Catholic Theology

This book might have been subtitled “A Guide to Catholic Theology After Vatican II for those born after 1968”—though people born before 1968 will benefit from reading it, too. The author, Tracey Rowland, provides a reliable who’s who and what’s what when it comes to Catholic theology today. A renowned theologian, winner of the prestigious Ratzinger Prize in theology, and member of the International Theological Commission, Rowland explains the basic elements of Catholic theology, and then explores the main theological groups in contemporary Catholic theology: various kinds of Thomists, the Communio theologians (such as Joseph Ratzinger himself), the Concilium theologians, and Liberation theology.

Rowland writes for first-time students trying to make sense of Catholic theology today, as well as for those more knowledgeable of theology. The appendices include a list of Doctors of the Church, all encyclicals since the 19th century, the documents of Vatican II, and a list of definitions of various Christological heresies from the period of the early Church Councils.