Includes index. Includes bibliographical references and index.
Contents:
Reading history forward -- The coming and going of Latin. Inclusion ; Exclusion ; God's Word under guard ; Pentecosts -- The coming and going of monarchy. Church without state : martyrs and passivity ; Church with state : ascetics and resistance ; Church with state : who owns Constantine? ; Church with state : who owns Peter? ; Church as state : who owns the sword? ; Churches and states : who owns the Pope? ; Churches and states : a pluralist world -- The coming and going of anti-Semitism. Paul, "a Jew of Jews" ; After the Temple ; After the Holocaust ; The return to Paul -- the coming and going of :"natural law." The Pope as sex monitor ; Male god ; "Right to life" -- The coming and going of confession. The duty to forgive -- The future : a Church of surprises.
Summary:
Garry Wills, the prizewinning historian, argues that changes have been the evidence of life in the Catholic Church. It has often changed, sometimes with bad consequences, more often with good, good enough to make it perdure. In this brilliant and incisive study, he gives seven examples of deep and serious changes that have taken place (or are taking place) within the last century. None of them was effected by the pope all by himself. As Wills contends, it is only by examining the history of the Church that we can understand Pope Francis's and the Church's challenges, and, as history shows, any changes that meet those challenges will have impact only if the Church, the people of God, support them. In reading the Church's history, Wills considers the lessons Pope Francis seems to have learned. The challenge that Pope Francis offers the Church is its ability to undertake new spiritual adventures, making it a poor church for the poor, after the example of Jesus.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.