Antistite nostro: The Episcopal Ministry in the Life of the Local Church
Festschrift in Honor of Dennis M. Schnurr, Archbishop of Cincinnati
Edited by Ryan T. Ruiz and David J. Endres
Foreword by Timothy P. Broglio
Imprint: Wipf and Stock
The richness of the Catholic Church is found in the bonds of communion between the universal church and the local church. The bishop―the antistite, or high priest, as he is entitled in the Canon of the Mass―is the apostolic successor who, though always in communion with the pope, is likewise a vicar of Christ in his own right. Thus, the role of the bishop―and his understanding of his own ministry―can shape the personality of a diocese as well as its understanding of its place in the worldwide church. This Festschrift, written in honor of a bishop who has sought to enliven his diocese and remind it of its bonds of communion with the whole, aims to provide a multi-disciplined approach to the ministry of the diocesan bishop at a time when authority is held in suspicion, communion is seen as constricting, and obedience to those in authority is treated as an artifact of a bygone age. The assembled essays approach the question of the episcopal ministry from the perspective of the Catholic Church's theological tradition and aim to enlighten clergy and laity about the ministry of their bishops and encourage bishops themselves in exercising their sacred office.
Ryan T. Ruiz, a priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, is dean of the School of Theology and associate professor of liturgy and sacraments at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology, Cincinnati. He received a doctorate in sacred liturgy from the Pontifical Liturgical Institute of Saint Anselm in Rome and serves as a consultant for the US bishops’ Committee on Divine Worship.
David J. Endres serves as academic dean and professor of church history and historical theology at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology, Cincinnati. A priest of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he holds a doctoral degree from the Catholic University of America and is editor of the scholarly quarterly U.S. Catholic Historian.
“The faculty of Mount St. Mary’s Seminary & School of Theology has produced an outstanding collection of essays in honor of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of his priestly ordination. While many theologians reflect on the diaconate and priesthood, these scholars offer useful insights into the identity of the bishop and importance of episcopal ministry in the life of the diocese. Archbishop Schnurr’s commitment to the seminary, priestly vocations, governance and stewardship, building on the legacy of his predecessors, will have a lasting impact on the mission of evangelization for generations to come.”
—Bishop Earl Fernandes, Diocese of Columbus
“In its multifaceted, interdisciplinary study, the Athenaeum of Ohio’s theological faculty rightly honors Archbishop Dennis Schnurr and his twenty-three years of episcopal ministry begun in the Diocese of Duluth and continued in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Every bishop should read this book. The Catholic faithful—both clergy and laity alike—will also do well to study it in order to appreciate all the more the bishops who in imitation of Christ crucified have laid down their lives in their service.”
—Joseph Carola, SJ, professor of patristic theology, The Pontifical Gregorian University
“The recovery of a robustly episcopal focus at the heart of Catholic ecclesiology was one of the major contributions of twentieth century ressourcement, codified at Vatican II. In continuity with this important development, the present volume offers a highly pertinent reflection on the bishop’s office at a significant moment in the theological and pastoral life of the post-conciliar Church. The quality and originality of this collection of nine essays makes a genuine contribution of doctrinal service to the universal Catholic communion and manifests the theological vitality of the local Church of Cincinnati, under the guidance of Archbishop Dennis Schnurr.”
—Anthony Giambrone, OP, professor of New Testament, École biblique et archéologique française de Jérusalem
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