Systematic theology seeks to understand and render more intelligible the central doctrines of faith and to show how they are related to each other. It tries to demonstrate how these doctrines are rooted in Scripture and develop in the history of the church; most important, it strives to more adequately express and sometimes reinterpret the church’s doctrinal tradition, always in the interest of better communicating the mystery of salvation and bringing it into a dialogue with culture. The present text is intended to be concise and accessible, an introduction that explores basic themes in Catholic systematic theology from a biblical, historical, and contemporary perspective, always aware of today’s theological pluralism.
A critical analysis of the Catholic Churches around the world by areas (North America, Latin America, Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Europe), with attention to their origins, internal challenges, and external pressures"--
Throughout the centuries certain Christians chose to live out the challenges of the Gospel in communities that withdrew from the common and conventional in the world. This book studies this phenomenon and focuses on a number of contemporary Christian communities, lay and religious, who respond to the Gospel call to discipleship in a radical way, whether by being communities of peace and reconciliation, of social ministry and solidarity with the poor, of service to the Church, or of prayer and contemplation.
Holy Blasphemies asks such questions as: Why is God so difficult to find? Why is there not a more effective way to reveal himself? Does God punish? Why do we need the Church? In answering these questions, the book explores the mysteries of creation, life, suffering, prayer, with brief chapters on the reign of God, the Passion, Easter, change, building bridges, and so on, drawing on popular culture, science, spirituality, and the Catholic tradition. Throughout the book there is an emphasis on the encyclicals and apostolic exhortations of Pope Francis.
Offers brief meditations on the mysteries of the Christian Life, inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius and Pope Francis, in the context of contemporary culture.
It is a pleasure to recommend the book to those looking for an introductory text upon which to base a course on the development of Catholicism, to those training adult RCIA catechists, to those teaching adult religious education courses, and to those who just want to see how it ought to be, and can be, done. --David P. Killen Biblical Theology Bulletin
Systematic theology seeks to understand and render more intelligible the central doctrines of faith and to show how they are related to each other. It tries to demonstrate how these doctrines are rooted in Scripture and develop in the history of the church; most important, it strives to more adequately express and sometimes reinterpret the church’s doctrinal tradition, always in the interest of better communicating the mystery of salvation and bringing it into a dialogue with culture. The present text is intended to be concise and accessible, an introduction that explores basic themes in Catholic systematic theology from a biblical, historical, and contemporary perspective, always aware of today’s theological pluralism.
In the spirit of nineteenth-century philosopher John Stuart Mill's admonition to fully, frequently, and fearlessly" discuss what we profess to be true in order that it remain a "living truth" rather than dead dogma, Thomas P. Rausch gives us I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed. Rausch carefully explores the controversies that led to the development of the Creed and thereby brings the Creed to life for modern readers. More important, he maintains that the Creed is most fully alive when those who profess it do so as a personal response to their baptismal call. I Believe in God carefully unpacks the three articles of the Creed but does so always with an eye and heart toward communion with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As baptized Christians, to profess the Creed is to be committed to enter more deeply into this trinitarian relationship and thus more fully into communion with one another. Rausch clearly shows that the Apostles' Creed is grounded in Scripture, first came to expression in the church's baptismal liturgy, and can be better understood in light of contemporary theological reflection. Attentive to the ways in which the language of the Creed is relevant to the experience of twenty-first-century Christians, he leads us to understand what Pope Benedict meant when he said the Creed is "a tiny summa in which everything essential is expressed." With Rausch's guidance, readers will confess those essentials with greater conviction and appreciation.
Catholic colleges and universities play a crucial role in handing on a rich faith tradition to young adults today. As these institutions have become more professional and pluralistic, many are asking how effective they are at carrying out the religious mission which is central to their identity: Are Catholic colleges and universities significantly different from less expensive state institutions or from other private colleges and universities? Are they still committed to the search for truth, which is really the search for God? Thomas Rausch, an eminent educator, is a Catholic priest long interested in Catholic theology as a work of the church, not just of the academy. He insists we must also ask of Catholic higher education today: Does it truly form students in the faith that does justice, or does it simply speed their passage into successful corporate lifestyles? Does it help students come to a personal encounter with the divine mystery revealed in Jesus? Keeping these questions before them, Rausch and five other contributors to this volume provide wisdom, insight, and concrete examples of how Catholic higher education can indeed foster faith that leads to a more just world. Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is author of numerous books, including I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed, Being Catholic in a Culture of Choice, and Towards a Truly Catholic Church (Liturgical Press).
What is Catholicism? And where is the Catholic Church headed in the third millennium? These two questions provide the structure for Thomas Rausch's Catholicism in the Third Millennium. Here Rausch combines a faithful presentation of the tradition with a critical theological reflection and interpretation of where the Church is today and where it might be moving. Catholicism in the Third Millennium offers an appreciation of the forces and movements that have shaped, and continue to influence, the ongoing change and development of Roman Catholicism. Chief among these is the influence of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in reshaping Catholicism. This revised edition includes updated text from Rausch's Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium particularly the final chapter on "The Unfinished Agenda" of Vatican II. Each chapter concludes with focus questions developed by Catherine E. Clifford of St. Paul's University, Ottawa. This experience of guided reading provides readers with a broad survey of Roman Catholic faith and practice in its contemporary context. For readers who wish to compare particular passages of this volume with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an outline is provided in an appendix, with references to the appropriate sections of the Catechism. A second appendix offers a glossary of terms used in the book, while a third appendix lists a number of basic works for further investigation of Catholic faith and life. Chapters are "The Church and the Council," "Faith and the Believing Community," "A Visible Church," "A Living Tradition," "Sacraments and Christian nitiation," "Christian Life and Discipleship," "Sin, Forgiveness, and Healing," "Sexual Morality and Social Justice," "Prayer and Spirituality," "The Fullness of Christian Hope," and "The Unfinished Agenda." Includes Appendix I: Outlook of Book, with References to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Appendix II: Glossary of Terms, and Appendix III: Basic Reference Works on Catholicism. An Index of Names, and an Index of Subjects are also included. Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, PhD, is professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is the author of Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium, Reconciling Faith and Reason, and editor of the bestselling The College Student's Introduction to Theology published by Liturgical Press. Catherine E. Clifford, PhD, is a professor of theology at St. Paul's University in Ottawa, Ontario.
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, S.J., 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. Chapters are "The Three Quests for the Historical Jesus," "Methodological Considerations," "The Jewish Background," "Jesus and His Movement," " The Preaching and Ministry of Jesus," "The Death of Jesus," "God Raised Him from the Dead," "New Testament Christologies," "From the New Testament to Chalcedon," "Sin and Salvation," and "A Contemporary Approach to Soteriology." 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.
Thomas Rausch, SJ, approaches his latest book with the conviction that one cant write about eschatology without also addressing issues involving Christology, soteriology, the mission of the church, and the liturgy. He faces squarely the question of what eschatology suggests about our salvation, both now and in the world to come.
For almost five hundred years, the little book The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola has been an important source for Christian prayer-life. However, many Church ministers (priests, deacons, religious, and laypersons) do not have the time to make the full thirty-day Ignatian retreat with a spiritual director. This helpful resource seeks to lead a retreatant prayerfully into the heart of an Ignatian retreat by using contemplations and themes from the Spiritual Exercises as well as other meditations on the life of Jesus-but within an eight-day time frame. With a particular focus on ministry, both ordained and nonordained, the short chapters present mysteries from the life of Jesus and considerations that correspond to the dynamics of the Exercises. They represent a preparation for prayer, not to instruct but to move the imagination and hopefully the heart. An appendix offers additional scriptural texts. An 8 Day Ignatian Retreat for Priests, Religious, Deacons, and Lay Ministers enables busy and hardworking Church ministers to apply the Ignatian insights to their own interior life, which will result in rejuvenation and growth in their pastoral ministry.
A study of the theological vision of Pope Benedict XVI, with special attention to his view of Scripture as well as his Christology, ecclesiology, and liturgical theology.
Thomas Rausch, SJ, approaches his latest book with the conviction that one cant write about eschatology without also addressing issues involving Christology, soteriology, the mission of the church, and the liturgy. He faces squarely the question of what eschatology suggests about our salvation, both now and in the world to come.
In the spirit of nineteenth-century philosopher John Stuart Mill's admonition to fully, frequently, and fearlessly" discuss what we profess to be true in order that it remain a "living truth" rather than dead dogma, Thomas P. Rausch gives us I Believe in God: A Reflection on the Apostles' Creed. Rausch carefully explores the controversies that led to the development of the Creed and thereby brings the Creed to life for modern readers. More important, he maintains that the Creed is most fully alive when those who profess it do so as a personal response to their baptismal call. I Believe in God carefully unpacks the three articles of the Creed but does so always with an eye and heart toward communion with God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As baptized Christians, to profess the Creed is to be committed to enter more deeply into this trinitarian relationship and thus more fully into communion with one another. Rausch clearly shows that the Apostles' Creed is grounded in Scripture, first came to expression in the church's baptismal liturgy, and can be better understood in light of contemporary theological reflection. Attentive to the ways in which the language of the Creed is relevant to the experience of twenty-first-century Christians, he leads us to understand what Pope Benedict meant when he said the Creed is "a tiny summa in which everything essential is expressed." With Rausch's guidance, readers will confess those essentials with greater conviction and appreciation.
A study of Pope Benedict XVI’s three encyclicals, Deus caritas est, Spe salvi, and Lumen fidei (drafted for Pope Francis) on the theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity.
It is a pleasure to recommend the book to those looking for an introductory text upon which to base a course on the development of Catholicism, to those training adult RCIA catechists, to those teaching adult religious education courses, and to those who just want to see how it ought to be, and can be, done." --David P. Killen Biblical Theology Bulletin
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, S.J., 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. Chapters are "The Three Quests for the Historical Jesus," "Methodological Considerations," "The Jewish Background," "Jesus and His Movement," " The Preaching and Ministry of Jesus," "The Death of Jesus," "God Raised Him from the Dead," "New Testament Christologies," "From the New Testament to Chalcedon," "Sin and Salvation," and "A Contemporary Approach to Soteriology." 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.
What is Catholicism? And where is the Catholic Church headed in the third millennium? These two questions provide the structure for Thomas Rausch's Catholicism in the Third Millennium. Here Rausch combines a faithful presentation of the tradition with a critical theological reflection and interpretation of where the Church is today and where it might be moving. Catholicism in the Third Millennium offers an appreciation of the forces and movements that have shaped, and continue to influence, the ongoing change and development of Roman Catholicism. Chief among these is the influence of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) in reshaping Catholicism. This revised edition includes updated text from Rausch's Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium particularly the final chapter on "The Unfinished Agenda" of Vatican II. Each chapter concludes with focus questions developed by Catherine E. Clifford of St. Paul's University, Ottawa. This experience of guided reading provides readers with a broad survey of Roman Catholic faith and practice in its contemporary context. For readers who wish to compare particular passages of this volume with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, an outline is provided in an appendix, with references to the appropriate sections of the Catechism. A second appendix offers a glossary of terms used in the book, while a third appendix lists a number of basic works for further investigation of Catholic faith and life. Chapters are "The Church and the Council," "Faith and the Believing Community," "A Visible Church," "A Living Tradition," "Sacraments and Christian nitiation," "Christian Life and Discipleship," "Sin, Forgiveness, and Healing," "Sexual Morality and Social Justice," "Prayer and Spirituality," "The Fullness of Christian Hope," and "The Unfinished Agenda." Includes Appendix I: Outlook of Book, with References to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Appendix II: Glossary of Terms, and Appendix III: Basic Reference Works on Catholicism. An Index of Names, and an Index of Subjects are also included. Thomas P. Rausch, SJ, PhD, is professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. He is the author of Catholicism at the Dawn of the Third Millennium, Reconciling Faith and Reason, and editor of the bestselling The College Student's Introduction to Theology published by Liturgical Press. Catherine E. Clifford, PhD, is a professor of theology at St. Paul's University in Ottawa, Ontario.
A study of Pope Benedict XVI’s three encyclicals, Deus caritas est, Spe salvi, and Lumen fidei (drafted for Pope Francis) on the theological virtues, faith, hope, and charity.
Offers brief meditations on the mysteries of the Christian Life, inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius and Pope Francis, in the context of contemporary culture.
Throughout the centuries certain Christians chose to live out the challenges of the Gospel in communities that withdrew from the common and conventional in the world. This book studies this phenomenon and focuses on a number of contemporary Christian communities, lay and religious, who respond to the Gospel call to discipleship in a radical way, whether by being communities of peace and reconciliation, of social ministry and solidarity with the poor, of service to the Church, or of prayer and contemplation.
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