Introduction

This introduction sets forth the fact that throughout church history there have been various perspectives about the sacraments, perspectives differing in how a sacrament is defined, how the grace of God is administered and received in a sacrament, and the importance of sacraments in the life of the church and in individual believers. Different theologies of sacraments exist not because the Christian tradition is inherently contentious and cannot reach a consensus, but because each moment, era, and epoch raises different questions about the nature, efficacy, and purpose of sacraments. The various contributors of each chapter are introduced and their theological perspective on theologies of sacraments summarized as written in their respective chapters. This introduction concludes with a call for mutual humility and respect, regardless of where one identifies oneself among the various theologies of sacraments.