2002 Catholic Press Association Award Winner
Although it did not come from Christ in the form it has today,
it is clear from Scripture that reconciliation was central to the
ministry of Christ. In "The Sacrament of Reconciliation" David
Coffey examines the theology of reconciliation and addresses the
crisis that the sacrament faces in the present pastoral situation
of the Church.
Father Coffey calls on Scripture and tradition, to the
magisterium, and to theology in his analysis. However, he also
moves beyond these to look at the practice of the Church and to the
liturgy as it is regulated, celebrated, and experienced. In doing
so, he presents a theology of the sacrament of reconciliation that
is truly based on, and inspired by, the liturgy. This theology is
molded by two contextual factors: the crisis that the sacrament is
currently undergoing in the developed nations of the West and the
restrictions imposed by Rome on the third rite," the most communal
of the three forms of the sacrament.
Since the sacrament of reconciliation exists for the forgiveness
of postbaptismal sin, chapter one is devoted to a theology of sin.
Here, Father Coffey identifies what the main theological cause is
at the heart of the present crisis, namely, a serious and
widespread confusion about the nature of sin. Chapter two focuses
on the Church's ministry of reconciliation. This chapter provides
both essential knowledge and a response to the widely held view
that one does not need to turn to the Church in order to obtain
forgiveness from God for sin. Chapter three examines the four parts
of the sacrament: contrition, confession, absolution, and the
prescribed work of penance. The investigation in this chapter
suggests theological limits to possible future reforms of the
sacrament. In chapter four Father Coffey offers a detailed
examination of the three sacramental rites and the no sacramental
service set down by "The Rite of Penance." Finally, in chapter
five, Father Coffey offers some predictions about the future of the
sacrament, based on his study.
Chapters are *A Theology of Sin, - *The Church's Ministry of
Reconciliation, - *The Parts of the Sacrament of Reconciliation, -
*The Rites of Reconciliation, - and *Prognostications. -
David M. Coffey is a priest of the Archdiocese of Sydney,
Australia. He holds the William J. Kelly, S.J., Chair of Catholic
Theology at Marquette University. He has published numerous
articles in theological journals and several books."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!