By What Authority?: A Primer on Scripture, the Magisterium, and the Sense of the Faithful

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 168 pages
• Published by: Liturgical Press August 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0814628729
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0814628720
• Book Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Weighs: 10.1 ounces

Reader Reviews
This is a fabulous book that presents challenging topics in easily digestible chapters. Each chapter concludes with a list of ideas realted to the chapters that are currently being debated, with perspetives from both sides of the debate, and a list of further reading sources. Thank you Richard Gaillardetz for fleshing out principles and entities, which to me always seemed nebulous. It is easier to respect and feel that I belong to a community of the faithful, when I possess a better definition of the the government of the faithful and my obligations as a member of such a community. Gaillardetz traces the history of authority as it has been articulated by the Chruch. He looks at the orgin of Scripture as a source, and the bodies that have always claimed to protect Scripture. He presents a concrete skeleton of the magisterium, and differentiates between the many different sources of teachings presented form the Church's offices, and which are more binding than others, and in what terms. I thought the chapter on the role of an individual's conscience in accepting the churchs' ruling on issues which were not given as infallible teachings was most valuable. Gaillardetz outlines the importance of distinguishing the reasons for disagreement and how to discern whether they are motivated from issues with authority in general, weeknesses on the behalf of the individual, or a pure difference in moral interpretation. In concordance with the Catholic Catechism he advises that we are ultimately the ones who suffer the most of we commit immoral acts, and we must follow our conscience when it is speaking to us on morality. This is solid Catholic teaching, contrary to what a reviewer noted below, and something that more should be written about, to countreact the tendency for those who follow their conscience as being derisively called "cafeteria Catholics." Rather than present theology as a static monolithic institution, Gaillardetz presents it as a dialogue between the entire living church; not just the exclusive domain of the hierarchical clergy. His perspective is refreshing, and uplifting. Hopefully many more works by him will follow.