Bøger af Anscar Vonier

Dom Anscar Vonier, Abbot of Buckfast, was among England's greatest homilists and theologians of the early twentieth century. His many classic works include A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist, The Life of the World to Come, and The Personality of Christ. In Christianus, Abbot Vonier presents an absorbing theological reflection on how the indwelling of Christ expresses itself in the Christian moral life, in the visible "form of the Christian Person." Through a series of meditations on the distinct components of Catholic morality and spirituality-discipleship, prayer, liturgy, fruitfulness, temptation, citizenship, preparation for death-Vonier offers a view of how the whole Christian person is formed, from the center out, by the charity of Christ. Both personally inspiring and theologically exact, Vonier's reflections lead the reader to a distinctly Christ-centered view of the truly happy life. He insists that to experience joy in the practice of virtue, "We must, above all things, become wise in the mysteries of Christ's personality."

In The Christian Mind, Abbot Vonier presents a Catholic reading of the theology of St. Paul, unfolding the roots of the Christian moral life in Christology and justification. Vonier shows from St. Paul's teachings how the life of Christ in the Christian person begets a unique "attitude of man's mind caused directly and totally by the Incarnation." Beginning with a concise yet thorough interpretation of St. Paul's central arguments and metaphors for the doctrine of justification, Vonier explores the effects of indwelling grace in forming the Christian's entire consciousness and moral character. Deeply biblical and thoroughly Catholic, Vonier's study reveals the great and beautiful vistas that the life of Christ opens to the Christian mind as the source of authentic peace in this world and the next.

This is a new release of the original 1932 edition.

Dom Anscar Vonier was one of England's most popular Catholic preachers and theologians of the early twentieth century, famous for clearly explaining the theology of Aquinas for lay readers. Faced with the rising tide of modern skepticism about the spiritual nature of the soul, Vonier composed this book as a study in two great themes of Catholic theology: the immortality of the soul and the goodness of divine judgment. His treatment of the soul presents the Church's teaching on the state of the soul after death, and the delivery from death found only in the resurrection. In his reflections on divine judgement, Vonier emphasizes the essential goodness of judgement as "the moral side of providence." Contrary to the fear and anxiety often associated with Christian judgment, Vonier shows that Christ's perfection as a judge is one of his most lovable aspects, insisting that "Genuine Christian sentiment has ever been deeply impregnated with this trait of Christ as the just Judge, and Christians have always found it possible to love him with the tenderest love because they know him to be such. ... Our Jesus would be less amiable if he were less true and less powerful in his judgements." Praise for Abbot Vonier and "Death and Judgement" "In this little book, Dom Vonier confronts the leaders of soul-shrinking secularism with the glorious standard of the risen Christ." -Edwin V. O'Hara, Bishop of Great Falls "Dom Vonier's aim in all his spiritual writings is the instruction of Catholics. ... In his pages we have the accuracy of a theological textbook combined with the enthusiasm of the pulpit." -Michael Harty, in "The Furrow" "To our thinking, Abbot Vonier is by all odds the foremost theological writer in the English language today. Although a Thomistic scholar, he can present doctrine not merely in the systematized manner of the scholastics, but also in the living manner of the liturgy, or, if you will, in the ... tradition of the Fathers, for whom theology was a loving consideration of the ways of God with man, and the appeal of whose writings consequently embraces heart and mind with equal immediacy. ... Thus many of his theological writings are simultaneously most fruitful 'spiritual reading'-which is what all theology should be." --"Orate Fratres"

In The People of God, Abbot Vonier gives a biblical and Catholic account of Church's covenantal life and activities that define her as a "people," a "kingdom," and a "Church." Beginning with the literary imagery and historical unfolding of "the people of God" throughout the Old Testament, Vonier shows how the fulfillment of Israel in the Christian Chruch involves a public and liturgical life essential to her special identity as a morally unified people. His enlightening exposition of the Lord's Prayer and study of the Sacraments further show how the liturgical elements of the Christian life belong to the Church's eternal identity, so that "Where there is an altar, there is the people of God."

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Abbot Vonier's famous study of the Blessed Virgin's divine motherhood is both a deep theological catechesis and a profound call to Catholic devotion. Vonier begins with a close reading of the revelation of divine motherhood in the gospels, contained especially in Luke's accounts of the Annunciation, Visitation, and Presentation. He then moves to a theological reflection on God's unlimited power to impart his glory to creation, even to the point of elevating Mary, a particular creature, to the status of a universal good, "the vastest, the most efficient, the most universal supernatural power in heaven and on earth, outside the Three Divine Persons." He writes, "Catholic theological thought ... starts with the assumption that it is God's wonderful purpose to make the things He creates as great as possible, to make very great things indeed. ... God is wonderful not only in Himself, He is wonderful in His creatures."