Long Awaited "Memoirs" of renowned theologian Louis Bouyer coming soon from Ignatius Press

Ignatius Press announces that the much anticipated Memoirs of Louis Bouyer, one of the great theologians and church men of the last century, will be released in October 2015 and is available for pre-order now. In his Memoirs, Bouyer reveals many fascinating insights about his life and work not written about until now.
 
It is difficult to exaggerate Louis Bouyer’s contribution to Catholic theology and his behind-the-scenes role in certain great events of twentieth-century church life.  A French convert from Lutheranism, a priest of the Oratory, an expert on Scripture, liturgy, the history of spirituality, Newman, ecclesiology, and Reformation theology, twice-appointed member of the International Theological Commission, Bouyer was a man of immense theological vision and profound depth of knowledge and insight.  He was both a major theological contributor to the renewed vision that led to the Second Vatican Council and a staunch critic of its misunderstanding in the decades that followed it.
 
In this Memoirs, Bouyer recounts the story of his life and learning, the people, places, events, and ideas that shaped his profoundly Catholic life. He tells of his relationships and encounters with such theological and church notables as Yves Congar, Jean Danielou, Henri de Lubac, Joseph Ratzinger (later, Pope Benedict XVI), Hans Urs von Balthasar, and Karl Rahner. A disciple of the Lord and a man of great love for the Church, he often writes with parrhesia – pastoral frankness – and wit about the shortcomings of Catholic institutions and life, especially with respect to changes undertaken in the name of “reform” but which did not truly partake of the sources of the Church’s life and mission.
 
Of the writing of his Memoirs Bouyer said, “In the pages that follow, what I would like to recall is what, on final, or undoubtedly very nearly final, reflection, seems to me to have the most meaning. I hope that those who read them, and especially my friends, both known and unknown (for a writer, are not many of these latter often among the closest?), will also draw some profit from them, perhaps more than I do myself. I hasten to add that the entertainment that these pages could, at least I hope, provide them is an integral part in my eyes of that potential profit. For it is a too-little-known but to me unquestionable fact that Providence has a great and, of course, the best sense of humor!”
 
George Weigel, Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, says, “Fr. Louis Bouyer’s extraordinary Christian life was a template of the trials, passions, accomplishments, and unexpected consequences of the Catholic encounter with modernity. His Memoirs are required reading for all who would understand the Church’s situation in the 21st century, especially in Western Europe.”
 
About the Author:

LOUIS BOUYER (1913-2004) was born to a Parisian Protestant family and was ordained as a Lutheran pastor at age 23. He converted to Catholicism in 1939 and was ordained a priest for the Oratory in 1944. He became a prolific theological writer and teacher worldwide. His works have had an enduring impact on Catholic theology. His other books include The Church of God, Newman, and The Word, Church and Sacraments.
 
Mark Brumley, the President of Ignatius Press, and Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J., the Editor in-Chief for Ignatius Press, are available for interviews about this book.
 
To request a review copy or an interview with Mark Brumley or Fr. Joseph Fessio, please contact: Rose Trabbic, Publicist, Ignatius Press at (239) 867-4180 or [email protected]
 
Product Facts:
Title: MEMOIRS
Author: Louis Bouyer
Release Date: October 2015
Length: 304 pages
Price: $18.95
ISBN: 1-978-58617-695-2 • Softcover
Order: 1-800-651-1531 • www.ignatius.com

Comments

[TB]

I'm confused.
Who is the translator?

[Carl E. Olson]

The translator is Anne Englund Nash.

[Joe M]

This is a different translation than the one now available from Angelico?

[Esteban Vázquez]

What, if any, are the differences between this edition and the edition just published by Angelico Press (besides the translator, of course)?