Thursday, April 29, 2021

Book Review: With God in Russia by Walter J. Ciszek S.J.


    The memoir, With God in Russia, offers readers a vivid window into the social dynamic in Russia during the conclusion of the Second World War and the first decades of the Cold War. Relating firsthand experiences from this place and era, With God in Russia is not simply an autobiography containing dramatic historical themes. On the contrary, this book serves as a treasury of theological depth, revealing the Finger of God in seemingly broken situations. Written in 1964 A.D., With God in Russia was the first of two memoirs penned by the American-born Jesuit priest, Fr. Walter J. Ciszek S.J. (the second being his 1973 book, He Leadeth Me).  His remarkable story stands as an example of perseverance for the sake of the Gospel. After being declared Servant of God in the late twentieth century, "on March 21 [2006] the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints opened an official investigation into the life and virtues of Father Walter J. Ciszek, S.J."[1] With God in Russia recounts the years spent by Fr. Ciszek in the prisons of Soviet Russia and the Siberian labor camps, portraying them as “an ‘adventure’” and “heroic narrative of his resistance to a godless regime.”[2] Although it never strays from its initial focus on Fr. Ciszek’s experiences, With God in Russia incorporates the lives of several distinctive individuals, each of whom either parallel or contrast the attributes exhibited by the author. The reader is thus gifted with a glimpse of the inner structure of the human person, and each of the components forming man’s spiritual and psychological composition.

    In an effort to illustrate for his readers the intricacies of his story, in his book, With God in Russia, Fr. Ciszek paints a striking historical image. The events of his account occurred during the Second World War (1939-1945) and the Cold War (1947-1991), a time of extreme worldwide social unrest, particularly in the Soviet Union. At this time, the powers of Communism battled the Church with continuous brutality, and “Catholics throughout the Soviet Union saw their churches desecrated, seminaries and Catholic schools closed, and the practice of the faith generally driven underground.”[3] As a result of their religious beliefs, countless priests, nuns, and faithful laity disappeared into the prisons and work camps of Communist Russia. Nevertheless, the ever-present danger of arrest did not deter numerous courageous individuals from the mission of evangelization. Fr. Ciszek, the author of With God in Russia, offers one such example of heroism. Seeking to respond to the spiritual needs of the impoverished men and women adjusting to the War’s destruction of their homeland and to the Socialistic move toward collectivization of workers, Fr. Ciszek obtained permission from his superiors to enter the Russian workforce. Although he was well-aware of the possible consequences were the government to discover his religious motives, he did not hesitate to answer the call of Christ. In doing so, Fr. Ciszek highlighted the complete faith which alone sustained him, as evidenced by his words, “only in God would I put my trust.”[4]

    Fr. Walter Ciszek opens his book, With God in Russia, discussing the time spanning from his childhood to the early years of his priesthood. Although brief, this section builds for the reader a thorough appreciation of the author’s character. Rather than focusing solely on his positive attributes, Fr. Ciszek becomes vulnerable to his readers, deliberately and humbly sharing his flaws in temperament. As the book progresses, this previously acquired insight into Fr. Ciszek’s person leads to both understanding and admiration of the author. An excellent example of the connection between his personal attributes and the structure of his story can be found in his “Polish stubborn streak.”[5] Throughout the chapters of With God in Russia, it becomes evident that Fr. Ciszek harnesses this negative quality, transforming it for use in the service of Christ. It was this firm determination which led him to Russia. After his arrest under the false accusation of being a “Vatican spy,”[6] it was similar Christ-centered willpower which carried him through nearly a decade in the Russian Lubyanka prison and fifteen years in the Siberian GULAG. Moreover, it was his stubborn nature that led Fr. Ciszek to courageously persist in his priestly role regardless of the dangers and difficulties, ministering to countless troubled souls.

    Throughout With God and Russia, Fr. Ciszek never loses sight of the theological dimension of his story. Each element of his memoir pertains to two fundamental themes, namely, trust and Presence. As he daily experienced the evils of the Communist regime, the Soviet Prison camps became for him a school in spirituality. Over time, Fr. Ciszek came to comprehend that only in God would he obtain solace. One finds this expressed in his words, “for myself, I had no fear. I put all my trust and confidence in His divine will...I repeated over and over again: ‘Thy will be done.’"[7] This insight was paired with a profound recognition of God’s indwelling within his being. With his characteristic obstinacy, Fr. Ciszek refused to allow the surrounding darkness blind him to this Presence. This is not to imply that he was free of all internal darkness during his decades in Russia. Rather, it was by constantly redirecting his attention to the reality of the Divine’s innermost Presence, through unfailing dedication to his Jesuit prayer life, that Fr. Ciszek’s soul remained receptive to Christ.

    When pondering With God in Russia, readers find much practical advice for building a healthy relationship with God. Regardless of whether their circumstances are as extreme as Fr. Ciszek’s, the themes which he discussed remain relevant to each person. Just as the author of With God in Russia was fortified by his embrace of the Divine Will when faced with uncertainty, so too does trust in God’s all-encompassing Presence offer each man and woman constant consolation. I highly recommend reading With God in Russia as, through its detailed account of Fr. Ciszek’s encounter with God in painful surroundings, the book creates a roadmap to personal growth. In telling his own story of perseverance, Fr. Ciszek provides his readers with practical advice concerning their own life challenges. Although the author’s use of vocabulary is particular to the book’s Russian setting, With God in Russia is written in an uncomplicated style. Fr. Walter Ciszek’s book, With God in Russia, accomplishes the purpose for which it was penned, recounting “honestly and plainly”[8] the story of his time in Soviet prison, while ultimately illumining the indispensable Presence of the Divine Who, in the words of the author, "called me to, prepared me for, [and] then protected me during those years in Siberia.”[9]



[1] "Benedict XVI's Renouncement of the Papal Title 'Patriarch of the West,'" Catholic Historical Review 92, no. 3 (2006), 370.

[2] Gregory Freeze, Alexey Beglov, Nadezhda Beliakova, and Evgenia Tokareva, "Catholics in the Soviet Union: New Research and New Sources on Everyday Religious Life (1917-1958),” Catholic Historical Review 106, no. 3 (2020), 482.

[3] John Vidmar, The Catholic Church Through the Ages, A History, 2nd ed. (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist Press, 2014), 349.

[4] Walter J. Ciszek, With God in Russia (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 1964), 124.

[5] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 24.

[6] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 184.

[7] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 354.

[8] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 17.

[9] Ciszek, With God in Russia, 17.


Image Credit: "With God in Russia," at www.amazon.com.

Book Details:
Publisher: HarperOne (June 13, 2017)
ISBN: 9780062641625
Pages: 400
List Price: 16:19 USD

No comments:

Post a Comment