Doors to the sacred : an historical introduction to the sacraments in the Catholic Church

Newly Revised and Expanded in light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and with an expanded resource section, Doors to the Sacred remains a detailed account of the historical and cultural evolution of the sacraments--and the rituals and practices associated with them. Preface IX About the Author xi Introduction: History and Sacraments xiii PART ONE: A HISTORY OF SACRAMENTS I. Sacraments in All Religions 3 II. The Beginnings of the Christian Sacraments 19 1. Israel and the Roman Empire 19 2. The Early Christian Community 23 3. The Patristic Period 27 4. The Sacramental Seal 32 5. Augustine and Afterward 40 III. The Development of the Catholic Sacraments 47 1. Seven Liturgical Sacraments 48 2. Sign and Reality . 51 3. The Sacramental Character 56 4. Aritstotle, Aquinas, and the Sacraments 60 5. Legalism, Nominalism, and Magic 65 IV. Catholic and Protestant Sacraments 77 1. Luther and the Protestant Reformation 80 2. Trent and the Catholic Counter-reformation 88 3. The Modern Centuries 94 V. The Sacraments Today 103 1. Twentieth-Century Developments 104 2. Contemporary Sacramental Theology 109 3. Contemporary Sacramental Practices 125 PART TWO: HISTORIES OF THE SACRAMENTS VI. Baptism 143 1. Parallels and Precedents 143 2. Baptism and Christian Initiation 144 3. Baptism in the Middle Ages 156 4. Baptism in Modern Times 166 5. Baptism in Contemporary Catholicism 171 Vil. Confirmation 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. Receiving the Holy Spirit 3. From Consignation to Confirmation 4. Confirmation in Modern Times 5. Confirmation in the Contemporary Church Vili. Eucharist 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. From the Last Supper to the Liturgy 3. The Mass and Eucharist in the Middle Ages 4. The Lord’s Supper and the Modern Mass 5. Liturgy and Eucharist in the Twentieth Century IX. Reconciliation 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. Repentance and Reconciliation in Early Christianity 3. Confession and Penance in the Middle Ages 4. The Modern Sacrament of Penance 5. Sacramental Reconciliation in the Church Today X. Anointing 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. Healing and Anointing in the Early Church 3. From Anointing the Sick to Anointing the Dying 4. The Modern Sacrament of Extreme Unction 5. Return to Anointing of the Sick XL Marriage 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. Early Christian Marriage 3. From Secular to Ecclesiastical Marriage 4. Marriage in the Modern Church 5. Marriage in Contemporary Catholicism XII. Ordination 1. Parallels and Precedents 2. Christian Ministries and Sacred Orders 3. Holy Orders in the Middle Ages 4. The Modern Catholic Priesthood 5. Ministries in the Church Today Conclusion: Sacraments and the Future Index of Names and Topics Chronicles the historical and cultural evolution of Catholic sacramental rituals and practices, focusing on the seven ecclesial sacraments: baptism, confirmation, the Eucharist, reconciliation, anointing, marriage, and orders