DEUS CARITAS EST

Pope B16's First Encyclical (with hyper-links)

Being Christian is not the result of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive direction...

A Week with Paul McPartlan

David sent me an email just after the new year asking some excellent questions about how Protestants view theology and the Church. Also, over the Christmas holiday, I received an excellent book, Sacrament of Salvation: An Introduction to Eucharistic Ecclesiology by Paul McPartlan. I hope to work through McPartlan's book and to try to draw out where my own denomination stands. I hope others can contribute with regard to their own denomination/tradition.

Chapter 1: The Eucharist Makes the Church: Calvary Cross & Heavenly Banquet

Chapter 2: Preparation of the Children of Abraham: The Messiah Foretold by the Prophets

Chapter 3: The Story of the New People of God: Two Thousand Years in Three Steps

Chapter 4: A Modern Father of the Church: The Trials and Triumphs of Henri de Lubac

Chapter 5: The Church, Sacrament of Salvation: Liturgy, Structure and Mission

Chapter 6: The Holy Spirit and Unity: The Eucharist in Ecumenical Dialogue

Chapter 7: This Is the Cup of My Blood: The Chalice and the Renewal of Baptism

Chapter 8: The Universe Attains Its Destiny Through Us: Christ and the Church: Priest of Creation

I hope to begin soon. Here is a quote from then Cardinal Ratzinger:

"The Church is the celebration of the Eucharist; the Eucharist is the Church; they do not simply stand side by side; they are one and the same; it is from there that everything else radiates" (xiv).

Hauerwas on Sin

Here is an interesting post on Isaac's blog reflecting on a Hauerwas quote on sin.


Peace,
Scott

an amazing book

Very few books hold me attentive as this one has in these days. It really is an amazing work. In this one work, he deals with not only non-violence in a positive way (what we are for not just against), but also the meaning of narrative, beauty, virtue & friendship.

This is a book within a book when one considers the footnotes alone. He not only references, but talks about more than 20 of his own books, in addition to 25+ other authors. For most of those authors, he references at least a couple of their books, but for some like Bonhoeffer and Yoder he references 10+ books of each, which is not surprising concerning the topic of the book. For someone to synthesize their own thought, let alone others (Bonhoeffer, Milbank, Yoder, Stout, etc.) in this manner is simply amazing. The man is brilliant and a real gift to all of us.

This book will challenge anyone who reads it. It is a conversion process to do so.

Crossposted on la nouvelle theologie