Ministry: Lay Ministry in the Roman Catholic Church: Its History and Theology

Ministry explores the rich and consistent history of lay ministry in the Roman Catholic Church since the first witness in the Bible. Kenan Osborne, a well-known theologian, combines his personal insights in contemporary spirituality to address the major issues that lay men and women face within the church structures at various periods of time. Has the role of the lay person in the Roman Catholic Church been diminished or supported over the centuries? ’Ministry’ examines the historical evidence thoroughly and focuses on three important factors. First, Osborne offers a critical examination of the discipleship of every follower of Jesus. Next he describes the gradual de-emphasis of the non-cleric and non-religious in the church. Finally, he discusses the gradual emergence of the lay person into the mainstream of discipleship. ’Ministry’ is designed for the lay person and the ordained. A complement to Osborne’s previous book, ’Priesthood’, this book is an extremely important historical study and must reading for those who seek the central foundation of discipleship within the Roman Catholic Church.

Kenan B. Osborne, O.F.M., a past president of the Catholic Theological Society of America, is a full Professor of Systematic Theology at the Franciscan School of Theology and the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. His books include: ’The Christian Sacraments of Initiation’, ’Sacramental Theology’, and ’Priesthood’.