"Growing from the author's experience in teaching the rites of Christian initiation at different levels, this study, together with selections of primary texts in translation, surveys the development and theology of those rites from their New Testament origins to their current shape in the Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Lutheran Churches. It is intended for all who seek a solid, detailed, and challenging foundation for their ministries in the "Blessed Sacrament" of Baptism as the Third Christian Millennium dawns."--BOOK JACKET.
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Editorial Reviews
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"The first edition has already established itself as the standard history of the rites of initiation, and the updating in this second edition will further enhance its reputation." -- Rev. Paul Bradshaw, Ph.D., Professor of Liturgy, University of Notre Dame
By adopting Maxwell Johnson's The Rites of Christian Initiation as the standard text for courses liturgy professors across the English speaking world have recognized the author as among the premier liturgical scholars. -- Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B., Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota
Johnson has written a textbook case of writing good textbooks: clear in organization, generous in quoting sources, precise in analysis, and provocative in expositing contemporary theological issues. Maxwell Johnson is a mystagogical Titan at the top of his form. -- Paul Turner, S.T.D., Author of When Other Christians Become Catholic (Liturgical Press)
The revised and expanded edition of Maxwell Johnson's The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation further enhances the reputation of the Liturgical Press for publishing first-rate liturgical studies that both keep abreast of the field and ahead of it. -- T. M. Finn, Chancellor, Professor of Religion Emeritus, College of William and Mary --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
By adopting Maxwell Johnson's The Rites of Christian Initiation as the standard text for courses liturgy professors across the English speaking world have recognized the author as among the premier liturgical scholars. -- Kilian McDonnell, O.S.B., Saint John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota
Johnson has written a textbook case of writing good textbooks: clear in organization, generous in quoting sources, precise in analysis, and provocative in expositing contemporary theological issues. Maxwell Johnson is a mystagogical Titan at the top of his form. -- Paul Turner, S.T.D., Author of When Other Christians Become Catholic (Liturgical Press)
The revised and expanded edition of Maxwell Johnson's The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation further enhances the reputation of the Liturgical Press for publishing first-rate liturgical studies that both keep abreast of the field and ahead of it. -- T. M. Finn, Chancellor, Professor of Religion Emeritus, College of William and Mary --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
comprehensive historical study of Christian initiation rites,
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This review is from: The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation (Revised and Expanded Edition) (Paperback)
Used as a textbook in university undergraduate and graduate religious studies programs, the work is accessible and informative to any reader interested in a historical perspective on Christian initiation rites. Johnson--who is a professor of liturgy at Notre Dame and ordained Evangelical Lutheran Minister--brings in theology inhering in such rites to the degree that their purposes and symbolisms can be realized; and so that historical modifications of rites within a religion and differences in them between religions, primarily Catholicism and Protestantism, can be realized as well. This comparative treatment within the broad historical movement brings to light similarities as well as differences while demonstrating the import, centrality, and continuity of initiation rites to Christian religions.
While recognizing the value of anthropology in understanding the presence and the role of initiation rites, the author stresses Christian initiation rites are decidedly and patently different from cultural rites in general which are the interest of anthropology in that the Christian rites "are about initiating people who already [in italics in original] belong in some way to the community to a new level of membership or status within the same community". Christian initiation rites thus have a quality of specificity and volition, and thus of meaning not found with a community's general, traditional rites. "What the [Christian] churches continue to do today in their initiation rites has its origins in the explicit command of the risen Jesus...to continue a process of evangelization, of making disciples and teaching (catechesis) and of baptizing." From this origin, over centuries, the rites have varied as early Catholicism was beset with schisms; the Eastern Church separated from the Western Church centered in Rome; Protestantism arose; and modern society's notions of ecumenicism, spirituality, and community affected both the language and intent of many initiation rites. This new edition (earlier one, 1999) revises translations of excerpts from primary texts to reflect recent scholarship. Other revisions range from added nuances to changes in organization from somewhat revised perspectives taking into account studies in recent years. One organizational change is the two chapters on the pre-Nicene period instead of the one of the previous volume. Such changes keep this fundamental text on Christian initiation pertinent for classroom use while not affecting its accessibility and value for general readers.
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This review is from: The Rites of Christian Initiation: Their Evolution and Interpretation (Revised and Expanded Edition) (Paperback)
This is an excellent text for serious students of Christian History and Liturgists. The content is comprehensive and well sourced. It may be a challenging read for those not familiar with the subject matter. I do highly recommend it for those interested in the study of the Liturgy, particularly the rites of Christian initiation.
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First Sentence:
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
handlaying prayer, postbaptismal rites, quamprimum baptism, final baptismal preparation, postbaptismal mystagogy, prebaptismal context, one postbaptismal, prebaptismal catechumenate, postbaptismal ceremonies, postbaptismal chrismation, prebaptismal rites, sacramental minimalism, episcopal chrismation, paschal baptism, baptismal spirituality, liturgical step, prebaptismal catechesis, catechumenal process, adult catechumenate, credal questions, baptismal affirmation, infant communion, postbaptismal catechesis, exorcised oil, dominical institution Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Roman Catholic, New Testament, Apostolic Tradition, New York, Jesus Christ, North African, The Liturgical Press, Aidan Kavanagh, Christian East, John the Baptizer, Protestant Reformers, Gelasian Sacramentary, Canons of Hippolytus, Council of Trent, God the Father, Grove Books, Liturgical Study, Paul Bradshaw, Western Christianity, Fourth Gospel, The Origins of the Liturgical Year, Christ Jesus, Lutheran Worship, Notre Dame, Protestant Reformation New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
handlaying prayer, postbaptismal rites, quamprimum baptism, final baptismal preparation, postbaptismal mystagogy, prebaptismal context, one postbaptismal, prebaptismal catechumenate, postbaptismal ceremonies, postbaptismal chrismation, prebaptismal rites, sacramental minimalism, episcopal chrismation, paschal baptism, baptismal spirituality, liturgical step, prebaptismal catechesis, catechumenal process, adult catechumenate, credal questions, baptismal affirmation, infant communion, postbaptismal catechesis, exorcised oil, dominical institution Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Roman Catholic, New Testament, Apostolic Tradition, New York, Jesus Christ, North African, The Liturgical Press, Aidan Kavanagh, Christian East, John the Baptizer, Protestant Reformers, Gelasian Sacramentary, Canons of Hippolytus, Council of Trent, God the Father, Grove Books, Liturgical Study, Paul Bradshaw, Western Christianity, Fourth Gospel, The Origins of the Liturgical Year, Christ Jesus, Lutheran Worship, Notre Dame, Protestant Reformation New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 100
books:
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8
books
cite this book:
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- Christian Initiation: Baptism in the Medieval West (Christian Initiation) by J. D. C. Fisher on 14 pages
- The Origins of the Liturgical Year (Pueblo Books) by Thomas J. Talley on 13 pages
- Anointing With the Spirit : The Rite of Confirmation by Gerard Austin on 6 pages
- Protestant Worship: Traditions in Transition by James F. White on 6 pages
- Confirmation: Origins and Reform by Aidan Kavanagh on 6 pages
See all 100 books this book cites
- Eternity Today, Vol. 1: On the Liturgical Year: On God and Time, Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Candlemas by Martin Connell on page 71, page 151, and page 161
- Communion With Non-Catholic Christians: Risks, Challenges, and Opportunities by Jeffrey T. Vanderwilt on page 129, page 184, and page 193
- Ambrose of Milan's Method of Mystagogical Preaching by Craig Alan Satterlee on page 9, page 149, and Back Matter
- Signs of Freedom: Theology of the Christian Sacraments by German Martinez in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Search for the Origins of Christian Worship: Sources and Methods for the Study of Early Liturgy by Paul F. Bradshaw on page 61
See all 8 books citing this book
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