Catholicism at the Crossroads: How the Laity Can Save the Church

(Paperback)

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Try to define a layperson without using the word not: cannot preach or say mass, is not a priest, is not in a position of leadership in the church. This generally negative or passive understanding of the laity was epitomized in a statement of Pope Pius X: "The one duty of the multitude [i.e., the laity] is to allow themselves to be led and, like a docile fl ock, to follow the Pastors." The Second Vatican Council, with its emphasis on the priesthood of all believers rooted in baptism, changed all that. Yet, writes Paul Lakeland, "many of our bishops and not a few of the lay members of the church are attracted to a dangerously incomplete vision of Catholicism...one that sidesteps the major themes and key insights of Vatican II." In Catholicism at the Crossroads, he teases out themes fi rst developed in a much more formal way in his prize-winning The Liberation of the Laity. In his new book he is "talking to ordinary Catholics in language that requires no special expertise in theology and does not necessitate constant reference to a dictionary."

Baptism, says Lakeland, not priestly ordination, is the basis for all mission and ministry, and the mission of those baptized into Christ is to be the sacrament of God's love in a world rife with violence and brutal inequity. The specifi c mission of the laity is to the world, whereas the mission of the clergy is to the household of the faith. Yet lay people can't leave "church business" exclusively to the clergy, and the clergy can't leave the church's "worldly mission" exclusively to the laity. The key to resolving these overlapping responsibilities is by becoming an adult church, an open church in an open society. In pursuing this goal, Lakeland develops "ten steps toward a more adult church."

Reviews

"... an intelligently written, substantive, and highly engaging book about how to be church in the spirit of Vatican II. It is written 'for adult Catholics who want an adult church that can sustain their adult faith'" -Rodger Van Allen, Horizons, Vol. 34, No. 2, Fall 2007 -- Rodger Van Allen
"An annotated bibliography and probing discussion questions make this an excellent resource for study groups." Dolores R. Leckey, Theological Studies 69/1 March 2008 -- Dolores R. Leckey
"...I find he has succeeded in imparting his ideas and information in a highly understandable way.... Lakeland makes his case directly and in language that can be readily understood by the laypersons he challenges."- Fran Dechant, Future Church, Spring 2007 -- Future Church
"...little gem of a book... "The author offers extensive coverage of topics underlying the current situation and its needed reform. His principal foci are clericalism, the proper status and role of laity, reponsibilit6y and accountability in the church, characteristics of an adult church, the laity's own wholly-owned mission in both global and American cultures. It's all there- lucidly so... "Lakeland is obviously no theological lightweight. Even though he presents his thought with a simplicity intended to facilitate the work of discussion groups, serious theology and ecclesiology are implicit in all that he writes. Readers will find here myriad informative and intriguing facts, one after another, each engaging them at whatever level they bring to their reading, each invited reflection. Many of his refreshingly original insights and pith sentences will make excellent sound bites for capturing a discussion group's attention. "There seems a gentle tone, a reverence in Lakeland's writing. The way he connects his thought to dogmas and traditional pieties of Catholic faith reflects- at least to me- a deep spiritual life and a sensitive love for the church. He writes kindly and respectfully for his readership without diluting his convictions. This meticulously constructed and dedicated piece of work can't be other than a useful gift to the church."- Regina Schulte, Corpus Reports, July/August 2007 -- Corpus Reports
"...thought provoking and offers much for debate. Each chapter includes further resources and questions for discussion, and the material will challenge both progressives and traditionalists. Read it if you care about the church and understand the seriousness of your baptismal calling- and all it entails."--Liquorian
"Paul Lakeland's previous book, The Liberation of the Laity, won first place for theology in the Catholic Press Association's 2005 awards.Now he returns with a gift for a more general audience, hoping to help laypeople find their role in a less clericalized church... Mr. Lakeland has given us an invaluable teaching tool, but one whose ultimate importance depends on our rising to the challenge." -National Catholic Reporter
"Paul Lakeland's previous book, The Liberation of the Laity, won first place for theology in the Catholic Press Association's 2005 awards. Now he returns with a gift for a more general audience, hoping to helplaypeople find their role in a less clericalized church...Catholicism at the Crossroads is no naive handbook for painless church reform but a clarion call to overcome the apathy of laypeople who mutter their frustration at the rigidity of today's ecclesiastical structures before relapsing into dangerous self-absorption. Mr. Lakeland has given us an invaluable teaching tool, but one whose ultimate importance depends on our rising to the challenge." - Joseph Cunneen, National Catholic Reporter, October 5, 2007 -- Joseph Cunneen, National Catholic Reporter
"Catholicism at the Crossroads is a less technical, more widely accessible version of Lakeland's recent, incisive treatise Liberation of the Laity... Lakeland, not alone in offering a diagnosis of dysfunction, finds the situation untenable and unacceptable. He is most compelling when challenging the theological and ecclesial arguments bolstering preference of some younger clergy (a.k.a. "John Paul II priests") for a kind of preconciliar dualism that ends in elevating and thus alienating the ordained from the (merely) baptized."--America: The National Catholic Weekly * America: The National Catholic Weekly *
"Catholicism at the Crossroads gives us an operating manual for a caring and intelligent church membership. Paul Lakeland invites Catholics to go deeper and to understand how an overcentralized understanding of church has stymied the spiritual maturity of many of today's lay members. His inspiring book provides an unsettling view of how passivity in the pew is hurting the church, while offering a formula for a more responsive and transformed faith community."Francis J. Butler, Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, Inc. -- Francis Butler * Blurb from reviewer *
'Paul Lakeland is tackling the really big questions..Those "Questions for Discussion" should give rise to lively debate.' John Wilkins, The Tablet * Tablet, The *
'Catholicism at the Crossroads...is easy to read and to follow, nearly alwasy fulfilling its pledge to be theology that lay people can understand: the end is pre-figured by the means...it may be usefully read by just about anyone, anywhere, in the Church.' Owen O'Sullivan, The Furrow -- Owen O'Sullivan, The Furrow, Sept 07 * The Furrow *

Author Bio

Paul Lakeland holds the Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J. Chair in Catholic Studies at Fairfield University. He is the author of five books, on women's ordination, Hegel, liberation theology, and the intersections of theology with critical theory and postmodern cultural theory.