Deconstructing Sacramental Theology and Reconstructing Catholic Ritual

"The reform of sacramental liturgy, decreed by the Second Vatican Council, calls for 'full, conscious, active' participation, and yet congregational passivity and the false notion that sacraments are 'administered' and 'received' have not disappeared. Catholic rituals, in many ways, perpetuate the belief that grace is a matter of merit . . . [but] Martos gives us a new and challenging outlook on sacraments. These pages must be read by anyone who believes the work of liturgy entails a deep investment of the heart and true engagement with the mind."

--Stephen S. Wilbricht, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, Stonehill College



"In Doors to the Sacred, Joseph Martos overturned static models of sacramental development and revealed the historical dialectic between ritual practices and their explanations. Now Martos has gone further, exposing how church fathers and scholastic theologians misinterpreted ancient texts to prove the ideas that eventually became Catholic doctrine. In doing so, he challenges contemporary theologies from Schillebeeckx to Chauvet and offers a method for honestly inculturating sacramental experiences in a diversified global church."

--Aaron Milavec, Author, Retired Professor Emeritus



"Professor Martos, so well known to those of us who teach or taught sacramental theology over the years, has brought his work in sacramental theology to a significant stage with his present volume. He takes the discussion to a different level where he challenges the reigning sacramental theologies. His book should be examined carefully by sacramental theologians as they engage in the project of reconstructing Catholic ritual."

--Jake Empereur, Retired Professor of Liturgy