The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 32, Ed. 1, Friday, January 17, 1986 Page: 3 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Texas Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Abilene Christian University Library.
- Highlighting
- Highlighting On/Off
- Color:
- Adjust Image
- Rotate Left
- Rotate Right
- Brightness, Contrast, etc. (Experimental)
- Cropping Tool
- Download Sizes
- Preview all sizes/dimensions or...
- Download Thumbnail
- Download Small
- Download Medium
- Download Large
- High Resolution Files
- IIIF Image JSON
- IIIF Image URL
- Accessibility
- View Extracted Text
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
?'
t
" :? A- WW' ';
i68LlU1T6S
;? 'i:
ftiday.jan. 17 1986
optimist A-3
Book handles religion accurately
i .-' 'iv ..rttWii -0vH nmuW'
llyMICHCLLEMOfimS
Feature Edtter
le drove to Abilene in a station wagon
at Casta Hcrrera'a and Harold's
rbecue. and stayed at the Holiday Inn.
le talked to farmers surveyors high
3001 football coaches a 102-year-old
gtady students and various others.
This according to Dr. Gary D. Mc-
fCaleb is typical of how novelist James
iMichcner researched Texas.
Michener's aide asked McCaleb vice
president and dean of campus life
country clubs. He won't gain anything
for his research that way; he wants to talk
real people."
Illustration by Kenneth Pybus
H i . : ' . -
ACU appears in novel
'Dfi.W4.LJ.HUMLE
Reprinted with permission from
lAmvocmt
l!' Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Tames
IMichcner has written a new novel Texas
Ito help celebrate the sesquicentennial of
Texas independence in 1986 and it has
: just appeared in bookstores.
Michener visited Abilene while doing
ithe research for Texas and he graciously
included the following note in his
acknowledgments: "I held many separate
Wiscussions about the role of religion in
fexas but the most informative was a
ay seminar with the scholars at
Ibllene Christian University: Professors
Fair Richard Hughes BUI Humble
1 R.L. Roberts. Gary McCaleb public
fairs officer at the university was also
Specially helpful"
r The framework for Michener's Texas is
i task force appointed by the governor to
Btudy how Texas history should be
ight in the public schools. Each time
: task force meets a scholar briefs them
jfiw whatever facet of Texas history they
re considering ai inai meeung
When the task force meets in Tyler to
ipiore "religion in l exas the resource
aolar is one Joel Job Harrison VI As
name implies Harrison is a sixth
eration Texan a descendant of the
Joel Harrison who was the earliest
testont preacher in Texas. Harrison
; a Methodist circuit rider who arrived
I.Texas in the early 1820s when Texas
apart of Mexico.
le Mexican constitution and law pro-
that Catholicism was the only
;lon that could legally exist and no
Although several ACU faculty and staff
members agree with McCaleb that
Michener did a good job of researching
his latest book reviewer A.C. Greene and
others seem to think the book is not
representative because the author spent
too much time "being entertained by
social darlings' and "becoming ac-
quainted with the big wheels."
It seems however that people from
ACU who met Michener saw a different
side of the famous writer than the
negative reviewers seemed to see. People
who spent time with Michener in
Abilene say he did a great job on the
religion section of his book.
The ACU men that were thanked in
Michener's introduction agreed that the
mtw
" jsSHIV
one could acquire land in Texas without
papers certifying that he was a Catholic.
For tills reason the liberal hard-drinking
Irish priest assigned to Texas Father
Clooney was kept busy making converts
to Catholicism and providing them with
the proper papers.
Meanwhile Harrison worked tirelessly
holding Methodist meetings in cabins
and ministering to the spiritual needs of
the settlers. Father Clooney knew of Har-
rison's activities and there were tense
confrontations between priest and circuit
rider.
Clooney could have reported Harrison
to the authorities and had him arrested at
any time but he was much too tolerant
for that. And Harrison worked for the
day when Texas would be Protestant and
a part of the United States.
Two generations later In the 1890s
Joel Job Harrison III was "one of those
titanic clergymen who sweep across
Texts from time to time" as Michener
describes him who made his reputation
as a debater defending Methodist views
on baptism against the Baptists and
Campbellites.
Harrison had a series of great public
debates across North Texas with
thousands in attendance.
Meanwhile a new religious force the
Church of Christ was gaining ground in
Texas throughout the 1800s and
Michener has q perceptive description of
the heritage and distinctive views of the
Church of Christ. "
Michener continues the saga of Joel Job
Harrison HI the great Methodist
debater; "In 1894 the religious world of
Texas was shocked when thin rower of
V"
author's overall description of the
Church of Christ is extremely well done
and remarkably accurate. Michener spent
three days in Abilene In March 1984 lear-
ning as much as he could about "the real
people" of West Texas.
R.L. Roberts archivist for the Center
for Restoration Studies said the point is
not that Michener may have had Joel Job
Harrison VI introduce himself as an or-
dained minister and a Bible professor at
Abilene Christian College.
"Michener was trying to give a feel for
the religion of the times" said Roberts.
Houston Post writer Felton West said
that some things that would be con-
sidered mistakes in a history may be
deliberate fact changes in Michener's
S&'.
tf$h
y
. i
V - .
.ft'
Methodism this peerless debater went
into seclusion studied the Bible and
emerged with a startling revelation 'I can
no longer support the Methodist church
as it now exists. I am departing from it to
become a member of the Church of
Christ.' This was trebly scandalous since
he was in effect joining forces with his an-
cient foes the Campbellites against
whom he had so furiously inveighed."
Harrison had become a member of the
Church of Christ at the time the con-
troversy over instrumental music was
raging and he strongly opposed the
organ. When members of his congrega-
tion brought an organ into the church
Harrison threatened to burn the place
down.
Later generations of the Harrison fami-
ly continued to be preachers for the
Church of Christ.
And when Joel Job Harrison VI ap-
pears before the governor's task force in
1983 he introduces himself as a minister '
and a professor in the department of Bi-
ble at Abilene Christian. So when James
Michener gives his appraisal of the im-
pact of religion on Texas history
Michener's words come from the Ups of
this fictional professor in the Bible
department at ACU.
Ransom Rusk a Texas oil billionaire
serving on the task force asks Harrison
"Would you object if I calledyoui
modern-day Campbellite?" And Har-
jrison answers "Yes I would. My church
is much bigger in concept than the doc-
trine of any one man. Why not just call
me a Christian?"
Who would have expected to find a line
like that in a 'Tnrrje Michener novel?
novels. He pointed out that the books are
elaborately researched Which seems ob-
vious from the amount of detail that fills
his books.
Concerning one writer's negative views
of Texas Dr. Bill Humble director of the
Center for Restoration Studies said "I
disagree with A.C. Greene's review com-
pletely. Greene left the implication that
the whole book is filled with errors."
One point stressed by McCaleb Hum-
ble and Roberts was that Michener is a
fiction writer not a historian.
Texas historian T.R. Fehrenbach was
quoted in West's article as saying
"Michener does not write history. He
writes historical novels in which while
there is much fact there's also a tremen
Greene blasts Texa$
By A.C. GREENE
. Reprinted wHh permission from the DaHa Momfng Nawa
A novel about Texas that's 1096 pages long.
The longest? No not the longest. Madison Cooper's 1952 novel Stronta Texas
went 1731 pages.
The dullest? Ounce for ounce possibly the dullest book ever written about Texas.
It may be the most useless too because it can only be employed for reading; unlike
most volumes in its weight class (V pounds) it has little reference value and no
historical application. I suspect of the million or so copies sold whether at full price
or the prevailing 40 percent off most will become gifts.
About here readers of this review are forgiven for asking themselves if perhaps
they are being offered a cluster of sour grapes. After all we have a native Texas
reviewer himself the author of several Texas books which together times two or
three will not touch the sale of this one volume. How can he possibly be fair?
Maybe not but he will give some reasons.
First criticism of the book as a novel: there is no plot and not much story in
Texas. Characters that manage to stay in the narrative for more than a page or two
barely achieve one-dimensional status. Wc arc informed of everything in much
much too great detail. No event is allowed to unfold as we read no character is
developed. What you see first is what you get last.
Comparing this with some of Michener's other successes if only Texas had a plot
line from The Source or recognizable characters as do Tales of the South Pacific
Sayonara or The Bridges at Toko-Ri or a modicum of new ideas then a reviewer
could say "Pursue it for the technique used." But there is no storyline and the
characters are total cardboard and are so ridiculously artificial they aren't even amus-
ing. Something has happened to Michener the writer. He lias never worked so
- poorly as in Texas. - - - ' "
This is a book written about Texas for outsiders by an outsider. Historically
speaking it is too full of errors to attempt a listing of even major blunders. I will
take just one eight-page section as an example using It because the errors are not
matters of interpretation but are factual ones any researcher should have caught.
This is one of the author's "Task Force" chapters the modern thread on which
the continuing story is strung. Members of the fictional Task Force (supposedly ap-
pointed by the governor to take Texas history to the masses) are such outdated
stereotypes and are so embarrassingly clumsy that Task Force chapters can be
credited I suppose with a certain success: they move a reader to the most irritated
response of anything in the book.
The Task Force is listening to a Church of Christ minister-professor lecture them
on religious history. Anyone familiar with the Church of Christ knows that
members hold several tenets not shared with other denominations for example
the Church of Christ does not consider itself a denomination or sea but
Michener's researchers obviously failed to find any of this out; the supposed
minister refers to himself as ordained when the Church of Christ does not ordain
ministers Is called "Reverend" when the Church of Christ does not use that
honorific refers to himself and his fellow believers as Protestants when the Church
of Christ does not consider itself such.
One suspects Michener didn't know the difference between the Church of Christ
and the Disciples of Christ or the Christian churches. The supposed religious
historian talks of Alexander Campbell but never mentions his founding of the
Disciples of Christ from whom the Church of Christ separated in the 19th century
and the minister-narrator has Church of Christ preachers leading statewide political
movements from the pulpit something Church of Christ congregations have never
abided.
He speaks of Abilene Christian and Texas Christian as if both schools were sup-
ported by the same religious group and although it is 1983 and the character is sup-
posed to be a professor there he tells the Task Force he is from Abilene Christian
College and it became Abilene Christian University almost a decade before that. This
Is unfortunately representative of the way facts are mangled throughout the
volume (Michener was not apprised it seems of the fact that Texas history is a
compulsory subject in public schools; consequently any Texas schoolchild knows
more about Texas than do the members of the blue-ribbon Task Force in this book.)
The multiple misinterpretations of Texas' events traditions and customs not to
mention laws and regulations is baffling to anyone who has even a slight acquain-
tance with the state's history and cultural reality as opposed to myth and legend.
Michener swallows every hoary Texas myth and cliche hoof hide and horn be it
cattle baron oilman football coach or Neiman-Marcus.
Take such things as Texas football; the author seems not to have heard of the
University Interscholastlc League which has tightly controlled high school sports
eligibility for 60 years and he scarcely even mentions the collegiate game or the
pros which television has today shoved ahead of high school football. He un-
consciously insults memorable athletes when he remarks that Texans despise Mex-
icans because they can't play football and doesn't even mention how black players
now dominate Texas high school sports. (I don't believe the word "basketball" ap-
pears in the book.)
Probably because Michener relied on graduate researchers as new to Texas as he
is Dallas gets the traditional shaft and the armadillo is treated as the statewide
animal a mistake often made by newcomers andor Austinites. Michener never
got a chance to get to know Texas spending too much of his time being entertained
by social darlings who seldom know from one week to the next who they're enter-
taining just so it's a celebrity; flying from one society ranch to another in
somebody's Learjet or being whisked from party to party via limo.
And despite Michener's protestations of admiration and respect for the state it is
obvious he sees Texas as a raw ignorant and unpolished society lesser in its
cultural standing than such former baddies as Mississippi. He reserves his most con
descending snootiness for the colleges and universities of Texas. He carefully gives
the academic degrees and where they were earned for every "expert" called on to
comment and instruct that ridiculous Task Force and all are from "respectable"
schools and maddeningly condescending.
Theri is a significant line on page 901 that nicely pins down the flaws and omls-
""sTdhs of this book. One of the Task Force members an aloof and coldly elitist
female haughtily speaks to the caricature of a 1920s sportswriter who is (mis)lectur-
ing the group about Texas high school football: "We needed to be reminded of the
values you represent. You see I was sent north to school."
But the old caricature who has missed the train with just about everything else
he's said wraps up her and Michener when be answers back:
"Ma'am vou missed the heart of Texas." .. ;
dous amount of absolutely invented fic-
tion or changed historical events."
However Michener makes a special
point in the book to distinguish between
fact and fiction for the readers. In the
beginning section of Texas titled "Fact
and Fiction" the writer separates
historical reality from imagined
characters and events by using clear con-
cise explanations.
Concerning one particular reviewer
Humble said "I like Michener a lot bet-
ter than I like Greene's review."
No matter what negative reviewers in
Texas say abotjt Michener's latest
bestseller the author's ACU influences
seem to believe his Texas yarn turned out
just fine.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
The Optimist (Abilene, Tex.), Vol. 73, No. 32, Ed. 1, Friday, January 17, 1986, newspaper, January 17, 1986; Abilene, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth92030/m1/3/?q=%22%22~1: accessed July 15, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Abilene Christian University Library.