After showing that sacramental realism exists in neither Ignatius nor in John 6:51b-58, Frederick G. Klawiter argues that Ignatius’ eucharist contained a sacrificial wine libation (poured into a dish on the altar), symbolizing the pouring out of Jesus’ blood in his sacrificial death. Then, by drinking from the libation cup in the eucharist/agape meal, Christians sought unity of agape with one another and the crucified, risen Jesus—while anticipating the possibility of martyrdom.
Eucharistic Origins was published a number of years ago. This revised edition continues to incorporate the work of the latest liturgical scholars in establishing that the earliest Christian celebrations arose out of varied forms of their ritual meals, and not out of the Last Supper. The custom of centering Christian practice in ritual meals seems to have lasted for about one hundred and fifty years before it began to be replaced by morning meetings at which the sacrament was distributed, and subsequently by a complete celebration of the Eucharist. It is here, in the third and fourth centuries, and not in the distant Jewish past, that the forms of the classical eucharistic prayers emerged and developed. The most important of these are presented in full, and their theology discussed.
Recent years have seen renewed interest in divine action, but much of the literature tends to focus on the science-theology discussion. Resulting from multi-year work of the Scripture and Doctrine Seminar, part of KLC's Scripture Collective, this book attends to the portrayal of divine action in one major biblical text, namely Hebrews. In the New Testament, Hebrews is on par with Romans in terms of importance but has too often been overlooked. Contributors to this volume explore the many different ways in which divine action is foregrounded and portrayed in Hebrews. As its name indicates, Hebrews overflows with Old Testament intertextuality, which also makes it a fertile ground for analysis of divine action stretching back into the Old Testament and opening out into different parts of the NT. The essays in this volume: rigorously work the interface of theology and exegesis, all related to Hebrews; offer an overview of the current state of discussion of divine action and the importance of exploring divine action in specific biblical texts, with special reference to William Abraham's recent 4 volume work with OUP; provide an overview of the reception history of Hebrews in theologies of divine action; explore how this has this played out in historical theology and what a retrieval of Hebrews for a theology of divine action might mean today; explore the relationship between the doctrine of God and divine action in Hebrews, including an engagement with classical theism; provocatively explore divine action in the OT, creation, and eschatology in Hebrews; explore the major theme in Hebrews of divine action through the ongoing priesthood of Jesus as portrayed in Hebrews; relate this all to preaching Hebrews today and to spiritual formation. The book's conclusion reflects on the primary action of God speaking in Hebrews.
Further Issues in Eucharistic Praying in East and West is a collection of essays concerned with the origins, development, and theologies of early Eucharistic praying. For students and teachers of liturgy, as well as all who seek solid, up-to-date scholarship on Eucharistic liturgy and theology, this volume provides current research on a variety of Eucharistic prayers in the churches of East and West. Essays and authors include: • Balancing Eucharistic Origins in the Work of Gordon Lathrop and Thomas O’Loughlin – Megan Effron • Shaping the Classical Anaphoras of the Fourth through Sixth Centuries – Nathan P. Chase • The Heis Theos Acclamations in the Barcelona Papyrus: A Eucharistic Liturgy without the Opening Line of the Christian Anaphoral Dialogue – Arsany Paul • Chiasmus in the Anaphoras of Addai and Mari and Sharar – Paul Elhallal • The Egyptian Origins of the Anaphora in Mystagogical Catechesis V ascribed to Cyril of Jerusalem - Maxwell E. Johnson • The Theology of Sacrifice in the Anaphora of Byzantine Basil – Lucas Christensen • Authority and Confluence of Traditions in Aksum: The Heritage of the Anaphora of the Apostolic Tradition in the Ethiopian Anaphora of the Apostles – Andrij Hlabse • Vernacular Translation of the Roman Canon – Julia Canonico • Igbo Translations of the Roman Canon: Inculturation or the Battle for the Soul of Latin? – Joachim Ozonze • Recent Thoughts on the Roman Anaphora: Sacrifice in the Canon Missae – Maxwell E. Johnson
What was the impact of liturgy on the development of orthodox doctrine in the early Christian church? With renowned liturgical historian Maxwell E. Johnson as a guide, readers of Praying and Believing in Early Christianity will discover the important and sometimes surprising ways that worship helped to shape what was believed, taught, and confessed. In particular, Johnson considers this relationship in terms of soteriology: What is the role of grace in the process of salvation? Trinity: How did early devotion to Christ and the church's baptismal and eucharistic liturgies help shape the developing doctrine of the Trinity? Christ and Mary: What does the devotional and liturgical term theotokos say about them both? ethics: How does the liturgy contribute not only to doctrine but also to convictions about morality? Johnson also explores the ways this relationship worked in the opposite direction: How did doctrinal developments shape liturgical texts in the patristic period? This is an excellent text for beginning students in liturgical studies at the master's level.
Based on the epic NBC television event, A.D. The Bible Continues: Ministers and Martyrs offers an unflinching look at the lives and sacrifices of those first Christians who were given the task of spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth. Relying on the ancient documents, as well as latest archaeological findings and scientific research, acclaimed author Mike Aquilina takes you on a journey through the Apostolic Age, bringing to life the ancient streets and crowded marketplaces through which Mary and the Apostles journeyed as they built a Church that lasts even to our day. You'll also discover the beliefs of the early Christians, what they taught about the Eucharist and the Divinity of Christ, how their Church services resembles today's Mass, and how Rome became the spiritual center for Christianity. Read these pages, and you'll come to see that despite the best efforts of their enemies, the blood of the Apostles did not snuff out the Faith but brought forth great saints whose holy deeds and brave examples gave the besieged Church a vigor that lasts even to today. A.D. The Bible Continues: Ministers and Martyrs will give you confidence that the Church is indeed Christ acting in the world, and that no matter how ruthless her opponents, she will endure to the end of time. "I pray that readers of this book will experience the blessings of the apostolic tradition on every page." -Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington "When you watch A.D. The Bible Continues you will want to have Sophia Institute Press's two resources at your side. They are beautifully produced and packed with important information, helping to bring to life the Acts of the Apostles in a new and fresh way." -Father Jonathan Morris New York Times Bestselling Author, The Way of Serenity
Every discipline, including theology, requires a synthetic overview of its acquisitions and open questions, a kind of "topography" to guide the new student and refresh the gaze of specialists. In his Synthèse dogmatique, Fr. Jean-Hervé Nicolas, OP (1910-2001) presents just such a map of Thomistic theology, focusing on the central topics of Dogmatic Theology: The One and Triune God, Christology, Mariology, Ecclesiology, the Sacraments, and the Last Things. Drawing on decades of research and teaching, Fr. Nicolas synthetically presents these topics from a faithfully Thomistic perspective. While broadly and genially engaging the theological literature of the 20th century, he nonetheless remains deeply indebted to the Thomistic school that would have formed him in his youth as a theologian. This provides the reader with an unparalleled theological vision, masterfully bringing forth, at once, what is new and what is classical. Catholic Theology: A Dogmatic Synthesis is being published in English as a multi-volume work. In this volume, Fr. Nicolas takes up the raison d'être for the mission of the Holy Spirit: the work of sanctification in and through the Church, the mystical body of Christ and sacrament of salvation. In the ecclesiology articulated in this volume, he presents a theology of the Church that is at once wholly Thomistic and also faithful to the great themes of the Second Vatican Council, drawing especially from the works of Journet, Congar, and Bouyer, in critical dialogue with other theologians of his day. He then presents a complete and detailed sacramental theology, both concerning the nature of the sacraments in general, as well as concerning each sacrament in particular, carefully striving to balance positive and scholastic theology. Serving as a professor for decades, including at the University of Fribourg, Fr. Nicolas was at once a profound scholar and a masterful pedagogue. Gathering the work of a lifetime into a single pedagogical narrative, Fr. Nicolas's Catholic Theology: A Dogmatic Synthesis provides a resource for students and scholars alike. In view of the hyper-specialization of theology today, this series of volumes provides readers with a synthetic and sapiential overview of the fundamentals of dogmatic theology from a robust and profound Thomistic perspective.
In Sacrifice in Modernity: Community, Ritual, Identity it is demonstrated how sacrificial themes remain an essential element in our post-modern society.
What role do the church fathers play in the life of a modern Christian? How do they define the experience of holiness? And how can they help us appreciate our current culture while maintaining our traditional values? Wondrous in His Saints posits answers to these and other crucial questions while drawing upon the Eastern Orthodox patristic tradition from Late Antiquity to the early modern era. Its chapters vary in scope, theme, and content, focusing especially on the church fathers’ insights into intimate aspects of the spiritual life (including prayer, repentance, and love), as well as their engagement with the artistic and scientific achievements of their wider contexts. Exploring the lives and writings of numerous titans of Orthodoxy (including St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Maximus the Confessor, and St. Gregory Palamas), as well as lesser-known figures (such as St. Guthlac of Crowland and the Chinese Martyrs of the Boxer Rebellion), the author brings to the fore its egalitarian nature; the fact that deification has never been restricted to any time, place, social class, or clerical rank according to the church fathers, but always attainable for men and women seeking communion with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
