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"I read your book last night. I'll tell you, I was surprised. I thought, Barney Rubble?! Then I thought, okay, I get it, but still... a cartoon character??? Then, after actually reading the work I could see how everything flowed and the underlying message you give through example, from fiction and from actual life experience.
The book is slim yet dense. And it's laid out beautifully because it's easy to follow, and the reader can choose chapters at random and still leave with something of value.
You showed much courage and humility in revealing sides of yourself that most wouldn't. And the way you described the time of your mother's passing was not only very moving but you took the reader by the hand and showed them how Faith in a higher-power can bring us through the most painful circumstance imaginable.
The virtues you lay out in your book is not for Christians alone, really. This could be applied as a roadmap to proper moral thinking, and how to apply high ideals to one's life." David Rioux
"It may become a best seller, that's how good I think it is. You did a superb job of making the Fruits if the Spirit apply to our daily living experiences."
Brenda Pinkett
Yabba dabba do act like a Christian
By Christopher Gaul
Review associate editor
Catholic Review, Baltimore, MD
Barney Rubble is a fine example of someone who lived in the fruit of the Spirit as described by St. Paul.
What? Say that again. Are we talking about Barney, as in "The Flintstones"?
Yes, indeed, insists Kevin Fontaine, Johns Hopkins psychologist and parishioner of St. Clare, Essex. Gentle, generous, modest, honest Barney is a model of true Christian living, Dr. Fontaine says, and if you dont believe him you can read his book: "Living the Fruit of the Spirit: Lessons from Barney Rubble," hot off the press but not yet on the New York Times best-seller list.
Using a cartoon character to offer Christian life lessons may seem a trifle bizarre, but once you hear Dr. Fontaines reasons, it begins to make sense and very good sense at that.
The 38-year-old assistant professor in Hopkins rheumatology division much preferred "The Flintstones" to "Mister Rogers" or "Captain Kangaroo" when he was a youngster. There was just something about the cartoon that "got" him.
"I just loved Barney," Dr. Fontaine said. "I didnt know why at the time but something about him made me feel comfortable, warm, and happy."
When he reflected on it later he realized that he saw Barney as a "good person," someone who seemed to have a certain something, a sort of inner joy at being alive that always eluded the egotistical, gruff and boisterous Fred.
"Barney had a pure heart and a clean honest character," Dr. Fontaine explained. "Despite being manipulated and mistreated by Fred in virtually every episode, Barney maintained his integrity and possessed an inner strength that saw him through all kinds of messes, most of which were created by Fred."
Years later, after earning his doctorate in psychology and reclaiming his lapsed Catholic faith, Dr. Fontaine found himself being drawn to St. Paul and how he talked to people about the power and influence of the Holy Spirit. The more he thought about it the more he remembered his affection for Barney and how the character could be a role model, "a fine example of how to think, feel, and act to live a happy, healthy and joy-filled life."
He was becoming increasingly disturbed by what he sees as modern psychologys dangerous descent into moral relativism, being convinced as he is that there are moral absolutes, that there are such things as good and evil.
So he sat down at his laptop and began to write about the importance of the Holy Spirit, about love and joy and peace, of patience and goodness, of kindness and self-control and how Barneys character was such a good fit for these traits.
Take love, for example. Dr. Fontaine wrote that although Barney never talked about God and there is no evidence that he, or indeed any of the Flintstone characters worshiped God, Barney "displayed the selfless agape style of love on a regular basis."
"He was selfless; always helping out Fred, always looking to do something to help somebody," insisted the psychologist-author.
Dear Dr. Fontaine,
"Living the Fruit of the Spirit" is an excellent book. Congratulations. I read it during my recent retreat and am using it for reading class with two of my students. Thank you for your wonderful insights. God bless you."
Sister Madonna Gies, RSM
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