num_pages: 544
description: As the Church enters its third millennium it must take stock of its identity and mission. These essays in The Gift of the Church address the fundamental issues confronting the Church in its immediate future. Their authors represent the most prominent ecclesiologists of our time. Written in honor of Patrick Granfield OSB these essays form a textbook for classes in ecclesiology. They also are a useful tool for those engaged in various ministries in the Church to update themselves on the theology of different aspects of the Church. The first section of essays discusses ecclesiology in its historical development as well as its methodology; the second examines various aspects of the Church; and the third part presents the life and work of Patrick Granfield. The essays are clearly written and based on solid and extensive scholarship. Ecclesiology has been the central theme of theological reflections since Vatican II and may continue to be in the next millennium. This textbook fulfills in part Pope John Paul II's Vision for the Jubilee Year when Christians with a profound sense of commitment . . . will likewise express their gratitude for the gift of the Church. Essays and authors in Part Ecclesiology in Historical Context are Theologies of the Church in the New Testament by Frank J. Matera; The Development of Early Church to the Reformation by Eric Plumer; The Development of Modernity to the Twentieth Century by Michael J. Himes; The Significance of Vatican Council II for Ecclesiology by Joseph A. Komonchak; The Ecclesiology of John Paul II by Avery Dulles; Ecumenical Ecclesiology by Michael A. Fahey; and Theological Method for Ecclesiology by Pedro Rodriquez. Essays and authors in Part Contemporary Ecclesiology are The Church as Communion by Susan K. Wood; The Church as Worshiping Community by Gerard Austin; The Ecclesial Dimension of Anthropology by Michael J. Scanlon; The Ecclesial Dimension of Spirituality by George Tavard;The Evangelizing Mission of the Church by Francis A.Sullivan; Salvation Outside the Church by John P. Galvin; The Social Mission of the Its Changing Context by T. Howland Sanks; Ministries in the Church by John Ford; The Papacy by Richard P. McBrien; The Episcopacy by Hermann J. Pottmeyer; The Teaching Office of the Church by John P. Boyle; The Church and the Law by Thomas J. Green; The Laity by Jon Nilson; Women and the Church by Sara Butler; and Mary and the Church by Frederick M. Jelly. Essays and authors in Part A North American The Theological Achievement of Patrick Granfield are Patrick A Biographical Essay by David Granfield; A North American The Achievement of Patrick Granfield by Peter C. Phan; and Bibliography of Patrick Granfield compiled by David Granfield. The book also includes an introduction by Peter Phan and a list of abbreviations. Peter C. Phan PhD STD DD is the Warren-Blanding Professor of Religion and Culture in the department of religion and religious education at The Catholic University of America. He is the author and editor of several books and over a hundred essays on various aspects of Christian theology. 
language: English
title: The Gift of the Church: A Textbook on Ecclesiology
publisher: Liturgical Press