Honest rituals focus on genuine life experiences rather than religious beliefs or doctrines. They serve as ceremonial actions that acknowledge and celebrate the realities individuals face, contrasting with traditional religious rituals that may celebrate abstract concepts like divine events or forgiveness. This exploration highlights the significance of rituals grounded in personal truth and experience.
The book explores the decline of credibility in Catholic sacramental doctrine, highlighting issues such as the exodus of baptized individuals from the church, the waning participation of adolescents post-confirmation, the increasing dissolution of marriages, and the diminishing practice of confession. It also addresses the widespread skepticism surrounding the belief in transubstantiation, indicating a significant disconnect between traditional teachings and contemporary faith practices.
From Wild Man to Wise Man is a guide into and through the challenges of life for Christian men, showing how a seemingly circuitous route is really the wisdom path of God.
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 Church: 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. Paperback