The Awe Inspiring Rites Of Initiation Baptismal Homilies Of The Fourth Century

A comprehensive survey of the doctrine and practice of baptism in the first five centuries of Christian history, arranged geographically within chronological periods.

This new edition of Father Yarnold's 1972 authoritative work has been recast so that it corresponds throughout with the Rite of Christian Initiation as it now exists. Anyone with a serious pastoral or scholarly interest in the rite will benefit from this definitive, readable blend of history, theology, patristics, and liturgy. Each period and step of the RCIA is explained and compared to the fourth-century rite after which the modern one was modeled. In addition to more subtle improvements, this second edition gives a clearer and more accurate account of the three anointings, and a better explanation of the scrutinies. The sermons of Cyril, Ambrose, Chrysostom, and Theodore, which form the basis of our understanding of the rite as originally celebrated, are conveniently gathered in this one volume in an accurate and readable English translation, with introductions and notes.

Taken together, these two volumes collect seventy-five essays written by Professor Andrew Louth over a forty-year period. Louth's contribution to scholarship and theology has always been significant, and these essays have been collected from journals and edited collections, many of which are difficult to access, and are here made available over two thought-provoking and wide-ranging volumes. Volume II collects essays on a variety of theological topics, arranged chronologically, showing the development of Louth's thought since 1978. Throughout this collection the nature of 'theology', as it is understood within Orthodox tradition, is a constant concern. These essays offer distinctive reflections on categories -- such as 'development of doctrine' -- that have become foundational in modern western thought but which must be viewed rather differently from an Orthodox perspective. The legacy of modern Russian Orthodox thought -- especially the key figures of the twentieth century Russian diaspora -- is under constant consideration, and forms a constant dialogue partner.

The early centuries of the Christian era were marked by a variety of theological ideas in differing stages of development. Numerous theologians emerged with proposals about what the Christian church should believe and how theological ideas related to each other. Some of these theologians gained more prominent status and their ideas became sources on which others built. Patristic theology is thus a formative period, a yeasty time in which theological doctrines took on many stages of complexity. This outstanding handbook by a leading specialist in Patristic Theology provides students and scholars with easy access to key terms, figures, socio-cultural developments, and controversies of this period, extending to the ninth-century. McGuckin's introductory essay outlines the main intellectual issues in the early church. His concluding Bibliographic Guide Essay and General Bibliography also features a Website Resources Guide to assist readers with additional ways to study this period. The entries are written to help those with no previous theological knowledge understand the major dimensions of each topic. The result is an eminently useful, reliable, and unique resource.

The Forum Essays series is a cooperative effort of The North American Forum on the Catechumenate and Liturgy Training Publications. The purpose of the series is to provide a forum for exploring issues emerging from the implementation of the order of Christian initiation. They are a great resource for anyone involved in initiation ministry, and especially for pastors and RCIA directors.

The cross pervaded the whole of Anglo-Saxon culture, in art, in sculpture, in religion, in medicine. These new essays explore its importance and significance.

For well over a millennium the civilization of Western Europe was 'Christendom,' with Christianity the dominant religion, buttressed by social and legal structures. This volume studies Christendom at its origins, bringing the insights of leading scholars in the fields of ancient history, theology, patristics, and liturgy to bear on aspects of Europe's Christianization. From a missiological perspective, the contributors ask what is Christianity's impact upon culture, what is culture's impact upon Christianity? Focusing on the first four centuries, but also looking forward to the future of Christianity in the West, this book combines scholarly excellence with accessibility. It will be valued by scholars and students alike.