Freedom and Joy: Reflections on The Essential Characteristics of Christian Life Today

The book looks at freedom and joy as the fundamental dimensions of Christian living.It reflects on the essential characteristics of Christian life today, which includes befriending the other, experiencing God, sensitivity to others, etc. It also explores Christian Mission in India Today, Growth in the Church's Understanding of Marriage and the Family, Reflections on `Laudato Si' and The Joy of Love: A Discussion of the Apostolic Exhortation on Marriage and the Family. The book also reflects on the Formation of Priests Today: A Study of "The Gift of Priestly Vocation." It is an inspiring and transforming book that makes us more human, liberative and close to God and fellow-human beings.

Rev. Kurien Kunnumpuram S.J. is a Roman Catholic, an Indian Jesuit priest and a well-known Christian theologian. Member of the academic staff of the Faculty of Theology at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth (JDV), Pune (India) (Emeritus), who contributed widely in the field of ecclesiology and anthropology. He was the founder-publisher-editor of `Jnanadeepa: Pune Journal of Religious Studies', from 1998 to 2010. He was also the founding editor of JDV's Encyclopedia of Indian Christian Theology', till 2009. He was also the editor of `AUC: Asian Journal of Religious Studies'. He has authored more than 15 books and numerous articles.

Collected in this book are sixteen articles written at different times and for different purposes. Some of them were published in the Asian Journal of Religious Studies while the others were written specifically for this book.

The articles are divided into two parts. Part One deals with different dimensions of Christian existence today. Part Two contains reflections on four recent documents from Rome.

I have been a teacher of theology for about 50 years. The insights I gained during these years into the various dimensions of Christian life today are articulated in the first twelve articles of the book. The next three articles reflect on the three inspiring letters of Pope Francis. The last paper is a discussion of a recent document on the formation of priests issued by the Congregation of the Clergy.

I wish to express my grateful thanks to all who helped me in the writing of this book. Special thanks are due to Fr. PT Mathew, SJ, for his excellent editorial assistance and to Mrs. Gracy P. V. for her competent secretarial help.

**Contents and Sample Pages**