Includes bibliographical references (pages 540-542) and indexes.

To disclose the underlying mystery of the Church in relation to Christ and sinners, James Dallen traces the complex development of ecclesial repentance from the Church's first centuries to the present time. He shows that the Church has always worked with sinful members, assisting them to live out the implications of their baptismal conversion and recognizing them as members of its assemblies. It is in this history, the tradition that survives from those who have gone before marked by the sign of faith, that the Church must find the way to exercise the ministry of reconciliation today and in the future.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation is a comprehensive and accessible resource for undergraduate, graduate, and seminary courses on the Sacrament of Reconciliation. It offers an overview of the sacrament in terms of its anthropological, scriptural, historical, and theological roots as well as an analysis of the key components of the sacrament itself (matter, form, minister, recipient, etc.). With the knowledge of a theologian and the skill of an historian, Robert Fastiggi links the Sacrament of Penance to its anthropological foundations, grounded in the recognition of human failure and the need for forgiveness. This anthropological foundation includes a brief overview of how non-biblical religions deal with sin and purification as well as the revelation of the human need for reconciliation presented in Sacred Scripture. He carefully unwraps the Old Testament and New Testament narratives that cover original sin, human rebellion, the need for reconciliation, conversion, forgiveness, and the remission of sin. Dr. Fastiggi understands the sacrament in the context of spirituality or ascetical and mystical theology. His section on the Sacrament of Penance in Church history lays out comprehensive overview of the development in the sacrament of Penance from the Patristic period to the period immediately before Vatican II. At the heart of the new evangelization is the proclamation of Christ, who has come into the world to reconcile sinful human beings with the transcendent love of God. For those living today in a post-Christian world, the powerful message of God’s merciful love expressed through the sacrament of reconciliation is a most valuable way of knowing the “joy of the Gospel.”

Reconciliation and Justification offers a thorough historical and theological background on reconciliation and justification. It is an excellent textbook for theology, a good stimulus for discussion, and a significant contribution to all theological libraries. Since Vatican II the sacrament of reconciliation has met with both successes and difficulties. Author Kenan B. Osborne, O.F.M., contends that one of the main reasons for difficulty with the renewal of this sacrament is that it lacks the integration of justification theology. He outlines key issues on justification within the biblical theology of St. Paul and traces the historical, theological, and liturgical developments from the first century to the present. Thus, Fr. Osborne enriches our conception of reconciliation through these reflective christological and ecclesiological dimensions.

The Pocket Guide to the Sacrament of Reconciliation is a beautiful, prayerful book by Fr. Mike Schmitz and Fr. Josh Johnson which helps Catholics enter in to the Sacrament of Reconciliation more deeply.