Tradition and the Church

by George Agius D.D. J.C.D.

What exactly is Tradition? This is the only book we know on the subject. Published in 1928 by a priest with three doctors\' degrees, this book exposes all aspects of Tradition, so that once a person has read this book, he will never question the nature of Tradition again. Every priest, bishop and cardinal, every seminarian and everyone who considers himself to be an informed Catholic should also read this providential book---which is reappearing at a crucial time in the history of the Church, to help clarify our understanding about the nature of the Deposit of Faith and how we should all revere and cherish the Tradition of the Church!

"I've only read the first couple of chapters so far, but already it has been well worth the price. Thank you so much for publishing this treasure that is so needed in our Lord's Church today!"---P.T., TN

Genres: Catholic, Religion, Christianity, Theology

367 pages, Paperback

Published December 1, 2005

Reviews

[Samuel Andereck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is easily the best book regarding Tradition and Apostolic Succession I have ever read. Anyone seeking Truth needs to acquire and sift through this work! I highly recommend it!

[Elaine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gives a good background on the importance of tradition in the Catholic Church. It helped me to understand how tradition and the Bible run hand in hand. Some of it is rather thick to get through and is difficult to understand if one has no background with the church history, but it was interesting to learn.

[Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is both excellent, and extremely timely even though it was written almost 100 years ago. There is much confusion among Catholics about how Divine Revelation has been handed on to us, and this book is the best explanation I have seen both about the nature of Divine Revelation and the role of the Tradition of the Church in that process. Msgr. Agius takes pains to distinguish how the Truth was revealed in ancient times, and the various ways that it has been preserved down to ours, collectively called Tradition, of which the Scriptures are a part among others. I highly recommend this for both Catholics and Protestants who wonder about both the authority of the Church and the place that the Scriptures hold in Catholic tradition.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a bit misled in regards to what this book would be about. I was hoping to learn more about the specific traditions of the Church, but this is a repetitive explanation of the theological sense of tradition. Although there were some interesting points and new ideas to ponder, this isn’t a book I am likely to pick up again or recommend.

[Daniel Millard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This took me a long time to read, and frankly, I think it's because "Tradition And The Church" is not meant to be read cover-to-cover, but rather serve as an index of concise topics on the nature, authenticity, and historicity of Catholic tradition in a day and age where such information is so badly neglected and needed.

On the subject of Tradition, I've read nothing nearly so profound or complex. While Agius (who holds no fewer than three doctorates, and whose writing can occasionally be somewhat...dense) limits most of his defenses and explanations to relatively concise, easily understood paragraphs, he provides a vast wealth of sources and references to further reading on the subject, most of which come (naturally) from the Church fathers or documents generated by Ecumenical Councils. As one would expect, the book is also teeming with relevant scripture.

As a back-to-the-Church Catholic, there is a massive array of knowledge here - the amount of background material is probably more than any lay individual could absorb in a lifetime - and enough to receive a very satisfactory summation of the scriptural, rational, and apostolic foundations of divine tradition and the deposit of faith. A book that every practicing Catholic should have in their homes to understand the rich history and truth of the faith, and one that I have already used repeatedly as a reference.