What are the sacraments, really?

For centuries, the religious lives of Catholics and other Christians have revolved around church rituals with generally accepted individual and social effects. What, precisely, are those effects, and how are they produced? Traditional theology used Greek philosophy to understand the sacraments and how they work. But is there no other way to understand them? In fact, there are a number of ways, and this book invites you to look at the sacraments through a variety of lenses: psychology, sociology, anthropology, history, theology, morality, and spirituality.

As the introduction to this volume challenges, If you read this book, and especially if you engage in the interactive study to which it invites you, your understanding of sacraments will be changed forever."

To help personalize your investigation, the author has created a web site with thought-provoking questions that encourage you to interact with the ideas being proposed in this volume. To engage these topics more deeply, see www.TheSacraments.org.

"Joseph Martos is author of "Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church," which for more than a quarter of a century has been the most widely read book on the subject. Recently retired from full-time teaching, he has been a visiting professor in universities and theology schools in Canada and Australia as well as around the United States.""

Many people believe that the Roman Catholic Church's teaching on marriage is clear and consistent: marriage is a sacrament, the marriage contract is indissoluble, divorce and remarriage are forbidden.
In this book, theologians, historians, and sociologists overhaul the church's teaching and practice on divorce and remarriage, as well as personal testimonies from a number of persons who have gone through the annulment process.
'A real joy...full of wisdom... will be most helpful to Catholic individuals and families who have suffered the trauma of marital breakdown... (they) will find comfort in this book' Sociology of Religion

Patriarchal ideals have long played a major role, even decisive role in the Christian church and in its understanding of its scriptures, community, ministry, and mission. This reality, and women's often creative response to it, for the subject of this collection.

Written by experts in church history, the articles take a close look at women's status in ancient, medieval, modern, and contemporary Christianity. Contributors explore such themes as women's role in early Christian communities, their role models in the Roman Empire, Elizabeth I's exploitation of women's cultural disadvantages, the relative autonomy of women in Catholic and Protestant churches, and their evolving roles in marriage and the ministry today.

This fascinating history of women's response to sexism in Christianity is an ideal text for courses in women's studies and church history. Lively, clear, and jargon-free, it will also appeal to anyone with a special interest in this wide-ranging subject.