Doors to the Sacred: A Historical Introduction to Sacraments in the Catholic Church, Revised & Updated

by Joseph Martos

A work of major importance, written for an ecumenical audience, Doors to the Sacred is a sweeping and detailed account of the historical and cultural evolution of sacramental rituals and practices.
Since its initial publication, the book has garnered widespread critical acclaim and has become a mainstay not only for students but for all thinking Christians who want to understand the past fully while making their present participation in the sacraments more genuine and intelligent. Martos has greatly expanded all of the bibliographic material and has incorporated the latest developments in theological study and inquiry. His focus is on the seven ecclesial sacraments of the Catholic Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Reconciliation, Anointing, Marriage, and Orders.
Though based on thorough research and impressive scholarship, Doors to the Sacred is written in a lively style that will be welcomed by a general audience.
488-page paperback; 6 x 9

Genres: Religion, Theology, History, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Jenny]

If you've ever wanted to know how things came to be, how Christianity developed into what it is today, this tome is a great read, if you don't mind its length and the author's curiosity on the matter. If you are a devout Christian or a derivative thereof, you may not want to read this lovely and long-winded chronicle of the history of and inspiration to your religion. Only if you are willing to unlock the doors to the sacred should you read this. Personally, I do not like being ignorant of something I follow (we all have ratiocinative capabilities for a reason...yet, we still have questions, something that the Higher Power allowed us to do, but certainly made us too human to answer). After all, your pastor, preacher, and theology teacher had to read up on the subject of interest. If they can do it why not you?

[Talia]

If you are a Catholic and have ever wondered how the sacraments came to be, you don't want to miss this! It is fascinating to read the historical progression of the sacraments. It dispels a lot of myths, and exposes some of the 'dirty secrets' of Christianity- i.e. how the sacrament of marriage only came to be around the time of the Middle Ages, etc. It will hopefully also make you appreciate how far we've come in 2000 years!!!

[John]

A very thorough study of the sacraments in historical context. There is a wealth of information that helps one under many aspects of the sacraments in general and the seven sacraments in detail. The author also opens up the understanding of sacraments to the significance of sacramentality.

[booklady]

I can't say I have read even most of this, but where I have dipped into it, I've found it extremely interesting.

[Bijoy Joseph]

While this book contains a good description of the historical development of the sacraments in general and each sacrament on its own, the conclusion it reaches based on this analysis seems stuck in the general milieu of change of the 1960s. Often by showing the sacrament developed from primitive origins, the author advocates for a return to that primitive understanding of the sacrament rather than recognising a true development of doctrine within the tradition of the Church.

[Rick Lee Lee James]

Excellent resource

Nearly 600 pages of excellent information. Every chapter covers a different sacrament with studies around the sacrament broken into
1. Parallels and Precedents
2. Place in Early Christianity
3. In Middle Ages
4. In Modern
5. In the Church Today

I read this for an upcoming masters class on the sacraments.

[Erinn Dimond]

Very dense, but very informative. A few theological issues, like referring to James as Jesus’ brother without specifying that they were not both biological children of Mary and Joseph. A bit outdated as well, but overall a good source of info!

[Harriet]

Read for CCRS.
Really easy to read. Great conversational language.

[Kristin]

Also read this book for class, and I definitely wouldn't have gotten through it as leisure reading! The writing style was a bit technical and repetitive. In the end that style worked well for a textbook, and I did appreciate Martos's methodical approach to exploring the history and development of these 7 important ceremonies. In his thoroughness, he did not shy away from the more controversial topics in our church today, such as priestly celibacy, providing a balanced look at both sides in these kinds of issues.

[Shari]

This is a very thorough look at the seven sacraments and includes how the sacraments relate to other religious rituals, their historical development, and the current issues or challenges to theological understanding and/or religious practice. Martos doesn't hesitate to state his own opinions either, which I appreciate.

[David Szatkowski]

This is an interesting and thought provoking look at how the sacraments and sacramental theology (as we know it today) developed. The author is not trying to give an apologetic discussion or a dogmatic treatise on the sacraments or an official consideration of the sacraments. With that in mind, it is worth noting that the sacraments developed in a real context, and God is part of our history.

[S.]

ok, I admit that I did not read this entire book...but I read most of it for a class and while it would be an odd choice (I think) for the random reader, it is an excellent resource book for anyone interested in the topic; very comprehensive and has a lot of additional resource suggestions as well.

[Darien Clark]

A solid basic overview of the Catholic Sacraments. The edition I read was last updated in 1981, so it does not include some of the recent tweaks and changes to Sacramental Rites and forms. But the heart of the Sacraments is still the same, thus a very good introductory resource to the Sacraments.

[Maria]

500 pages of comprehensive, well-written, and engaging information about the history of the Catholic Church’s sacraments, as well as their evolutions and roots from Judaism all the way to present day. I’d highly recommend this text for anyone curious about how our sacraments came to be.

[Geoffrey]

Our cat Mittens could write a better book on sacramental theology.

[Nancy]

A history of the sacraments of the Catholic Church. Academic and readable. Not the only word on the subject to be sure, but an interesting offering.

[Daune Robinson Calovini]

Fascinating historical study on the Sacraments. Super easy to read. Fantastic text.

[Linda]

Very good introduction to Roman Catholic sacraments.