International Theological Commission Collection (27 vols.)

by International Theological Commission

Publisher:

Libreria Editrice Vaticana

, 1969–2014

Overview

Following the historical Second Vatican Council, Pope Paul VI established the International Theological Commission (ITC) in 1969 to serve in an advisory capacity to the pope and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on the most important theological questions of the present day. With a rotating roster appointed to five-year terms, the ITC claims some of Catholicism’s most notable theologians of the past 50 years as alumni—Hans Urs von Balthasar, Joseph Ratzinger, Karl Rahner, Henri de Lubac, Avery Dulles, and Yves Congar, among many others, have each taken their turn as members.

Over the past five decades, the ITC has written on a wide variety of topics of great theological importance. At times controversial and always insightful, the ITC characteristically brings to every document the shared wisdom of the top Catholic theologians of our day from around the world. Though their work is not considered official, infallible Catholic teaching, it is widely respected and has proven very influential in directing the currents of Catholic theology and magisterial teaching. In this collection, you get every document the International Theological Commission has produced since its inception nearly 50 years ago.

Key Features

• Provides clear, succinct formulations of contemporary Catholic theology on an immense number of theological disciplines
• Includes contributions from the top Catholic theologians of the past 50 years
• Features a global Catholic perspective on the most important theological questions of our day

Product Details

• Title: International Theological Commission Collection
• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Volumes: 27
• Pages: 684
• Christian Group: Catholic
• Resource Type: Church Documents

God the Trinity and the Unity of Humanity

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 4

A persistent myth of the present day is that monotheism in general—and Christianity in particular—invariably leads to violence. The International Theological Commission sets out to address this false assumption through a comprehensive exploration of the Christian faith’s opposition to violence.

Sensus Fidei in the Life of the Church

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 47

The sensus fidei—or “sense of the faithful”—is an important component of the development of doctrine, yet it is often misunderstood. In this most recent text from the International Theological Commission, the group of theologians gives a comprehensive summary of the sensus fidei in Scripture and Tradition and how it plays out in the life of the church up through the present time.

Theology Today: Perspectives, Principles and Criteria

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2011
• Pages: 42

In the 50 years following the Second Vatican Council, theology has seen a flourishing with an increase in the number of voices; however, this has also brought with it a certain amount of fragmentation. With this in mind, the members of the International Theological Commission have turned their attention to identifying the unifying strand between all the various different Catholic theologies. Using some of their earlier documents as a starting point, they provide an updated, in-depth look at what makes Catholic theology “Catholic.”

In Search of a Universal Ethic: A New Look at the Natural Law

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 53

The natural law serves as the foundation for objective moral values. In this work, the ITC provides a comprehensive, contemporary look at the natural law. You will find here a historical overview of the natural law leading to its ultimate fulfillment in Christ. Through this deft analysis, the application of the natural law in politics and society today is convincingly articulated.

The Hope of Salvation for Infants Who Die without Being Baptised

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 42

The Catholic Church has long held the necessity of Baptism for salvation. But what does this mean for those clearly innocent people who die before being baptized? Is there hope for them? The ITC answers with a resounding “Yes!” In this monumental text, the truth of Baptism’s necessity is reconciled with the truth of God’s limitless mercy. Controversially, this document diminishes the theological hypothesis of “limbo” as the best fate for which unbaptized infants may hope.

Communion and Stewardship: Human Persons Created in the Image of God

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 26

From the very first chapter in the Bible, one of the most provocative assertions of divine revelation is that human beings are created in the very image and likeness of God. This profound reality needs to be at the forefront of our mind as we reflect on how we treat and interact with each other. The ITC offers a broad and thorough analysis of the imago dei of human persons and what this means in light of the unique challenges of the modern world.

From the Diakonia of Christ to the Diakonia of the Apostles

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 85

One of the great fruits of the Second Vatican Council was an increase in attention to the diaconate not just as a transitional period for those on the road to priesthood but as a vocation unto itself. In this text, the ITC explores the meaning of this often overlooked degree of Holy Orders. Starting with Jesus and the apostles in the New Testament, the ITC offers a detailed historical overview of the diaconate that includes the presences of deacons in Scripture and the early church, the disappearance of the diaconate in the Middle Ages, and its reemergence with Vatican II—all with an eye to the scriptural and theological underpinnings that make this office an important part of the church today.

Memory and Reconciliation: The Church and the Faults of the Past

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 37

Any honest look at church history will acknowledge that there have been faults—often grievous faults—perpetrated by those within the Catholic Church at every level. What does this mean with regards to the Catholic claim that the church is “holy”? Rather that glossing over these unfortunate episodes, the International Theological Commission confronts this problem and what it means for the identity of the church. Basing their approach on scripture, the commission draws out how forgiveness can and should be sought for these sins of the past in order to build bridges with various other groups of people.

Christianity and the World Religions

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1997
• Pages: 35

In a world that is increasingly connected through means of social communication, the question on how Christianity interacts with other world religions is of utmost importance in the present day. Interreligious dialogue raises important questions on how theology is to look at other religions in a manner that is respectful of other religions without conveying the impression that Christianity is just one more religion as good as any other. The ITC addresses this delicate task of Christian theologians in a manner that is both attentive to the truth of Christianity while also being considerate to the sincerely held beliefs of others.

Select Questions on the Theology of God the Redeemer

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 47

Studying the nature of our redemption (known as soteriology), is critical in any comprehensive theology. It is also one of the areas where the differences between Catholics and other Christians are most pronounced. This document serves as a key synthesis of modern Catholic soteriology, and offers lucid comparisons between the Catholic view and that of other Christian groups.

Some Current Questions in Eschatology

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1992
• Pages: 35

There is arguably no greater point of departure between Christians and secularists today that that regarding our ultimate end and hope of resurrection in Christ. In this particularly relevant essay, the International Theological Commission explores the various facets of what a Christian death entails and how that differs from some of the prevailing opinions of contemporary culture.

The Interpretation of Dogma

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1989
• Pages: 26

In a culture dominated by relativism, it becomes all the more important to approach the interpretation of Catholic teaching through a proper lens. The ITC looks at some of the problematic approaches to dogma today in order to offer a more compelling hermeneutic for understanding and interpreting it.

Faith and Inculturation

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1988
• Pages: 19

The core gospel message never changes, yet it is often necessary and fruitful to look at the unique aspects of a given culture in order to articulate that message in a way that resonates with a particular group of people. It is this theological task that the International Theological Commission systematically explains in this work. Though the current focus on inculturation is a relatively modern one in the life of the church, a careful reading of the New Testament shows that it has been practiced since the very beginning of the church’s history.

The Consciousness of Christ concerning Himself and His Mission

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1985
• Pages: 10

Jesus is fully God and fully human. God knows all, but human beings have limited knowledge that grows incrementally as they mature. This leads to the provocative questions: What did Jesus know and when did he know it? In this Christological reflection, the ITC tackles the Catholic Church’s approach to these questions.

Select Themes of Ecclesiology on the Occasion of the Twentieth Anniversary of the Closing of the Second Vatican Council

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 31

The Second Vatican Council offered the seminal articulation of contemporary Catholic ecclesiology in the document Lumen Gentium. Twenty years after the council, the ITC takes up the key themes of this landmark text, and seeks to address many of the more pointed questions that arose in its wake.

The Dignity and Rights of the Human Person

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1983
• Pages: 14

Promoting the dignity of the human person is one of the key areas of outreach the church makes to the outside world. In this study, the International Theological Commission gives the theological background on human dignity based in scripture and magisterial teaching to serve as the basis for pertinent commentary that is relevant to all nations and people today.

Penance and Reconciliation

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1982
• Pages: 22

The call to conversion is one of the central components of Jesus’ gospel message. In this paper, the ITC lays out the anthropological, biblical, and theological history of the sacrament of Reconciliation in order to address today’s most pressing pastoral and theological issues regarding this sacrament.

Theology, Christology, Anthropology

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1981
• Pages: 15

Scripture and Divine Revelation are undeniably of primary importance in understanding the person of Jesus Christ. Yet, since Jesus is fully human, there are certain things that theology can glean from anthropology to increase our understanding of who Jesus is. The ITC systematically puts forth what it looks like to have a Christology that is informed by anthropology and what this means for modern Christology.

Select Questions on Christology

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1979
• Pages: 18

Much of the major aspects of Catholic teaching on Jesus were hammered out in the first four centuries of church history; however, there are still a number of questions that have arisen in modern times. Here, the ITC seeks to bring clarity to some of the most important discussions in contemporary Christology.

Propositions on the Doctrine of Christian Marriage

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1977
• Pages: 16

The Catholic teaching on the nature of marriage is often misunderstood and maligned today. In this document, the ITC systematically explains the Catholic understanding of marriage—both natural and sacramental. Written before the most recent Code of Canon Law and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, this text provides some of the key elements that are taken up in those works and offers a full theological explanation of the many facets of the sacrament of marriage.

Human Development and Christian Salvation

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1976
• Pages: 16

Our flourishment as human beings and our salvation in Christ are often linked together in profound ways. In the often constantly changing socio-political landscape, the ITC wishes to weigh in with theological insight on the unity between justices in this world and salvation in the next.

The Ecclesiastical Magisterium and Theology

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1975
• Pages: 7

The relationship between theologians and the magisterium of the church is an important part of the articulation and protection of the church’s teaching. This work from the ITC clarifies the common elements between the two as well as the differences in order to foster a mutually beneficial relationship that is of benefit for the wider church.

Theses in Christian Ethics

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1974
• Pages: 18

This work presents two essays on ethics—one from the eminent Hans Urs von Balthasar and another from German theologian Heinz Schürmann. Von Balthasar systematically presents nine theses on Christian ethics that synthesize scripture and tradition. Schürmann focuses in on the moral directives found in the New Testament and what they have to teach us about living a moral life.

Catholic Teaching on Apostolic Succession

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1973
• Pages: 11

There is perhaps no visibly clearer distinction between Catholics and most other Christians than the Catholic teaching and understanding of apostolic succession in the nature and constitution of the church. In this work, the International Theological Commission addresses some of the tough questions regarding the Catholic view on the ministry of the apostles and how it is has been passed on throughout history since the time of Christ.

Unity of the Faith and Theological Pluralism

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1972
• Pages: 3

One of the perennial problems in theology is how to reconcile the many and varied voices of theologians across centuries and cultures with the universality of the church and the unity of the Christian message. It is to this paradox that the International Theological Commission turns its attention here. When viewed properly, this problem presents great opportunities for theology and an increase in theological understanding.

The Priestly Ministry

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1970
• Pages: 2

To understand the Catholic Church, one must reflect on the priesthood rooted in the ministry of the apostles. This priesthood is but a participation in the central priesthood of Christ. Here the ITC succinctly draws out this inextricable link between Christ and the priesthood that comes down to us today.

Reflections on Objectives and Methods of the Commission

• Author: International Theological Commission
• Publisher: Libreria Editrice Vaticana
• Publication Date: 1969
• Pages: 3

In this first document from the International Theological Commission, a brief outline is sketched for the function and purpose of the commission and its service to the pope and the Catholic Church. A few key areas of theological exploration are introduced as the first topics to be addressed by the group of theologians.