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IN PRINT: BOOK REVIEW THE PARADOX OF POWER: From Control to Compassion Reviewed by Msgr. Harry J. Byrne, J.C.D., a retired priest of the Archdiocese of New York.
He observes that because we exist only in relationships, each person has a basic energy or need to be unique and struggles to realize her own identity and establish her influence on others. He identifies power as “the ability to influence others.” The ways individuals and groups relate and use power, whether as a controlling force or a caring force, will determine the health of relationships or a discordant condition at all levels of life. The author, a Franciscan, analyzes the relationships of Jesus to the governmental—Roman—and the religious—Scribes and Pharisees—powers of his time, looking to Mark proclaiming “another gospel” than that identified with and sustaining the power of the ruling authorities; looking to Matthew, who points to the power conflict early in the nativity narrative—“Herod…frightened, and all Jerusalem with him.” Paul adds another notion of power: the empowerment of the believer by the freely given grace and power of God revealed in Jesus. This empowerment must constitute every relationship of the Christian, if she is to be “in Christ.” In a later chapter, Crosby reflects on qualities that nourish one’s use of power in a caring manner, rather than as controlling: “mindfulness,” to become connected in ever widening circles; “patience” as an antidote to anger that easily misdirects power; “passion” for directing our energy toward realization of the good; “zeal” in commitment to the promotion of justice and the use of power in a caring mode. Crosby reflects on the universal need to control as “the source of all negativity in our world,” found in marriages, family life, the workplace, schools, markets, international relations and religious organizations. He notes the dynamics in Roman Catholicism to preserve the male, celibate priesthood at the cost of closing parishes and limiting avenues to the sacraments. Control is maintained through fear and intimidation and the withholding of the care that is the responsibility of control. It is the abuse of authority, as frequently characterizes the sexual abuser. This book then charts the way that power, being misused as a control instrument, leads to anger, destructive relationships, controversy, violence, hate, and—I think—enlightening to this reader, indifference: not caring for others or how others think, feel, or act. Tips on how to avoid the pitfalls of misuse of power as control are provided in abundance. The author turns to the positive use of power—caring: recognizing the need to change our way of relating in our use of power. Then from trust and an atmosphere of freedom there is a progression to constructive relationships and collaboration in an atmosphere marked by non-violence, peace, and mutual compassion. A “Power Chart: Two Basic Life Paths—Violence or Compassion” contained in this volume, illumines the various stages in each journey. This study could well be required reading for anyone entrusted with some level of power. In the context of our readership, this could include our pastors, bishops, and popes. Crosby makes references to church authorities using power as control to support institutional, status quo interests ahead of the needs of the faithful. |
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With this volume, Crosby launches into an analysis of something that is as omnipresent to human beings as the air they breathe: power! Born powerless, the infant remains pretty much without power for a considerable time, but, as the individual grows, she becomes aware of the power others have over her and then of the development of her own power to achieve mastery—control—over her own body and its functions. Then will follow how she relates to others and creates various groupings or communities. Social arrangements will determine whether there is an equal power sharing or an imbalance of power, whether there is equilibrium or a dysfunctional dynamic. Here the author introduces a distinction that will be relevant throughout his study: power as control; power as care. 
