The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church
The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church
Overview
"Lakeland gives us nothing less than a blueprint for the future of the church. As clerical authoritarianism comes undone before our eyes, 'The Liberation of the Laity' liberates the Catholic imagination to see the life and mission of the church with fresh eyes. His theology of the laity is indeed liberating-and timely."—Donald Cozzens, author of 'Sacred Silence' and 'The Changing Face of the Priesthood'"A virtual and valuable primer on the crucial importance of the vocation that the vast majority of us share, but are only beginning to understand-that of being lay Catholics. This sensible, readable, clear-eyed book goes back to the basics of our faith to provide the theological underpinnings of our mission and ministry as lay Catholics and then charts a path to a rich and full Catholicism that has the potential to transform both us and our church."—Paul Wilkes, author of 'The Seven Secrets of Successul Catholics' and project director for the Pastoral Summit, www.pastoralsummit.org"Paul Lakeland's book is a real and much-needed contribution to the church in these troubled times. It gives us heart that there can be genuine theology of the laity and a vision of the church that is both faithful and radical. And it helps us see how to build the institutional practices and structures in support of the church's overwhelming important mission."—Mary Jo Bane, Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University"Here is a remarkable theology of the church that begins with the laity. Following the lead of John Henry Newman and Yves Congar, Lakeland has developed an exciting vision of what the church can and should be. In our era confidence in bishops and the ordained has been tragically shaken. Yet faith remains, and Lakeland shows how the voice of tradition can and must be expressed in the voice of the faithful. A wonderful contribution to contemporary ecclesiology." -Terrence W. Tilley, Professor and Department Chair, Religious Studies, University of Dayton"The book makes the case that many in the Catholic Chruch don't feel a sense of responsibility to those they serve - a problem...that's become more obvious in recent years."—Amanda Cuda in The Connecticut Post Religion Section, April 5, 2003"...an extraordinary historical and theological analysis of the church's position on laity...This book is timely, provocative and well researched."—Dallas Morning News, 3/29/03"Lakeland builds this case in admirably systematic fashion....The Liberation of the Laity is a most important book. Aided by a burst of courage implanted in the right hearts by the indwelling Spirit, it could become a landmark."—R. Scott Appleby, America"This is robust theological thinking....Lakeland brilliantly ends the metaphysical turf wars that have always marginalised the laity by posting the secular as the 'religious standpoint.'"—James Keenan, The Tablet, June 2003“Lakeland draws on a broad range of scholarly sources — historical and contemporary, Catholic, Protestant, and secular — to mount his attack on the forces within today’s Catholic Church that have worked toward the reversal of the dramatic gains of Vatican II in the 1960s. This work is learned, generally fair-minded, and accessible to a broad readership. Recommended.” —Choice (CHOICE)“Throughout, Lakeland does an admirable job of balancing his style to make the work useful for both general and specialized readers. Lakeland surveys the contributions of an impressive number of historical and contemporary writers on the laity.” —Catholic Books Review“Lakeland is a superb guide along the road to the Second Vatican Council. Like Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, [he] gives us insightful and pithy portraits of the theological pilgrims who brought their ideas, their questions and their scholarship to the council’s deliberations.” —National Catholic Reporter (National Catholic Reporter)“Certainly one of the most invigorating “church” books which I have read this year has been Paul Lakeland’s The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church. The chair at the religion department at Fairfield University has brilliantly placed the necessary rise of lay demands in the Catholic Church in context. He devotes some good time to the groundbreaking work of Yves Congar, the Dominican theologian, whose theology of the laity paved the way for more balanced Church we see on the horizon. In particular, Lakeland nicely unpacks the internalized oppression of lay people, one which has allowed an unhealthy clericalism to fester; and one which has severely hobbled the Church particularly in its sexual teaching. As Lakeland writes, ‘All forms of authority, influence, leadership and power in the Church are reserved to a small minority of Catholic Christians distinguished from the others by their positions of radically different lifestyles.’ This excellent book dispassionately argues for the obvious: a more democratic Church, radically decentralized at every level, more communion that institution, more transparent that hidden and more democratic than monarchical.” –Ted Schimdt, The Social Edge .com, 2003'The book is the best thing around - at least that I know of - on the theology of the laity and the reform of the Church.Stephen Pickard, Director, St. Mark's, Canberra in St Mark's ReviewDescription
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- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
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If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
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You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
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- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
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We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
Overview
"Lakeland gives us nothing less than a blueprint for the future of the church. As clerical authoritarianism comes undone before our eyes, 'The Liberation of the Laity' liberates the Catholic imagination to see the life and mission of the church with fresh eyes. His theology of the laity is indeed liberating-and timely."—Donald Cozzens, author of 'Sacred Silence' and 'The Changing Face of the Priesthood'"A virtual and valuable primer on the crucial importance of the vocation that the vast majority of us share, but are only beginning to understand-that of being lay Catholics. This sensible, readable, clear-eyed book goes back to the basics of our faith to provide the theological underpinnings of our mission and ministry as lay Catholics and then charts a path to a rich and full Catholicism that has the potential to transform both us and our church."—Paul Wilkes, author of 'The Seven Secrets of Successul Catholics' and project director for the Pastoral Summit, www.pastoralsummit.org"Paul Lakeland's book is a real and much-needed contribution to the church in these troubled times. It gives us heart that there can be genuine theology of the laity and a vision of the church that is both faithful and radical. And it helps us see how to build the institutional practices and structures in support of the church's overwhelming important mission."—Mary Jo Bane, Thornton Bradshaw Professor of Public Policy and Management, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University"Here is a remarkable theology of the church that begins with the laity. Following the lead of John Henry Newman and Yves Congar, Lakeland has developed an exciting vision of what the church can and should be. In our era confidence in bishops and the ordained has been tragically shaken. Yet faith remains, and Lakeland shows how the voice of tradition can and must be expressed in the voice of the faithful. A wonderful contribution to contemporary ecclesiology." -Terrence W. Tilley, Professor and Department Chair, Religious Studies, University of Dayton"The book makes the case that many in the Catholic Chruch don't feel a sense of responsibility to those they serve - a problem...that's become more obvious in recent years."—Amanda Cuda in The Connecticut Post Religion Section, April 5, 2003"...an extraordinary historical and theological analysis of the church's position on laity...This book is timely, provocative and well researched."—Dallas Morning News, 3/29/03"Lakeland builds this case in admirably systematic fashion....The Liberation of the Laity is a most important book. Aided by a burst of courage implanted in the right hearts by the indwelling Spirit, it could become a landmark."—R. Scott Appleby, America"This is robust theological thinking....Lakeland brilliantly ends the metaphysical turf wars that have always marginalised the laity by posting the secular as the 'religious standpoint.'"—James Keenan, The Tablet, June 2003“Lakeland draws on a broad range of scholarly sources — historical and contemporary, Catholic, Protestant, and secular — to mount his attack on the forces within today’s Catholic Church that have worked toward the reversal of the dramatic gains of Vatican II in the 1960s. This work is learned, generally fair-minded, and accessible to a broad readership. Recommended.” —Choice (CHOICE)“Throughout, Lakeland does an admirable job of balancing his style to make the work useful for both general and specialized readers. Lakeland surveys the contributions of an impressive number of historical and contemporary writers on the laity.” —Catholic Books Review“Lakeland is a superb guide along the road to the Second Vatican Council. Like Chaucer in The Canterbury Tales, [he] gives us insightful and pithy portraits of the theological pilgrims who brought their ideas, their questions and their scholarship to the council’s deliberations.” —National Catholic Reporter (National Catholic Reporter)“Certainly one of the most invigorating “church” books which I have read this year has been Paul Lakeland’s The Liberation of the Laity: In Search of an Accountable Church. The chair at the religion department at Fairfield University has brilliantly placed the necessary rise of lay demands in the Catholic Church in context. He devotes some good time to the groundbreaking work of Yves Congar, the Dominican theologian, whose theology of the laity paved the way for more balanced Church we see on the horizon. In particular, Lakeland nicely unpacks the internalized oppression of lay people, one which has allowed an unhealthy clericalism to fester; and one which has severely hobbled the Church particularly in its sexual teaching. As Lakeland writes, ‘All forms of authority, influence, leadership and power in the Church are reserved to a small minority of Catholic Christians distinguished from the others by their positions of radically different lifestyles.’ This excellent book dispassionately argues for the obvious: a more democratic Church, radically decentralized at every level, more communion that institution, more transparent that hidden and more democratic than monarchical.” –Ted Schimdt, The Social Edge .com, 2003'The book is the best thing around - at least that I know of - on the theology of the laity and the reform of the Church.Stephen Pickard, Director, St. Mark's, Canberra in St Mark's ReviewDescription
Condition Guidelines
Books - New and Used
The following guidelines apply to books:
- New: A brand-new copy with cover and original protective wrapping intact. Books with markings of any kind on the cover or pages, books marked as "Bargain" or "Remainder," or with any other labels attached, may not be listed as New condition.
- Used - Good: All pages and cover are intact (including the dust cover, if applicable). Spine may show signs of wear. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting. May include "From the library of" labels. Shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Item may be missing bundled media.
- Used - Acceptable: All pages and the cover are intact, but shrink wrap, dust covers, or boxed set case may be missing. Pages may include limited notes, highlighting, or minor water damage but the text is readable. Item may but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include limited notes and highlighting, but the text cannot be obscured or unreadable.
Note: Some electronic material access codes are valid only for one user. For this reason, used books, including books listed in the Used – Like New condition, may not come with functional electronic material access codes.
Shipping & Delivery
Shipping Fees
- Stevens Books offers FREE SHIPPING everywhere in the United States for ALL non-book orders, and $3.99 for each book.
- Packages are shipped from Monday to Friday.
- No additional fees and charges.
Delivery Times
The usual time for processing an order is 24 hours (1 business day), but may vary depending on the availability of products ordered. This period excludes delivery times, which depend on your geographic location.
Estimated delivery times:
- Standard Shipping: 5-8 business days
- Expedited Shipping: 3-5 business days
Shipping method varies depending on what is being shipped.
Tracking
All orders are shipped with a tracking number. Once your order has left our warehouse, a confirmation e-mail with a tracking number will be sent to you. You will be able to track your package at all times.
Damaged Parcel
If your package has been delivered in a PO Box, please note that we are not responsible for any damage that may result (consequences of extreme temperatures, theft, etc.).
If you have any questions regarding shipping or want to know about the status of an order, please contact us or email to support@stevensbooks.com.
Returns & Refunds
You may return most items within 30 days of delivery for a full refund.
To be eligible for a return, your item must be unused and in the same condition that you received it. It must also be in the original packaging.
Several types of goods are exempt from being returned. Perishable goods such as food, flowers, newspapers or magazines cannot be returned. We also do not accept products that are intimate or sanitary goods, hazardous materials, or flammable liquids or gases.
Additional non-returnable items:
- Gift cards
- Downloadable software products
- Some health and personal care items
To complete your return, we require a tracking number, which shows the items which you already returned to us.
There are certain situations where only partial refunds are granted (if applicable)
- Book with obvious signs of use
- CD, DVD, VHS tape, software, video game, cassette tape, or vinyl record that has been opened
- Any item not in its original condition, is damaged or missing parts for reasons not due to our error
- Any item that is returned more than 30 days after delivery
Items returned to us as a result of our error will receive a full refund,some returns may be subject to a restocking fee of 7% of the total item price, please contact a customer care team member to see if your return is subject. Returns that arrived on time and were as described are subject to a restocking fee.
Items returned to us that were not the result of our error, including items returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address, will be refunded the original item price less our standard restocking fees.
If the item is returned to us for any of the following reasons, a 15% restocking fee will be applied to your refund total and you will be asked to pay for return shipping:
- Item(s) no longer needed or wanted.
- Item(s) returned to us due to an invalid or incomplete address.
- Item(s) returned to us that were not a result of our error.
You should expect to receive your refund within four weeks of giving your package to the return shipper, however, in many cases you will receive a refund more quickly. This time period includes the transit time for us to receive your return from the shipper (5 to 10 business days), the time it takes us to process your return once we receive it (3 to 5 business days), and the time it takes your bank to process our refund request (5 to 10 business days).
If you need to return an item, please Contact Us with your order number and details about the product you would like to return. We will respond quickly with instructions for how to return items from your order.
Shipping Cost
We'll pay the return shipping costs if the return is a result of our error (you received an incorrect or defective item, etc.). In other cases, you will be responsible for paying for your own shipping costs for returning your item. Shipping costs are non-refundable. If you receive a refund, the cost of return shipping will be deducted from your refund.
Depending on where you live, the time it may take for your exchanged product to reach you, may vary.
If you are shipping an item over $75, you should consider using a trackable shipping service or purchasing shipping insurance. We don’t guarantee that we will receive your returned item.
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