Folia Theologica et Canonica 10. 32/24 (2021)
Recensions
RECENSIONS 307 a clear overview of the whole system of early Christian ecclesiastical discipline, and a firm grounding in early Christian ecclesiology. In the latter area, I would refer in particular to the use of the ecclesiastical writings of St Cyprian and the emphasis on all the relevant texts of the Second Vatican Council. As an example, it is notable the content of the commentary on the passage “Thy kingdom come”, which, translated into today’s language, means “Thy reign be realized”. The question is simply, is there any place where the Almighty’s rule is not realized, i.e. what is the real meaning of the request? In his explanation, Péter Erdő refers to man’s free-will choice, which makes it clear that asking is about the realization of God’s will through our own human actions (pp. 32-33). However, one could also mention the issue of daily nourishment, which refers to both the nourishment that mediates both physical and spiritual graces, i.e. the Holy Eucharist. The second part is on the sacraments (pp. 47-236), in twelve chapters covering the seven sacraments. In each chapter, after an analysis of the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles, the Pauline and Catholic Letters, and drawing on the earliest sources of the early Christian period (i.e. Didache; Traditio Apostolica), a unified structure is observed which explains the role and significance of the particular sacrament, the form in which it is administered, and the content of the sacrament itself. The Author deals in two chapters with Baptism (I II: pp. 47-74), the Holy Eucharist (IV-V: pp. 97-127), the Sacrament of Penance (VI-VII: pp. 128-153), the Holy Order (IX-X: pp. 172-203) and Marriage (XI-XII: pp. 204-236); while he devotes a chapter each to Confirmation (pp. 75-96) and the Anointing of the Sick (pp. 154-171). This division also shows the balanced and proportionate structure of the volume; at the same time, it indicates the author’s concentration on the discipline of conveying the most complete and clear interpretation within the limits of the volume. With regard to the second part, it can also be said that Péter Erdő is not only concerned with theological and ecclesiastical precision, but also with addressing the reader as a believer and expressing the faith of the Church in an authentic way. This is particularly evident regarding those instances in which - regrettably - the Church’s teaching is rejected, either partially or in its entirety, by growing numbers of secular society, due to the cultural and moral disintegration of our times (i.e. the clear guidance in both chapters on marriage). The volume opens with a foreword by Tamás Szabó, the director of the Hungarian Radio Maria (pp. 5-8), and concludes with a list of abbreviations (p. 237), as well as a table of contents (p. 239). For those who wish to read the referred scriptural, early Christian, conciliar or doctrinal statements in their full context, precise footnotes are provided. Péter Erdő’s Conversations on Prayer and the Sacraments, as shown above, is not merely another analysis of the Lord’s Prayer and the sacraments, but the response of a pastor who knows and confesses his faith, for the faithful who
