Formed In The Image Of Christ: The Sacramental-Moral Theology Of Bernard H?ing, C.Ss.R.

Formed in the Image of Christ: The Sacramental-Moral Theology of Bernard H?ing, C.Ss.R.

The Christian life is an imitation of Christ's response to God-a religious response to God's initiative. We are called to make all responses-religion and morality-acts of adoring worship and praise. This sacramental theology is the fundamental moral theology of Bernard H?ing, CSsR, whose contributions as a twentieth-century theologian have prepared the way of renewal in Catholic theology today.Part One of this book introduces Bernard H?ing and his place in the history of Roman Catholic moral theology. Part Two examines the central concepts of H?ing's sacramental-moral theology: responsibility, Christ as Word of God and High Priest, the human person as word and worshiper, and the sacraments as dialogue and response. In Part III the author illustrates how H?ing takes a minor category-the virtue of religion-and places it at the center of moral life.Chapters under?art I: Bernard H?ing and Roman Catholic Moral Theology?re "Reassessing Bernard H?ing's Moral Theology," and "Moral Theology and Sacramental Practice." Chapters under?art II: The Dogmatic Foundations of H?ing's Sacramental-Moral Theology?re "Word and Response: The Theological Foundations of the Religious-Moral Life," and "Sacraments as Word and Response." Chapters under?art III: The Christian Moral Life and the Virtue of Religion?re "The Theological and Moral Virtues and the Virtue of Religion," and "The Interior and Exterior Acts of the Virtue of Religion." Chapters under the Conclusion are "Bernard H?ing and Contemporary Proposals in Liturgy and Ethics: Critique and contributions."ReviewThe force of Cahalan?s arguments point a way forward . . . If prudent people were urgent to think more about how worship is a natural virtue-something necessary to our knowing our responsibilities toward each other-then we would not only have greater dialogue between ethicists and liturgists; we would also have a church committed in its worship and its ethical teachings to be a faithful witness to Christ, the lumen gentium.WorshipKathleen Cahalan?s work clearly and succinctly presents one with an overview of Bernard Haring?s theological vision which has been so influential over the past five decades.Catholic Books ReviewCahalan?s work provides an excellent overview of the evolution of Roman Catholic sacramental and moral theology as the Tradition has evolved over time.Catholic Studies. . . this stimulating, influential moral teacher offers 'a systematic approach to moral theology that is systematic and thematically-integrated . . . [one that] accounts for both personal and social dimensions of the moral life'.The Midwest Book ReviewFormed in the Image of Christ clarifies the thought of a key leader in the renewal of contemporary Catholicism, Bernard H?ing, CSsR. It sheds light on H?ing's moral theology and his understanding of the sacramental character of the Christian life. It explains how H?ing's work prepared the way for today's discussions concerning virtue ethics and also concerning liturgy and social justice. This book is an excellent contribution to the history of modern Catholic theology. It is well written and will readily engage a wide range of readers.Robert Krieg, University of Notre DameBernard H?ing was the foremost Catholic moral theologian in the world in the latter half of the twentieth century, but unfortunately many Catholic moral theologians today know little about his significant work. Kathleen Cahalan has done a great service for scholarship and the church by her lucid, perceptive, and supportive but critical study of how H?ing brought together religion and morality as well as liturgy and moral theology. We are all in her debt for her splendid study of the past as well as for her insightful comments about how H?ing's legacy can contribute to the future development of moral theology.Charles E. CurranFrom the Inside FlapThe Christian life is an imitation of Christ?s