Do you have a vintage Catholic encyclopedia set? What’s the strangest or most fascinating page you’ve found?
It is within this latter category—specifically the intersection of language, grace, and ritual—that page 299 finds its significance.
In the vast landscape of theological and historical scholarship, few moments are as defining as the publication of the New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) between 1967 and 1974. For researchers, students of history, and the faithful, this work represented a monumental shift in intellectual transparency and academic rigor. Among the thousands of pages that comprise this magnum opus, specific citations have become touchstones for researchers. One such citation——serves as a fascinating case study into the depth, scope, and evolving nature of Catholic scholarship in the 20th century.
To understand page 299, one must first understand the architectural logic of the 1967 edition. Volume 14 of the NCE covers the topics from "Parens" to "Pope" (or, in some library cataloging systems, extends into "Pius" and "Politics" depending on the binding). This volume was published at a critical moment in Catholic history—just two years after the close of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The encyclopedia aimed to consolidate traditional Thomistic and Neoscholastic teachings while cautiously incorporating new biblical, historical, and liturgical insights.
If you have a set of the 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia gathering dust in a rectory library or a university stacks, do not treat it as obsolete. It is a photograph of the Church’s mind exactly 59 years ago—trying to articulate ancient truths in a language that had just been told it was allowed to breathe again.
The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia (Volume 14, page 299) notes that neither the term "Trinity" nor its explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament. It further describes the formal "one God in three Persons" dogma as a late 4th-century development not found in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. For more details, explore the analysis at wol.jw.org . Myth 4: God Is a Trinity - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
: For decades, the 1967 NCE was the gold standard in Catholic seminaries and university libraries. Citing page 299 is an appeal to a consensus of mid-20th-century Catholic scholarship, just before the post-conciliar reforms of the Ordo Paenitentiae (Rite of Penance, 1973) changed some of the practical forms.
This is where the 1967 text shows its conciliar colors. Prior editions might have focused solely on the hierarchy. But here, on page 299, the text acknowledges that the entire people of God, from bishop to baptised janitor, participate in the grasping of Revelation. This was radical for its time.
Today, I opened Volume 14: Pope to Revelation . And I turned specifically to page 299.
Flipping the Page on Vatican II: A Look at Volume 14, Page 299 (1967)
Do you have a vintage Catholic encyclopedia set? What’s the strangest or most fascinating page you’ve found?
It is within this latter category—specifically the intersection of language, grace, and ritual—that page 299 finds its significance.
In the vast landscape of theological and historical scholarship, few moments are as defining as the publication of the New Catholic Encyclopedia (NCE) between 1967 and 1974. For researchers, students of history, and the faithful, this work represented a monumental shift in intellectual transparency and academic rigor. Among the thousands of pages that comprise this magnum opus, specific citations have become touchstones for researchers. One such citation——serves as a fascinating case study into the depth, scope, and evolving nature of Catholic scholarship in the 20th century. new catholic encyclopedia -1967- volume 14 page 299
To understand page 299, one must first understand the architectural logic of the 1967 edition. Volume 14 of the NCE covers the topics from "Parens" to "Pope" (or, in some library cataloging systems, extends into "Pius" and "Politics" depending on the binding). This volume was published at a critical moment in Catholic history—just two years after the close of the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965). The encyclopedia aimed to consolidate traditional Thomistic and Neoscholastic teachings while cautiously incorporating new biblical, historical, and liturgical insights.
If you have a set of the 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia gathering dust in a rectory library or a university stacks, do not treat it as obsolete. It is a photograph of the Church’s mind exactly 59 years ago—trying to articulate ancient truths in a language that had just been told it was allowed to breathe again. Do you have a vintage Catholic encyclopedia set
The 1967 New Catholic Encyclopedia (Volume 14, page 299) notes that neither the term "Trinity" nor its explicit doctrine appears in the New Testament. It further describes the formal "one God in three Persons" dogma as a late 4th-century development not found in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. For more details, explore the analysis at wol.jw.org . Myth 4: God Is a Trinity - Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY
: For decades, the 1967 NCE was the gold standard in Catholic seminaries and university libraries. Citing page 299 is an appeal to a consensus of mid-20th-century Catholic scholarship, just before the post-conciliar reforms of the Ordo Paenitentiae (Rite of Penance, 1973) changed some of the practical forms. In the vast landscape of theological and historical
This is where the 1967 text shows its conciliar colors. Prior editions might have focused solely on the hierarchy. But here, on page 299, the text acknowledges that the entire people of God, from bishop to baptised janitor, participate in the grasping of Revelation. This was radical for its time.
Today, I opened Volume 14: Pope to Revelation . And I turned specifically to page 299.
Flipping the Page on Vatican II: A Look at Volume 14, Page 299 (1967)