemed to resolve his uncertainties and doubts about God. In that sense was the book and the authors pilgrimage a failure? He liked the authors admiration for Pope Francis – an even more radical figure than he had suspected but will he be able to make a difference in the long term? It confirmed for Chris the sense that the church is fundamentally a human institution subject to the same prejudices, deceptions and cruelties but at the same time compassion of any human institution. Like other organisations it closes ranks to try and hide its errors as with sexual abuse of priests. At the same time it has compassionate leaders who try to do the best for their communities.
The author said he owed his belief in the resurrection to the VF. Because it sums up the power of love?He also forgives the church for what it did to his family and his brother particularly. He accepts that some faith quandary is irresolvable. His main lesson seems to be to keep walking, looking and thinking along the way.
One of Chris‘s chosen quotes :
When the Pope was asked about his secret to happiness he said: “Slow down. Take time off. Live and let live. Work for peace. Don’t keep negative feelings bottled up. Enjoy art. Enjoy books. Play”. And one more suggestion, another reason to join the queue of travellers getting ready to leave Britain in the harbour at Dover(For the VF): “Please don’t see life from afar“.
Mark T
Mark enjoyed this book from the start. He liked the style , the spiritual search and journey and he liked the playfulness of the author.
He referred to the interview by the chief Abbot as to the suitability of the author to stay overnight in his monastery. The clinch question was whether he supported Donald Trump!
The book was full of facts which Mark liked, comments on sex, the corruption of the church, war, the Sunni/Shia divisions mirroring those between catholic and Protestant, Sexual abuse, and his perception that French were unfriendly, Religious relics and the fact that 25% of Italians are over 60 years old.
Finally he enjoyed the authors reunion with his wife. He found this description beautiful.
Richard
Richard has developed his spirituality over 20 years particularly since suffering with chronic fatigue syndrome 20 years ago. Are we all spiritual beings? The Maoris for example connect their spirituality with the land. From Richard‘s point of view he is confused by spirituality and doesn’t really understand it. He felt that the author became more and more repetitive on his journey and was disappointed that he didn’t learn anything new about God or religion in the book. Of course, the philosophy of goodness doesn’t need God. We cannot prove that God exists or doesn’t. However, the author was searching for Faith. Richard hasn’t found Faith. He liked the authors writing touches. Belief motivated projects over generations. Religion created time to think.
Inspired by the book Richard however tabled several topics for possible discussion.
The joy of walking
Religious certainty – how do some people have this?
The nature of pilgrimage - In this case the author didn’t walk the whole route but used several means of transport.
The difference between fiction and non-fiction. Non-fiction is essentially either biography or travelogue whereas fiction comprises many different varieties and themes.
Religion that preaches peace but commits war. Only now at the end of the 20th century when large parts of the world have disposed of religion are we at Peace.
There is nothing in the Bible that sets out the complex legislation that is followed by many people who follow Jesus.The book for example correctly gives the church a hard time on such a good initial message.
Richard concluded by highlighting Victor Hugo‘s edifying view of a unified Europe as predicted over 100 years ago.
Andrew
Enjoyed the start and found the history of Christianity interestingly written, pointing out the inconsistencies between philosophy and actions. He had no idea of the proportions of national populations which were killed in religious wars.
Christianity changed nothing. No sooner had the kingdoms converted to a God known as the Prince of Peace than they took up nearly nonstop war for a thousand years.
He thought Diderot was a “dude”, Calvin wasn't. He enjoyed the Franciscans’ explanation of their life in the fraternity, and thought Egan held Pope Francis in much higher. regard than he did the Archbishop of Canterbury. In fact, he was most irreverent about Welby although he came in for some redemption later on.
Diderot didn’t mince his words:
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest.
But although he found the facts interesting and the writing good, and at times humorous, it began to feel like reading a textbook. although I suspect it will get more personal, I’m not sure I’ll finish it – partly as it’s so long and feels a chore.
He did however enjoy some of the observations eg:
My hotel is an easy walk from anything I need for short-term happiness.
He’s full of graduate school enthusiasms, his mind alive with the questions that many people stop asking after forty - hour weeks of study are replaced by forty - hour weeks of work.
And particularly this description of his dinner:
Dinner outside at a small bistro is duck with cherry tomatoes on top. It is perfectly presented, burnished in buttery twilight
Chris W.
This was a book that he enjoyed because it covered a topic that would normally not have been of interest to him.
The book was informative and interwove the present with history making it very readable. He was impressed by the bibliography and the fact that this was not just a collection of the author’s own opinions but a synthesis of an extensive number of articles written about religion which he had collected to accompany his pilgrimage.
Initially he didn’t take to him as a character. He felt he was a bit “full of himself” with a chip on his shoulder particularly against the French and British but after a while came to like him as relatively modest and as a good parent. He liked the description of his daughter walking in front of him seeing her at different stages of her youth which every father has experienced at some stage and he described his feelings very well.
A good read, informative and entertaining.
Quotes:
An interesting commentary on the church view of sex and how rules were written by repressed monks: “The Catholic Church is still trying to legislate the rules of the bedroom yet their biggest problem are priests who molest children“
