The Catholic Church In The Twenty First Century

A seminal moment in the study of U.S. Catholic parish life came in the 1980s with the publication of a series of reports from the ground-breaking Notre Dame Study of Catholic Parish Life. These reports are now badly outdated, as Catholic dioceses grapple with new challenges that didn't exist in the 80s. Topics that were not considered then, like greater Catholic mobility, increased cultural diversity, and structural re-organization as well as the rise of lay leadership, have attained new significance. This timely book, based on more than a decade of research, provides an in-depth portrait and analysis of the current state of parish life and leadership. Unique in the scope of the research and the timeliness of its findings, the book critically examines the current state of parish life. The authors draw on data from national polls of Catholics, national surveys of parishes, and thousands of in-pew surveys which explore parishioners' needs, experiences, and satisfaction with parish life in the twenty-first century. The book provides a unique 360-degree view of parish life from the perspective of pastors, parish staff, parishioners, as well as the larger Catholic population.

Taken from writings and notes by Bishop Lucker for a book he was unable to complete before he passed away, it explains that there have always been three basic levels of Church teach. Together with fourteen other theologians, Dr. McDonough follows Bishop Lucker?s lead and focuses on some of these authoritative but non-irreformable teachings: biblical translations in the life of the Church; the relationship between the local and the universal Church; the Church and science; the sacraments and inculturation; the Church?s development of ?a culture of life;? a growing understanding of marriage; war and peace; and more. These issues, emblematic of others, indicate the power of divine revelation to change the Church.chings.

Our contemporary culture is communicating ever-increasingly through the visual, through film, and through music. This makes it ever more urgent for theologians to explore the resources of art for enriching our understanding and experience of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Annunciations: Sacred Music for the twenty-First Century, edited by George Corbett, answers this need, evaluating the relationship between the sacred and the composition, performance, and appreciation of music. Through the theme of ‘annunciations’, this volume interrogates how, when, why, through and to whom God communicates in the Old and New Testaments. In doing so, it tackles the intimate relationship between Scriptural reflection and musical practice in the past, its present condition, and what the future might hold. Annunciations comprises three parts. Part I sets out flexible theological and compositional frameworks for a constructive relationship between the sacred and music. Part II presents the reflections of theologians and composers involved in collaborating on new pieces of sacred choral music, alongside the six new scores and links to the recordings. Part III considers the reality of programming and performing sacred works today. This volume provides an indispensable resource for scholars and artists working at the interface between theology and the arts, and for those involved in sacred music. However, it will also be of interest to anyone concerned with the ways in which the Divine communicates through word and artistry to humanity.

Vatican II was the first council in the story of Catholic Christianity to deserve being labeled intercontinental and intercultural. What has been its impact? How should one describe and evaluate its reception by Catholics and its wider follow-up among others? How should this twenty-first council be heard, received, and lived as we move further ahead into the twenty-first century? What perspectives does it offer for the future to those who seek to assimilate it creatively? As a leading theologian, the author uses a highly personal approach in answering these and many other questions, which makes for a compulsively readable book that illuminates the workings of the Church. Living Vatican II explores the liturgical renewal after Vatican II, the reception of the Council's moral teaching, the impact of Vatican II on theology, and the work of some key institutions in Rome and elsewhere toward implementing the teaching and decisions of this council. Finally, the book offers insightful suggestions about the future of the Church. Book jacket.

With 95 percent of Catholic school students abandoning the regular practice of their faith before completing their educations, there is an urgent need for reform in regard to how the Faith is taught. While the Church maintains there is a God, the materialistic world says that both God and religion are false. In time science may indeed prove both to be false if steps are not taken to provide evidence that God exists. Author Frank Baker believes that Faith teachings should be made to conform to the same standards as academic teachings, meaning that what's being taught should be backed up with actual evidence. Bringing the Catholic Church Into the Twenty-First Century seeks to present irrefutable evidence that, among other things, there is a God and the soul does indeed survive after death. The book also explores the creation story as told by Genesis and contrasts it with the teachings of modern science. If those responsible for teaching the Faith were to read this book and put its principals into practice, the Catholic Church would stand a better chance of adapting to the rigors of an increasingly scrutinous world, and finding a means to thrive in the twenty-first century. Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, author Frank Baker now lives in Bundaberg in Queensland. After 34 years working for the Gas & Fuel Corporation, Frank is now retired and spends his time writing, playing croquet, ballroom dancing, and playing cards. He is also currently the treasurer of the Moore Park Beach Arts Festival. This is his first book. Publisher's website: http: //sbpra.com/FrankBaker

"On May 31, 2003, over five hundred people--bishops, an abbot, monks, priests, lay women and men, religious men and women, and parish ministers--gathered to hear an extraordinary panel of theologians explore the history of the Church. This spirit-filled exchange focused on the Church during specific time periods in order to discover what the Church in the twenty-first century can learn from the Church of the past. ..... [from back cover]

This book provides an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of Eastern Christian churches in Europe, the Middle East, America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Written by leading international scholars in the field, it examines both Orthodox and Oriental churches from the end of the Cold War up to the present day. The book offers a unique insight into the myriad church-state relations in Eastern Christianity and tackles contemporary concerns, opportunities and challenges, such as religious revival after the fall of communism; churches and democracy; relations between Orthodox, Catholic and Greek Catholic churches; religious education and monastic life; the size and structure of congregations; and the impact of migration, secularisation and globalisation on Eastern Christianity in the twenty-first century.

Provides a concise yet comprehensive guide to understanding the complexity and diversity of the American Catholic experience.