Opening the Door of Faith: Encountering Jesus and His Call to Discipleship

by Thomas D. Stegman

When Pope Benedict XVI called for a “Year of Faith,” he explicitly called for a study of Vatican II documents and the Catechism. This book strives to bring forth another source for study and reflection on the issue of faith, the five major voices of the New Testament―Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Paul. The recent encyclical on faith, Lumen Fidei, speaks of the relational aspect of faith. That is, faith is primarily a response to God’s love revealed through Jesus. It thus entails relationship with Christ and with the Church that is his body. This book lays out four dimensions of the life of faith from each of the five major voices. It includes study and reflection questions at the end of each chapter. †

112 pages, Paperback

First published July 7, 2015

Reviews

[Sjervey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent review of the different but complementary ways in which Paul and the four evangelists understood faith through their relationships with Jesus and his teaching. Stegman has looked at each of the evangelists, taking them in the order the Bible presents them and then added Paul through a selection of his letters. From each he has identified four key themes about their understanding of faith. The differences are at once surprising and liberating. His conclusion discusses the interplay of the five and how they open doors to discipleship in our current world. It is a succinct and sound, vry readable approach to an always relevant and challenging call,