There are many books on sacramental theology—some of which focus on a specific denomination, while others aspire to rigorous academic objectivity.

Some also serve as an introduction to a particular branch of Christianity, and Michael Debus’s book serves that purpose well. Nevertheless, the author’s integration of theological developments through the centuries with a discussion of the evolution of consciousness makes this book unique. He addresses the fact that anyone looking for a new or renewed relationship to Christian religiosity must come to understand the center of religious cognitive consciousness and practical life—the sacraments.

Is baptism merely a symbolic act, or is it a reality that affects one’s life?
Does a final unction affect a person’s future stages of destiny?
How should we understand the transformation of bread and wine?
What spiritual processes are expressed in “rituals”?

The Christian Community—working since 1922 as a conscious movement for religious renewal—offers answers to these and other crucial questions. Michael Debus speaks to readers who wish to understand more deeply the spiritual foundations of The Christian Community and its place in theological history and its role in Christianity today.

In Sacramental Theology for a Modern and Future World, Michael Debus makes complex topics and concepts accessible to all who wish to understand the background and sacraments of The Christian Community and the Movement for Christian Renewal.

This book is a translation of Auferstehungskräfte im Schicksal: Die Sakramente der Christengemeinschaft (Urachhaus, 2011). Cover Image: Ascension, 45 cm x 45 cm watercolor painting by Ninetta Sombart, used with the kind permission of Raffael Verlag and the artist’s family (photograph copyright © by Thomas Spalinger).