J. M. R. Tillard (1927–2000)

This book is grounded in a sacramental understanding of the church as communion. Tillard surveys the witness of the New Testament understanding of the Church, culminating with 1 Corinthians 10-12 and its focus on the Eucharist and argues for an ecclesiology shaped by the Sacrament, where members are in true communion, one with another. He then examines several theologians from the common Catholic era (before the split with the Orthodox and the protestants) and shows how this Communion ecclesiology is grounded in the Christian tradition. Finally he approaches the topic from the language of sacrifice as used in both the New Testament and the Church tradition.

This is a beautiful book, and its picture of the interconnection between the members of the Church is inspiring. This book is good medicine to individualistic privatistic Christianity.… (más)