Pope Francis: Legacy of Vatican II

Posted on June 30, 2015 by Linda Wolf

Pope Francis: The Legacy of Vatican II

Recently released is Professor Eduardo J. Echeverria’s study Pope Francis: The Legacy of Vatican II.

Catholics and Protestants alike tend to use Pope Francis’s pronouncements to justify the correctness of their own viewpoints on Vatican Council II and other religious and theological matters. Professor Echeverria does a thorough job of drawing from the pre-papal writings of Jorge Mario Bergoglio and the man’s current papal writings, talks, and sermons to discover and document the continuity in thought Francis has with the councils.

Echeverria compares Francis’s discourse with that of his papal predecessors in the era since Vatican II. He draws heavily on the documents of Vatican II and the theology of doctrinal development stemming from the First Vatican Council and embraced by Vatican II. Not left out is the modern ecumenical movement from both the Reformed and Catholic side.

This book draws high praise from prominent theologians whose full endorsements can be found here.

It is an ideal text for basic theology courses, courses on the modern Church for seminarians or divinity students, or courses about the influence of Vatican II. It’s a must-read for those wanting to learn about Pope Francis and the future of Christianity. A special strength of the book is the respect with which it treats the Reformed Tradition.

Peter Phan at AAR

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Linda Wolf

Peter C. Phan, Georgetown University

Lectio author and noted eschatologist Peter C. Phan will present at the American Academy of Religion Annual Meeting in San Diego on Friday, November 21, 2014. Peter will address the “unpublished last chapter” of Raimon Panikkar’s The Rhythm of Being (2010). The presentation will give an overview of Panikkar’s thought on the three themes of “Eschatology,” the Being of Time,” and “the Time of Being” and will explore the reasons why he finds the text as its stands unsatisfactory and whether his apology for taking twenty years to come to the admission of his inability to write anything on eschatological matters is justified.

The presentation is part of the Society for Asian and Comparative Philosophy session in P21.203 from 2 – 6 pm. Professor Phan will have on hand copies of his newest book published by Lectio Publishing, Living Into Death, Dying Into Life:  A Christian Theology of Death and Life Eternal available now.

Information about the AAR 2014 Annual Meeting in San Diego can be found on their website.

Lectio Publishes Peter Phan

Posted on November 18, 2014 by Linda Wolf

Published on All Saints Day 2014

Peter C. Phan, noted for his theological exploration of the afterlife, presents an easily understood study of what eternal life means from a Catholic/Christian view.

In Living Into Death, Dying Into Life: A Christian Theology of Death and Life Eternal Professor Phan elaborates and expands material first presented in twelve lectures.   Drawing heavily from the Christian Tradition, Phan identifies sections in the Old Testament and especially the New Testament that are relevant to eschatology, which is the search for an understanding of God’s final kingdom. Seen in the preaching of Jesus as presented in the Gospels, the Kingdom of God is both here now and also fulfilled at the end of time.

Professor Phan is able to connect Scriptural representations of the afterlife with the ramifications of eternal life in our present everyday life.   Phan’s book is intended for audiences seeking to understand the death of a loved one, an impending death, or death in general; as well as those who are seeking a general spiritual or theological understanding of eternal life as presented by Jesus Christ.

Purchase the softcover edition now on the Lectio website.