Too often, we move through this life on a fast track. I've never officiated, or attended a funeral where there wasn't at least some sense of surprise, or regret that "this life" had ended. Yet, we all face the time when "this life" will end. Still we rush to get, be, and do things that we hope will give us some security and assurance of our place in life. The most tragic outcome of life's fast track is the strained, discarded, and sometimes broken relationships that result from our frantic pace of living; not to mention the loss of life's simple moments.

Many people today are asking the "meaning-making" questions. We want our lives to have meaning. We want to know how our faith informs our work life, how our family life enhances our spirituality, and how we can feel less fragmented and more whole. These are the spiritual questions of life. They are wisdom-seeking invitations stirring within the depths of our souls. These are the hungers that theological reflection can help feed. This book offers an understanding of theological reflection--a model and a method. It will not only illustrate how readers may use theological reflection in their own spiritual development but will also show how to facilitate the process with others. --From the introduction In "Theological Reflection: Connecting Faith and Life," principles of theological reflection are presented to help the believer connect faith teaching and life. Catholic Basics: A Pastoral Ministry Series offers an in-depth yet accessible understanding of the fundamentals of the Catholic faith for adults, both those active in pastoral ministry and those preparing for ministry. The series helps readers explore the Catholic tradition and apply what they have learned to their lives and ministry situations. Includes study questions and suggestions for further reading.

Aquinas and Calvin on Romans is a comparative analysis of John Calvin's and Thomas Aquinas's commentaries on Romans with a focus on our participation in God's work of salvation. The study accomplishes two principle goals: it demonstrates that Calvin's critiques of his "scholastic" opponents arising from his reading of Romans fail to find a target in Aquinas's interpretation while Calvin's principle positive assertions are upheld by Aquinas as well; and itillustrates the nonparticipatory dimensions of Calvin's thought and how those dimensions create difficulties in his reading of Romans--difficulties not found in Aquinas's more participatory reading. CharlesRaith further suggests how Calvin's interpretation, especially on the topics of justification and merit, should be augmented by Aquinas's thought. Raith then rereads Calvin's criticisms of the Council of Trent in light of these suggestions.

In Shalom, the Spirit and Pentecostal Conversion, Grace Milton presents a uniquely practical-theological model of Pentecostal conversion, centered on empirical data from a congregational case study. Pentecostal-Charismatic conversion is commonly equated with a dramatic, “Damascus road” type event, which directly opposes prevailing theories within the social sciences that conversion is a more gradual process over time. This raises the question, how far do these Pentecostal stereotypes reflect lived experience? In this book, for the first time, the experiences and beliefs of ordinary Pentecostal believers are drawn into conversation with conversion theories from the human sciences (sociology, psychology and anthropology) and theology. The result is a distinctly Pentecostal model of conversion, which interprets religious transformation through the theological lens of Shalom.