Tradition and Traditions; An Historical and a Theological Essay
New York: The Macmillan Company, 1967. Thick octavo, original burgundy cloth, gilt spine, burgundy top edge, original dust jacket. Fine book, slight edge-wear and creasing, two closed tears to rear panel of unclipped dust jacket. A near-fine copy. Item #1848
"THE WORD TRADITION—AS UNDERSTOOD BY CHRISTIANS—MEANS A VARIETY OF DISTINCT, THOUGH RELATED THINGS"
First American edition of the Dominican theologian's "detailed historical record of Tradition in the making." Printed in Great British from the Burns & Oates sheets of the first English translation edition of the same year. The first collectible copy I've handled.
Written in 1958 (before the beginning of the Second Vatican Council) and published in two volumes in France (1960 and 1963), the English translation is prefaced with an annotated Table of Contents and a brief Introduction ("Y.C. / Srasbourg, 17 March 1960"), where Congar explains: "Basically, my aim has been to outline a history of how the 'problem' of Tradition has been examined."
Like many of his contemporaries, Congar embraced an historical theology, with an emphasis on a "Return to the Sources" providing a broader context for ecclesiological reform. "Consistently, Congar emphasized the distinction between Tradition and traditionalism. The latter was an unyielding commitment to the past. The former was a living principle of commitment to the Beginning, a process that required creativity, inspiration, and a spirit of openness to the present as well as respect for the past" (Robert Ellsberg). Part One. An Historical Essay, Part Two. A Theological Essay. Supplemented with a Select Bibliography of Works Most Frequently Mentioned and an Index of Authors Cited. Approbations. Robert Ellsberg. All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets and Witnesses for Our Time.
Price: $300.00