Readings in Church Authority: Gifts and Challenges for Contemporary Catholicism

The issues of Authority and Governance in the Roman Catholic Church permeate each and every aspect of the Church's identity, teaching, influence, organisation, moral values and pastoral provision. There has been a continuous and lively stream of dialogue and disagreement on authority and governance in relation to the place of the Church in our age and the new Millennium.This comprehensive Reader uniquely gathers together in one volume key writings and documents from the wealth of published literature that has emerged on the issues of authority and governance in the Roman Catholic Church. With guided introductions to each section and to each reading, and end of chapter annotated further reading lists, this Reader offers a balanced range of perspectives, themes, international writings, ecumenical dimensions, and formal church documents and Papal pronouncements on core areas of contemporary study and debate.Focusing on the modern/post-modern period in the Roman Catholic Church, but grounded in the historical contexts, Readings in Church Authority presents an accessible source book and introduction for all those exploring current debates and studying central themes in church authority.

Gerard Mannion is Lecturer in Systematic Theology, Ecclesiology and Ethics at Trinity and All Saints University College, Leeds. He previously taught Philosophy, Doctrine and Ethics at Westminster College, Oxford and was a member of the Queen's Foundation Working Party on Authority and Governance in the Roman Catholic Church Richard Gaillardetz holds the Murray/Bacik Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Toledo. He was previously Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the University of St Thomas in Houston, Texas. In 2000, he was the recipient of the Sophia Award for his outstanding contributions to the life of the church Jan Kerkhofs is a Jesuit and Emeritus Professor of Pastoral Theology in the Catholic University of Louvain in Belgium. He was co-chair, and the inspiration behind the European Values Study and founded 'Pro Mundi Vita' Kenneth Wilson was, until his recent retirement, Director of Research of the Queen's Foundation for Ecumenical Theological Education in Birmingham. He was formerly a lecturer at Wesley College, Bristol, Principal of Westminster College, Oxford and a member of the Faculty of Theology of the University of Oxford. He was also a member of the Queen's Foundation Working Party on Authority and Governance in the Roman Catholic Church