Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology

The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology provides a one-volume introduction to all the major aspects of Catholic theology. Part One considers the nature of theological thinking, and the major topics of Catholic teaching, including the Triune God, the Creation, and the mission of the Incarnate Word. It also covers the character of the Christian sacramental life and the major themes of Catholic moral teaching. The treatments in the first part of the Handbookoffer personal syntheses of Catholic teaching, but each offers an account in accord with Catholic theology as it is expressed in the Second Vatican Council and authoritative documentation. Part Two focuses on the historical development of Catholic Theology. An initial section offers essays on some of Catholictheology's most important sources between 200 and 1870, and the final section of the collection considers all the main movements and developments in Catholic theology across the world since 1870.This comprehensive volume features fifty-six original contributions by some of the best-known names in current Catholic theology from the Americas, Europe, Asia, and Africa. The chapters are written in an engaging and easily comprehensible style functioning both as a scholarly reference and as a survey of the field. There are no comparable studies available in one volume and the book will be an indispensable reference for students of Catholic theology at all levels and in allcontexts.

Lewis Ayres and Medi Ann Volpe have edited an elegant volume of 962 pages that is laudable for its clarity, thematic focus, and, surprisingly, succinctness ... This first edition of the Oxford Handbook is eminently recommendable for anyone entering the field of Catholic theology today and will certainly be a valuable reference work for anyone of any confession who is seeking to become acquainted with the lay of the land., In conclusion, The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology is a valuable theological resource ... the Handbook provides many contextually sensitive, precise, and concise expositions of Catholic doctrine that will help readers to understand what the church teaches on a given topic and what the historical circumstances were that led to the formulation of that teaching., Ayres (Durham Univ., UK) and Volpe (formerly, Emory Univ. and Durham Univ.) gathered an outstanding group of scholars to contribute to this volume. The 56 essays are divided into two parts. Part 1, "Catholic Teaching," provides an invaluable overview of the content of Catholic belief. ... Part 2, "Modern Catholic Theology," is divided into two subsections. The first, "Sources of Catholic Theology up to Vatican I," begins with essays on key patristic, monastic, and scholastic sources, and subsequent essays carry the history through the first Vatican Council. The second subsection, "Catholic Theology since 1870," provides a well-balanced introduction to contemporary Catholic theology. ... Combining reliable exposition with fresh insights and perspectives, this volume will be valuable to both beginning and advanced scholars., The Oxford Handbook of Catholic Theology provides an encyclopaedic account of theology, soundly based in the Scriptures and Catholic history. It is a welcome addition to the prestigious series of Oxford Handbooks.

Lewis Ayres is Professor of Catholic and Historical Theology at Durham University and Professional Fellow at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Australia. His published works include Nicaea and Its Legacy (Oxford University Press, 2004) and Augustine and the Trinity (Cambridge University Press, 2010).Medi Ann Volpe has taught at Emory University in the USA and at Cranmer Hall, St John's College Durham in the UK. She is the author of Rethinking Christian Identity: Doctrine and Discipleship (Wiley-Blackwell, 2013).