[+]Enlarge HARDCOVER

My Journal of the Council

ISBN: 9780814680292 (Lit Press Edn); 9781921817441 (ATF Press Edn)
Author(s): Yves Congar Publisher: Liturgical Press; (May 15, 2012), ATF Press (Australian Edition)

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
"At the beginning of the meeting Cardinal Ottaviani said that, to speed the work up, the experts will speak only if they are asked a question. At my side, Rahner was champing at the bit, and said to me 'what are we doing here . . . ?'" [Wednesday 3 June 1964]

Yves Congar, OP, was one of the most important and influential theologians of the twentieth century. Much of this influence came as a result of his role as theological advisor to the bishops who participated at the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). After working under a cloud of ecclesiastical censure and suspicion in the decade prior to its start, Congar was, from beginning to end, an influential day-to-day participant in the council's work. He also managed to keep detailed personal notes throughout the time.

At long last, the council diaries of Yves Congar are available in English! This material is a treasure trove of information and insight for anyone interested in the history of that council and its remarkable and historic teaching. It provides a window into the council's workings and the development of what would become a series of historic documents and declarations. It also offers Congar's own down-to-earth and personal perspective on many of the other remarkable figures who played a role in the council.

REVIEWS:
"The Journal is well translated into excellent idiomatic English with informative and helpful footnotes. Several excellent introductory essays help to contextualise Congar both theologically and historically. This book will be an indispensible adjunct for anyone seriously studying Vatican II." ...Paul Collins (Read his full review on Catholica: www.catholica.com.au/gc1/pc/003_pc_270812.php

"Yves Congar's diaries give us an intimate insight into the most important event in the life of the Catholic Church in twentieth century. Having been marginalized and silenced because of his theological views, Congar was summoned to Rome to be a crucial actor in the Council. He records his views of the participants with wonderful frankness, and gives us access to the dramatic negotiations and maneuvers that took place behind the scenes. It is impossible to put it down. It unveils the genesis of the Council documents that changed the Church." ...Timothy Radcliffe, OP, Former Master General of the Dominican Order

"Fr. Yves Congar, OP, was the most important and influential theologian at the Second Vatican Council. The journal that he wrote on the spot nearly every day provides entry not only to his ideas and feelings but to the dynamics at work as the Council accomplished a work of renewal and reform for which he had himself worked and suffered for decades before. This is indispensable reading for anyone who wishes to understand the texts, and the drama, of Vatican II." ...Joseph A. Komonchak, Professor Emeritus, Historical and Systematic Theology, The Catholic University of America, Editor of the English version of The History of Vatican II, Giuseppe Alberigo (ed.)
 

[+]Enlarge Image PAPERBACK

[+]Enlarge Image HARDBACK

The Sexual Person: Toward a Renewed Catholic Anthropology

ISBN: (US Hardback) 9781589012073, (US Paperback) 9781589012080
Author(s): Todd A. Salzman & Michael G. Lawler Publisher: Georgetown University Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Two principles capture the essence of the official Catholic position on the morality of sexuality: first, that any human genital act must occur within the framework of heterosexual marriage; second, each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life. In this comprehensive overview of Catholicism and sexuality, theologians Todd A. Salzman and Michael G. Lawler examine and challenge these principles. Remaining firmly within the Catholic tradition, they contend that the church is being inconsistent in its teaching by adopting a dynamic, historically conscious anthropology and worldview on social ethics and the interpretation of scripture while adopting a static, classicist anthropology and worldview on sexual ethics. While some documents from Vatican II, like "Gaudium et spes" ('the marital act promotes self-giving by which spouses enrich each other'), gave hope for a renewed understanding of sexuality, the church has not carried out the full implications of this approach. In short, say Salzman and Lawler: emphasize relationships, not acts, and recognize Christianity's historically and culturally conditioned understanding of human sexuality. "The Sexual Person" draws historically, methodologically, and anthropologically from the best of Catholic tradition and provides a context for current theological debates between traditionalists and revisionists, regarding marriage, cohabitation, homosexuality, reproductive technologies, and what it means to be human. This daring and potentially revolutionary book will be sure to provoke constructive dialogue among theologians, and between theologians and the Magisterium.
 

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Foreword by Charles E. Curran
• Prologue
• 1. Sexual Morality in the Catholic Tradition: A Brief History
     Historicity, Sexuality and Sexual Ethics in Ancient Greece and Rome
     Sexuality and Sexual Ethics in the Catholic Tradition
     Reading Sacred Scripture
     The Fathers of the Church
     The PenitentialsScholastic Doctrine
     The Modern PeriodConclusion
• 2. Natural Law and Sexual Anthropology: Catholic Traditionalists
     "Nature" Defined
     The Revision of Catholic Moral Theology
     Natural Law and Sexual Anthropology
     Traditionalists and Sexual Anthropology
     Conclusion
• 3. Natural Law and Sexual Anthropology: Catholic Revisionists
     Revisionist Critique of Traditionalist Natural Law Sexual Anthropology
     Karl Rahner: Person as Free and Historical
     Revisionists and Sexual Anthropology
     Conclusion
• 4. Unitive Sexual Morality: A Revised Foundational Principle and Anthropology
     Gaudium et Spes and a Foundational Sexual Principle
     The Relationship between Conjugal Love and Sexual Intercourse
     Multiple Dimensions of Human Sexuality
     Truly Human and Complementarity
     Conclusion
• 5. Marital Morality
     Marital Intercourse and Morality
     NNLT and Marital Morality
     Modern Catholic Thought And Marital Morality
     Marital Morality and Contraception
     A Renewed Principle of Human Sexuality and Contraception
     Conclusion
• 6. Cohabitation and the Process of Marrying
     Cohabitation in the Contemporary West
     Betrothal and the Christian Tradition
     Complementarity and Nuptial Cohabitation
     Conclusion
• 7. Homosexuality
     The Bible and Homosexuality
     Magisterial Teaching on Homosexual Acts and Relationships
     The Moral Sense of the Christian People and Homosexual Acts
     The Morality of Homosexual Acts Reconsidered
     Conclusion
• 8. Artificial Reproductive Technologies
     Defining Artificial Reproductive Technologies
     The CDF Instruction and Artificial Reproductive Technologies
     Parental Complementarity, Relational Considerations, and Social Ethics
     Conclusion
• Epilogue
   

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Todd A. Salzman is a professor of Catholic theology and chair of the Department of Theology at Creighton University. He is the co-editor of Marriage in the Catholic Tradition: Scripture, Tradition, and Experience and author of What Are They Saying about Roman Catholic Ethical Method?
Michael G. Lawler is professor emeritus of Catholic theology at Creighton University. He is the author of What Is and What Ought to Be: The Dialectic of Experience, Theology, and Church and Marriage and the Catholic Church: Disputed Questions.

REVIEWS:
"Salzman and Lawler are accomplished theologians with the stature to confront questions that have become highly inflammatory in the too often polarized Catholic environment. The result is a piece of extensive, well-researched, and carefully argued scholarship. The authors are respectful, intelligent, honest, thorough, and courageous. They will alarm a few people, enlighten many, and hold all to a new standard of rigor in approaching this very personal and politicized subject." ...Lisa Sowle Cahill, J. Donald Monan Professor of Theology, Boston College

"[A] carefully reasoned, nuanced, well-informed, often inspiring, and innovative book. Bound to be controversial for proposing an alternative to the primarily procreationist, traditionalist sexual anthropology in 'official' or 'tradionalist' Catholic treatments, The Sexual Person mounts a cogent and compelling account for a renewed genuinely Catholic sexual ethic, one widely informed by the social sciences. [This book] represents Catholic theological anthropology and ethics at their very best." ...John A. Coleman, SJ, Casassa Professor of Social Values, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles

"[T]he most comprehensive, critical analysis of the Catholic debate on sexual ethics over the past fifty years. Its interpersonal and experiential approach points to a thorough revision of Church teaching on birth control, reproductive technology, premarital sex, and homosexuality." ...Edward C. Vacek, SJ, professor, Department of Moral Theology, Weston Jesuit School of Theology

"This superb volume courageously explores Catholic teaching on sexual ethics. The authors' exploration of the biological, relational, and spiritual dimensions of human sexuality engages Catholic teaching respectfully, critically, and creatively. The book is a significant contribution to both sexual ethics and moral theology generally." ...Paul Lauritzen, director, program in applied ethics, John Carroll University

"This book is a much needed contribution to the contemporary Catholic discussion of sexual ethics. The authors utilize the most recent sociological and psychological data to supplement their careful parsing of the Catholic theology of sex, gender, and embodiment. It is a work that manages to be highly theoretical while at the same time addressing everyday concerns about premarital sex, contraception, homosexuality, divorce and reproductive technology.Lawler and Salzman embrace the model of theology as dialogue and as a result their treatment of both traditionalist and revisionist views about human sexuality is constructive and helpful. They succeed in moving a seemingly stalled conversation forward." ...Aline Kalbian, associate professor, Department of Religion, Florida State University

"A bold and brave book! Tightly argued and well-documented, this book lays out an understanding of human sexuality that expresses the profound work that theologians do on behalf of the Church in order to find ever better understandings of what the Church teaches in light of the witness of Scripture, the tradition, and our understanding of human experience.quot; ...Richard M. Gula, SS, The Franciscan School of Theology, Graduate Theological Union
 

[+]Enlarge Image

Who is Jesus? An Introduction to Christology

ISBN: 9780814650783
Author(s): Thomas P. Rausch Publisher: Liturgical Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Who is Jesus? This is the fundamental question for christology. The earliest Christians used various titles, most of them drawn from the Old Testament or Hebrew Scriptures, to express their faith in Jesus. They called him prophet, teacher, Messiah, Son of David, Son of Man, Lord, Son of God, Word of God, and occasionally even God. In Who Is Jesus? Thomas Rausch SJ, focuses on the New Testament's rich variety of christologies.

Who Is Jesus? covers the three quests for the historical Jesus, the methods for retrieving the historical Jesus, the Jewish background, the Jesus movement, his preaching and ministry, death and resurrection, the various New Testament christologies, and the development of christological doctrine from the New Testament period to the Council of Chalcedon.

Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, PhD,

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, PhD is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. A specialist in ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the theology of the priesthood, he has published eight books including the award-winning Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium, The College Student's Introduction to Theology, and Reconciling Faith and Reason: Apologists, Evangelists, and Theologians in a Divided Church, published by Liturgical Press.

REVIEWS:
"Rausch has written a wonderfully clear, faithful, and reliable christology in the light of contemporary Scripture studies and the early tradition of the Church. Particularly helpful is his approach to the saving work of Christ in the light of other recent christological studies. I recommend this volume to college and seminary professors as an excellent textbook that will guide their students through the complexities of Western Catholic reflection on the mystery of Jesus Christ." ...Brian O. McDermott SJ, Georgetown University

"If you are looking for a concise and clear introduction to Christology, look no further." ...America

"In this lucidly written book, Thomas Rausch ... offers an introduction to the discipline of Christology that surveys the best of recent Jesus research, engages with Evangelical theology, and proposes a contemporary soteriology ... Rausch's book will serve as an excellent textbook for upper-level undergraduate courses in Christology." ...Catholic Books Review

"Seeks to take seriously both the work of historical-critical scholarship and the faith and life of the church." ...New Testament Abstracts

Who is Jesus:
Thomas P Rausch: AU$42.70

[+]Enlarge Image

How God Acts: Creation, Redemption and Special Divine Action

ISBN: 9781921511868
Author(s): Denis Edwards Publisher: ATF Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION
How does the Christian doctrine of creation square with the picture of an evolving universe we receive from science today? How do the badly predatory behavior and wasteful extinction of whole species fit in with a Christian understanding? How does miraculous divine action, pictured so vividly in the biblical narratives, square with the inexorable march of the laws of physics? How does a God of love permit so much death and destruction?

These and a host of related questions raised by ordinary experience are tackled in this important and original work from theologian Denis Edwards reconceiving divine action. From providence and miracles to resurrection and intercessory prayer, Edwards shows how a basically noninterventionist model of divine action does justice to the universe as we know it and also to central convictions of Christian faith about the goodness of God, the promises of God, and the fulfillment of creation. Here is wonderfully lucid theology supporting a vision of how God is at work in the universe.

[+]Enlarge Image

Jesus: A Gospel Portrait

ISBN: 9780809133383
Author(s): Donald Senior Publisher: Paulist Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

A truly relevant and insightful volume, Jesus: A Gospel Portrait satisfies our longing for a closer understanding of Jesus, while it unlocks the fresh and amazing beauty of the gospels that remain powerful to this day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Donald Senior CP is President of Catholic Theological Union at Chicago, the largest Roman Catholic graduate school of ministry in the United States, where he is also a member of the faculty as Professor of New Testament. Fr Senior holds a Licentiate in theology (S.T.L.) from the University of Louvain, Belgium and a Doctorate in New Testament Studies (S.T.D.) from the University of Louvain. He has pursued further graduate studies at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, Ohio and at Harvard University. He is past President of the Association of Theological Schools of the United States and Canada. In 2001, Pope John Paul II appointed him as a member of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and was reappointed in 2006 and 2008 by Pope Benedict XVI. He has been active in interreligious dialogue, particularly with the Jewish and Muslim communities.

Jesus: A Gospel Portrait
by Donald Senior: AU$24.65

[+]Enlarge Image

Jesus: A Portrait

Paperback ISBN: 9780232527193
Author(s): Gerald O'Collins SJ Publisher: Darton, Longman & Todd

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

An informed, inspirational portrayal of the one who launched the path followed by billions over the course of two millennia.

"Much of what one sees or reads about Jesus is deliberately sensationalist or evasive. Producers and writers raise issues of merely historical interest, highlight trivial matters, or allege that 'cover-ups' have hidden the 'real truth' for many centuries. They will do anything but face the challenge in the ultimate religious drama created by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth." ...Gerald O'Collins SJ

In this much-needed book, Father Gerald O'Collins brings together a lifetime of discipleship, prayer, and scholarship. The reader finds each of these attributes of a beloved theologian richly on display in twelve chapters with titles such as "God's Kingdom in Person", "Jesus the Healer", "The Story-Teller", "The Teacher", "Facing Death", and "The Abiding Presence". In a work filled with wisdom and insight, the reader gains new perspective on such perennial treasures as the Beatitudes and the Lord's Prayer.

O'Collins writes with a heart that knows the struggle of his contemporaries to find an anchor in a tumultuous world. And he knows that the call of Jesus is not to a life lived apart from that tumult. Instead, the portrait he draws is of one who gives us the courage to be in the world.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Gerald O'Collins, an Australian Jesuit and author of many books, including Jesus Our Redeemer (2007) and Catholicism: The Story of Catholic Christianity (2003), was professor of systematic theology at the Gregorian University in Rome. Now retired, and living in Britain, Father O'Collins is in constant demand for retreats, lectures, and articles.

REVIEWS:
"Gerald O'Collins is one of those rare Christian theologians who can combine deep scholarship with accessible language and personal experience." ...Lord Carey, former Archbishop of Canterbury

"A Portrait of Jesus that is both accessible and the fruit of profound scholarship. O'Collins's touch is sure. Jesus: A Portrait is a delight to read." ...Timothy Radcliffe OP

Jesus: A Portrait
by Gerald O'Collins SJ: AU$35.10

[+]Enlarge Image

The Challenge of Jesus: Rediscovering Who Jesus Was and Is

Hardback ISBN: 9780830822003
Author(s): N.T. Wright Publisher: InterVarsity Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

An informed, inspirational portrayal of the one who launched the path followed by billions over the course of two millennia.

Today a renewed and vigorous scholarly quest for the historical Jesus is underway. In the midst of well publicized and controversial books on Jesus, N. T. Wright's lectures and writings have been widely recognized for providing a fresh, provocative and historically credible portrait.

Out of his own commitment to both historical scholarship and Christian ministry, Wright challenges us to roll up our sleeves and take seriously the study of the historical Jesus. He writes, "Many Christians have been, frankly, sloppy in their thinking and talking about Jesus, and hence, sadly, in their praying and in their practice of discipleship. We cannot assume that by saying the word Jesus, still less the word Christ, we are automatically in touch with the real Jesus who walked and talked in first-century Palestine. ... Only by hard, historical work can we move toward a fuller comprehension of what the Gospels themselves were trying to say."

The Challenge of Jesus poses a double-edged challenge: to grow in our understanding of the historical Jesus within the Palestinian world of the first century, and to follow Jesus more faithfully into the postmodern world of the twenty-first century.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
N. T. Wright is bishop of Durham and was formerly canon theologian of Westminster Abbey and dean of Lichfield Cathedral. He taught New Testament studies for twenty years at Cambridge, McGill and Oxford Universities. Wright's full-scale works The New Testament and the People of God, Jesus and the Victory of God and The Resurrection of the Son of God are part of a projected six-volume series titled Christian Origins and the Question of God. Among his many other published works are Surprised by Hope and Simply Christian.

REVIEWS:
"This superb addition to Wright's oeuvre will prove fruitful reading for neophytes as well as for those already familiar with his approach." ...Publishers Weekly

"Wright has produced a work of frankly evangelical faith with strong historical integrity, because both are necessary for serious study, uncomfortable as that may be. . . . A refreshing and inspiring read for those who take both conservative faith and historical scholarship seriously. Recommended for academic and public libraries." ...Library Journal

The Challenge of Jesus:
by N.T. Wright: AU$24.65

[+]Enlarge Image

Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament

ISBN: 9781587432026
Author(s): Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld Publisher: Brazos Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Who is the real Jesus, and why does he matter?

In Recovering Jesus: The Witness of the New Testament, respected New Testament scholar Thomas Yoder Neufeld offers an accessible and thorough introduction to the life of Jesus. Yoder Neufeld starts with the Jesus revealed in the Gospels, covering his birth, teachings, miracles, death, and resurrection. He builds on this account by assessing recent scholarly and popular studies, including the argument that the historical Jesus is revealed in the Gnostic gospels and other noncanonical texts. The result is a useful guide into the morass of current scholarship.

In a true teaching spirit, the author provides a comprehensive approach without overwhelming the introductory reader or student. He clearly explains the nuances of complex issues without oversimplification. Recovering Jesus is thus an invaluable text for undergraduate and seminary students, as well as a helpful resource in nonacademic settings for both believers and nonbelievers. In the end, readers will come to a deeper understanding of who Jesus is and why he matters.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Thomas Yoder Neufeld (ThD, Harvard Divinity School) is associate professor of religious studies (New Testament) and peace and conflict studies at Conrad Grebel University College at the University of Waterloo in Waterloo, Ontario. He is also director of graduate theological studies at Conrad Grebel.

REVIEWS:
"Respected scholar, masterful teacher, man of faith—Tom Yoder Neufeld has combined these qualities to produce a solid, eminently readable, and informative study of the New Testament witness for the man, Jesus, and for the early development of christological reflection in the second century. Using the analogy of archaeology, Yoder Neufeld examines carefully the different layers of New Testament evidence, giving particular emphasis to the historical context of the world of the first century and then following the biographical framework of Jesus's life from birth to death and resurrection. He puts at the center, as well it should be, Jesus's proclamation of the kingdom of God, and in successive chapters he treats 'Announcing the Kingdom,' 'Teaching the Kingdom,' 'Enacting the Kingdom,' and 'Living the Kingdom.' His is a sensitive and nuanced handling of such difficult issues as the virgin birth and the challenges of understanding well the meaning of resurrection. As every good teacher does, he provides an abundant use of analogies and explanatory examples. Never have I read a more skillful presentation of the organic growth of New Testament Christology from low to high, with fine treatment of the origin and function of the various titles applied to Jesus in the New Testament and beyond. The text is unencumbered by laborious footnotes, while clearly reflective of the diverse, ongoing scholarly dialogue of which this book is part. Each chapter concludes with a summary box of 'Key Terms and Concepts' and suggestions for further reading. This is a superb text—one I will surely use with seminary students to their certain profit and delight." ...Barbara E. Bowe, Catholic Theological Union

"Thomas Yoder Neufeld has written the right book for students and laity who find themselves baffled by the quirky Jesuses produced in recent years by popular writers, pseudo-scholars, and academics who love to push the envelope. Recovering Jesus is just what the doctor ordered. Buy this book, read it, and then share it with a friend." ...Craig A. Evans, author of Jesus and His Contemporaries

"[Yoder Neufeld's] subject is complex, but he succeeds nicely in simplifying terms and explaining difficult ideas in understandable language. Describing himself as both a 'believer and a scholar,' Neufeld finds the real Jesus in both history and theology. Readers at all levels will enjoy this fine volume." ...Publishers Weekly

"As a textbook for a course on Jesus of the New Testament, this book is well-suited to the task. . . . The language and style are lucid and the concepts easy to grasp. Entry-level students would find this book inviting. . . . A sprinkling of diagrams and charts make for good pedagogical complement, together with a short selection of books 'for further reading' and a highlighted box of 'key terms and concepts' at the end of each chapter. . . . I have no doubt this book will find a welcome place in entry-level college courses on Jesus in which biblical faith makes him 'real.'" ...V. George Shillington, Review of Biblical Literature
 

[+]Enlarge Image

Church : Living Communion (Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives series)

ISBN: 9780814659939
Author(s): Paul Lakeland Publisher: Liturgical Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Drawing on the wisdom and teaching experience of highly respected theologians, the Engaging Theology series builds a firm foundation for graduate study and other ministry formation programs. Each of the six volumes — Scripture, Jesus, God, Discipleship, Anthropology, and Church — is concerned with retrieving, carefully evaluating, and constructively interpreting the Christian tradition. Comprehensive in scope and accessibly written, these volumes, used together or independently, will stimulate rich theological reflection and discussion. More important, the series will create and sustain the passion of the next generation of theologians and church leaders.

Paul Lakeland's recent award-winning books on the place of the laity in the contemporary Roman Catholic Church have prepared him well to take on this "ecclesiology from below." While paying close attention to the classical "marks of the Church," Lakeland's focus is on what we can learn about the nature of the Church as living communion by examining the values and practices of ordinary believers. Following the advice of Bernard Lonergan, Lakeland adopts a resolutely inductive approach to ecclesial reflection. He explores ten questions that the Church must address, both those that affect the internal workings of the faith community and those that have to do with its relationships to other groups, religious and secular. Finally, he offers a constructive proposal for a contextual ecclesiology of the U.S. Catholic Church that utilizes the images of hospice, pilgrim, immigrant, and pioneer.

Paul Lakeland is the Aloysius P. Kelley S.J. Professor of Catholic Studies, and director of the Center for Catholic Studies at Fairfield University. He is active in the American Academy of Religion, the Catholic Theological Society of America, and the Workgroup for Constructive Theology. His two most recent writings, both winners of Catholic Press Association awards, are The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church and Catholicism at the Crossroads: How the Laity Can Save the Church.

REVIEWS
"Paul Lakeland's brilliant account of ecclesiology may well come to be recognized as the first truly twenty-first-century analysis of the Church. His study addresses the events and insights of the last decade and then transposes into a new key historical-critical readings of the New Testament, themes from Vatican II, ecumenical consensus statements, Lonergan's methodology, and postmodern concerns. In an engaging, refreshing style, he also faces up to the Church's failings in hard-hitting language, marked by stark realism. Finally, he gently poses ten challenges to the Church, which he deems eternal." ...Michael A. Fahey, SJ, Professor, Boston College

"This is a teaching moment in the Church and this is a teachable book on the Church. In this eminently readable book, Paul Lakeland offers his readers only what they need to know to think and talk intelligently about the identity and mission of the Church. With honesty, he describes the challenges facing the Church that perplex and polarize in a way suitable for debate in the classroom and in reading groups. He invites his readers to develop an inductive approach to ecclesiology, and in the process he promotes the cultivation of practical wisdom that can help communities respond to these challenges with genuine hope." ...Bradford Hinze, Professor of Theology, Fordham University

"Paul Lakeland's Church: Living Communion seizes the moment of a church on the brink of change and points the direction forward. He defines the church realistically through its marks, and leads us through the serious internal and external challenges to its authentic witness. Attentive to the laity, he then builds a practical strategy for moving beyond survival to revival. All this in limpid accessible prose: brilliance in simplicity. This authoritative book will appeal to everyone who has a stake in the Catholic Church in North America today." ...Roger Haight, SJ, Scholar in Residence, Union Theological Seminary

[+]Enlarge Image Look inside!

God : Three Who Are One (Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives series)

ISBN: 9780814659908
Author(s): Joseph Bracken SJ Publisher: Liturgical Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Drawing on the wisdom and teaching experience of highly respected theologians, the Engaging Theology series builds a firm foundation for graduate study and other ministry formation programs. Each of the six volumes — Scripture, Jesus, God, Discipleship, Anthropology, and Church — is concerned with retrieving, carefully evaluating, and constructively interpreting the Christian tradition. Comprehensive in scope and accessibly written, these volumes, used together or independently, will stimulate rich theological reflection and discussion. More important, the series will create and sustain the passion of the next generation of theologians and church leaders.

The word God, said Martin Buber decades ago, "is the most heavy-laden of all human words. None has become so soiled, so mutilated." Twenty-first-century discourse and action often perpetuate that lack of reverence. In this volume Joseph Bracken shows us a better way.

• He begins with Christianity's roots in Judaism and the inherent struggle to explain the reality of three persons in God who is one.
• He allows readers to engage in the lively and fruitful trinitarian debates of the early church and discover how the classical doctrine of the Trinity has shaped the church through the centuries.
• He offers a solid theological treatment of the history of the doctrine of God and its relevance for Christians today—for dialogue between Christian men and women, between Christianity and other religions, and between religion and science.

Systematic theology at its best, God: Three Who Are One helps us find unexpected unity and consensus in a world full of troubling differences. Along the way, Bracken urges us to "pray as well as think" and to let rational reflection lead to praise and worship, thereby giving the doctrine of the Trinity its due reverence and care.

Joseph Bracken SJ, is Professor Emeritus of Theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. He has published ten books and more than 90 articles in academic journals in the general area of philosophical theology/philosophy of religion. His most recent books include The One in the Many: A Contemporary Reconstruction of the God-World Relationship (Eerdmans, 2001) and Christianity and Process Thought: Spirituality for a Changing World (Templeton Foundation Press, 2006).

REVIEWS
"This book is clearly the work of a master. In accessible prose and with probing questions, Bracken introduces his reader to a wide range of issues surrounding the doctrine of God. With resources that span from science to spirituality, interpersonal experience and classic texts of the theological tradition, as well as major contemporary movements in philosophy and theology, this short book seems to cover it all! Bracken offers a comprehensive treatment of a classic theme with innovations relevant to our 21st century context." ...Jeannine Hill Fletcher, Associate Professor of Theology, Fordham University

"Bracken appears to have done the impossible. First, he has written a remarkably clear and accessible text that will be widely used as an introduction to the history of Trinitarian theology and its contemporary applications. At the same time, he offers a bold new proposal for thinking the triune nature of God in dialogue with science, philosophy, theology, world religions, and contemporary culture. . . . Perhaps the best one-volume presentation of constructive Trinitarian theology in print today." ...Philip Clayton, Author of The Problem of God in Modern Thought and Adventures in the Spirit

"A masterful retrieval of the traditional teaching on the trinitarian mystery and a compelling introduction to its relevance today." ...Barbara A. Finan, Professor of Religion and Humanities, Ohio Dominican University

[+]Enlarge Image Look inside!

Jesus : Word Made Flesh (Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives series)

ISBN: 9780814659915
Author(s): Gerard S. Sloyan STD PhD Publisher: Liturgical Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Drawing on the wisdom and teaching experience of highly respected theologians, the Engaging Theology series builds a firm foundation for graduate study and other ministry formation programs. Each of the six volumes — Scripture, Jesus, God, Discipleship, Anthropology, and Church — is concerned with retrieving, carefully evaluating, and constructively interpreting the Christian tradition. Comprehensive in scope and accessibly written, these volumes, used together or independently, will stimulate rich theological reflection and discussion. More important, the series will create and sustain the passion of the next generation of theologians and church leaders.

"This book means to explore who Jesus was, is, and is to come, and by what series of events this man of Jewish history came to be viewed by millions as a man of God-like powers in their present lives and their hoped for future." Rich in familiarity with Jesus' Jewish world, Gerard Sloyan helps us discover a Jesus thoroughly situated in his own time and place. Grounded in the New Testament gospels, Sloyan's study leads us to an already interpreted Jesus, distinctly portrayed by each evangelist. Going outside the New Testament, Sloyan takes us into the theological questions and developments that culminated in the affirmations of the councils of Nicaea and Chalcedon. This impressive, clearly written work challenges readers to see both the historical Jesus who preached the in-breaking of God's reign and the post-resurrection Jesus whom Christians named Lord and Savior.

REVIEWS
Gerard S. Sloyan STD PhD, is professor emeritus of religion at Temple University and currently visiting professor at Georgetown University, Washington, DC. He has written extensively on Jesus, including The Crucifixion of Jesus (Fortress Press, 1995) and Why Jesus Died (Fortress Press, 2004).

"[A]n extraordinary accomplishment. . . . to study Jesus: Word Made Flesh is to receive the wisdom of a 'Church Father' and hence to enter further into the mystery of Christ." ...Worship

"[T]his is a responsible book, written by a responsible scholar, using his responsibility to serve both the church and the academy." ...The Catholic Biblical Quarterly

"Sloyan's approach, walking through various portions of the Scriptures with an eye to who Jesus is in each, yields valuable insights on almost every page." ...Libraries Alive "The book is written in an engaging, confident style and serves the purpose of this series well." ...The Bible Today

"[A] deftly written examination, and a top pick for Christian studies collections." ...Midwest Book Review

"Gerard Sloyan writes out of his vast knowledge of the biblical worlds and texts, and of the church's traditions and councils that offered the first interpretations of the significance of Jesus. Insightful and clearly written, Sloyan wrestles with these diverse presentations to offer a careful, accessible, and rich analysis." ...Warren Carter, PhD, Professor of New Testament, Brite Divinity School, Fort Worth, Texas

"Fr. Sloyan here explores the story of the true Jesus of history—the Jesus whose influence redirected the course of history. His usual precise and accurate prose shows his easy command of the historic sources and of two centuries and more of debate about their interpretation. Jesus exemplifies how a man of faith can use historical work and how a historian can show his faith in his work. For someone smart enough to be perplexed by the differences in the gospels and the offerings of the 'Historical-Jesus of the Month' club, here is the book to study and contemplate." ...Terrence W. Tilley, President-elect, Catholic Theological Society of America, Professor of Theology and Chair of the Department, Fordham University, Bronx, New York

"Gerard S. Sloyan is one of those rare scholars who can claim an expertise in both Bible and theology that enables him to bridge the gap between exegesis and systematic theology. In this volume, he first explains how the writers of the New Testament understood the person of Jesus. Then he considers how some of the most significant figures of the Apostolic and Patristic periods dealt with the theological issues raised by the Biblical material. Compact and elegantly written, this volume will be of special interest to those who seek a comprehensive portrait of Jesus." ...Frank J. Matera, The Andrews-Kelly-Ryan Professor of Biblical Studies, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC

[+]Enlarge Image Look inside!

Scripture : History and Interpretation (Engaging Theology: Catholic Perspectives series)

ISBN: 9780814659953
Author(s): Dianne Bergant, CSA Publisher: Liturgical Press

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Drawing on the wisdom and teaching experience of highly respected theologians, the Engaging Theology series builds a firm foundation for graduate study and other ministry formation programs. Each of the six volumes — Scripture, Jesus, God, Discipleship, Anthropology, and Church — is concerned with retrieving, carefully evaluating, and constructively interpreting the Christian tradition. Comprehensive in scope and accessibly written, these volumes, used together or independently, will stimulate rich theological reflection and discussion. More important, the series will create and sustain the passion of the next generation of theologians and church leaders.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." What Saint Jerome said centuries ago is surely still true today—any serious theological study must be grounded in Scripture. While there are plenty of biblical scholars today, few authors are able to introduce Scripture to students the way Dianne Bergant does. Bergant invites readers to genuinely engage Scripture, to enter the world of the text and explore some of the age-old questions that arise in every generation:

• What does it mean to say that the Word of God is both divine and human?
• Why is biblical history so important to the study of Scripture and theology?
• Why are there different literary forms in the Bible?
• Why the competing voices and apparent contradictions?

In language that is clear and compelling, Bergant explores the answers to these and other questions. She surveys the world of the Bible and biblical scholarship in an introduction that is sure to spark enthusiasm and further interest. This volume in the Engaging Theology series instills solid knowledge of Scripture and, thereby, knowledge of Christ, demonstrating that "the Bible is an inexhaustible source of challenge and delight, of inspiration and guidance, and a testimony to ultimate meaning and value."

Dianne Bergant CSA, is professor of biblical studies at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. She is a member and past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America and is an active member of the Chicago Catholic/Jewish Scholars Dialogue. She has published numerous works in the area of biblical scholarship, including Lamentations in the Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries (Abingdon Press); Song of Songs in the Berit Olam series, Collegeville Concise Glossary of Biblical Terms, and Israel's Story (Part One and Two), all published by Liturgical Press.

REVIEWS
"The publishers of this new series of studies from Collegeville, which they hope will create and sustain the passion of a new generation of theologians and church leaders, are indeed to be congratulated. Bergant's contribution should be a very useful source indeed." ...Review of Biblical Literature

"[T]his helpful volume . . . addresses fundamental questions about the nature of the Bible, the Catholic conviction that it is 'God's Word in human words,' the history of Israel, of Jesus and the early community from which it emerges, the various types of literature in the Bible, and the various methods and issues in sound interpretation of the Scriptures." The Bible Today

"In this introduction to the Bible, Dianne Bergant provides a refreshing and accessible account of what the Bible is, the history of the Bible's composition and reception, the history it reflects, its central themes, and the manifold ways it is legitimately read from author-centered, text-centered, or reader-centered perspectives. While written in a Catholic ethos, readers across the ecumenical spectrum will profit deeply from the wisdom embodied on every page." Ralph W. Klein, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

[+]Enlarge Image

Meeting St Luke Today: Understanding the Man, His Mission and His Message

ISBN: 9780829429169
Author(s): Daniel J Harrington SJ Publisher: Loyola Books

BOOK DESCRIPTION
The theological and literary beauty of the Gospel of Luke comes to life in Meeting St. Luke Today, written by preeminent biblical scholar Daniel J. Harrington.

What truly sets this book apart is the way in which Harrington effectively bridges the gap between modern biblical scholarship and Christian spirituality. In addition to a brief but complete narrative analysis of the Gospel of Luke and essential background information on the Evangelist himself, this book includes suggestions for ways we might "pray" Luke's Gospel and live out its transforming message in our daily lives.

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, is professor of New Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Cambridge, MA. He has been general editor of New Testament Abstracts since 1972 and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America.

[+]Enlarge Image

Meeting St Paul Today: Understanding the Man, His Mission and His Message

ISBN: 9780829427349
Author(s): Daniel J Harrington SJ Publisher: Loyola Books

BOOK DESCRIPTION
Teachings based on the letters of St. Paul permeate just about everything Christians believe and practice, but many of us know very little about this great apostle of the Church. In Meeting St. Paul Today, pre-eminent scholar Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, brings the letters of Paul and the apostle himself to life.

Harrington, writing with great respect for St. Paul and his ministry, covers three main topics in this helpful and highly readable book for any discerning Christian. First, he describes what Paul was really like, from his days as a Pharisee to his arduous years as a missionary. Second, he helps readers interpret the letters of Paul through literary, historical, and theological lenses. Finally, he thoughtfully surveys the specific purpose, major points, and other compelling particulars of each of the letters of Paul.

Daniel J. Harrington, SJ, is professor of New Testament at Boston College School of Theology and Ministry in Cambridge, MA. He has been general editor of New Testament Abstracts since 1972 and is a past president of the Catholic Biblical Association of America.