From Death to Life: The Christian Journey

by Christoph Schönborn

Bishop Christoph Schönborn Bishop Schönborn, editor of the monumental Catechism of the Catholic Church, presents profound reflections on the meaning of death, judgment and eternal life, and the Church's teachings on this eschatological dimension of our faith. Lamenting the absence today of sermons and writings on this important subject, Schönborn meets that need by delving deeply into the Church's rich tradition of thought on life beyond death. Today, language about man's pilgrim path, about his homeland in heaven, of earthly tribulation and hope for life beyond death, has become largely a foreign language in the Christian churches. It is only seldom that a sermon dares to look out on the vista of eternal life. It seems that fear of being accused of dispensing a consolation in a life after death and of fleeing from the world has become to a large extent a self-censorship. Bishop Schönborn says that this "eschatological amnesia" is one reason why many people no longer turn to the Church when they want information about the "last things." In this book, Schönborn shows that Jesus Christ is the focal point of the Christian vision of life on earth and life after death. Christ is the Alpha and the Omega, the one who discloses to us what "existence in transition" means.

Genres: Spirituality, Religion

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

Christoph Maria Michael Hugo Damian Peter Adalbert Graf von Schönborn, O.P.
is a Bohemian-born Austrian Dominican friar and theologian, who is a cardinal of the Catholic Church. He serves as the Archbishop of Vienna and President of the Austrian Bishops' Conference. He was elevated to the cardinalate in 1998. He is also the chaplain of the Order of the Golden Fleece (Austrian branch), of which he has been a member since 1961. He is a member of the formerly sovereign princely House of Schönborn, several members of which held high offices of the Holy Roman Empire and the Catholic Church.

Reviews

[Matthew Tsakanikas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The importance of including deification in catechesis according to his 2nd chapter.