Marriage and the Family in the Documents of the Magisterium: A Course in the Theology of Marriage

Ramòn Garcia de Haro Translated by William E. MayThis clearly written volume offers readers a comprehensive and detailed presentation and analysis of the teaching of the Catholic Church on marriage and the family. It is, in essence, a theology of marriage rooted in the Church's own understanding of marriage both as a great gift of God's creation and a grace-giving sacrament inwardly participating in the spousal mystery of Christ's union with his bride, the Church. Rich in scholarship, completely conversant with the pertinent literature, the book is above all a presentation of a theology of marriage fully faithful to the Catholic tradition. Of particular importance, perhaps, is the detailed analysis it provides of the teaching of Vatican Council II and John Paul II. The work demonstrates the authentic development of the perennial teaching of the Church on marriage and the family, presenting marriage as a communion of love between man and woman open to God's gift of life and called to holiness, with the sublime mission of serving life, serving the wider human community, and intimately participating in the redemptive work of Christ. As a married lay theologian who has taught courses on marriage and the family for over twenty years, I found this book to be the very finest I have ever read on the subject. - William E. May, John Paul II Institute on Marriage and the Family