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Swear to God: The Promise and Power of the Sacraments | 
 enlarge | Author: Scott Hahn
Publisher: Doubleday
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
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Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 107045
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 240
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.7 x 0.9
ISBN: 0385509316
Dewey Decimal Number: 234.16
EAN: 9780385509312
ASIN: 0385509316
Publication Date: May 18, 2004
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Product Description
The most solemn, majestic, and beautiful gifts that Jesus Christ gave to the world are His sacraments. He endowed them with unprecedented and unparalleled power—power to change lives, save souls, and share God’s very life. The sacraments are the ordinary means by which God directs the course of each human life and all of world history.
The Church celebrates seven sacraments: baptism, Eucharist, confirmation, matrimony, holy orders, confession, and anointing of the sick. Each was established by Jesus for the sake of salvation. When Jesus spoke of the sacraments, He made clear that they were essential: Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5) . . . unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of man and drink His blood, you have no life in you (Jn 6: 53).
In Swear to God, Dr. Scott Hahn explores the richness of Christ’s sacraments—their doctrine, history, symbols, and rituals. Drawing upon the Bible and the Church’s tradition, he shows how God’s covenants—with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David—became the driving forces in history. When Jesus came to fulfill all these covenants, He established a new covenant, with greater power than ever before. Christians are God’s children now. Joined to Christ by baptism, we can already share in the eternal life of the Trinity, a life we hope to know fully in heaven. But heaven is with us, even now, in the sacraments.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Restoring the heart of worship June 13, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
The apostle reminded us to "provoke one another to love and good works." Dr. Hahn has done that once again in this fascinating study of sacraments. Beginning with a discussion to define what sacraments are from Genesis to Jesus, then building on that basic understanding to a deeper understanding of the seven sacraments of the Roman Catholic Church, Dr. Hahn leads us into his own surprised excitement at discovering these truths of the faith. His strong Calvinist background gives him an unique perspective in comparing the Roman Catholic and Protestant understandings. Christians of both faiths will find much here to excite them and reinvigorate their participation in the sacraments. The content of this book could very well help you to restore the heart in your worship - both private and communal. Very helpful and rich with detail.
Highly Significant! September 17, 2006
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
Swear to God is a landmark book for Catholics. Most Catholics do not understand what it is they are doing when they receive the Sacraments. Every Catholic, regardless of how much you think you know about the faith, should read, ponder and contemplate this book.
Every Sacrament is a vow or oath to God that is a perpetuation of the ancient practices of Israel. Christ said several times He was not doing away with the Old Covenant, He was fulfilling it. Once you realize just what the Sacraments are and their tremendous significance, to us personally, to the Catholic Community and to the entire world, you will realize what it means to be the People of God.
Now you should read The Lamb's Supper, even if you have already read it. It means so much more once you understand God's Covenants with His people.
A dynamic and engaging book, refreshingly orthodox August 9, 2006
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Swear To God will not fail to disappoint, with the author's refreshingly orthodox approach to the Catholic faith and Scripture scholarship. The book focuses on the concept of the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church instituted by Jesus Christ: Baptism, Penance, Holy Communion, Confirmation, Matrimony, Holy Orders, and Extreme Unction. Hahn likens each of the sacraments to an agreement or a covenant, similar to those between God and His chosen people in Biblical times, between God and the members of His Church.
Being a member of a Calvinist-Christian denomination that only recognised two of the seven sacraments, Hahn admits he initially did not view the sacraments as an integral part of salvation. He investigated further, only to find he was being absorbed in a consuming appreciation and eventual love for the sacraments. As his search led him to the writings of St Paul and the Fathers of the early Church, Hahn found he was increasingly drawn to all seven sacraments.
Hahn believes many Catholics today have forgotten, or in many cases have simply never been taught, the awesome power of the sacraments as "actions with ultimate consequences ... matters of life and death". He seeks to remedy this situation by showing the amazing privilege that God has given to Christians worldwide through the sacraments since the beginning of history.
He defines the idea of a sacrament in terms of a covenant with God, which akin to any other agreement has direct consequences. He then demonstrates the continuity of covenants [sacraments] throughout Biblical times. Hahn offers an overall insight into each sacrament in the early chapters, then develops them individually and examines their various aspects more fully in later chapters. But it is only through full and active participation in the sacraments that their true meaning and sacredness as a direct communication with God can come to fruition. He writes, "in baptism, in the Mass, at our marriage, and in every sacrament we celebrate, we invoke the name of the Lord, and we bind ourselves by covenant oath. We swear not by our name, but by God's [name] ... we pledge ourselves to obey the Word of God, as revealed in Scripture and Tradition. We have bound ourselves to a covenant, and every covenant implies a law."
Swear To God is a dynamic book which fully achieves its purpose of showing Catholics and other Christians the unique and rich tradition of the seven sacraments. It engages the reader with amusing and, at times, sad anecdotes and memories all infused with a fervour for God and the Catholic Church realised over the course of time and a remarkable conversion journey.
Anyone seeking answers about the sacraments, or who, as Hahn himself formerly was, is simply "bored" with the sacraments, will find this book hard to resist.
 Oaths June 30, 2006
1 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is a good book, not great. Scott weakened my interest with his ongoing discussion on "oaths". I was looking for more discussion about the sacraments. He has written better books.
Excellent overview of the Sacraments August 25, 2005
3 out of 9 found this review helpful
Scott writes with a warm and witty style that keeps you entertained while you learn.
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