Liberation of the Laity In Search of an Accountable Church |
|
| Author:
| Lakeland, Paul |
| ISBN: | 978-0-8264-1483-0 |
| Publication Date: | Aug 2003 |
| Publisher: | Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
|
| Imprint: | Continuum |
| Book Format: | Hardback |
| List Price: | AUD $65.00 |
Book Description:
|
The present crisis in the American Catholic Church stems from a two-fold source- lay people are powerless while the bishops are accountable to no one but the pope and the curia. While the number of lay people exercising ministries in the church has grown enormously over the past thirty years (largely due to the shortage of priests), there has been little or no theological reflection till now on the genuine role of the laity. It is only from such reflection that structural reform of the...
More DescriptionThe present crisis in the American Catholic Church stems from a two-fold source- lay people are powerless while the bishops are accountable to no one but the pope and the curia. While the number of lay people exercising ministries in the church has grown enormously over the past thirty years (largely due to the shortage of priests), there has been little or no theological reflection till now on the genuine role of the laity. It is only from such reflection that structural reform of the church will come.
It discusses the importance of secularity, the need for a lay liberation theology, and the centrality of the struggles against global capitalism in the mission of the church. It ends with a chapter envisioning dramatic changes in ministry and governing structures, in which accountability will be central, servant leaders will include women and married people, and both ecclesiastical careerism and the College of Cardinals will be history.