Vatican II: Renewal within Tradition [Paperback]

Matthew L Lamb (Editor), Matthew Levering (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 30, 2008 | ISBN-10: 0195332679 | ISBN-13: 978-0195332674

From 1962 to 1965, in perhaps the most important religious event of the twentieth century, the Second Vatican Council met to plot a course for the future of the Roman Catholic Church. After thousands of speeches, resolutions, and votes, the Council issued sixteen official documents on topics ranging from divine revelation to relations with non-Christians. In many ways, though, the real challenges began after the council was over and Catholics began to argue over the interpretation of the documents. Many analysts perceived the Council's far-reaching changes as breaks with Church tradition, and soon this became the dominant bias in the American and other media, which lacked the theological background to approach the documents on their own terms. In Vatican II: Renewal Within Tradition, an international team of theologians offers a different reading of the documents from Vatican II. The Council was indeed putting forth a vision for the future of the Church, but that vision was grounded in two millennia of tradition. Taken together, these essays demonstrate that Vatican II's documents are a development from an established antecedent in the Roman Catholic Church. Each chapter contextualizes Vatican II teachings within that rich tradition. The resulting book is an indispensable and accessible companion to the Council's developments, one that focuses on theology and transcends the mass-media storyline of "liberal" versus "conservative."

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Almost every chapter shows the breathtaking steps taken in the Council to engage openly, evenly, and critically with the complexity of the modern world and to renew and apply the teachings of the Church in this new historical context...[This volume] sets the stage for a new chapter in the interpretation of the Council which might move beyond the liberal and conservative judges...I strongly recommend Renewal which will, I think, mark a turning point in the American Catholic appropriation of Vatican II and help build a momentum for a fresh reading of the Council which is slowly gathering momentum."
--Reviews in Religion and Theology

About the Author

Matthew Lamb is a Professor of Theology and Chair of the Department of Theology at Ave Maria University. Matthew Levering is a Myser Fellow at the Center for Ethics and Culture at the University of Notre Dame and an Associate Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 480 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195332679
• ISBN-13: 978-0195332674
• Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1.2 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #785,505 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 40 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent review of the documents of Vatican II October 21, 2008

By Joseph M. Hennessey

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book was a very good review of the contents of the 16 documents of the Second Vatican Council. Each article also included a brief history of what led up to that particular document, and some indication of how that document had or had not been 'received' since then. In general, i wish there had been more theological and cultural analysis, although then the book would be longer than its already daunting 442 pp. The best feature of this book is captured by the subtitle, "Renewal within Tradition." In other words, each chapter advocates a 'hermeneutic of contintuity," which locates each document within the context of the previous 20 Ecumenical Councils, rather than a 'hermeneutic of rupture,' (cousin of hermeneutic of suspicion), which attempts to create an adversary, revolutionary relationship between Vatican II and the previous councils.

26 of 31 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Remarkable assembly of scholarship in a very readable volume September 24, 2008

By K. Heck

Format:Hardcover

Matthew Lamb and Matthew Levering have assembled a remarkable group of contributors to this landmark volume on the documents of Vatican II. The scholarship represented here comes from Africa, Europe, and all corners of North America. Truly a book indicative of the universal Church, and most importantly, of the 21st century. Very readable, and an important resource for scholars and non-scholars alike. Be prepared to think.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Source on Vatican II December 26, 2012

By L. Donahue

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I read this for a class on the four constitutions of Vatican II. This has some excellent essays on the council, the documents, and the history surrounding the Council. It is a wonderful resource on what the council actually did and taught, aside from the documents of the Council themselves, instead of the silly "spirit of Vatican II" nonsense that has been produced since the Council. This is an excellent source for serious scholars of the Council. However, it is not a light read; not for the faint of heart.