Opinions abound about the appropriate age of candidates for the sacraments of initiation and the sequence of their reception. Ages of Initiation makes accessible in a CD-ROM format those texts from New Testament times to the present that document and comment on the reception of these sacraments. It also tracks the circumstances which caused patterns of tradition to form and shift. Ages of Initiation enlightens those who form sacramental policies as well as those who live by them. Catechumens, who range in age from schoolchildren to seniors, celebrate baptism, then confirmation, and then Eucharist in the same ceremony. But children born of Catholic parents may be baptized as infants and celebrate confirmation and Eucharist in different ceremonies over a period of eighteen years or more; in many cases their confirmation follows the first reception of Communion. Still, the Church today calls these three rites "sacraments of initiation." The Ages of Initiation CD-ROM divides the twenty centuries of Christianity into twelve sections. Each section is subdivided into units which pair introductory material with a collection of citations, and then concludes with a bulleted summary. Those who wish to consult original references will find direction in the bibliography. An accompanying booklet provides a summary of the information contained on the CD-ROM version of Ages of Initiation. Convenient cross-references in the book direct you to the exact area on the CD for more information. Contents include "The New Testament Church (1-100)," "Emerging Ritual Patterns (101-300)," "The Golden Age (301-500)," "Liturgical Development (501-700)," "The Era of Charlemagne (701-828)," "Regulating Initiation (892-964)," "Pastoral Concerns (965-1214)," "The Age of Discretion (1215-1519)," "Reformation (1520-1592)," "The Ritualization of First Communion (1593-1773)," "Sequence (1774-1909)," "The Diversification of Tradition (1910-2000)," and "Conclusions."

All societies are differentiated by age. But in some, this differentiation takes the form of institutionalized, formally graded age classes, the members of which share an assigned 'structural' age, if not necessarily the same physiological age. The nature of formal age group systems has become one of the classic issues in modern social anthropology, although until now there has been no comprehensive explication of these complex forms of social organization. In this book, Bernardo Bernardi, one of the pioneers of the anthropological study of age class systems, provides a way of making sense of the diversity of such systems by analysing cross-culturally their common features and the pattern of their differences, and showing that they serve a general purpose for the organization of society and for the distribution and rotation of power.

This resource forms Christian initiation coordinators in the many aspects of their role. It provides the vision of the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, outlines the roles of the coordinator in animating the parish and forming the team, and presents catechesis as framed within liturgical prayer. The Role of the Coordinator in Christian Initiation offers many practical tips to help the process flow smoothly in the parish.

Also available via the world wide web.

This book’s primary focus is an understanding of the change to the formulas of Initiation brought about by the advent of the New Aeon—the Aeon of the Child—in 1904. It draws deeply from Jungian psychology, world mythology and religion, the teachings of Aleister Crowley, and the doctrines of the Mystery traditions. It explains how the revelations unique to this stage of human evolution impact the work of the individual aspirant. Much of what is written here is revealed for the first time, with every attempt to do so in clear and precise language.

Originally published in 1999, The Rites of Christian Initiation was haled for its clarity and comprehensiveness. Kalian McDonnell, OSB, called it the best overall treatment of Christian initiation available, and Paul Bradshaw predicted it would be the standard textbook on the subject for very many years to come." The current edition draws on new translations of early texts on baptism as well as recent scholarship on the early traditions in the East and West. It is sure to replace itself as the new standard reference on the rites of Christian initiation. Maxwell E. Johnson's expanded and revised text provides a more complete view of the history and interpretation of the rites in the Eastern Church, including two chapters that explore the pre-Nicene Eastern and Western traditions in detail. Revisiting the theology of baptism, this edition also provides more nuanced positions on the Eastern and Western traditions. Finally, recent liturgical developments in American Protestant churches, particularly Lutheran, as well as the ongoing development of the RCIA and confirmation practices of Catholics, made it necessary to revisit the place and meaning of these rites in the church today. Maxwell E. Johnson, PhD, is professor of liturgy at the University of Notre Dame and an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He has published in Worship and is the editor of and contributor to Living Water, Sealing Spirit: Readings on Christian Initiation (Liturgical Press, 1995) and the revised and expanded edition of E.C. Whitaker, Documents of the Baptismal Liturgy (Liturgical Press and S.P.C.K., 2003), to which this study serves as a companion volume. "