Mother Teresa

In February, our book group will be discussing Mother Teresa: An Authorized Biography by Kathryn Spink. I don't think there could be a drier biography of such an amazing woman. The information about her life was fascinating, but the manner in which it was presented was so hard to get through. But because there are several other things I want to read, I forced myself to push through it in short order.

As to the writing:

• She records events, but doesn't have a compelling narrative to string it all together
• It is a jumble chronologically, and the themes of her chapters aren't strong enough to carry it by (supposed) topic
• It is full of Catholic terminology, without much explanation. I assume the author is Catholic, and she seems to be assuming that I am Catholic.
  

I also am innately suspicious of the "authorized" biography. What is she leaving out? What is she scrubbing clean? I do feel like we don't get a very full picture of Mother Teresa's personality, but I don't know if that's due to poor writing or to Spink's desire to never make even a slightly negative comment about her subject. There are a few times when she mentions something that was controversial, but its discussion is always limited to only a few lines, and it's clear that the author feels like she is writing about a near perfect person.

It is truly amazing, though, the things that Mother Teresa did. Her vows of poverty and her consistent and steadfast desire to serve the poorest of the poor. The leprosy houses and the death houses, where people could be treated with dignity and respect. She obviously had a calling to this work, and she was successful in helping so many of the downtrodden of society. I thought it interesting that each Missionaries of Charity chapel was inscribed with "I Thirst". however, I didn't end up with a great feeling of regard and love for Mother Teresa after reading the book. She felt flat to me, and I think I will look for some documentaries about her in order to hear her speak and give her a bit more body.

And honestly, the feeling I came away with from the book was that while she would be an amazing person to meet, someone to hold in high esteem, and someone who did so so much good in the world, she was also inflexible, bossy, and someone you couldn't really sit down with and have a chat with. But really all of those things helped her in her single-minded determination to help the poor.

This line in the book struck me: "In the historic struggle between Galileo and the church, Mother Teresa would have taken the side of the Church, the side of obedient faith against radical progress based on rational faith." Spink seems to be suggesting that taking the side of the church against Galileo was the higher road. She also suggests here and other places that Mother Teresa never questioned the church's authority and position. And that she would follow the church no matter what. That's very different from what I naturally do. "Obedient faith" is not my forte, and I am a thinker and questioner and doubter.