Is it the Same Church?

Facet Books #2

by Frank Sheed

Very interesting work containing the following chapters; Authority and Change, Authority and Morals, Contraception, The Church and the Eucharist; Ecumenism, Ecumenism and Our Lady, How Living Is God? How Living Is Christ? Sunrise or Sunset?

Genres: Theology

239 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1968

About the author

Francis Joseph Sheed was an Australian-born lawyer, Catholic writer, publisher, speaker, and lay theologian. He and his wife Maisie Ward were famous in their day as the names behind the imprint Sheed & Ward and as forceful public lecturers in the Catholic Evidence Guild.

Reviews

[Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very interesting snapshot into the mind of a mainstream Catholic thinker and apologist shortly after V2. There is almost a schizophrenic take on things. In one chapter it is stated that the Church has the Truth unquestionably, is responsible for evangelizing the world, and has done a poor job. Then he lauds the cacophony of opinions (many cited are clearly heresy) allowed by the shift from the “anathema” to the “accompaniment” approach as allowing the best thought to come forward... as if a loud discordant chorus is better than a credo in unison.
The whole thing is permeated with an excitement of things to come. I wonder if Sheed maintained this excitement as the fruits of the post-conciliar became more clear.
He also seems to take an agnostic kind of view to the development of history. Eg, should the apostles have gone east instead of west then we might have lao tze’s philosophy integrated into our doctor’s theology rather than aristotle and plato. In his excitement about that future possibility, he seems to neglect that the fact that history didn’t unfold I’m that manner means something about God’s providence and plan.