A reprinting of Schillebeecks classic work. A standard in understanding the relationship between Christ, Sacrament and the Church. A positive and constructive ecclesial theology.

The existence of the historical Jesus cannot be doubted. But who was Jesus of Nazareth? And who is he for us today? In this controversial work Schillebeeckx offers his 'experiment': an informative and sustained hermeneutical reflection on the story of Jesus. It became a bestseller, and would become the first volume of Schillebeeckx' trilogy on Jesus Christ. He presents a Christology 'from below', rooted in the synoptic gospels, but especially in Mark and in the Q tradition. At the same time he is clearly interested in portraying 'the historical Jesus' as both Proclaimer and Proclaimed. In this major work Schillebeeckx tries to answer questions such as: Is the promise of salvation only to be found in Jesus Christ because he was a gift from God, as the Gospels tell us? What can we say about the inspiration of so many who do not attend church or adhere to any believe they find in Jesus Christ? Schillebeeckx takes us into his promising quest that leads to the ultimate question of what religious truth actually is.

As a result of the publication of Jesus. An Experiment in Christology (volume 6) and Christ. The Christian Experience in the Modern World (volume 7), Schillebeeckx was accused of denying the divinity of Jesus and the resurrection as objective reality. In this ''interim report'' he responds to these criticisms. Schillebeeckx argues that the interpretation of his publications depends to a large extent on what the reader takes as a starting point. This book, therefore, is about presuppositions and methods of interpretation. Schillebeeckx begins by looking once again at the nature of revelation,

What are contemporary theology's challenges? What are its fruitful approaches? Who are its promising contributors? The contributions to this collection of essays try to find answers to these questions by making references to the Dutch Dominican scholar Edward Schillebeeckx, using his theology as a starting point for an up-to-date investigation and discussion. The theological work of Edward Schillebeeckx marks the transition from a pre-modern to a modern approach to Christian faith, Church, and theology. Already more than two generations of theologians have been trained in dialogue with his thought. Contemporary theology testifies, often implicitly, to the enduring relevance of many of Schillebeeckx's insights, while in other instances it pushes his thinking to its limits in order to deal with the current challenges for faith and society.

"Two distinguished Catholic theologians reflect on how their views about Mary have changed since the 1960s and illustrate this by discussing some of their earlier publications. After looking back on Vatican II, Fr. Schillebeeckx brings out the increasing importance of the Biblical record for his thinking. Catharina Halkes explains why, despite her allegiance to the feminist movement and her dissatisfaction with many of the emphases associated with Mary, she is still unwilling to abandon this figure from her Catholic youth and how in some ways she has grown closer to her again. With an extended introduction and bibliography, this book has been written for Catholics and non-Catholics alike and will prove most helpful to anyone concerned with the role of Mary in the Christian Church of today and tomorrow."--[Back cover.