Body Broken for a Broken People, A

Book excerpt: "Here we have a Catholic exegete, on the basis of a close analysis of the New Testament texts, challenging his church to a reexamination of its disciplinary tradition: if the meal practice of Jesus embodied a never-failing presence of the Lord to his ever-failing disciples, then should not the church think twice before excluding faltering members from communion? Moloney's stimulating study gives food for thought even to Protestants who may consider that their own communion discipline has relaxed to the point of disappearance. In any case, this book makes a significant contribution to reflection on the ways to hold together the divine generosity in forgiveness, the call of sinners to repentance, and the responsibility of the church as beneficiary, messenger, and steward of the gospel."--Geoffrey Wainwright, Robert Earl Cushman Professor of Christian Theology, Duke University