 |
Holy Spirit: Prayer Student Notebook by Matthew Crowner Lulu
book review by Carolyn Davis
"The purpose of this paper is to share ideas and to grow closer to God"
Crowner's book, formatted in many colors, font styles, and sizes, is the work of a person who is seeking to share his thoughts on large questions of religion, particularly according to the Catholic faith. He is eager to receive feedback— "I like polite constructive criticism and I really like truthful compliments"—and he seems eager to share many thoughts with readers. He suggests that "[a] good starting prayer to God [is], 'I am listening.'"
The manuscript is an earnest endeavor comprised of many sections of quotations and the author's impressions and convictions. In fact, it is a collection of many impressions instead of hypotheses. The author has put together an outline of opinions that might be used as a starting point for a social discussion of many points, from "Universal... Salvation through Christ," to the author's discourses of the necessity of baptism and catechism.
Ultimately, this is a large outline written by an enthusiastic student. Although somewhat lacking in organization, and requiring additional development to qualify as a work of theological or social scholarship, the work shows its readers that the author is thinking about a variety of issues. Crowner defines himself as "A Student," and in the beginning of the manuscript, defines the work as having been "Collaborated by: Matthew Crowner: A Student ((Gospel of Matthew 13:51-53 and 5:3-10))."