The Bible and Reconciliation: Confession, Repentance, and Restoration - Paperback

by James B. Prothro (Author), Timothy C. Gray (Editor), John Sehorn (Editor)

This addition to the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments series provides readers with a deeper appreciation of God's gifts and call in the sacraments through a renewed encounter with God's Word.

James Prothro offers a biblical theology of the sacrament of reconciliation--the restoration of the sinner through forgiveness and repentance. Prothro fleshes out the patterns in which God's people in the Old and New Testaments approach the merciful God, confess, and are forgiven and called to reengage their relationship with God by growing in faith and love through God's ministry of grace.

Series editors are Timothy C. Gray and John Sehorn. Gray and Sehorn teach at the Augustine Institute Graduate School of Theology, which prepares students for Christian mission through on-campus and distance-education programs. Gray is also president of the Augustine Institute.

Back Jacket

James Prothro offers a biblical theology of reconciliation rooted in the Old and New Testaments.

"In a time when the sacrament of reconciliation is much neglected, this urgently needed work beautifully shows how the forgiving love of God is an ongoing drama. Theologically perceptive and pastorally sensitive, Prothro unpacks key scriptural stories to show that the sacrament of reconciliation is a liturgical expression of how wayward but repentant people have always encountered the grace of a merciful God. Those who contemplate the insights here will find their appreciation of the sacrament renewed and deepened."
--Bradley C. Gregory, The Catholic University of America

"This volume richly illumines the place of the practice of the sacrament of reconciliation within the larger context of the Christian life as an ongoing process of intentional transformation in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. Roman Catholic readers will find their engagement with this practice renewed by this immersion into the larger work of God to which it contributes. Protestant readers will have to confront their long-standing prejudice that there is no scriptural warrant for the practice and, perhaps, come to a deeper appreciation for the path by which their sisters and brothers in the Catholic Church 'pursue that holiness without which no one will see the Lord.'"
--David A. deSilva, Ashland Theological Seminary; author of Sacramental Life: Spiritual Formation through the Book of Common Prayer

"A rarity--a book that explores the biblical inspiration and backdrop for the sacrament of reconciliation, and does so in an engaging and readable way. Prothro explores the themes of sin and forgiveness in the Scriptures and shows the reader how repentance leads to hope through God's gift of mercy and restoration. With exegetical facility and pastoral sensitivity, Prothro's book provides renewed enthusiasm for a sacrament that is often overlooked."
--Laurie Brink, OP, Catholic Theological Union

Praise for the Catholic Biblical Theology of the Sacraments Series

"This excellent series will help Catholics appreciate more and more both the relationship between Word and Sacrament and how the sacraments are grounded in the riches of Scripture."
--Thomas D. Stegman+, SJ, Boston College School of Theology and Ministry

Author Biography

James B. Prothro (PhD, University of Cambridge) is assistant professor of Scripture and theology at the Augustine Institute in Denver, Colorado. His books include A Pauline Theology of Justification: Forgiveness, Friendship, and Life with God and The Apostle Paul and His Letters: An Introduction.