The Good News Note

September 19 Peace and Good, Last Monday I had my six month CT scan, and it went very well. The mass in my lungs has shrunk even more from the three month scan. I am still on immunotherapy for the next six months, but that does not have such a big effect on me as chemo did. In these weeks I noticed one of the lasting effects of chemotherapy. I have developed curly hair. I call it a chemoperm. I am helping out more and more at the shrine, and I am now getting quite a few requests for days of recollection and retreats. I have to be careful because I tend to say yes to everything. I finished a writing project for one of our magazines in Assisi. I checked with the Padua friars about where I stand with finished articles, and they told me I am set until March of 2026. So these days I am trying to get ahead with the podcasts on the daily readings. I am also working on initial ideas for some Good News Notes. I spoke to one of our staff about the possibility of doing a "what do you want to know about the Bible" question site on our Companions web site. I finished some reading and listening: God Wills It: Understanding the Crusades by Thomas Madden This is an excellent course (Modern Scholar) on the crusades from both the Christian and the Muslim dimension. The professor does not try to take one side or the other. He points out the mistakes of both sides in the conflict, as well as their successes (e.g. how could the Christians expect to hold the Holy Land with most of the crusaders deciding to go home to Europe after their time of service). Creating Humans: Ethical Questions Where Reproduction and Science Collide by Alexander McCall Smith This is a very, very good treatment of reproduction questions including the difficult issues of in vitro fertilization, abortion, birth control, surrogacy, gene engineering, sex choices, etc. The professor organizing the course (Modern Scholar) is very balanced and respectful. He does not attack one position or another, but rather weighs them on the basis of human dignity. The Battle of Sekigahara by Charles River Editors This is a major battle fought between war lords in Japan at the beginning of the 17th century in which the Tokugawa dynasty won the role of daimyo and ruled Japan (along with a figurehead emperor) until the time of the Meiji restoration in the 19th century. The Battle of Lepanto by Charles River Editors This is a short account of the Battle of Lepanto. This was a battle fought between the forces of Christian Europe and the Turks whose fleets were endangering even the ports of the Western Mediterranean. The Christians won a monstrous victory. It did not really disable the Turkish empire, for within one year they had rebuilt their fleet. But it did protect most of the western Mediterranean from Turkish depredation. Greek Legacy: Understanding the Overwhelming Contribution of the Ancient Greeks by Timothy Shutt This is a Modern Scholar quick presentation of some of the most important values of Greek society, why these values developed, and how they were passed down in their society and ours. It also deals with questions of government, culture, etc. Again, Shutt is a good presenter and he presents enough information without overwhelming one with trivia. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World by Jennifer Tobin This is a Modern Scholar course on the seven wonders of the ancient world. Tobin presents how these were built, why, what remains of them, etc. It is not a deep study as much as a pleasant overview. Fundamental Cases: The Twentieth Century Courtroom Battles that Changed our Nation by Alan Dershowitz I don’t especially like Alan Dershowitz, but this Modern Scholar course is tremendous for it gives good insights into various important American courtroom cases. He deals with the Scopes trial, the Rosenburgs, O.J. Simpson, the Gore/Bush election decision by the Supreme Court, etc. It is a wide range of topics, but Dershowitz’s original view of what occurred has made me reflect upon what I believed about the cases. Moby Dick: America’s Epic by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of this American classic from Modern Scholar. Shutt is one of the main presenters with this company, and even though his presentations have an extremely wide range of topic, he seems to do all of these courses well. One ends up with a tremendous insight into the personality of Melville and how it was expressed in the main characters of this novel. The Making of Martin Luther by Richard Rex The author of this book is not especially a fan of Martin Luther. He outlines the early days of his rebellion against Catholic authority and teaching. Luther does not come across as a very virtuous character. Touchy, self-righteous, argumentative, etc. would be adjectives to use for Luther according to this account. I think I enjoyed the account because it did not present Luther from a worshipful point of view, but showed what he really was like. The Iliad and Odessey of Homer by Timothy Shutt This is an overview of these two great sagas by Homer (if there was an historic Homer). He gives insight into what is playing out in the reaction of Achilles (pouting and all but betraying his fellow Greeks because of what he considers to be an insult) and the cleverness and scheming nature of Odysseus. This study is very helpful to more fully understand these works. The Dawn of Political History: Thucydides and the Peloponnesian War by Fred Baumann This course from Modern Scholar is not so much on the Peloponnesian War as the account of that war written by Thucydides. Why did he say things the way that he did? Why did this Athenian author write his account in Sparta? We see that, at heart, he still considers himself to be Athenian, but he is not above criticizing them for their failures to live up to their greater values. Vatican II by John O’Malley This is a Learn25 course on the Second Vatican Council. John O’Malley was a Jesuit professor at Catholic University. He is tremendous on history topics. This course gives one an inside view on the political/religious movements which guided the council. I strongly recommend this course and his other courses. Religions of the East: Paths to Enlightenment by Stephen Prothero This is a Modern Scholar course on the history and beliefs of some of the Eastern religions such as Hinduism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism, etc. It shows the differences between the beliefs and practices, including of the various form of Buddhism found in the countries where it became important. The professor knows his material and is able to communicate it well without being a proselytizer of any particular belief. Have a good week. Shalom fr. Jude