Finding the Voice of the Church

O'Brien begins with the primary voice of the Church: baptism, gospel, and Eucharist. He contends that too much official teaching from the Roman "magisterium" to the local pulpit reverses the order of the ancient formula "lex orandi, lex credendi" (the law of prayer is the law of faith) and therefore misses its message. In the second part of the book, he turns to specific consideration of the papal voice as the teaching voice of the Church. O'Brien concludes with a series of practical suggestions for how the practices and institutions of the Church can again become the authentic voice of faith. This is a book all concerned Christians will want to read and discuss.

"With a grace and humor that can only be the result of hard won wisdom, O'Brien in this book illustrates the joy that rightly shapes the voice of the church. Do not be deceived by O'Brien's modesty--this is an extremely important book about theology that only a philosopher could write. In this work O'Brien helps Christians find confident speech by helping us find our part in God's drama of redemption." --Stanley Hauerwas, Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics, Duke Divinity School"George Dennis O'Brien is one of the Wise Men of contemporary Catholicism, a trained philosopher, and an experienced and savvy University President. In this dazzling book he develops a unique theory of Christology of God as the author of the "World Play" who intervenes in history to confirm his story and then lays out a theory of infallibility which seems eminently sensible, an infallibility with a properly fatherly (or motherly) voice. Some conservatives won't like it, but as a layman and retired university president, they can't do anything about it As long as there are men like O'Brien writing, the Church hasn't yet lost its voice." --Andrew Greeley, author of "The Catholic Revolution" "This important book shows us anew how to think about church directly, analytically, and even poetically. A major event." --David Tracy, emeritus, The University of Chicago Divinity School "What makes this book a must is that it is not only creative, it is also a new kind of theological voice in the American Catholic church. O'Brien is neither a cleric nor an academic theologian. But he is a wise and discerning Catholic layman who has much to teach both the clerics and the theologians. There is absolutely nothing else out there that is like it." --Paul Lakeland, Aloysius P. Kelley, S.J., Professor of Catholic Studies, Fairfield University

"Finding the Voice of the Church "is written for a broad audience interested in the challenges facing the contemporary Catholic Church. These challenges are ones that should concern all Christians, not only Catholics. Noted scholar and commentator George Dennis O'Brien poses (and answers) three provocative questions: What is the proper voice of the church? Is there a voice of Christian faith? Can what is said about Christianity be fundamentally distorted by "how" it is said? Through his clear and relevant discussion of the basic content of Christianity, O'Brien concludes that the primary voice of Catholic Christianity, the papal teaching voice, must be radically "re-understood" if the Church is to be the proper medium and voice of the gospel message.