God or Nothing: A Conversation on Faith with Nicolas Diat

God or Nothing is the result of what must have been quite a series of interviews between Robert Cardinal Sarah (the man on the cover) and reporter Nicolas Diat. Sarah is noteworthy for a variety of very good reasons, and hopefully the translation of this book means that he will get more recognition in the Anglophone world. Born in a small village in a remote part of the West African nation of Guinea (then a French colony), no one would have guessed that he would manage to become a Catholic priest, much less Archbishop of Conakry or a cardinal in the Curia. Especially, once Guinea gained its independence from France and was plunged into a decades-long Marxist revolution by its new leader. But achieve it he did.

Along with his life's show more story, we also learn his thoughts on every Pope who has reigned during his life, what he thinks Pope Francis really means, as well as his thoughts on the major theological issues of the day. His opinions on Pope Pius XII from the perspective of a survivor of a more recent despotic regime were particularly interesting. I will admit to stereotyping social justice Catholics as white upper and middle-class children of the 60s, but Sarah presents a view of social justice for the poor that is untainted by the kinds of issues such as women's ordination that it got mixed with in the West. This is the kind of social justice that every Catholic can get behind. And as a bonus, the whole thing makes for absolutely compulsive reading.

Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the Church in Africa and Catholic current events. show less

Cardinal Sarah covers a wide-ranging set of topics related to the Faith in this book and demonstrates a rare depth of spiritual and intellectual maturity. This book is profitable reading for those who wish to understand the landscape of the Church currently as well as those looking for good spiritual reading. Cardinal Sarah does not disappoint.

dopo aver letto questo libro in poco più di una giornata... un' unica cosa mi rimane con certezza e commozione.. la tenerezza di Dio per l'uomo. ( che grande questo Cardinale!!!)

dopo aver letto questo libro in poco più di una giornata... un' unica cosa mi rimane con certezza e commozione.. la tenerezza di Dio per l'uomo. ( che grande questo Cardinale!!!)

ESP-246

Parla il cardinale guineano, oggi alla testa del dicastero “per la disciplina dei sacramenti” e protagonista, per parte africana, del Sinodo per la famiglia, dove ha difeso le posizioni classiche. Che nel libro ritroviamo, messe in rapporto con la cultura africana del matrimonio, assieme a interessanti pagine autobiografiche e sulla Guinea di Sékou Touré.
In ogni caso, un vero «uomo di Dio», come ripete il suo intervistatore Nicolas Diat.