Words of Faith

Words of Faith by Francois Mauriac, translated by Rev Edward H Flannery, 118 pages

Words of Faith collects the transcripts of a selection of talks given by Mauriac in the decade following the Second World War, including his Nobel address.  As the title suggests, these center on various aspects of his Catholic faith, from the fading of the Catholic revival to the role of the faith in a Europe that is no longer the center of civilization.  If there is a theme that unifies these elements, it is Mauriac's realism about human fallenness and his corresponding hope for redemption.

Overall, the pieces are disappointing, neither transcending their time nor expanding our understanding of it.  Mauriac speaks as he writes, with simplicity and sensitivity, but where these are among the strengths of his novels, they are weaknesses here, as for these very reasons these talks lack the fiery prophetic brilliance that marked Bloy and Bernanos, Peguy and Huysmans.