Paperback reissue of one volume of the English Dominicans' Latin/English edition of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae.

Paperback reissue of one volume of the English Dominicans' Latin/English edition of Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologiae.

The church's development and use of sacraments has evolved in many ways from the days of the early church to the present. This sourcebook provides key theological texts that played a role in those movements. Johnson traces the history and theology of individual sacraments along with their liturgical context in the church's worship. He includes materials previously developed in James F. White's classic collection, Documents of Christian Worship: Descriptive and Interpretive Sources (Westminster John Knox Press, 1992), and supplements these to provide a wide range of indispensible materials. He also contributes helpful background notes to give the reader the full breadth and depth of the church's thought on these important topics. This book will be of great value to those studying the history of Christian worship and the development of the sacraments.

The celebration of the sacrament of baptism underwent a major change in the years after the Second Vatican Council (1962 '65). The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults was revised to take into account the situation of the contemporary world by incorporating insights from the earliest centuries of the Church. The Rite of Baptism for Children was renewed to take into account the role of parents and godparents in a more direct way. These two situations 'the initiation of adults who profess their own faith and the baptism of children whose faith is professed for them 'are the object of this book. The symbols and actions of the rites together with the words of Scripture and prayer are explored to answer the question: How do these celebrations reveal a theology of initiation and baptism for today's Catholic community? Michal G. Witczak, SLD, is a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and an assistant professor in liturgical studies at The Catholic University of America. His writings have appeared in Theological Studies, Ecclesia Orans, and Liturgical Ministry.

Saint Thomas Aquinas's masterwork, the Summa theologiae, can be daunting to beginners. This volume by an expert on Aquinas's theology offers an ideal introduction. It presents key selections from the Summa along with accessible commentary designed to provide background, explain key concepts, and walk readers through Aquinas's arguments. Previously published as Holy Teaching, this new edition has been fully revised and includes a substantial amount of new material. The book draws from the entire Summa and incorporates selections that focus on moral theology, providing a fuller picture of Aquinas's thought.

This book will help the reader come to a better understanding of what the restored order is and its place in the Church's sacramental life. It will address the historical, theological, and pastoral/catechetical dimensions of the restored order of the sacraments of initiation. It will be a general introduction to the restored order and foster discussion among readers to help them better understand the topic in relationship to their own or their parish's experience of initiation.

"Ever since the widespread and ecumenical renewal of Christian initiation was begun by the publication of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults both Catholic and Protestant ministers and scholars of initiation have, for good theological reasons, focused on the connection between Easter, especially the Easter Vigil, and Christian initiation. But even if Easter is the center, the baptismal tradition of the church is much richer than this. In this book, Maxwell Johnson offers catechists, pariosh liturgists, pastors, religious educators and all who are involved in the church's baptismal ministries a study of some of the key baptismal images and metaphors that scripture and the church's great liturgical traditions hand on to us.....(from back cover.)