Salt, leaven, and light : the community called church /

Sanks has produced a masterful synthesis of narrative ecclesiology (or the church's self-understanding) from a Roman Catholic perspective, based on the works of leading historians, sociologists, and theologians. The book is in three parts. The first describes the contemporary context and method for reflecting on the church; the second surveys the historical development of the church's self-understanding from its biblical roots to Vatican II; and the third takes up the "challenges and possibilities" that confront the post-Vatican II church: changing forms of ministry, pluralistic views of the church (e.g., liberation theology), globalism and inculturation, the peculiar case of the church in the US, and finally the ecumenical question. All the important issues are here and are treated with clarity, precision, economy of expression, and fine style. This work is designed as a textbook and fills a serious need for up-to-date ecclesiology for professors as well as for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students. One could have wished to see more of the sociological method treated in Part 1 integrated throughout the text, but a helpful companion to fill that gap is Howard Clark Kee, et al., Christianity: A Social and Cultural History (1991). Sanks has provided a good index and a short list of recommended readings at the end of each chapter. This book should become a standard text, and no serious library should be without it. D. G. Schultenover; Creighton University

This comprehensive study of Roman Catholic Church history, ecclesial theology, and encounter with contemporary society focuses on future challenges of changing forms of ministry. Sanks discusses inculturation--presenting Christian theology in non-Western thought forms--encounters with non-Christian religions, and American culture in relationship to the Church. He reminds the reader that the Church has always lived with tensions that led to both continuity and change. Salt, leaven, and light are, to Sanks, especially appropriate images for the mission of the Church today. Recommended for large academic and public libraries. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.