Living Vatican II: The 21st Council for the 21st Century

by Gerald O'Collins

Part memoir, part history of the Church during one of her most exciting and controversial periods, this memorable book by eminent theologian Gerald O'Collins tells the story of the aftermath of Vatican II and how it affected him personally. He explores the work of some institutions in Rome and elsewhere towards implementing the teaching and decisions of Vatican II; the guidelines provided by a fourth-century example of creative fidelity in receiving conciliar teaching; the liturgical renewal after Vatican II; the reception of the Council's moral teaching; his own postconciliar relations with other Christians and with other believers; and the impact of Vatican II on theology. Finally, O'Collins offers suggestions about the future of the Church. "But what did the Council do for me personally―as a Catholic Christian and a Jesuit priest?" The author's highly personal approach in answering this and other questions makes for a compulsively readable book that illuminates the workings of the Church as the mind of one of the leading theologians of the 20th century. †

Genres: Religion

Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Born in Australia, Gerald O’Collins received his PhD at Cambridge University in 1968. From 1973 to 2006 he taught at the Gregorian University (Rome), where he was also dean of the theology faculty (1985–91). He is now a research professor in theology at St Mary’s University College in Twickenham.

Reviews

[booklady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hope to write a review on this after the Holy Season.

Read this with a class I took called "The Post-Conciliar Church" initially described here.