The multi-cultural society is under enormous pressure. Paradoxically, the globalization plans of modernity have resulted in a more fragmented world and ensuing violence. Instead of becoming uniform, individual character and differences have become more strongly emphasized. How can people live together and at the same time preserve their differences? How can variety be valued in a theological manner? These questions form the theme of this collection that consists of three sections. The South African reflections (Simon, Louw and Koopman) that consider living in the variety of a rainbow nation are followed by European experiences of Moluccan Christians in the Netherlands (Pattikayhatu), Western Muslims (van Bommel) and the Belgian modus vivendi (Van der Borght). The collection is completed by the theological reflections about the concept communio sanctorum (Le Bruyns), the Enlightenment's ideal of equality (van de Beek) and the unity of the church (Theron).

Can God Save the Church? is a comprehensive and illuminating review of some aspects of life in and around the church, with which those who care deeply about its message, mission, witness, and legacy should be passionately concerned. Christian traditions are often assailed by conflicts of theology and discipline, contradictions of beliefs and practices, as well as compromises with trials and trends that readily betray the full measure and meaning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This volume serves to enumerate some clear options for faithful witness and courageous service that would more readily reflect the essential and contextual purposes of the church’s existence. Fresh concepts of God in “Covenant and Change,” or of “The Church as a Communion of Faith, Life, and Witness,” or even of the call for a vision for “Christian Partnership for Social Change,” all converge to make this book a useful tool for study, teaching, and radical reflection in seminaries, local congregations, and beyond. The postscript in this edition adds further challenges to the contemporary church’s call for radical Christian witness and the relentless determination to work for God’s freedom, justice, and salvific wholeness in human life.

This is an introduction to thinking theologically about the Christian church--what is known as ecclesiology. The book covers background questions of conception, history, differences among separated Christian churches, and several modern approaches to the study of the church. It also introduces readers to a specific scriptural way of thinking about the church centered on mission, that takes into account problems associated with past approaches, and sensitive to contemporary concerns with the reality of Judaism and other national identities in a global context.

The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology provides a one-volume introduction to all the major aspects of Catholic theology. Part One considers the nature of theological thinking, and the major topics of Catholic teaching, including the Triune God, the Creation, and the mission of the Incarnate Word. It also covers the character of the Christian sacramental life and the major themes of Catholic moral teaching. The treatments in the first part of the Handbook offer personal syntheses of Catholic teaching, but each offers an account in accord with Catholic theology as it is expressed in the Second Vatican Council and authoritative documentation. Part Two focuses on the historical development of Catholic Theology. An initial section offers essays on some of Catholic theology's most important sources between 200 and 1870, and the final section of the collection considers all the main movements and developments in Catholic theology across the world since 1870. This comprehensive volume features fifty-six original contributions by some of the best-known names in current Catholic theology from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The chapters are written in an engaging and easily comprehensible style functioning both as a scholarly reference and as a survey of the field. There are no comparable studies available in one volume and the book will be an indispensable reference for students of Catholic theology at all levels and in all contexts.

As the Church enters its third millennium, it must take stock of its identity and mission. These essays in The Gift of the Church address the fundamental issues confronting the Church in its immediate future. Their authors represent the most prominent ecclesiologists of our time. Written in honor of Patrick Granfield, OSB, these essays form a textbook for classes in ecclesiology. They also are a useful tool for those engaged in various ministries in the Church to update themselves on the theology of different aspects of the Church. The first section of essays discusses ecclesiology in its historical development as well as its methodology; the second examines various aspects of the Church; and the third part presents the life and work of Patrick Granfield. The essays are clearly written and based on solid and extensive scholarship. Ecclesiology has been the central theme of theological reflections since Vatican II and may continue to be in the next millennium. This textbook fulfills in part Pope John Paul II's Vision for the Jubilee Year, when Christians, with a profound sense of commitment . . . will likewise express their gratitude for the gift of the Church." Essays and authors in Part One: Ecclesiology in Historical Context are "Theologies of the Church in the New Testament," by Frank J. Matera; "The Development of Ecclesiology: Early Church to the Reformation," by Eric Plumer; "The Development of Ecclesiology: Modernity to the Twentieth Century," by Michael J. Himes; "The Significance of Vatican Council II for Ecclesiology," by Joseph A. Komonchak; "The Ecclesiology of John Paul II," by Avery Dulles; "Ecumenical Ecclesiology," by Michael A. Fahey; and "Theological Method for Ecclesiology," by Pedro Rodriquez. Essays and authors in Part Two: Contemporary Ecclesiology are "The Church as Communion," by Susan K. Wood; "The Church as Worshiping Community," by Gerard Austin; "The Ecclesial Dimension of Anthropology," by Michael J. Scanlon; "The Ecclesial Dimension of Spirituality," by George Tavard;"The Evangelizing Mission of the Church," by Francis A.Sullivan; "Salvation Outside the Church," by John P. Galvin; "The Social Mission of the Church: Its Changing Context," by T. Howland Sanks; "Ministries in the Church," by John Ford; "The Papacy," by Richard P. McBrien; "The Episcopacy," by Hermann J. Pottmeyer; "The Teaching Office of the Church," by John P. Boyle; "The Church and the Law," by Thomas J. Green; "The Laity," by Jon Nilson; "Women and the Church," by Sara Butler; and "Mary and the Church," by Frederick M. Jelly. Essays and authors in Part Three: A North American Ecclesiology: The Theological Achievement of Patrick Granfield are "Patrick Granfield: A Biographical Essay," by David Granfield; "A North American Ecclesiology: The Achievement of Patrick Granfield," by Peter C. Phan; and "Bibliography of Patrick Granfield," compiled by David Granfield. The book also includes an introduction by Peter Phan and a list of abbreviations. Peter C. Phan, PhD, STD, DD, is the Warren-Blanding Professor of Religion and Culture in the department of religion and religious education at The Catholic University of America. He is the author and editor of several books and over a hundred essays on various aspects of Christian theology. "

Spanning the gamut from "Aaron" to "Zwingli," this dictionary includes nearly 3,000 entries written by about sixty authors, all of whom are specialists in their various theological and religious disciplines. The editors have designed the dictionary especially to aid the introductory-level student with instant access to definitions of terms likely to be encountered in, but not to substitute for, classroom presentations or reading assignments. - Publisher.

In A Reformed Voice in the Ecumemenical Discussion Martien E. Brinkman offers a critical account of the main international ecumenical developments of the last three decades. He delivers a sketch of the Reformed contribution to the ecumenical dialogues dealing with issues like contextuality, state-church relations, the ethical implications of baptism, the church as sacrament of the kingdom and apostolic tradition. He pleas for a stronger non-Western input in the ecumenical discussions and emphasizes that in many contexts (Indonesia, India, China) the interreligious dialogue has become part of the inner-Christian dialogue. This study can be considered as a constructive contribution to the development of a hermeneutics of tradition and puts itself the critical question what is lost and found in translation.