Mountains Beyond Mountains (MBM)

Mountains Beyond Mountains – Resource Guide 4
Dr. Paul Aspan, Department of Theology

I. Sainthood
“But then he told me, ‘People call me a saint, and I think, I have to work harder. Because a saint would be a great thing to be.” (16)

What are your notions of sainthood? Who are some examples of modern day saints?
How does Farmer fit that mold?
How does he seem not to fit a paradigm of a saint?
Can/should normal people aspire to sainthood, as understood in the context of this book?
Is “sainthood” a goal that can translate across lines of different religious orientations?
Farmer said he would be Kidder’s Virgil in Haiti. (33) Explain.

II. Community - Zanmi Lasante - Partners in Health "But some people would ask, 'How can you expect others to replicate what you're doing here?' What would be your answer to that?" (42)

Describe Zanmi Lasante (PIH) as fully as possible, including its name.
Explain how it stands in contrast to the facts of health statistics in the rest of Haiti.
How does it function as a model for community – what can WL’s (40) learn from this third world community?
Are the characteristics of ZL transferable to first world communities?
How does the Peligré Dam function as one of Farmer’s principal metaphors for understanding how the world works? (37-44)

III. Science -- Rudolf Virchow

“ . . . the principal architect of the foundations of scientific medicine.” (60)

What were some of Virchow’s accomplishments?
How did his practice serve as a template for Farmer’s medical practice?
How did Virchow serve as an ethical paradigm for Farmer?
What is the social responsibility of science and business, respectively, as seen through Farmer’s eyes? To what extent do business and science contribute to the problems – and the solutions – that Farmer is trying to address?

IV. Faith -- The O for the P "The central imperative of liberation theology - to provide a preferential option for the poor - seemed like a worth life's goal to him."

How/why did Farmer come to embrace liberation theology?
How do Farmer and Kidder describe the distinguishing features of liberation theology?
Describe the synergy between Farmer’s religious faith and liberation theology.
How does Farmer regard the problem of theodicy? (79)
“He distrusted all ideologies, including his own, at least a little. ‘It’s an ology, after all . . . And all ologies fail us at some point.’” (195) Explain how this sentiment fits into the larger picture of his ethics, and practices.

V. Small Gestures Matter in Fighting "the Long Defeat" (288-295) "'The best thing about Paul is those hikes,' Ophelia says. 'You have to believe that small gestures matter, that they do add up.'"

What’s the importance of Farmer’s hikes?
“ . . . the idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong in the world.” (294).
What does Farmer mean here?
Are Farmer’s hikes a model for other people in other places in other professions or jobs? Why or why not?
“How does one person with great talents come to exert a force on the world?” (296) Answer the question.
What does Farmer mean by “the long defeat?” (288)
How does “fighting the long defeat” serve as another expression of his world view?