Gerald O'Collins

Gerald Collins's last book he published before his death. Now professor emeritus of the Gregorian University (Rome) and a world-acclaimed theologian who has authored or co-authored over eighty books, Gerald O'Collins, SJ, gathers fifteen of his Christmas letters (2009-2023). In different ways, they all aim to elicit gratitude for the year that was closing down and to inspire courage for the year that was about to open up.At the origins of the Church, St Paul illustrated pre-eminently the indispensable importance of letters for supporting the Christian mission and for advancing our appreciation of essential doctrines and the life of faith.Shortly before the time of Paul, the unique correspondence of the Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero established forever the value of letters for human beings and their witness to who they are and what they experience.No one illustrates better than O'Collins the creative and constructive results of precise, Jesus-centred biblical thinking and praying. His most recent books include Facing Up to Jesus in the Gospels and Paul and Letters to Maev (Connor Court Publishing).

شناخت شخصیت و کار مسیح بی]شک یکی از مهمترین و ثمر]بخش]ترین فعالیت]هایی است که هر فرد مسیحی، بلکه هر انسانی، می]تواند بدان بپردازد. و کتاب اُکالینز قطعاً یکی از بهترین کتبی است که طی نیم قرن گذشته حتی در زبان انگلیسی در این خصوص به رشتهٔ تحریر درآمده است. کمتر کتابی را در این سطح و با این حجم نسبتاً کم می]توان یافت که به اهم مطالب مطروح پیرامون این موضوع از هر سه چشم]انداز کتاب]مقدسی، تاریخی و نظام]مند پرداخته باشد. ترجمۀ روان و روشن کتاب، درک مطالب آن را برای خوانندهٔ فارسی]زبان غیرمتخصص نیز کاملاً قابل حصول ساخته است، هر چند گفتۀ سعدی در این مورد نیز کاملاً مصداق دارد که نابرده رنج گنج میسر نمی]شود. به]عنوان کسی که سال]هاست به تحقیق و تدریس در این رشته مشغولم، ترجمه و انتشار این اثر بسیار پرارزش را موفقیتی بزرگ در نشر ادبیات غنی مسیحی به زبان فارسی می]دانم. باشد که مطالعهٔ این اثر به شناخت هر چه عمیق]تر این شخصیت بی]نظیر نزد همۀ فارسی]زبانان منجر شود. کشیش دکتر مهرداد فاتحی

Now professor emeritus of the Gregorian University (Rome) and a world-acclaimed theologian who has authored or co-authored over eighty books, Gerald O'Collins illuminates difficult sayings of Jesus and meticulously explains these and other texts of the four Gospels. His interpretation also significantly advances our appreciation of Jesus' virginal conception (Matthew and Luke), the 'verbal' quality of believing in John's Gospel, and the silent flight of Mary Magdalene and her two companions when they hear the astonishing news of Jesus' resurrection from the dead (Mark 16:1-8).O'Collins moves to Paul and sets out his role as key witness to the resurrection of Jesus-along with Peter and Mary Magdalene. He enters the debate about a current theory that the 'high exaltation' of Jesus (Philippians 2:9) amounts to nothing more than his becoming a superior angel.No one illustrates better than O'Collins the creative and constructive results of precise, Jesus-centred New Testament exegesis. His most recent books include The Beauty of Jesus (Oxford University Press), The Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius of Loyola: A Lived Experience (Paulist Press), and Letters to Maev (Connor Court Publishing).

The book follows the structure of the Spiritual Exercises, commenting on major themes in what Ignatius calls the First Week, the Second Week, the Third Week, and the Fourth Week, ending with the Contemplation for Attaining Love. It engages the audience by introducing fresh reflections on the Principle and Foundation (to be read in the context of late medieval marriage vows), and by using, at length, several episodes in the Gospel stories (e.g. the nativity of Christ, the call to service of Peter's mother-in-law, the particular approaches of the evangelists to Christ's passion and death, and the place of Ch. 21 in John's theology of love) to show how contemporary biblical interpretation enriches possibilities for prayer. Resources for prayer are drawn from Christian painting, sculpture, music, literature (e.g., Pascal and Kierkegaard) and poetry. The author explores links between the Exercises and the traditional practice of lectio divina. In doing this, he illustrates the scope of teaching on lectio divina coming from the Second Vatican Council and shows how translators and commentators have missed the Council's use of the technical term lectio divina.†

What Maev contributed to my story shines through the letters I wrote to her from 1978 to 2017 - mainly from my home base in Rome. When that surviving correspondence began, she was the head of what became the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at the University of Papua New Guinea. On retirement in 1989 she returned to Australia and chose to live in Canberra. There she could have richer contacts with Papua New Guinea and the rest of Melanesia.During a long and fascinating life, Maev showed herself a person 'for others', constantly concerned to promote the rights and wellbeing of everyone, no matter who they were. The letters I wrote to her persistently reflect the impact of her wise love on me, her younger brother Gerald. - From the PrefaceGerald Glynn O'Collins SJ is an Australian Jesuit priest, author, academic and educator. For more than three decades, he was professor of systematic and fundamental theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University (Rome). In 2006, O'Collins was made a Companion of the General Division of the Order of Australia (AC).

This book gathers many letters Gerald O'Collins wrote (all from Jesuit Theological College, Parkville, Australia) and received. He describes the sinister coming of COVID-19 and its dispiriting impact in different corners of the world. To place the impact of the virus on 'normal' living, ten of the letters are from Gerald's grandniece Nevie Peters.Praise for Gerald O'CollinsLetters from Rome and Beyond (2021)'There are so many things to appreciate and value in this collection. The vivid descriptions of different cultures, the sensitivity to history near and far, the wise comments on contemporary theological concerns, the deep spirituality and love of Christ, the warmth and affection of personal relationships, and the sparks of humour throughout make for enjoyable and inspiring reading.'- The Revd Canon Professor Dorothy A. Lee, Trinity College Theological School, University of Divinity.'One of the most prolific and representative of post-Vatican II Catholic theologians, O'Collins is also among the most affable, with a genius for friendship and networking which comes through very gently but powerfully in these pages...they are also full of interesting information, wry observation and humorous comment on theological, ecclesiastical and political matters and personalities.'- Vivien Boland, OP, The Pastoral Review.

A collection of eighteen essays on the Gospels, Acts, and the letters of Paul, written throughout Gerald O’Collins's distinguished career. †

The study of Jesus remains central to Christianity. "Who was and is Jesus?" and "What has he done for us and for our world?" are crucial questions that demand careful consideration and perennial answers. These Christological questions reach to the heart of Christian identity—both in its understanding of itself and in its relation to other world religions. In Christology: Origins, Developments, Debates, Gerald O'Collins continues his groundbreaking work in Christology by first tracing its major developments over the last fifty years. He next turns to a theology of resurrection—Christology's central event—and the foundational roles played by its two great witnesses, Peter and Paul. O'Collins then masterfully constructs a "theology of religions" that explores the relationship of Christianity to other living faiths precisely in light of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. In this volume, O'Collins engages the riches of the tradition and the challenges of the present to aid scholars and students alike who wish to grasp the centrality of the second person of the Trinity to the Christian faith.

During more than thirty years of teaching at the Gregorian University in Rome (1974-2006) and later, Gerald O'Collins, SJ, AC, often wrote to his family and friends. This volume contains over 150 of his letters. These letters blend public news of church and state with vivid details about foreign visitors and new, Italian friends. They enter into a struggle as professor and dean of theology to update the oldest Jesuit university, a West Point of the Catholic Church which continues to train future bishops, cardinals and popes. The letters also vividly describe what O'Collins did during summer vacations-on lecturing tours that took him to every continent.A leading modern theologian, Fr O'Collins has published 76 books that he has authored or co-authored, including seventeen with Oxford University Press and four with Connor Court: A Midlife Journey (2012), On the Left Bank of the Tiber (2013), From Rome to Royal Park (2015) and Portraits (2019). As well as receiving numerous honorary doctorates and other awards, in 2006 with Nicole Kidman he was created a Companion of the General Division of the Order of Australia, the highest civil honour granted through the Australian government.

Through the lens of Christology, a new approach to the theology of religions.

In this book, Gerald O'Collins, SJ, takes a systematic look at the 2010 English translation of the Roman Missal and the ways it fails to achieve what the Second Vatican Council mandated: the full participation of priest and people. Critiquing the unsatisfactory principles prescribed by the Vatican instruction Liturgiam Authenticam (2001), this book, which includes a chapter by John Wilkins:tells the story of the maneuverings that sidelined the 1998 translation approved by eleven conferences of English-speaking bishops,criticizes the 2010 translation, andillustrates the clear superiority of the 1998 translation, the "Missal that never was"

Despite a long history of external threats and internal strife, the Roman Catholic Church remains a vast and influential presence in our modern world. But what were its origins, and how has it changed and adapted over the centuries? After Pope Benedict XVI dramatically resigned in early 2013 (the first Pope to resign since the fifteenth century), and Pope Francis was elected, many wondered what direction he would lead the Church in, and whether the Church could modernise in the face of the demands of our world. In this Very Short Introduction, Gerald O'Collins covers the history of the Catholic Church, and considers some of the key issues facing Catholicism today, such as the catastrophic revelations about clerical child abuse, the impact of the growth of Islam, and the destruction in the Middle East of ancient Christian church communities. He also shows how Catholics are being increasingly challenged by an opposition between their traditional Christian values and rights which are endorsed by the secular world, such as the right to physician assisted suicide or same-sex marriage, and considers the future for the largest and oldest institution in the world. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

The study of Jesus remains central to Christianity. ""Who was and is Jesus?"" and ""What has he done for us and for our world?"" are crucial questions that demand careful consideration and perennial answers. These Christological questions reach to the heart of Christian identity - both in its understanding of itself and in its relation to other world religions. In Christology: Origins, Developments, Debates, Gerald O'Collins continues his groundbreaking work in Christology by first tracing its major developments over the last fifty years. He next turns to a theology of resurrection - Christology's central event - and the foundational roles played by its two great witnesses, Peter and Paul. O'Collins then masterfully constructs a ""theology of religions"" that explores the relationship of Christianity to other living faiths precisely in light of the priesthood of Jesus Christ. In this volume, O'Collins engages the riches of the tradition and the challenges of the present to aid scholars and students alike who wish to grasp the centrality of the second person of the Trinity to the Christian faith.

Convened by Pope John XXIII, the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) profoundly changed the self-image and life of the Catholic Church. But understanding, interpreting, and implementing Vatican II still remain a task far from completed. Pope Francis has given fresh impetus toward practicing the Council’s teaching about a humble, servant Church that pursues justice and peace for the whole world.This book explores and presents Vatican II’s developments in doctrine about divine revelation; the nature, mission, and collegiality of the Church; religious freedom; and the divine grace that reaches all human beings. It takes up the profound significance of the liturgy constitution, which opened the way for the Council’s subsequent teaching.In documenting the renewal and reform conveyed by the message and meaning of Vatican II, this book illustrates the scholarship and accessible style for which Gerald O’Collins has become renowned.

At a time when Christian faith in the Trinity is both challenged by militant atheism and called to engage in serious dialogue with Islam, this book presents the biblical, historical, and experiential roots of Trinitarian faith. It shows how Christianity stands or falls with this faith in the Trinity, and why such as faith radically shapes personal life and public worship. It takes up major Trinitarian issues of today: such as naming the Trinity, the distinct personal existence of the Holy Spirit, and Trinitarian images. Highlights: • Displays the biblical roots of Trinitarian faith • Clarifies the development of official teaching about the Trinity • Confronts such major issues as naming the Trinity and the personal existence of the Holy Spirit • Accessible, constantly interesting, and stylishly written †

This book identifies the distinguishing features of fundamental theology, as distinct from philosophical theology, natural theology, apologetics, and other similar disciplines. Addressing the potential for confusion about basic Christian claims and beliefs, Gerald O'Collins sets out to relaunch fundamental theology as a discipline by presenting a coherent vision of basic theological questions and positions that lay the ground for work in specific areas of systematic theology. Rethinking Fundamental Theology examines central theological questions: about God, human experience and, specifically, religious experience; the divine revelation coming through the history of Israel and through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus; human faith that responds to revelation; the nature of tradition that transmits the record and reality of revelation; the structure of biblical inspiration and truth, as well as basic issues concerned with the formation of the canon; the founding of the Church with some leadership structures; the relationship between Christ's revelation and the faith of those who follow other religions. O'Collins concludes with some reflections on theological method. Written with the scholarship and accessibility for which O'Collins is known and valued, this book will relaunch fundamental theology as a distinct and necessary discipline in faculties and departments of theology and religious studies around the world.