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In my studies, a friend and I were working on a paper in which he had this translation and I had the translation that is found on the Vatican website. By using a translation with inclusive language, there is a greater danger for misunderstanding the teachings that were presented at this Council.
This translation of the Vatican 2 document I have strongly discouraged people from buying for two main reasons. I have studied Vatican 2 to a great degree, which have included comparing translations.
The Vatican 2 document were not written with inclusive language, but was written with exclusive language. The first reason is because of the inclusive language.
Anyone who wants to study any work, i believe, should read it the way it was written. The second reason is because I have found pieces missing.
We found several places where entire ideas of the Council Fathers were missing.
It is the Volume one of the two volume set. If you are going to study the document,s for your own edification, read the footnotes and you will see that the things they are quoting are the teachings of the Church and they are showing that they are in continuity with the Tradition. I have studied the Vatican II documents rather extensively and I am also completing my masters degree in theology, but i would have to say that this is probably the worst translation of the vatican II documents that you would ever buy. The fact my friends, the Catholic Church did not change its theology suddenly. It is the same Church, with the same teachings, in continuity with the same Tradition. The reason that i absolutely abhor this translation is because it has been stripped down so much by the "lets be super politically correct movement" that the actual reading of the text is lost in the liberal translation. This is evidenced in the footnotes.
In fact, a lot of times when you hear liberals spouting off Vatican II this and Vatican II that, the ideas that they are saying that Vatican II said are actually not what is in the documents. This is nothing against Flannery, in fact the non-inclusive language version is actually very good and i would recommend you to by that one instead. Vatican II did not suddenly make new teachings. After reading this version and comparing it to the other Flannery (non-inclusive language) version I could see why people think that the Catholic Church has completely changed and completely revolutionized its way of thinking. If you read the documents carefully you will see that there is a legitimate continuity in the Tradition of the Church. There is not a break between the pre-Vatican II Church and the post-Vatican II Church. Basically, what i am trying to say is look up the footnotes and don't buy this translation.
Along the lines of another reviewer, I wonder how many who talk of the "spirit of Vatican II" have actually read the "documents of Vatican II." Read these documents, so "we won't get fooled again".
This is an easy to understand translation of the documents of the Second Vatican Council. Flannary's translation is quite good compared with other translations of the documents. These documents are a good place to start if someone is trying to understand what the Catholic Church is about and what its proper role in the world is.
Yet Vatican II is being misquoted, misinterpreted. Vatican II has gotten a bad rap. "The spirit of Vatican II" has been used as an excuse for liturgical abuses, offenses against canon law, etc. Every faithful Catholic owes it to himself to know, first hand, what the council REALLY brought forth. This book will inspire you, impress you, and teach you.
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