Books in the Pro Ecclesia series

An increase in secularization throughout the Western world has resulted in Christian communities finding themselves in a new context: emerging as a minority group. What does this changing landscape mean for existing Christian communities? Are there biblical or historical precedents for this situation? What should we expect in the future? These were the issues taken up by the speakers at the 2016 conference, ""The Emerging Christian Minority,"" sponsored by the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.""The Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology has once again gathered a splendid spectrum of voices (Jewish and Christian, Orthodox and Catholic and Protestant) to address a timely topic for all: How are Christians to live hopefully as a Christian minority? . . . . An excellent resource for pastors, congregations, and theologians alike to discuss the foreseeable future of Christ''s people.""--James Buckley, Loyola College of Arts and Sciences, Loyola University Maryland""Some tend to view our culture''s increasing secularization as a threat to religious life in the United States. In contrast, the essays in The Emerging Christian Minority embrace this secularization as a potentially liberating moment rich with possibility for increased vitality of religious communities. . . . This volume will enrich all, from academic theologians to pastors, priests, and rabbis. It may also point us beyond our limp ''interfaith dialogue'' towards truly vital interfaith work.""--Kathryn Greene-McCreight, author of Darkness is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental IllnessVICTOR LEE AUSTIN, the Program Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, is Theologian-in-residence of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and Church of the Incarnation, Dallas.JOEL C. DANIELS is an Episcopal priest at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City and postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Mind and Culture.

In 1517, Martin Luther set off what has been called, at least since the nineteenth century, the Protestant Reformation. Can Christians of differing traditions commemorate the upcoming 500th anniversary of this event together? How do we understand and assess the Reformation today? What calls for celebration? What calls for repentance? Can the Reformation anniversary be an occasion for greater mutual understanding among Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants? At the 2015 Pro Ecclesia annual conference for clergy and laity, meeting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, an array of scholars--Catholic and Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran and American Evangelical as well as Methodist--addressed this topic. The aim of this book is not only to collect these diverse Catholic and Evangelical perspectives but also to provide resources for all Christians, including pastors and scholars, to think and argue about the roads we have taken since 1517--as we also learn to pray with Jesus Christ ""that all may be one"" (John 17:21).Contributors names for back cover:Stanley HauerwasBishop Charles MorerodSarah Hinlicky WilsonThomas FitzgeraldMichael RootJames J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University, Maryland. He is a member of the North American Lutheran Catholic dialogue. He and Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt recently published Catholic Theology: An Introduction. Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.

Jesus' best-known mandate--after perhaps the mandate to love God and neighbor--was given at the Last Supper just before his death: "Do this in memory of me." Indeed, a case can be made that to "do this" is the source and summit of the way Christians carry out Jesus' love-mandate. Of course, Christians have debated what it means to "do this," and these debates have all too often led to divisions within and between them--debates over leavened and unleavened bread, reception of the cup, real presence and sacrifice, "open" or "closed" communion, this Supper and the hunger of the world. These divisions seem to fly in the face of Jesus' mandate, causing some to wonder whether this is "really" the Lord's Supper we celebrate (compare 1 Corinthians 11). Everything turns on just what it means to "do this." The purpose of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology's 2012 conference was to address at least some of the many aspects of this question--to address them together, as Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox pastors and theologians, and all participants in the Supper.

No question is more central to Christian living, preaching, and theology than Jesus'' question to his disciples: Who do you say that I am? Some would have it that pastors and theologians, biblical exegetes and historians, dogmatic and moral theologians, Catholic and Evangelical have more differences than similarities in the way Christians with such diverse vocations respond to Jesus'' question. And there is little doubt that there sometimes seem to be unbridgeable gulfs between the way historians and believers, Internet gossipers and preachers, classical christological debates and present-day praying and pastoral care implicitly or explicitly address the Lord''s question. But the authors here address these and other issues in ways that are remarkably convergent, as if a "Catholic and Evangelical theology" for proclaiming and following Jesus today has emerged, or is indeed emerging."This book circles around Jesus''s perennial question: ''who do you say that I am?'' It is a question we can never be done with, because it confronts us ever anew, continually calling us to account. Here is a book with an all-star lineup of Christian scholars, led by Carl Braaten, that will edify all those who know they are summoned to answer faithfully, not only with their lips but also with their lives."--George Hunsinger, Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological Seminary"''Who do you say that I am?'' If we believe the one who spoke these words is dead, we can bury him and be done with it. If we confess him to be alive, it makes our own lives more complicated--but also interesting. Happily, the contributors to this volume are willing to reckon with such complication. They offer theologically creative, unsentimental reflections on who Jesus Christ is and what he asks of us."--Joseph Mangina, Professor of Theology, Wycliffe CollegeMichael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He is a member of the North American Lutheran Catholic dialogue and an associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He contributed to and edited The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2008).

About the Contributor(s):Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has recently contributed to and edited (with Frederick Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun) The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2007). He is associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.

What is our destiny? The final end of humanity and the universe is a subject of perennial interest, especially for Christians. What are we promised? Will anyone finally be left out of God''s intentions to bless humanity? What sort of transformation will be needed to enter the presence of God? These questions have been at the heart of Christian teachings about last things.The 2013 Pro Ecclesia Conference of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology focused such issues on the theme ""Heaven, Hell . . . and Purgatory?"" The six essays in this volume cover a range of topics of interest to Catholic, Evangelical, and Orthodox theology.""''What will happen to me when I die?'' Stated thus baldly, the question sounds naive; but a theologian who has nothing to say to it is no theologian. Happily, the contributors to this volume are able to address it well in light of Scripture, reason, and church teaching. A wonderful, ecumenically informed resource for pastors, catechists, and just about anyone concerned with the topic of human destiny.""--Joseph L. Mangina, Professor of Theology, Wycliffe CollegeMichael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has contributed to and edited (with Frederick Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun) The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2007). He is associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.

""We are not contending against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness"" (Eph 6:12). So Paul warns his Ephesian readers. And yet Paul also says that these principalities and powers were created in and for Christ (Col 1:16) and cannot separate us from the love of God (Rom 8:38). What are the principalities and powers of our time? How do we understand them as created, fallen, and disarmed? How does the Christian today engage these powers? These are the questions speakers and participants addressed at the 2014 Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.""In this volume the question of ''Powers and Principalities'' is examined from many standpoints, most notably exegetical, historical, cultural, and political. The essays are rich and stimulating. The idea of dark spiritual powers at work behind the scenes of everyday life, and especially political life, continues to bear fruit for Christian theological reflection.""--George Hunsinger, McCord Professor of Systematic Theology, Princeton Theological SeminaryMichael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University, Maryland and Associate Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He contributed to and edited The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (Wiley Blackwell, 2008).

At the same time as Catholic and evangelical Christians have increasingly come to agree on issues that divided them during the sixteenth-century reformations, they seem increasingly to disagree on issues of contemporary ""morality"" and ""ethics."" Do such arguments doom the prospects for realistic full communion between Catholics and evangelicals? Or are such disagreements a new opportunity for Catholics and evangelicals to convert together to the triune God''s word and work on the communion of saints for the world? Or should our hope be different than simple pessimism or optimism? In this volume, eight authors address different aspects of these questions, hoping to move Christians a small step further toward the visible unity of the church.""Christians are often divided by the justification of homosexuality or some other controversial moral issue rather than the doctrine of justification. This excellent collection of essays helps us think through the ways in which moral differences have reshaped the ecumenical task.""--R. R. Reno, Creighton University""This book identifies the chief cause of internal strife and division afflicting most mainline Protestant denominations. Separating faith from works is an old heresy that always breeds schism. The authors are leading theologians of their respective traditions who write from a wealth of experience in church service and with profound knowledge of classical Christianity. Anyone engaged in ecumenical dialogues and the quest for Christian unity needs to read and heed the message of this book.""--Carl E. Braaten, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago ""It is a historical fact that moral disagreement has divided the church. This is not possible unless certain kinds of moral disagreements are, in fact, doctrinal disagreements . . . and other kinds of moral disagreements are, in fact, tolerable divergences owing to context and judgment. The offerings in this excellent collection go a long way toward recognizing this difference and sorting it out for us today.""--Paul R. Hinlicky, Roanoke College James J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has contributed to and edited (with Frederick Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun) The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2007). He is associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.

In 1517, Martin Luther set off what has been called, at least since the nineteenth century, the Protestant Reformation. Can Christians of differing traditions commemorate the upcoming 500th anniversary of this event together? How do we understand and assess the Reformation today? What calls for celebration? What calls for repentance? Can the Reformation anniversary be an occasion for greater mutual understanding among Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants? At the 2015 Pro Ecclesia annual conference for clergy and laity, meeting at the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, an array of scholars--Catholic and Orthodox, Evangelical Lutheran and American Evangelical as well as Methodist--addressed this topic. The aim of this book is not only to collect these diverse Catholic and Evangelical perspectives but also to provide resources for all Christians, including pastors and scholars, to think and argue about the roads we have taken since 1517--as we also learn to pray with Jesus Christ ""that all may be one"" (John 17:21).Contributors names for back cover:Stanley HauerwasBishop Charles MorerodSarah Hinlicky WilsonThomas FitzgeraldMichael RootJames J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University, Maryland. He is a member of the North American Lutheran Catholic dialogue. He and Frederick Christian Bauerschmidt recently published Catholic Theology: An Introduction. Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.

Jesus'' best-known mandate--after perhaps the mandate to love God and neighbor--was given at the Last Supper just before his death: ""Do this in memory of me."" Indeed, a case can be made that to ""do this"" is the source and summit of the way Christians carry out Jesus'' love-mandate. Of course, Christians have debated what it means to ""do this,"" and these debates have all too often led to divisions within and between them--debates over leavened and unleavened bread, reception of the cup, real presence and sacrifice, ""open"" or ""closed"" communion, this Supper and the hunger of the world. These divisions seem to fly in the face of Jesus'' mandate, causing some to wonder whether this is ""really"" the Lord''s Supper we celebrate (compare 1 Corinthians 11). Everything turns on just what it means to ""do this."" The purpose of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology''s 2012 conference was to address at least some of the many aspects of this question--to address them together, as Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox pastors and theologians, and all participants in the Supper.""It is a sad irony that the Eucharist, the great sacrament of Christian unity, has become a prime source of division. Happily, the contributors to What Does It Mean to ""Do This""? refuse to accept division as our fate. The essays are uniformly excellent, both scholarly and readable. This book is an exceptional resource for use in both classroom and congregational settings.""--Joseph L. Mangina, Wycliffe College, University of TorontoJames J. Buckley is Professor of Theology at Loyola University Maryland. He has contributed to and edited (with Frederick Bauerschmidt and Trent Pomplun) The Blackwell Companion to Catholicism (2007). He is associate director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.Michael Root is Professor of Systematic Theology at The Catholic University of America and Executive Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology. He was formerly the Director of the Institute for Ecumenical Research, Strasbourg, France.

An increase in secularization throughout the Western world has resulted in Christian communities finding themselves in a new context: emerging as a minority group. What does this changing landscape mean for existing Christian communities? Are there biblical or historical precedents for this situation? What should we expect in the future? These were the issues taken up by the speakers at the 2016 conference, ""The Emerging Christian Minority,"" sponsored by the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology.""The Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology has once again gathered a splendid spectrum of voices (Jewish and Christian, Orthodox and Catholic and Protestant) to address a timely topic for all: How are Christians to live hopefully as a Christian minority? . . . . An excellent resource for pastors, congregations, and theologians alike to discuss the foreseeable future of Christ''s people.""--James Buckley, Loyola College of Arts and Sciences, Loyola University Maryland""Some tend to view our culture''s increasing secularization as a threat to religious life in the United States. In contrast, the essays in The Emerging Christian Minority embrace this secularization as a potentially liberating moment rich with possibility for increased vitality of religious communities. . . . This volume will enrich all, from academic theologians to pastors, priests, and rabbis. It may also point us beyond our limp ''interfaith dialogue'' towards truly vital interfaith work.""--Kathryn Greene-McCreight, author of Darkness is My Only Companion: A Christian Response to Mental IllnessVICTOR LEE AUSTIN, the Program Director of the Center for Catholic and Evangelical Theology, is Theologian-in-residence of the Episcopal Diocese of Dallas and Church of the Incarnation, Dallas.JOEL C. DANIELS is an Episcopal priest at Saint Thomas Church Fifth Avenue in New York City and postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Mind and Culture.