The Evil Inclination & Other Tales of the Unexpected
By Frank Walker
Published by Sebastien Castelli Press 2005
Available from GA Mail Order Service, Information Department, Unitarian HQ, Essex Hall, 1 – 6 Essex Street, London WCR 3HY. Price £10 including postage. Cheques should be made payable to GA Unitarian.
The books which I have chosen to review over the past few months have been those safely selected as ones which I expect to value and which I felt other Unitarians might value too. It's very easy to 'highly recommend' this self-selected material. Imagine my trepidation at being asked to review a collection written by a living Unitarian Minister, heard of but not personally known. I need not have worried as from the very first page I recognised a writer with a gift of communication who spoke to me personally. Throughout the book I felt like saying 'yes, that's absolutely right' and at other times I would say 'fancy, I never knew that' or 'I'd never thought of it in that way'. On other more rare occasions I wanted to extend or challenge the author and felt the urge to contact him – of course I didn't. Reading the last page I felt that if I ever met the author it would be like meeting an old friend with whom I could be on first name terms.
Frank presents this book to us as a 'ragbag' of 'addresses, reviews, articles and meditations written over a period of fifty years'. Although many of the items are challenging the challenge is accessible in a way not always possible through the specialised discourse of academic theology and philosophy. Perhaps this is because the writer recognises the value of story telling throughout history as the way in which we understand and create meaning as we go through life. He draws extensively on the mythology of Old and New Testament with its continuing re-telling and re-shaping, as well as literature both sacred and secular from across cultures and through the ages. This is not in any heavy handed, academic or preacherly fashion but with a light touch in which we recognise our own human situation in relationship with others. The aim of 'convey[ing] something of the liberal religious view of life mainly by telling stories' is achieved well and truly. In earlier life Frank was a teacher of English Literature and his love of literature and wish to communicate a life-time of joy through story reading and story telling can be seen in the breadth of material he can readily call up. We are made to seriously consider the central role of telling our story and creation of meaning not only in religion but also in the field of science.
Forty-Eight chapters over 338 pages are self-contained which means that the reader can dip into it and find an address for a specific occasion or read right through, as I did, noting those pieces which I might want to return or use at a later date. How many of us find it difficult to consider sin or even original sin? The word 'sin' seems to be specifically religious and tied up with doctrines which as Unitarians we might find unpalatable. But Frank's story of 'The Evil Inclination', based on a personal experience, was so uncomfortably close to an experience of my own of many years ago that I am persuaded of the value of telling tales which help us recognise, accept and learn from our shared humanity with all its weaknesses and strengths.
Almost all the stories/pieces are about, or created from, shared experiences with real people, of various faiths or of none, who Frank has met over the years. The stories are contextual, concrete and tangible. We are invited into his Cambridge community where men and women confront paradox, agree to disagree, are eccentric and normal, inspirational and ordinary. But more than anything they are all real people just like you and me. As well as drawing on ordinary, every day experiences of life, they also offer a way in to understanding better some of the issues raised by challenging thinkers of the day such as Don Cupitt and Jonathan Miller.
Frank takes us with him on his exchanges to Unitarian communities in America and Australia. We meet Unitarian communities, wonderfully varied, always welcoming, with their own specific history and personalities, responding to the society in which they have their roots. We are shown the need to maintain a liberal voice whether we find ourselves in America, Australia or the UK.
The chapters written in memory of a particular person bring to life those Unitarians who otherwise might be quietly forgotten beyond their own small community. Frank recognises that some may be critical thinking that pieces such as these gloss over imperfections of real life but I believe that PIPs (People in Pews) and POFs (People on Forums) can only benefit from being introduced to individuals by those, like this author, who can tell their stories to be shared and retold beyond boundaries of space and time. The author's closing sentence is apt: 'Grant above all, that our communications may be like sowing of seeds, and that those who receive them may look to a fine harvest'.
There are two criticisms which I make only because I believe this collection deserves the best of bindings and presentation. The binding isn't as firm as it should be and will no doubt deteriorate quickly the more the book is handled. Many of the pieces having been scanned from earlier printed material resulted in many errors. None of them are serious and I do appreciate how difficult it is to fully spot these errors even after proofreading closely. However, it would be good to think that this print run will sell out and in any re-print these small criticisms will be rectified.
Having read and enjoyed this book I realise that other Ministers must have a wealth of material which would benefit Unitarians now, those newly joined and those to come. We can enjoy and learn so much about our movement and the people who live it from stories well told and well written.
Reviewed by Joan Wilkinson