Christian Theologies of the Sacraments

Abstract

This book introduces the reader to the great variety of distinctive interpretations within the Christian tradition regarding theologies of sacraments, distinctive interpretations expressed by a wide range of Christian theologians. Augustine of Hippo’s familiar and succinct definition of a sacrament as being “an outward and visible sign of an inward and invisible grace” is one upon which many Christians agree. However, throughout church history there has been little agreement about the means by which this grace is given and received in the sacraments. In this book the phrase “theologies of the sacraments” is used to refer to these expressions of sacramental theology throughout church history. Various contributors from a wide variety of Christian traditions address theologies of the sacraments, each bringing his or her own expertise to bear on theologies of the sacraments as expressed in the work of specific theologians and in historical periods of church history, as well as cultural and sociological perspectives of the present. The theologies of the sacraments are addressed from several angles—theological, historical, pastoral, and others. While there are many different perspectives regarding theologies of the sacraments, the recurring unifying theme is their role in connecting the grace of God with believers in a meaningful way.