About the Book
In recent decades, antipathy toward religious belief in general, and Christianity in particular, has been on the rise, with over a quarter of Americans now identifying as religiously unaffiliated. The dumbing down of the faith, the influence of the new atheists, and the culture of self-invention have all contributed to obscuring the truth of what thoughtful Christians actually believe.
In Light from Light: A Theological Reflection on the Nicene Creed, one of the Church’s leading thinkers invites skeptics and seekers to discover the intellectual richness of the Catholic faith. Walking through the venerable Nicene Creed, an ancient statement of doctrine accepted by most Christians around the world, Bishop Robert Barron opens readers to the theological and philosophical depths of Christianity: the nature of belief, the mystery of God, the story of Christ, the work of the Spirit, the life of the Church, and the resurrection of the dead.
In a number of recent studies, people who have left the practice of religion were asked why they disaffiliated. One of the most prominent reasons they gave was simply that they no longer believed in the teachings of Christianity. Light from Light is a clear and compelling explanation of those teachings for a new generation, especially those who have wandered away.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE xi
Bishop Robert Barron
Chapter 1 - I Believe
Chapter 2- The Father
Chapter 3- The Son
Chapter 4 - The Holy Spirit
Chapter 5- The Church
Chapter 6 - The World to Come
Bibliography
Index
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
What People Are Saying...
“
Bishop Barron’s book is a masterly and discerning restatement of the Trinitarian faith of the Church both for believers of today, called as in every generation to reappropriate and explain their Catholic faith, and for those desirous of knowing what Catholics actually believe. This book is a resource which will assist the Church not only in preparing for the Holy Year of 2025, one of the highlights of which will be the commemoration of 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, but also in looking beyond to 2033 and the bimillenary celebration of the work of our Redemption.
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—Archbishop Rino Fisichella
President of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation in the Vatican
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An outstanding achievement. Centuries of thought and vision, of strenuous debate and complex argument, are here distilled in a language of bell-like clarity. For those among our contemporaries who reject the faith, or for those among us who only half understand it, this study of the Creed is so wonderfully insightful, and so telling in its authority and freshness, it may well in time be regarded as a classic. Intellectually rigorous it certainly is, but it has not got a dull page
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—Paul Murray, OP
Professor, Angelicum University (Rome)
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Familiarity breeds contempt! Familiar we are indeed with the Nicene Creed, as we rattle through it at every Sunday Mass. Bishop Barron, with his attractive blend of depth and ease, helps us pray it again for the first time, realizing the dramatic and radical claims we profess!
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—Timothy Cardinal Dolan
Archbishop of New York
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The elements of the Creed are the grammar of our faith; without them we are theologically rudderless. Bishop Barron presents these essential theological building stones in a manner that is both intellectually rich and spiritually inspiring. There is no legalistic treatment, no dry presentation of dogmas, but an unveiling of each ‘gemstone’ in the collection with literary finesse and insights dredged from the whole two-thousand-year-old treasury of Catholic scholarship and tradition.
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—Tracey Rowland
John Paul II Chair of Theology, University of Notre Dame (Australia)
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This is Bishop Barron at his very best. With his characteristically dialogical and vigorous style, Barron here synthesizes the fruits of his astonishing erudition, drawing upon the best biblical scholars, the Church Fathers, Thomas Aquinas, and many of the greatest minds of the past century. More than a mere synthesis, however, this book is also a highly personal account of why Barron himself professes the Creed. In a manner that is both inviting and invigorating, Barron shows that the answer is because Christianity is true, good, and beautiful. To see how this is so, read this book!
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—Matthew Levering
James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
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A beautifully written and illuminating presentation of the Catholic faith. This book is both a brilliant introduction to the Catholic faith and a sound initiation to the practice of theology.
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—Thomas Joseph White, OP
James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology, Mundelein Seminary
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Bishop Barron's Light from Light is to be warmly welcomed. This new book on the Nicene Creed brings the faith that this most central of all Christian creeds articulates into a fresh, lively, and poignant dialogue with classical and contemporary theologians, a conversation that unlocks the Nicene Creed and allows Catholics, Orthodox, Protestants as well as ‘nones’ to (re-)discover the unheard-of novelty, yet utter credibility, of this ancient condensation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This engagingly written book will be a rewarding reading for anyone open to (re-)discover and (re-)claim the Nicene Creed.
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—Reinhard Hütter
Ordinarius Professor of Fundamental and Dogmatic Theology, The Catholic University of America
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In a time of crisis, it is essential to get back to basics, which is just what Bishop Barron does in this remarkable book. Instead of attempting to attract people to the faith by ‘dumbing it down,’ Bishop Barron presents it here in all of its glorious intelligibility, which is just what our age needs. He does so, however, with his usual knack for making difficult matters simple and luminous. I expect that this book will open many eyes.
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—D.C. Schindler
Professor of Metaphysics and Anthropology, The John Paul II Institute
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It is very rare to find a synthesis of the Catholic faith that is truly learned and also truly accessible, but Bishop Barron’s splendid book on the Creed presents that rare accomplishment. It will be equally at home in college courses and in parish discussion groups. Plus, the evangelical zeal, powerful though not overpowering, that animates the book from the first page to the last ensures that it will be as appealing to the heart as it is to the mind. Highly recommended!
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—John C. Cavadini
Director of the McGrath Institute for Church Life, University of Notre Dame