The Church of God and Its Human Face: The Contribution of Joseph A. Komonchak to Ecclesiology

The Church of God and Its Human Face is the first comprehensive study of perhaps the most original U.S. ecclesiologist of our times Joseph A. Komonchak. In language accessible to a wide audience the author offers an exposition of Komonchaks thought on the church and explores its distinctive features including its implications for church practice. The Church of God and Its Human Face represents an indispensable contribution to contemporary ecclesiology because of its thorough analysis of work of Joseph Komonchak on the theology of the local church. Madar carefully situates Komonchaks work in the broader context of 20th century Catholic ecclesiology and rightly identifies the central problem of this ecclesiology in the search for adequate theological foundations. Both a worthy tribute and thoughtful development of the work of one of the great ecclesiologist of the post-Vatican II era. --John J. Markey Professor of Theology Oblates School of Theology The Church of God and Its Human Face is the first major study of one of the most important American ecclesiologists of the post-conciliar period. Madars careful exposition illuminates Joseph Komonchaks unwavering insistence that Gods church exists in history as a human and social reality. It is a brilliant introduction to the question of theologys engagement with the social sciences and required reading for anyone entering into todays debates over method in ecclesiology. --Edward P. Hahnenberg Breen Chair in Catholic Theology at John Carroll University By introducing readers to the work of Joseph Komonchak Martin Madar gives access to one of the foremost Catholic ecclesiologists of the past fifty years. He situates Komonchaks contributions within the context of the history of ecclesiology with a special focus on the reception of the Second Vatican Council as he explores interconnections among the core themes of method the local church and authority. Madar demonstrates how Komonchaks historically grounded and analytically rigorous method for understanding the Church offers an alternative that goes beyond approaches that remain tethered to images models and idealized conceptions of communion. --Dennis Doyle University of Dayton Martin Madar is Assistant Professor of Systematic Theology at Xavier University in Cincinnati Ohio.