101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II [Paperback]

Maureen Sullivan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 2, 2003

Pope John XXIII called Vatican II a new Pentecost in the church's life. While the great meetings of 1962-1965 opened the church's windows to let the stale air out and the fresh winds in, the years since have been decades of contradictory movements: tradition and progress, conservation and innovation, reform and renewal, status quo and change.

Vatican II has become so much of a battleground that some who lived through it may have lost sight of its original intentions. Many believers do not even remember the pre-Vatican II world of Catholicism. Still others have tried to continually apply and update the spirit of the Council without appreciating the context in which the church gathered and the global circumstances that surrounded the Council's implementation.

101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II brings us back to the beginning-to the preparations and expectations for the Council, to the meetings and developments in 1962-1965, to the internal church struggles and the exterior influences that shaped the final documents, and to the many layers of experience and perspectives within the church since the Council adjourned. For people who have heard of Vatican II but have only experienced the Council through a glass darkly, this book takes them back to the beginning to a basic question: "Just what was Vatican II?"

Highlights:
--no other guide like this one.
--user-friendly format.
--sure to be a hit in parishes, lay leadership groups, RCIA and catechist groups.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A 'piece of history that still inspires the most serious Christians on the planet.' -- The Tablet

Engaging. -- St. Anthony Messenger

I know of no better textbook about the Council for college students. -- Ladislas Orsy, Georgetown University, close witness of Vatican II as Professor at the Gregorian University

This book helps readers appreciate what happened at Vatican II and what its enduring fruit is—and should be. -- Gerald O’Collins, S.J., Gregorian University, Rome

This book is a well-documented account of this major religious event of the 20th century. -- Sister Mary Luke Tobin, S.L.

This is a valuable resource for insights into the history and outcomes of Vatican II. -- William Sadlier Dinger, President, William H. Sadlier, Inc.

Young people who are looking for reasons to hope for the Church's future will love this book." -- Robert Blair Kaiser

About the Author

Maureen Sullivan, O.P., who holds a doctorate in theology from Fordham University, is assistant professor of theology at St. Anselm College, Manchester, NH, and is a national theological consultant for Sadlier, Inc. She gives workshops and keynote speeches across the country on contemporary theological issues, especially those concerning Vatican II.

Product Details

• Paperback: 152 pages
• Publisher: Paulist Press (January 2, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0809141337
• ISBN-13: 978-0809141333
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 1.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #694,480 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid But Be Cautious, May 6, 2009

By 

Robert Reuter (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II (Paperback)

As a Professor of Philosophy and Religion, I think Sr. Maureen Sullivan's book is a readable and solid introduction to Vatican II. But as the other reviewers make clear, readers should be aware that Sullivan writes from a definite point of view. For example, she often makes it seem as though opposition during the council was motivated only by a political desire to retain power and prestige; her discussion would be more balanced if she would have at least mentioned that there was also reasonable dissent based on theological, philosophical, and Church Tradition arguments. On the other hand, she does discuss some of the negative effects of the council, and she captures the general spirit of the council well. Her main point, that Vatican II was overall a benefit to the Church, is hard to argue with.

My main dissatisfaction lies elsewhere. Anytime Sullivan describes the formal structure of the Church and members of religious communities, she only refers to "priests and nuns." She neglects the thousands of professed Brothers (of which I am one) in the Church (the vocation of Brother is essentially the male counterpart of nuns and sisters). Not recognizing Brothers is common among Catholics, but more surprising coming from a Dominican Sister who is sensitive to the similar neglect of women religious by the Church (an issue she laments Vatican II being slow to acknowledge). I'm sure her never mentioning Brothers as part of the Church was not intentional, nor the result of a desire to gain power and prestige--sometimes neglect is just neglect. Whatever the cause, I hope it gives her a new insight into the possible motives of those who wrongly neglected women in the pre-conciliar Church.

13 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book for Curious Young Adults and for Reflective Old Timers, March 22, 2003

By 

John O'Donnell (Boston) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II (Paperback)

Sr. Maureen Sullivan, OP, has provided a very helpful aid for Catholic young adults who are attending courses in Catholic theology or participating in discussion groups. For people in this age grouping the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) is merely foggy history. However, it remains a pivotal event for understanding contemporary theological methods, biblical studies, liturgical renewal, spiritual self-understanding, approaches to ethical issues, as well as an overall sense of Catholic sensibilities. The information and insights that the author provides in "101 Questions about Vatican II" should provide the younger reader with a foundation for a better grasp of the issues still being explored and debated.

It is also the intent of the author to instill a sense of enthusiasm for the significance of this momentous event. As a Catholic priest ordained in early 1963 immediately after the conclusion of the first session of the Second Vatican Council I suspect that the original ecstasy of the Council and its aftermath will be difficult to replicated in the lives of those who did not share the agony of that period as well. For some members of an older generation this helpful guide may well provide memories that only now, some forty years later, fully reveal their significance.

12 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A biased book that confuses all the issues, July 23, 2007

By 

Jordan Saxony "m3812784" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 101 Questions and Answers on Vatican II (Paperback)

I read this from the perspective of a philosophy/theology teacher and found it, quite simply, awful. It is biased, prejudicial, makes unwarranted leaps and assumptions, displays apalling ignorance of the issues and texts....It is really quite astonishing how very ignorant this book is, and how selectively it not only quotes, but interprets everyone so as to fit the pre-conceived biases. I am speaking as someone with no dog in this fight as to being a so-called theological "liberal" or "conservative," just as a trained logician/ethicist (and, full disclosure, as a Catholic) who would like to see truthful, reasoned argument.

The only use I can see for this book would be in a freshman introductory course on logic or critical thinking, on how NOT to argue. But don't take my word for it; read the Vatican II texts themselves and decide for yourself.