Lapsed by Monica Dux
Monica Dux is a funny woman. Thank God, because in Lapsed she is taking on the world by examining the Catholic way of life from all angles. Dux does what so many goodfeminist writers do: she makes the personal political. Starting with her own experiences with the church, Dux looks around, peers under stones and contemplates her role within the ‘Great Catholic Church’. Her personal approach gives readers insight into the complexities of Catholic life, but it also allows Dux’s humour to shine. It is that layer of self-deprecation that gives this examination its heart and soul.
Dux begins her story of leaving the Catholic Church by regaling us with her memories of childhood. She talks about the plays, the hymns and her Catholic childhood milestones as well as her daily prayer rituals. As she throws her net wider, she examines her relationship with religion as a parent. She travels overseas with her family to further investigate the impact of the Catholic Church on her own way of childhood. She is not afraid to address the anger and hurt caused by the Church. Likewise, she does not steer away from examining some fairly extreme religious practices.
Lapsed is a personal story that is an easy read. It is Monica Dux’s own story of how to be free from religious dogma. With a light touch, she scrutinises every part of her history and owns her own contradictions. This is a brave book, and Dux uses humour and her relentless intellectual curiosity to protect the reader and herself. She owns everypart of the story and she finishes her acknowledgements with a sense of freedom. And as she says, ‘that’s just as it should be’.
