THE DOCUMENTS OF VATICAN II
Edited by Walter M. Abbott, S.J.
Translation Editor: Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph Gallagher
Introduction by Lawrence Cardinal Shehan
Geoffrey Chapman Publishers, London and Dublin, 1972 (6th printing).
Condition: Fair to good. Binding sound, text complete. Noticeable creasing and wear to cover edges; age-toning to paper throughout, consistent with age.
About the Book
First published in 1966, The Documents of Vatican II remains one of the most authoritative English-language editions of the official texts promulgated by the Second Vatican Council (19631965). Edited by Jesuit scholar Walter M. Abbott and translated under the direction of Msgr. Joseph Gallagher, this volume presents all sixteen conciliar documents Dogmatic Constitutions, Decrees, and Declarations accompanied by interpretive notes and responses from leading Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox theologians.
The work opens with an introduction by Cardinal Lawrence Shehan and includes reflections by such figures as Avery Dulles, Albert Outler, Jaroslav Pelikan, and Frederick Grant. Their essays illuminate the Councils theological and historical significance: the Churchs renewed understanding of itself (Lumen Gentium), the nature of divine revelation (Dei Verbum), the liturgy (Sacrosanctum Concilium), and the Churchs relationship with the modern world (Gaudium et Spes).
Informed, balanced, and ecumenical, Abbotts edition became the standard reference for English-speaking scholars and clergy seeking to understand the spirit and content of the Council.
About the Editor
Walter M. Abbott, S.J. (18971982) was an American Jesuit priest, theologian, and editor for America magazine. His translation and commentary on the Second Vatican Council provided an accessible and intellectually rigorous bridge between the Councils Latin texts and the modern reader, helping shape post-conciliar theological study worldwide.
