The Living Church

Christopher M. Bellitto

What did the Church believe about Jesus's divinity and humanity before the Creed was promulgated? What were the contexts that gave rise to the seven sacraments? Why did Vatican II promote the laity and the universal call to holiness in the way it did? Context does shape behavior and questions, and in The Living Church: Old Treasures, New Discoveriesyou'll find careful explanations about how seven key elements in Catholicism came into being and developed over the centuries.

Church doctrine, the sacraments, Scripture, and other elements in our Catholic tradition do not just magically appear. Rather they are the result of a process that involves new questions and experiences that are brought into dialogue with any current understanding or practice. Because men and women have to adapt to new times and ways, their faith too, must adapt. The challenge is how the faith adapts in ways that are true to core teaching yet is expressed in ways that touch people's lives and help them know God is at work, active in their lives.

The Living Church: Old Treasures, New Discoveries is the ideal book to follow up Church History 101 by the same author. This newly edited and focused book will introduce you to a living Church with a lively journey of faith that is as exciting today as any time in history.