Customer Reviews

Marriage and the Family in the Documents of the Magisterium: A Course in the Theology of Marriage

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The book is a good review of the Magisterium, Church teaching on Marriage and the Documents that provide specific insights into the Church's teachings. Good review on the Theology of Marriage and the Family is provided. It is a good summary and discussion on Church documents which include encylicals.

This book is a very rigorous work on the Catholic theology studies on marriage and the family. Starting with documents from Trent and pre-20th-century Popes, Fr. Garcia de Haro provides a reasonable historical background on why the focus of those documents came to be. Then starting with Pius XI, until John Paul II, the author provides a deep analysis of the teachings of the 20th century Popes as regards marriage and the family. Obviously, across time, the focus varied from one issue to another, from one controversy to another, and yet, the author takes the extra step to ensure that although most of those documents are motivated by the present mood of that time, the documents in each pontificate are in direct connection and compatibility with those from others.

Fr. Ramon Garcia de Haro spent a significant amount of time teaching in the John Paul II Institute of for Studies on Marriage and Family in Rome and his book has been considered as a very strong reference on the topic by theologians and students alike.

In order to have a better handle on the book, it is best if one has a previous background in Catholic doctrine. Otherwise, this might be too deep for the reader.