[.ca] Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena (ISBN 1602064261)

Old (1907) edition of The Dialogue:
In my view as well as that of other recognized Catherinian scholars, this TAN volume, Algar Thorold's translation of The Dialogue of Catherine of Siena, represents an old and very flawed presentation of the original, very Victorian in its style and often inaccurate. Thorold's translation Catherine's Dialogue was first published unabridged in 1895. Since then a number of much-abridged re-issues of that translation have been published, including this TAN release of the 1907 edition. The inadequacy of Thorold's translation necessitated a completely new translation, which I undertook and published in 1980 (Paulist Press). That edition is still under copyright and available only under the Paulist imprint. My rating shows 1 star only because the choice of 0 was not available.

A Welcome Challenge for People who Pray:
The first two sections of St. Catherine's "Dialogue", the Prologue and the Way of Perfection, are very powerful statements about our relationship to God. In the Prologue we, through Catherine, are speaking to God by expressing our hopes and fears. But in the Way of Perfection it is God who is speaking about His hopes and fears for us and for our society. Thus, the work of Catherine truly represents a dialogue between two parties - us and God. The remarkable characteristic about this dialogue is that it is similar to the model for dialogue promoted by today's counsellors and psychologists: the model where a staff member first listens to the client before responding with professional expertise in order to respect the freedom of the client. Since her model for dialogue is similar to that of contemporary counsellors, Catherine can be said to be very relevant today. In the Prologue Catherine opens the discussion by expressing some very human and normal desires. She hopes for the good of herself, of the Church, and of the world. Catherine even manages to present to God a special intention which affirms the Catholic teaching that God knows not only universal, cosmic events, but also ordinary, everyday particular circumstances. The petitions of Catherine reveal two characteristics of her relationship with God. First, by her example Catherine teaches that God is able to relate to us humans on our level. She was able to tell God about human events and affairs. Secondly, her action of asking God for things is a sign that Catherine had a great trust in God and in His love. She would not have made those prayers in the Prologue if she thought God was unconcerned and indifferent to our well-being. Consequently, Catherine shows not only her fragile, human side, but also her trust and hope. The Way of Perfection is the section where God speaks to His dialogical partner in reply. This section is longer than the Prologue, yet this should be of no surprise since God obviously has more to say than Catherine. In this section the distinction between virtuous and non-virtuous people is made. The difference is that, unlike those who live in vice, virtuous people have an awakened conscience, appreciate the fragrant smell of virtue, and take joy in the company of other believers (p.30). And because the life of virtue is superior to its opposite, the life of vice, just as love is superior to hatred (p.34), God desires virtue for all people. "... I look on them and give them light (p.30)." A finer distinction is made between the virtuous and the truly virtuous. The virtuous are those who enjoy the presence of God yet take it for granted. They do not make perfect contrition for their sins. Consequently, their sins are forgiven, but not the penalty due to their sins. "...These receive no pardon of the penalty but only of the sin itself (p.31)." But the truly virtuous are those who not only participate in the presence of God, they also are disposed to receive this presence in a humble way. As a result, their sins and the penalty due for their sins are forgiven. In summary, St. Catherine's words to God are encouraging because she speaks to Him about some of the things relevant to my life. But God's words to Catherine are challenging because they point out the inconsistencies and weaknesses of believers. Fortunately, God would not have said these difficult things to Catherine if He did not think we could learn from them and change our ways.

A welcome return for the Thorold translation:
This is a classic work of prayer and theology, of course, but let it be said that the translation is also wonderful--warm and elegant at once (in spite of what one of the previous commentators has had to say about it). While I'm at it, let me say that I hope Saint Benedict's Press keeps doing what it's doing--namely, putting out Catholic classics both old and new. They're a small operation, but their paperbacks are affordable and of the very highest quality: sturdy, with thick, heavy covers, and hardy spines that will stand up to many years of handling (unlike what you get from, say, Paulist Press), and attractive text. Highly recommended. The sniping review posted here by Suzanne Noffke should definitely be taken with a pillar of salt.

Not the translation I would recommend:
As a teacher, I cannot recommend this translation. The Victorian style may be elegant (as one reviewer suggested) but its overly flowery presentation can get between the reader and the subject, making Catherine sound like she was perpetually floating above the ground instead of living as a citizen of her time who was seeking to know God and live in a very practical manner in the world. The contrast between this translation and the one done by Dr. Suzanne Noffke is marked and I highly recommend the latter instead.

Very Heady Stuff:
I am sure it is very good writing from an esteemed Doctor of the Catholic Church, but I found it a bit much; not as readable as I thought it would be.