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Book Reviews (Nova et Vetera, Vol. 15, No. 4)

Journal Article

Book Reviews (Nova et Vetera, Vol. 15, No. 4)

  • 15
  • Michael Stickelbroeck, Emery de Gaál, et al.
  • St. Paul Center for Biblical Theology
  • Steubenville, OH
  • 2017 AD

The issue’s reviews first present Michael Stickelbroeck’s study of grace, which joins historical and systematic theology to argue that grace is essential to human freedom and that humanity reaches its fulfilment through deification. Drawing on the Greek Fathers, the book distinguishes nature from supernatural grace while describing the Christian life as a Trinitarian participation in the Father through the Son and the Holy Spirit. Aaron Riches’s Christological work then argues that Jesus’ humanity cannot be understood apart from its inseparable union with the divine Word. Against interpretations associated with Duns Scotus and Jon Sobrino, it maintains that the hypostatic union perfects rather than diminishes human nature, defending a ressourcement Thomist approach against liberal-Catholic accounts. Cyril of Alexandria, Pope Leo, and Thomas Aquinas appear in the discussion of the unity and distinction of Christ’s two natures. A further group of reviews concerns Catholic liturgy after the Second Vatican Council. Essays from a 2013 conference defend renewed attention to worship as the Church’s “source and summit,” addressing sacred music, architecture, priestly formation, Latin, Gregorian chant, and the usus antiquior. Dominique Rey, Malcolm Ranjith, and Peter Elliott stress encounter with Christ, worship shaped by his sacrifice, proper distinctions of priestly roles, and reverent celebration rather than theatrical performance. John Kenney’s study of Augustine finally argues that contemplation develops from an apparently intellectual ascent in the early works toward a grace-given gift open to all believers, rooted in Scripture and Christian experience rather than simply derived from Platonism.

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