I WIN, WE LOSE

John Hall Snow was professor of pastoral theology at the Episcopal Divinity School and considered preacher-in-residence at Christ Church, Cambridge, Massachusetts, for over eighteen years. In this previously unpublished manuscript, Snow outlines his critique of American culture building on Americas adoption of Herbert Spencers social theory known as survival of the fittest. The unconscious acceptance of his theory has reduced us to winners and losers, leading us to disfigure language and truth. Snow writes, We lie to others, and ourselves, basically, because we believe that lies facilitate whatever it is that we want to do. The basic untruth of human existence is that we can control reality by making it over in the image that we want it to be by words. And since words are all we have to define reality, everything we do and think is touched by untruth. Even the best, as well as the worst of us do this. The best withhold the truth, the worst distort it. The overriding priority is the goal, not the truth. The idea seems to be that what we have built with words will become reality. Kudos to editor Rick Stecker for bringing this volume to print because, God knows Snows kind of savvy cultural critique and compassionate wisdom is welcome sustenance for the journey. --Marvin M. Ellison, Willard S. Bass Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics, Bangor Theological Seminary, Director of Alumni/ae Relations, Union Theological Seminary Snows work represents a thoughtful, provocative, and problematic reflection on a basic American, and probably human, paradox