Dynamic Catholicism

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 464 pages
• Published by: Image August 5, 1986
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 0385232438
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0385232432
• Book Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
• Weighs: 14.4 ounces

Reader Reviews
Author's theme: A concise but comprehensive compendium of Roman Catholicism, doctrine and tradition presented by an established ecclesiastical historian and doctrinal peritus who provided a well researched, thorough examination of the issues of integral Catholic thought and progressive belief in transition through the last century and its historic roots. The author Thomas Bokenkotter is a parish priest, and instructor at Xavier University, Cincinnati. Book overview: Fr. Bokenkotter advances his catechetical apology in five main parts starting with basic fundamentals of process theology; religion, theism, revelation, faith. Part II deals with christology; person and message, resurrection,& incarnation. part III defends the Churchand its authority, infallability, icons of mary & saints. Part IV discusses worship, sacraments, baptism, eucharist, penance, Marriage & divorce, priesthood. Concluding with part V on Christian daily life, morality, sin, sex, social justice, bioehics, and destiny. Historical dogmatic evolution: The knowledgeable and affluent author of the History of the Roman Catholic Church masterfully exposes the historical evolution of the Church's teachings of pre to post Vatican II Catholicism as seen in their theological-historical development. He tries to be impartial, having in his mind that he addresses those issues in an audience brought up in a mostly Protestant America. Bokenkotter summarizes scholastic thought of Ansalm and Aquinas, inviting some of the most influential contemporary thinkers to debate them including; Kung, Rahner, and Schillebeeckx. Meanwhile he could not ignore Calvin, Luther, and Barth since he has to defend the main issues that the reformers criticized. Reviewers Reactions: In theology you can be rational, but hardly impartial, and that is why the Amazon.com reviewers conceived the book controversially. "A lot of the material in the book describes not what the church is all about, but rather 'what some people think' the church is all about." Steven K. Szmutko "Dynamic Catholicism by Thomas Bokenkotter is a breath of fresh air. ... I want my faith to be like that of the thief that hung next to Christ and believed He was the Son of God. A faith based on the risen Christ that I can express with the Apostles or Nicene Creed and I don't have to be worried about all the other rules and regulations created by a group of people who's opinions change with time (albeit centuries). " Tom Blasi "While the core truths of the Catholic Church do not change, Dynamic Catholicism outlines one thinker's view on how the interpretation and emphasis of various teachings evolve with historical context. ... Even the most conservative of Catholics must accept that the human element in the Church is capable of error by act or omission, even blunder, when viewed through the lense of historical hind sight." "gbortnyk" "This book provided wonderful insight into the breadth and diversity of the Catholic Church. I understand and agree with the concept of strong central control of the Church. The core beliefs are what they are and it seems ridiculous that the congregation should "vote" on the catachism." "scutchen" "Dynamic Catholicism is an example of poor Church historical scholarship. It contains just enough facts mixed with great personal interpretation written in an engaging style to make it a highly misleading book. For the person who wants to understand what Catholics believe and how these beliefs were articulated through time--this is not the book to read." "tnotare" "I enjoy reading Bokenkotter, his writing style is quite enjoyable. Nonetheless, his content is predictable: quite liberal, too much so in fact. Dynamic Catholicism is deficient as a clear presentation of the Catholic Faith. There are also, I believe, seriously insulting remarks made about Catholics of previous generations." AKKTER3 Comment | | (Report this)