Abstract: In November 2013, Pope Francis published his seminal apostolic exhortation, The Joy of the Gospel. Here I offer a long precis, a heavily summarised precis and a thematically arranged precis incorporating a short analysis.
Abstract: What does it mean for the Church to be Church? This course explores the Catholic Church's understanding of its own nature, role in the modern world, its relationshp with other Christians and with other faiths.
Abstract: The 20th century has witnessed an explosion of new forms of ecclesial movement in the Catholic Church. The 1940s, '50s and '60s saw the birth of many lay movements with active members. After Vatican II, the 1970s and '80s witnessed a renewal of religious life, with renewal movements in nearly all the major religious orders. More recently, the times have favoured loose-knit movements with more focus on outreach and less on membership. These signs teach us something for Catholic life today, and in 2000 I explored these themes in a magazine article and a Lent course for the parishes of Billingshurst and Pulborough.