Catholic Medical Quarterly Vol 76 (3) August 2026
Book Review
All of a Piece: The Autobiography Of An Essex Man And
Wandering Philosopher
by John M. Rist
Angelico Press
John
Rist is a prominent scholar of ancient philosophy and a leading expert on
St Augustine. He converted to Catholicism after studying Plato and
Plotinus and concluding that the existence of a fixed moral order requires
the existence of a divine mind. His conversion took place in the 1990s
when the Church was already in crisis. The crisis has since worsened.
He describes his encounters with many fine philosophers and theologians including Elizabeth Anscombe, Joseph Owens, and Robert Dodaro. He also describes his dealings with Hans Kung, ex-priest Gregory Baum, the hugely influential Cardinal Cupich, and Pope Francis. He discusses the persecution of Catholics who have been deemed to be too orthodox. He himself has not been exempt from this plight. Certain Catholic institutions have engaged in censoring orthodox Catholics. For example, his review of a book by a Dominican priest who endorsed homosexual activity was not well received. His own recent book was refused reviews by leading Catholic journals. He has also been banned from the Catholic institutions where he has served.
There are lots of anecdotes throughout the book, some delightful, others much less so. He met President Pierre Trudeau while residing in Canada and challenged him on abortion. He discovered that some Catholic bishops were friends of the "Catholic" president and turned the other cheek on this issue. The persecution of orthodox Catholics by Catholic institutions is very sad. Fortunately, there are quite a few amusing anecdotes as well. I especially enjoyed reading a revised version of the ballad on the Bishop of Bray.
While highly critical of recent liberal trends within the Church, the author is a fully believing Catholic who has no time for sedevacantism.
This is a splendid and often joyful read.