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The Missionary Position
- Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
- Narrated by: Simon Prebble
- Length: 2 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Politics & Social Sciences, Politics & Government
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What listeners say about The Missionary Position
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Pamela
- 08-05-16
Welcome to reality
I would implore anyone who at all wonders or questions to investigate the world of Mother Teresa. Just as Gandhi put his wife's life into the lap of the gods but took quinine himself when six weeks later he got malaria.
Once you open this door then further investigation will reveal much more of her belief in pain and suffering
at a 1981 press conference in which she was asked: "Do you teach the poor to endure their lot?" She replied: "I think it is very beautiful for the poor to accept their lot, to share it with the passion of Christ. I think the world is being much helped by the suffering of the poor people"
15 people found this helpful
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- Andrew Hayman
- 24-11-16
The Missionary Position
Brilliantly written. Hichens deals with a shameful issue with pith and real humour. I was appalled at the observations and to learn the truth about Mother Teresa. This needed to be said.
10 people found this helpful
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- Stephen H
- 30-12-14
A real Revelation
Hitch again delivers a stunningly eye opening myth busting assassination of an agent of the Catholic Church who is just slightly farther away from Godliness than the Morningstar.
Listen and be astounded by the hypocrisy.
Great stuff
7 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 07-07-15
Informative and thought provoking
Based on facts and written clearly. It sheds light on things in a common sense and unsentimental manner.
6 people found this helpful
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- MR James F
- 11-05-17
The Hitch at his best
Yet another Hitchens masterpiece which delivers a detailed and damming verdict on the greatest con-artist of the 20th Century.
Just a shame it wasn't narrated by the man himself.
4 people found this helpful
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- polly
- 09-07-16
Very interesting book
Everyone who is interested in Mother Teresa should read this book. A lot of daylight information on her work.
4 people found this helpful
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- Nigel
- 13-04-13
Illuminating (with a not so saintly light)
A brilliant revelation of a bizarre life, and the even more odd strivings of the Catholic church and the deluded to make her a saint, despite all evidence.
9 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 11-06-18
Slow down!
Good book, but read by narrator like a thriller. Slow down please, there is no rush
3 people found this helpful
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- Wras
- 19-09-16
Government regulations required that an elevator
be installed for the use of the disabled. Mother would not allow an elevator. The city offered to pay for the elevator. Its offer was refused. After all the negotiations and plans, the project for the poor was abandoned because an elevator for the handicapped was unacceptable.”
― Christopher Hitchens, The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
Not a saint or demon but a misguided human being venerated by the rich to do the work they are unwilling to do, exalted by a church that uses money to exercise its power over millions.
The poor came to her expecting help on their dying days and were given minimal comfort or care for the glorification of the suffering of christ and the pleasure of mother Teresa religious aesthetics and the glorification of her order and her path to sainthood.
A study of how blind the world is to the true work of the church and religions in general, those that live every moment as a preparation for death and venerate martyrdom as elevating do not understand compassion for the pain of life because they are only preparing for eternal death and the kingdom they will have there.
An exposition of all that is deplorable an unjust in the canonization of a woman that was more concerned with her path to glory than giving true relief to the poor and needy in life.
Read it and weep, read it and unmask one more lie one more putrefaction hidden under the skirts of the church; even if you only do it for yourself.
17 people found this helpful
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- Przemek EU
- 06-01-18
Brilliant book with terrible audio editing.
Brilliant book with terrible audio editing. Completely uneven patchwork of sentences. The guy also reads too fast or doesn't pause long enough on commas or the end of sentences. That's a shame to ruin work of Hitch with so bad audio.
2 people found this helpful
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- Stephen J. Maser
- 24-09-17
Interesting but could have gone deeper
Any additional comments?
A contrarian view of who Mother Teresa was and what her legacy might really be. While I enjoyed the book I felt it could have gone a little deeper. It encourages the reader to go deeper on their own into her past however advocates for Mother Teresa might just view the book as character assassination. It will certainly spark debate among people which is worth it alone. It also raises the question of motivation among some religious people in relation to charity.
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- Aaron
- 01-01-15
Succinct and amazing.
Good narration of a book that blew my exCatholic mind. I was indoctrinated with the Mother Theresa cult as a kid, wish I had of known all this then.
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- Robyn
- 11-10-14
It's Hitch
What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?
evidence drawn from multiple resources.
Any additional comments?
Well researched and written. Reading was fine. Hitch, I miss you.
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- Kevin
- 19-06-14
Well, it's Hitchens, you can expect sharp wit
If you could sum up The Missionary Position in three words, what would they be?
THE
MISSIONARY
POSITION
Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?
If you can't get Christopher Hitchens to narrate his own books (like he did with his memoir "Hitch-22"), then the next best option is Simon Prebble. The style just matches perfectly, and this coming from someone who is not used to listening to British ascents.
If you could give The Missionary Position a new subtitle, what would it be?
Didn't Hitchens consider naming this book "Sacred Cow"?
Any additional comments?
Eloquent and biting; great polemic to accompany Hitchen's more-overall critiques of mass religion ("The Portable Atheist", "god is not Great"). Do consider watching the online videos of Hitchens debating (or destroying?) religious supporters.
Also, this format of critiquing a public figure is similar to his other short polemics: "The Trial of Henry Kissinger" and "No One Left to Lie To" (on those neocon Clintons). While I find his Iraq positions more debatable, these 3 polemics offer little room for debate but plenty of room for enjoyment.