paradoxum:: truth in tension

Stitching People Together (Book Review of The Sacred Meal by Nora Gallagher)

The Sacred Meal

The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, “This is my body which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”  In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 ESV)

In The Sacred Meal, Nora Gallagher offers a look into the Holy Communion practiced by the church for over 2000 years.  This is the second book I have reviewed from the Ancient Practices Series and I am sorry to say that I found this book to be an overall disappointment. I have to agree with Gallagher when she writes, “While there may be many persons more qualified than I am to write such a book…”

Gallagher is forthright in tell her readers that if they are looking for an academic treatment of the subject then they will find the book to be lacking. While this book is not intended to be an academic treatment of the book, the problem with the book is that it is 90 percent her recounting her life experiences and leaves out much discussion on the biblical passages that inform our understanding of the Eucharist, and the history of the sacred meal. While she does spend a few pages on each of these subjects, the scale is much too heavy on her personal stories.

Here are some things that I did find valuable in her book. She does highlight the reality that Holy Communion is a community practice where the Eucharist meal is essential in “stitching people together.” She is also keen in her insight that we bring our “personal baggage” to communion in the form of anxieties, rationalizations, etc.

Gallagher’s interest in the “historical Jesus” denigrates the Divine and portrays a picture of Jesus that is incomplete. Her view of the Sacred Meal is more informed by Jesus feeding the 5,000 than by the actual Last Supper where the Sacred Meal took place.

The Sacred Meal, by Nora Gallagher is not a book I would recommend to friends or family. It is unbalanced and unfocused on the subject and unfortunately was not worth the time it took to read.

Note: I received a complimentary copy of this book through the Booksneeze program for the purpose of reviewing.