The Sacrament of Reconciliation examines this sacrament in terms of its anthropological, scriptural, historical, and theological roots. The powerful message of God’s merciful love expressed through this sacrament is an essential way of knowing the “joy of the Gospel.”

This addition to the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series provides readers with a deeper appreciation of God's gifts and call in the sacraments through a renewed encounter with God's Word. James Prothro offers a biblical theology of the sacrament of reconciliation--the restoration of the sinner through forgiveness and repentance. Prothro fleshes out the patterns in which God's people in the Old and New Testaments approach the merciful God, confess, and are forgiven and called to reengage their relationship with God by growing in faith and love through God's ministry of grace. Series editors are Timothy C. Gray and John Sehorn. Gray and Sehorn teach at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, which prepares students for Christian mission through on-campus and distance-education programs. Gray is also president of the Augustine Institute.

The Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series has proven widely successful, with series volumes having sold over 250,000 copies. Designed to complement the CCSS, this new series on the seven Sacraments provides readers with a deeper appreciation of God's gifts and call in the Sacraments through a renewed encounter with God's Word. Leading Catholic teacher and popular speaker John Bergsma offers a biblical theology of marriage rooted in the Old and New Testaments that will be interesting and informative to the church catholic. This book shows the biblical basis for the teaching that marriage is a sacrament. It provides lay teachers with background and depth on topics taught frequently in the parish, making it suitable for classroom use and parish ministry. The series editors are Timothy C. Gray and John Sehorn. Gray is president of the Augustine Institute, which has one million subscribers to its online content channel, Formed.org. Gray and Sehorn both teach at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, which prepares students for Christian mission through on-campus and distance education programs.

Over 3 million copies sold! Essential reading for Catholics of all walks of life. Here it is - the first new Catechism of the Catholic Church in more than 400 years, a complete summary of what Catholics around the world commonly believe. The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and cross-references for a fuller understanding of every subject. The word catechism means "instruction" - this book will serve as the standard for all future catechisms. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord's Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation.

"In this addition to the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series, a top Catholic New Testament scholar offers a biblical theology of the initiatory rite of baptism rooted in the Old and New Testaments"--

An illuminating, reassuring explanation of the Catholic Church’s teachings on confession and forgiveness by the bestselling author of The Lamb’s Supper and Hail, Holy Queen. Jesus told his first clergy, “If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” In Lord, Have Mercy, Scott Hahn explores the sacrament of reconciliation and shows why it is the key to spiritual growth, particularly in these times of intense anxiety and uncertainty. Drawing on the history of ancient Israel, the Gospels, the writings of the early Church, and the lives of the saints, Hahn reveals the living, scriptural heart of the Church’s teachings on penance, forgiveness, and reconciliation. It is a story that begins with the sin of Adam and Eve, continues in the biographies of Moses, King David, and the Apostle Peter, and reverberates in the lives of believers today. Hahn presents the Catholic and biblical perspective on sin and mercy, elucidating in clear, easily understood language the true import of Jesus’ simple, yet profound promise–“I am the door; if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved (John 10:9). Like Hahn’s earlier books, Lord, Have Mercy offers thoughtful, authoritative insights into controversial issues and disputed doctrines in a manner that will enlighten lay readers yet is thorough enough for scholars to appreciate. More than just a Bible study, it is a guide for the perplexed, providing practical advice and inspiration that will help readers come to a deeper knowledge of themselves and of Jesus through the sacrament of penance.

Calls for a change in attitude toward, and a renewal in, understanding the use of the sacrament of penance