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Many people believe that the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on marriage is clear and consistent: marriage is a sacrament, the marriage contract is indissoluble, divorce and remarriage are forbidden. In this book, theologians, historians, and sociologists overhaul the church's teaching and practice on divorce and remarriage, as well as personal testimonies from a number of persons who have gone through the annulment process.
Laypeople have a special mission in the church the way they have a special mission in society. In popular devotions the laity created a form of spirituality that lasted for over a millennium. Popular religiosity is alive in Latin America and in US ethnic subcultures. Vatican II redirected lay spirituality toward the liturgy as “the source and summit.” We will visit a parish where this ideal is put into practice, but in the wider church the role of the laity came to be restricted to ecclesial ministries. There are at least four new forms of spirituality in the making. I will first describe a vibrant evangelical church attended by many former Catholics. Next, we will visit a Guatemalan parish where over a thousand parishioners meet weekly in homes and witness to the gospel in their neighborhoods. The charismatic renewal is a major force of renewal in Latin America and among US Latinos. Finally, the spirituality of social justice is alive and well in south Chicago. In sum, this book will introduce you to six or seven major forms of spirituality alive today. Each of them defines a special place and mission for the laity in the church.
Church weddings, funerals, and most Sunday services reflect the values and dramas of their communities, even when the ministers are the main or sole actors. This point is illustrated by examples ranging from American television masses to the Zairean three-hour services in the Congo. Of greatest interest to readers might be the Sunday services at ordinary parishes, which also range from friendly but uninspiring to innovative and inviting. There are also two exceptionally vital churches analyzed here: an evangelical church in the Pentecostal tradition and a social justice parish in the tradition of Martin Luther King Jr. Today one can hardly buy an item in a store or on the Internet without be...
Today's Catholic Church faces a major decline, and a dramatic renewal is needed to facilitate positive change. Three general factors that contribute to the spiritual decline of all mainline churches and three factors that are special to the Catholic Church. Hegy describes the inner workings of two successful parishes - one evangelical and the other Catholic - to illustrate the strategies used that contribute to vibrant and growing church communities. He also reviews various renewal plans and then presents his personal, long-term plan for renewal in the Catholic Church, with practical implementation suggestions included in each step.
This book presents research in three new areas: Sunday liturgies, homilies, and pastoral concepts. First it presents to the readers the major Latin American document, “Disciples and Missionaries of Jesus-Christ,” which sets the course of the Church in Latin America for the next decade. Next I present the findings about the Sunday liturgies in 100 churches, 50 in Guatemala and 50 the U.S. The following chapter analyzes 100 Sunday homilies in comparison to lay talks, homilies by Fr. Robert Barron, and evangelical sermons. In one more chapter I discuss basic concepts for pastoral research. Chapter 6 discusses the consequences of papal centralization for church renewal. The last chapter outlines ten basic paths of renewal. What is new in this book is the research on Sunday liturgies, homilies, and pastoral concepts.
Listen to the Heartbeat of the Church resurrects the concept of episcopal visitation, an age-old and rarely used practice in Catholic parishes and dioceses. Using information gleaned from a survey of 100 Benedictine monasteries along with a nine-month experience of facilitating a parish goal-setting process, Baroch describes how visitation can strengthen parishes and dioceses by closing the communication gap that sometimes exists between the laity and the hierarchy. Her fictional account of St. Anonymous Catholic Church, the heart of the book, shows how a struggling congregation can accomplish its goals when parishioners, the pastor, and their bishop engage in shared ministry. It can happen--one parish, one diocese, at a time.
The author analysed the biographies of three saints as genuine theological sources. Asserted is that medieval hagiography was a vital theological genre for early Christian theologians and that treating them as such forth the lives of these women, their voices, and the transitioning Church around them. Analysed are the biographies: Life of St. Margaret of Scotland by Her Chaplain: a theology of inherited virtue and the redemption of childbirth; Life of St. Leoba by Rudolf of Saxony: a theology of Church in mission; Baudonivia's Life of St. Radegunde: a theology of power.
This volume explores the historical, theological, sociological, and ethical dimensions of the current issues threatening the two thousand-year-old Roman Catholic Church. The interdisciplinary analysis contained within the volume exposes the destructive convictions and actions of the Roman Catholic clergy that has produced the current institutional crisis while suggesting options for moving forward. Documenting the cases that constitute the many crises currently surrounding Catholicism, the volume aims to provide clarity and conscience. At the same time, with a constructive vision of an ethics and religious practice rooted in integrity and transparency, the authors offer a path towards holistic and holy reformation by and for Catholics.
Why did the evangelical church, which had been the leader in social welfare and reform prior to the twentieth century, discontinue its involvement in social concerns? Is a commitment to personal evangelism incompatible with an interest in social issues? In this provocative book, Dr. Moberg analyzes the Great Reversal of the early twentieth century and discusses its causes and effects, all in the context of seeing the Bible as the guide to faith and conduct. The importance of recognizing and coping with social evil as well as personal sin is emphasized, and the author concludes with a summary of developments that are helping to reverse the Great Reversal and restore evangelical Christianity to its rightful place of leadership.
"Repair my house." From a crucifix in a ruined chapel, St. Francis heard this instruction, which set him on a mission of evangelical renewal. In the light of unprecedented crisis afflicting the Catholic church, Michael Crosby calls us all to undertake a wholesale project of repair and renewal. The crisis is visible in the sex abuse scandal, and the questions it has raised about internal structures of authority and clerical culture. Meanwhile, a spate of "new atheists" has challenged traditional worldviews. The percentage of those identifying themselves as "former Catholics" grows at an alarming rate. In response, Fr. Crosby sees a challenge to return to the core evangelical message of Jesus Christ. This message is supported, not contradicted by discoveries in science and cosmology. He envisions a new way of being Catholic and a set of practices that draws on the contemplative, compassionate, and life-giving spirit of the Kingdom that God's will may be realized on earth as it is in heaven.