The second biannual congress of the Leuven Encounters in Systematic Theology (LEST II, Nov. 3-6, 1999) was dedicated to a fundamental theological reflection on the question of how to conceive of 'sacramental presence in a postmodern context'. This volume contains the main lectures presented at the conference, as well as the formal responses to those lectures and a selection of supplementary papers. These papers examine the Christian claim that God is present in human history, in the light of the contemporary rethinking of the relationship between transcendence and immanence. In addition to an extensive introductory paper by L. Boeve, contributions include, among others, M.-C. Bingemer, L.-M. Chauvet, G. De Schrijver, K. Hart, W. Jeanrond, F. Kerr, J.-Y. Lacoste, T. Merrigan, P. Moyaert, D. Power, I. Verhack and G. Ward.

Theology after Heidegger must take into account history and language as elements in the pursuit of meaning. Quite often, this prompts a hurried flight from metaphysics to an embrace of an absence at the centre of Christian narrativity. Conor Sweeneyhere explores the 'postmodern' critique of presence in the context of sacramental theology, engaging the thought of Louis-Marie Chauvet and Lieven Boeve. Chauvet is an influential postmodern theologian whose critique of the perceived onto-theological constitution of presence in traditional sacramental theology has made big waves, while Boeve is part of a more recent generation of theologians who even more wholeheartedly embrace postmodern consequences for theology. Sweeney considers the extentto which postmodernism a la Heidegger upsets the hermeneutics of sacramentality, asking whether this requires us to renounce the search for a presence that by definition transcends us. Against both the fetishisation of presence and absence, Sweeney argues that metaphysics has a properly sacramental basis, and that it is only through this reality that the dialectic of presence and absence can be transcended. The case is made for the full but restless signification of the mother's smile as the paradigm for genuine sacramental presence.

Theology after Heidegger must take into account history and language as constitutive elements in the pursuit of meaning. Quite often, this prompts a hurried flight from metaphysics to an embrace of an absence at the center of Christian narrativity. In this book, Conor Sweeney explores the "postmodern" critique of presence in the context of sacramental theology, engaging the thought of Louis-Marie Chauvet and Lieven Boeve. Chauvet is an influential postmodern theologian whose critique of the perceived onto-theological constitution of presence in traditional sacramental theology has made big waves, while Boeve is part of a more recent generation of theologians who even more wholeheartedly embrace postmodern consequences for theology. Sweeney considers the extent to which postmodernism a la Heidegger upsets the hermeneutics of sacramentality, asking whether this requires us to renounce the search for a presence that by definition transcends us. Against both the fetishization of presence and absence, Sweeney argues that metaphysics has a properly sacramental basis, and that it is only through this reality that the dialectic of presence and absence can be transcended. The case is made for the full but restless signification of the mother's smile as the paradigm for genuine sacramental presence.

The Dogmatic Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy of Vatican II reiterates the church's traditional teaching on the manifold presence of Christ in his church, especially in liturgical celebrations: in the priest, the consecrated bread and wine, the sacraments, and when the gathered church prays and sings. Nevertheless, there continues to exist in both scholarly writing and popular piety an almost exclusive focus on the presence of Christ in the eucharistic species. The purpose of this book is to examine the most elusive mode of the manifold presence of Christ mentioned above, that is, as it is symbolized within the assembly that gathers for worship. Using the resources of several contemporary philosophical aproaches, including semiotics, phenomenology, personalism, and existentialism, the book draws attention to the forgotten or or less understood aspects of the belief in the presence of Christ in the gathered assembly and explores the implications of this belief for participating in the liturgy and living the Christian life. While the book is scholarly in tone, it has extremely practical ramifications for the ways in which the mass should be celebrated in millions of Catholic parishes around the world.

In the postmodern age the question of the way in which we 'think sacrament' has acquired particular prominence, not least because it touches the core of all theology. Sacrament cannot be reduced to metaphysical concepts. It is, instead, 'enfleshment', the incarnation of transcendence in a way that moves us in an unparalleled way. The problem of 'sacramental presence', and what it reveals about the Christian understanding of God, the world, and the believing subject, is the subject of this volume. The book is divided into four parts: (1) 'Approaching Sacrament in a Postmodern Age: Questions of Method', (2) 'Yesterday Revisited: Recovering the Past in the Face of the Challenges of the Postmodern Age', (3) 'Today's Imperative: Uncovering the Transformative Power of Sacrament in a Postmodern Age', and (4) 'Tomorrow's Possibilities: Discovering New Loci of Sacramental Presence in a Postmodern Age'.

Bread from Heaven offers a contemporary theological synthesis on the Eucharist that brings together classical and critical biblical exegesis, debates on the early history of the Christian liturgy, patristic doctrine, the teachings offered by the Councils of Florence, Trent and Vatican II, and the Church’s lex orandi, all within a framework provided by the Eucharistic theology of Thomas Aquinas. The volume begins with Christ’s Bread of Life discourse in John 6, in light of the Old Testament theme of the manna, and the Synoptic accounts of the Last Supper. These biblical texts offer solid foundation for a theology of Eucharistic sacrifice, presence and Communion. It then continues with a historical and systematic study of the institution of the Eucharist by Christ, with special attention given to the emergence of the first Eucharistic prayers. Then follows a survey of key Christological and ecclesiological themes which undergird Eucharistic theology. The chapters on Eucharistic sacrifice and presence form the heart of the work. Here, the focus moves to key conciliar, patristic and Thomistic insights on these themes. Bread from Heaven clarifies misunderstandings of Eucharistic sacrifice and renders transubstantiation accessible to beginners. Blankenhorn concludes with a study of the consecration, the minister of the Eucharist and the fruits of communion. The chapter on the debate over the words of institution and the epiclesis gives a fresh perspective that integrates both eastern and western tradition. The study of the Eucharistic celebrant strikes a balance between a spirituality of the priest as acting in persona Christi and of the priest as praying in persona ecclesiae. The concluding chapter centers on the Eucharist’s unitive, mystical fruits in the Church. This textbook is ideal for an advanced undergraduate or graduate course on Eucharistic theology. It also seeks to advance the debate on several controversial historical and speculative issues in sacramental theology.

Mission Shaped Church, the groundbreaking report published in 2004 has sold over 20,000 copies and has changed the way mission is done. This title offers a resource for exploring and applying the insights from fresh style mission in the traditional wings of the church where various worship communities are being formed.