5.
PARISH
Thomas P
Sweetser SJ: A Parish for Tomorrow
Human Development, Vol 23, No 1, Spring 200, pp 25-29
(Jesuit Educational Center for Human Development, Chicago, USA)
Thomas P
Sweetser SJ is the founder and codirector of the Parish Evaluation Project
(Chicago). He teaches at Loyola University of Chicago, Illinois, and Saint
Thomas College in Saint Paul, Minnesota. He has published more than one
book on the theme of 'successful' parishes. In this article, (5 X A4
Pages) he touches on Priesthood and Eucharist, a New Focus for Parish,
Starting from the Margin, a Possible New Model and Reconciling Leadership.
If you have
access to this Periodical (available in Theological Libraries and some
University Libraries), it is worth reading.
Tim
Williams CM
March 8, 2001
4. PREACHING
New
Theology Review: An American Catholic Journal of Ministry
The Liturgical Press, Collegeville Minnesota
Volume 14, Number 1, February 2001
Articles in
this issue are:
Kenneth
Untener: The Fundamental Mistakes of Preaching
'Mistakes' listed include:
Neglecting the Great
Mysteries
Preaching as Though We Get to Choose What to Say
Using the Scriptures as a Platform to Teach and Moralize
Neglecting the Old Testament
Giving a Talk Rather Than Talking to the People
"Burying our Lead"
Failure to Edit
Picturing the Homily as the Main Event
In Ken
Untener's style, these 'Mistakes' are delineated simply and practically.
Also:
DeBona
OSB, G: Preaching for the Plot
(Deals with Narrative as a dynamic for use in Homilies)
Hilkert
OP Mary Catherine: The Passion of God: Preaching and the Power of the
Spirit
Fragomeni,
R., Paulli OFM, K.: Full, Active and Conscious Liturgical
Preaching: A Look at Multiple Intelligences Theory.
Shadle,
Cynthia: Are you a Priest: An Exploration of the Role of the Lay
Pastoral Associate in the Roman Catholic Church in the Unites States: A
Scriptural Perspective
Drilling,
Peter: Ecumenical and Interreligous Relations: What Can They
Offer Each Other?
O'Malley
SJ., W.J: The 50s Catholic
If you have
access to a Theological Library, this issue is well worth a visit.
Tim
Williams CM
February
11, 2001
3. SPIRITUALITY
Millar,
Peter, WAYMARKS: Signposts to discovering God's presence in
the world
Canterbury Press, Norwich, 2000
(Paperback
AUS$27.50)
From
the rear cover:
"
Waymarks is a guidebook for all pilgrims and seekers. Here is
a spirituality for everyday living that is not based on church structures
and hierarchies, but on finding friendship with God and rediscovering that
all of life is sacred - even the contradictions and uncertainties of
today's world, as well as the beauty and goodness of so much that we
enjoy.
Waymarks
records the stories and reflections of many people who have found their
lives transformed by rediscovering something that our Celtic forbears knew
to be true; in the depths of our beings we are connected to each
other, to creation and to God. Every moment is rich with spiritual
significance and possibility. Echoing the stories of numerous men
and women in the Bible, their experiences of courage, healing and
reconciliation, their questions and their difficulties are signposts for
our own journeys, keeping us on the right track, telling that others have
been this way before, encouraging us forward and opening up new directions
for us. "
This
book is a collection of reflections and stories on particular themes
(48 in all) such as:
Seeking
Wonder
Reawakening to mystery
Listening to the post-modern world
Praying
Realizing that God is not alway a man!
Sharing our stories
Nguyen Vu's open heart
Healing
Suffering
Dying
Grieving
Facing up to racism
Reviving radical prophecy
Seeking Moral imagination
Announcing good news
Experiencing blessing
and others........
The
book is not intended to be read straight through from cover to cover,
rather each waymark or theme stands on its own, although a
connecting thread runs through them all. A single waymark may
provide a starting point for a reflection, prayer or meditation,
discussion or sharing. Each theme has a bibliography for suggested
further reading.
Tim
Williams CM
February
10, 2001
2. MINISTRY
Sofield,
L. , Juliano, C., Collaboration: Uniting Our Gifts in
Ministry
Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame IN, 2000
(Paperback
AUD$33.95)
From
the rear cover:
"
Collaboration offers a comprehensive model and a wealth of
practical strategies to help ministers navigate their way through the
sometimes messy, sometimes painful issues they confront. Chronicling
the many developments in the church's life and practice since the issue of
collaborative ministry first cam into focus, the authors identify some of
the myths and obstacles that hinder effective collaborative ministry and
offer concrete examples of why and how collaboration is working.
Their careful use of a full range of contemporary ecclesial documents
helps readers concretise a sometimes nebulous understanding of
collaborative ministry. And they show that effective collaboration
requires both a collaborative spirituality and specific skills such as
group leadership, dealing with conflict, and learning to confront."
Chapter
headings:
1. A Model for Collaborative Ministry
2. Myths of Collaborative Ministry
3. Evolution of Collaborative Ministry
4. Obstacles to Collaborative Ministry
5. Readiness for Collaborative Ministry
6. Spirituality for Collaborative Ministry
7. Group Leadership
8. Conflict
9. Confrontation
10. Structure and Process for Collaborative Ministry
11. Collaborative Ministry in Practice
Epilogue: Collaborative Leadership - A Challenge to All
This
is a book for those who are concerned with the practical aspects of
Collaborative Ministry, and who appreciate the difficulties of doing more
than talking about
'collaboration'. While including some basic
material from their previous works in this area (Collaborative
Ministry - Skills and Guidelines, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame
IN, 1987; The Collaborative Leader - Listening to the Wisdom of
God's People, Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, IN, 1995), the authors go
beyond their earlier books,
obviously having learned much from practical experience.
Tim
Williams CM
January
20, 2001
1. HEALTHCARE
MINISTRY
Arbuckle,
Gerald A., Healthcare Ministry: Refounding the Mission in
Tumultuous Times
The Liturgical Press,Collegeville Minnesota, 2000
(Paperback
Price at St Paul's Bookshop: AUS$83.50)
Those
who have read previous works of Gerald Arbuckle will recognize his
anthropological approach in this somewhat expensive volume. From
experiences with Healthcare Institutions in Australia, New Zealand, Canada
and the United States, Arbuckle concludes that if Healthcare is to remain
a viable Ministry of the Church, refounding will be necessary. Such
refounding will lead to a shift of much of the responsibility for
post-operative and medium term Healthcare to the local community, thus
giving a focus to Intentional Faith Communities (Basic Ecclesial
Communities, Basic Christian Communities etc).
He
also provides some details of the necessity for Trustees, Boards and CEOs
to take account of existing cultures when they decide to become involved
in refounding processes. Failure to do this can have disastrous effects.
Chapter
Headings are as follows:
Ch
1 Culture, Health, Sickness, Disease: Clarifying Terms
Ch 2 Healthcare Services and Policies in Chaos
Ch 3 Christian Healthcare Ministries in Chaos
Ch 4 Culture, Chaos and Leadership in Healthcare
Ch 5 Vision and Mission in Christian Healthcare
Ch 6 Refounding Christian Healthcare: Responsibilities of Trustees, Boards
and CEOs
Ch 7 Refounding through Intentional Faith Communities
Ch 8 Merging Healthcare Facilities
Ch 9 A Spirituality of Healthcare Ministry: Letting Go for Refounding
While
the clear focus in this work is Healthcare, it has
something to say in regard to any Ministries in the Church which are in
need of any sort of radical change or refounding. It also speaks to
those who are involved in implementation of such processes of change. The
process can sometimes be lost sight of in the desire for the product.
This
book, on account of its price, may not find its way into many individuals'
private libraries. But it would be a useful adjunct to a Theological
Library.
Tim
Williams CM
August 7,
2000
12. ORDAINED
MINISTRY IN RELIGIOUS LIFE
Hennessy,
Paul K., Ed., A Concert of Charisms: Ordained Ministry in Religious
Life,
Paulist Press
(Available in Paperback - AUS$25 approx.)
This book is a really thoughtful look by a number of significant thinkers based in the USA at the role and involvement of "religious priests" in the post Vatican II
Church. There are excellent historical analyses by John O'Malley and Kevin Seasoltz, and excellent theologies of priesthood and religious life by David Power and Roland Faley.
Paul Hennessy raises first in a thought-provoking introduction the weaknesses in Vatican II's theology of priesthood,
presuming that diocesan priesthood is the norm for all priests, and the consequent "parochialisation" of the church - and this theme (along with the concomitant abandonment or at least weakening by many Orders of their traditional apostolates in favour of parish involvement) recurs from many perspectives as the book unfolds. Since the increasing proportion of our men in parishes (myself included) exactly parallels what the authors describe,
the book has a lot to offer us in our quest for strategic direction and future orientation.
Cheap at twice the price!
Guy
Hartcher CM
July
11, 2000
11.
PRIESTHOOD
Cozzens,
Donald B., The Changing Face of the Priesthood,
Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 2000
(US$14.95)
Donald
Cozzens endeavours to take a long, honest look at the present state of the
priesthood. He identifies some of the demanding realities, constant tensions
and burdens placed on priests. He also notes those aspects of priesthood
that serve as signs of hope and seeds of new direction. The book is about
significant issues that face today’s priests. It is divided into four
parts: issues; challenges; concerns and realities. The fourth chapter on the
unconscious, which introduces the challenges facing priesthood, is certainly
one of the controversial points in the book. Cozzens, with a background in
psychology and spirituality, suggests that Freud’s theory of the Oedipus
Complex may be a useful metaphor for confronting some of the human tensions
and negative undercurrents present in priestly life. His treatment of sexual
orientation and priesthood will spark much discussion. Sexual abuse by
priests is discussed with honesty and sadness. The book is a careful
uncovering and naming of the realities that are contributing to the present
state of the priesthood. It is well worth a read.
Greg
Brett CM
June
27, 2000
10.
SEMINARIES, THEOLOGATES, CHURCH MINISTRY
Scuth,
Katarina, Seminaries, Theologates, and the Future of Church
Ministry
The Liturgical Press, Collegeville, Minnesota, 1999
(AUS$60)
From
the rear Cover:
"Seminaries, Theologates, and the Future of Church Ministry
considers the context of ministry on the eve of the twenty-first century
and focuses on how Roman Catholic seminaries and schools of theology are
preparing men and women for service in the Church. The study is
based on a first-hand view of how human and spiritual formation, as well
as intellectual and pastoral programs, are designed in these theologates.
Anyone
interested in how people in ministry will transmit the faith to the next
generation, particularly people involved with seminary life and work -
faculty, students, administrators, bishops, vocation directors, and
trustees - will find this book valuable."
While
the material for this book is drawn from information and statistics
gathered in the USA, most of the issues and changes discussed here
will be familiar to those who work in the Australian scene.
T.
Williams CM
April
1, 2000
9.
SPIRITUALITY
Jennie
Teasdale, Exploring Australian Spirituality - a Resource
Package
Centre for Theology, Science and Culture
Flinders University and Adelaide College of Divinity,
Adelaide, 2000.
(AUS$25)
This
is a resource package consisting of a booklet and a CD ROM. Both are
drawn from an art exhibition with the theme "Exploring Australian
Spirituality" held at the Adelaide College of Divinity
early in 1998. (A similar exhibition was held again early this
year. Details of this recent Exhibition can be found for a limited
time at the Web Site: http://www.flinders.edu.au/EAS)
The
booklet first of all comments on the phenomena of Australian
Spirituality as it is seen to exist in the present day, not so much
Spirituality in an exclusively religious sense, but more in the sense
of what gives meaning to life in a particular land and
culture. The following themes of the Exhibition are described:
Australian
Spirituality - Indigenous perspectives
Spirituality embedded in the Christian tradition
Quirky humour and the Australian spiritual self
Spirituality and landscape
Wind and flight in the heavens
Colour and light
Personal dreamings and viewpoints
Spirituality associated with birth
Relating to each other
Everyday spirituality
Spirituality across cultures
The journey elsewhere
The
CD ROM contains a 'virtual gallery' of about 100 paintings shown at the
exhibition, with details and descriptions of each painting provided.
The CD ROM is accessed through a Web Browser.
T.
Williams CM
March 15, 2000
8.
PROPHECY
- EARLY CHRISTIANITY
Aune. David E., (1991)
"PROPHECY IN EARLY CHRISTIANITY and the Ancient
Mediterranean World"
William B. Eerdmans, Grand Rapids.
[Approx.. US$30]
Some 522 pages with one third of that in Notes, Appendices and various
tables. That is besides multiple references being parenthetically
embedded in that text that is of a small typeface. Truly scholarly.
Beginning with literary evidence of oracles from the Pythia and similar
ancient sources, he goes on to the OT prophets both earlier and later and
then to non-canonical Jewish literature. All the time developing
criteria
to identify prophetic elements, grammatical, verbal, syntactical etc.
Then to Christian literature where he identifies more than 100 in the NT and
non-canonical writings, including Hermas, Ignatius of Antioch and others.
Where the text is generally available except in important cases he refers
rather than quotes. In the case of some where the texts are not
readily available e.g., the Odes of Solomon and the Montanists he quotes
extensively.
The most interesting I
found were the NT texts. A new light on the Apocalypse, but even more
so on the reports of the doings and sayings of John, Jesus and Paul and the
writings of the last. We often see them in
hindsight. Their contemporaries must have seen them a prophets, for
the developed criteria fit.
Not a text for those who check references. There are so many in
the text that you give up and learn to trust him.
G. Wilkinson CM
February 23, 2000
7.
HOMILETICS
A recent enquiry regarding suitable
material for assisting in Homily Preparation provided the following
suggestions:
Bible Commentaries:
Brown, Raymond E., An
Introduction to the New Testament, Anchor Bible Reference Library, NY
Doubleday. (Aus $75.50 two years ago)
Brarick, Vincent P. Understanding
the New Testament, Paulist Press, Mahwah, New Jersey
(Aus $46.99)
The New Interpreter's
Bible (Appropriate Volumes eg., Matthew, Mark, etc) Abingdon
Press (Multi-Volume and Expensive!)
Homiletic Commentaries:
Moloney, F.J.,
This is the Gospel of the Lord - Reflections on the Gospel Readings
(3 volumes for Years A,B,C), St Paul Publication,
1995.
Dean CM, A., Responding
in Love, (Years A,B,C in one volume), St Paul's Homebush, 1995.
(Aus$20.00)
Fuller, R.H., Preaching
the Lectionary, Liturgical Press, Collegeville , 1984 (and later),
( approx. Aus $50.00)
Scripture in
Church (An Irish Periodical, available in most Theological
Libraries), 4 issues per year.
February 21, 2000
6.
EARLY
CHRISTIAN ARCHAEOLOGY
Elliott,J.K., (Ed)
(1993) " THE APOCRYPHAL NEW TESTAMENT"
Clarendon Press, Oxford
(Aus $120)
Elliott, J.K., (Ed)
1996) "THE APOCRYPHAL JESUS - Legends of the Early Church".
OUP, Oxford.
(Aus $28)
These two books are by the same editor.
The first is a collection in English of Apocryphal
Christian Literature. It includes bibliographies of the various
manuscripts and editions in both ancient and modern languages and quite
adequate apparatus. Also for each text he includes the acceptance or
rejection as well as any use of these by Fathers of the Church.
Perhaps not bedtime
reading.
The Second volume published some years later is more popular and much
thinner. Excerpts from the various sources are arranged thematically,
e.g. the Childhood of Jesus", "Pilate", "Veronica"
etc... Each section has an editors introduction/overview.
You have probably heard many of these legends in sermons. While
not finally accepted by the Church they were read widely and may or may
not contain facts. The modern mind, unlike the character
in "Alice" who had a quota of impossible things to believe daily
before breakfast, will have
difficulty with many items.
G. Wilkinson CM
February 19, 2000
5.
HISTORY
OF HEAVEN
Russell, Jeffrey Burton,
"A History of Heaven: the singing silence"
Princeton UniversityPress, 1997
Paperback, (Aus$32.95)
Strand by strand the book describes the
evolution of our concepts (disparate and often clashing) of heaven, from the
OT to Dante. (The author believes that with Dante's Paradiso our current
concept of Heaven reached its full develpopment!). Written for the
non-specialist theologian, and from an historical perspective, it covers
topics about which I have always been vaguely aware, but have never taken
the trouble to investigate, much less integrate. Interestingly written
and a valuable read!
G. Hartcher CM
February 18, 2000
4.
EARLY
CHRISTIAN ARCHEOLOGY
Frend, William H.C.,
, "The Archeology of Early Christianity",
Geoffrey Chapman, London, 1996
(Price ?)
William Frend
is known as an historian of Early Christianity. As such Archeology is
one of his tools, hence this history. While he starts with Helen the
mother of Constantine, Napoleon and the Conquest of Algeria he proposes
as the beginning of the modern science of Archeology as far as Christianity is concerned.
Naturally Donatism features in this section.
He goes on to treat other areas heavily Mediterranean.
Interesting for Early Church History, but not recreational reading for
most !
G. Wilkinson CM
February 18, 2000
3.
EARLY
CHRISTIAN ARCHEOLOGY
Koester, Helmut (Ed)
,"EPHESOS: Metropolis of Asia - An Interdisciplinary Approach to its
Archeology, Religion and Culture".
Trinity Press International, Valley Forge, 1995.
(about Aus$40)
Part of
the Harvard Theological Studies series, it is a series of papers given at
Harvard in 1994 mostly by members of the Austrian Archeological Institute in Ephesus.
With its replacement by Constantinople
as a major see, and the Muslim conquest of Asia Minor, Ephesus sank from
Western Christian consciousness. This is despite its prominence in
Pauline and the Johannine literature. Recent scriptural
investigations have given more attention to the location.
Christianity rapidly became an urban rather than an a rural movement. As
a location and focus for Paul's mission, Ephesus is interesting if not
important (was he imprisoned there?). Ephesus is also of interest as
background to Luke-Acts, John the Seer and other aspects of Early
Christianity.
G. Wilkinson CM
February 16, 2000
2.
AUSTRALIAN
THEOLOGY
Malone, Peter,
Ed., "Developing an Australian Theology",
St Paul's Publications, Sydney, 1999.
(AUS$26.95)
This 'ecumenical
anthology' is comprised of twelve chapters contributed by a variety of
authors:
Reconciliation, or
Conciliation through Restoration?
Elizabeth Pike
From 'Mate
Upstairs' to 'Spirituality Sponsor': God Images in Australian Society
Charles Sherlock
From Cultural
Images to Historical Reality; Questions Arising
Tony Kelly
Theology and the
Suburbs
Andrew Hamilton
Popular Theology in
Australia
Michael Whelan
An Ecumenical
Journey in Search of Truth
Mary Williams
After the
Games....Theology from the Perspective of an Australian Woman
Patricia Mullins
Fixing the
Boundaries: Traditional asymmetric gender imagery of Church and its impact
on Women
Marie Louise Uhr
Feminist Criticism
and the Process of Ethical Discernment: Towards a practical and grounded
ethics
Elizabeth Hepburn
Cosmology and
Ecology: The way ahead
Wendy Chew
Working for Social
Justice in the 1990s and into the next Millennium
Sandie Cornish
New Structures for
a New Era
Maureen Cleary
T. Williams CM
February 15, 2000
1.
SPIRITUALITY
Collins CM,
Pat, "Expectant Faith",
The Columba Press, Dublin, 1998.
(AUS$34.95)
From the Back Cover:
"This book indicates
how the charism of faith, mentioned in 1Cor 12:9 and elsewhere in the New
Testament, is different from other forms of trust.
-
It highlights the
nature, characteristics, and importance of this gift by examining and
evaluating relevant texts in the Bible, the writings of the Church
Fathers, the theology of Thomas Aquinas and the publications of modern
charismatics.
-
It suggests that this
form of unhesitating conviction is a key that unlocks the meaning of
scripture texts to do with God's willingness to answer prayer and the
believer's ability to perform deeds of power such as healings,
miracles and exorcisms.
-
It seeks to established
that more often than not, when Jesus spoke about firm faith,
commended those who had it, and admonished those who hadn't, he had
the charism of expectant faith in mind.
-
It includes contemporary
arguments for and against the contention that Jesus himself exercised
this kind of faith. "
Note: Book
supplied by Kevin Canty CM
4/99
December 24, 1999
SPIRITUALITY
Collins CM,
Pat, "Spirituality for the 21st Century:
Christian Living in a Secular Age",
The Columba Press, Dublin, 1999.
(AUS$31.95)
From the Foreword, pp 11-12:
"This book is not an overview of
contemporary spirituality. It is really a collection of loosely connected essays on
spiritual topics that have interested me in recent years. Some began life as talks to the
general public, others as topics for undergraduate spirituality courses in All Hallows
College, while others were written as magazine articles ........... the
overall approach is more scholarly than popular; more ecumenical than rigidly
Catholic; more interdisciplinary than strictly spiritual; and more eclectic than
systematic ............ I should also explain that the many references
to St Vincent de Paul are due to the fact that I admire him greatly .......... Whenever
possible, I have made practical suggestions which may enable readers to grow
spiritually."
Topics covered in separate chapters are:
Models of Spirituality
Religious Experience
Introduction to Mystical Mysticism
Contemplative Attention
Is Unceasing Prayer Possible?
Creation Spirituality
The Compassion of God
Prayer for Healing
Spiritual Warfare
Friendship and Evangelisation
From the Back Cover:
"Karl Rahner once wrote: 'Our present
situation is one of transition from a Church sustained by a homogeneously Christian
society and almost identical with it, from a people's Church, to a Church made up of those
who have struggled against the environment in order to reach a clear, explicit, and
responsible personal decision of faith.' Clearly, today's Christians face such
a choice. Spirituality for the 21st Century maintains that many of their
current conflicts, whether institutional, ethical or theological, are rooted in
spirituality. So it concentrates on key issues (cf list of Topics
above)............... The book aims to articulate a vision of the Christian
life which will be viable in the secular age in which we live."
Note: Information concerning this book
comes from Kevin Canty CM
3/99
December 24, 1999
SPIRITUALITY
O'Malley CM, Vincent J.,
"SAINTLY COMPANIONS: A Cross-reference of sainted Relations",
Alba House, New York, 1995
(AUS$17.95)
From the Back Cover:
"We are, largely, who we are because of
the friendships we have and cultivate. The saints, be and large, were blessed with
saintly relatives, friends and companions. Sharing a common vision, a common
way of life, a mutual bond of affection for one another and for God, and a common desire to
make the Lord known, loved and served are characteristic of the saints in each of the ten
categories of relationships set forth in this volume on saintly companions....
Enhanced by a comprehensive appendix of cross references, this work will be of interest to
scholar and lay person alike interested in knowing more about the saints and how they
became such 'with a little help from their friends'. "
Chapter Titles are:
The Benefit of Saintly Companions
Husband and Wife Saints
Parent(s) and Child(ren) Saints
Sibling Saints
Saintly Relatives
Saintly Friends (includes Vincent and Louise)
Teacher-Student Saints
Master and Disciple Saints
Saintly Co-Founders
Saintly Co-Workers
Saintly Co-Martyrs
The Images of Saints
Note: Information concerning this book
comes from Kevin Canty CM
2/99
December 18, 1999
HOPE FOR
THE CHURCH
Haring, B., "My Hope for the
Church:
Critical Encouragement for the Twenty-first Century"
Ligouri, 1999
Bernard Haring's "My Hope for the
Church: Critical Encouragement for the
Twenty-first Century" is published posthumously, which should tell us something.
While it includes some stringent criticism (though polite and usually brief) of John
Paul II and the Curia, and especially of Veritatis Splendor and the Catechism
of the Catholic Church, it also gives a very acute summary of the major trends of
change, especially in Moral Theology since Vatican II, with some broad-brush but cogent
thoughts for the next century. Uplifting, thought-provoking, and a good example of
the sort of constructive dialogue
which SHOULD be able to take place between theologians and the magisterium!
I like it and am impressed by it anyway.
Guy Hartcher CM
1/99
December 5, 1999
PREACHING
BETTER ?
Untener, Ken, "Preaching
Better,
Practical Suggestions for Homilists",
Paulist Press, New Jersey, 1999
This book is billed as a "hands-on guidebook by a bishop who preaches and who teaches
the art of homiletics: what to do, how to do it and, for heaven's sake, what to stay away
from".
(From the Front Cover)
Areas covered are:
What a homily is and isn't
How to begin and end homilies
Preparing homilies: writing, editing and staying in control
How to use stories and connect with real life
The problems of sidebars, jargon and props
Keeping the homily personal but not self-centered
Interaction with the Assembly.
The book seems to say a number of the things we know but don't always articulate for
ourselves or others.
Tim Williams CM
