Craig A. Satterlee, PhD, an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, is assistant professor of homiletics and co-director of the Doctor of Ministry program at the Lutheran School of Theology at

• ContentsList of Figures  xvPreface  xviiIntroduction  xxiiiChapter 1“You saw what is seen, but not what is done”: The Need for Mystagogy  1The Need for Mystagogy  4Hypothesis  8The Investigation  10Why Study Ambrose?  10Method  14Excursus: The Critical Problem of De sacramentis  20Chapter 2“Having been renewed by baptism, hold fast to the style of life that befits those who have been washed clean”: Setting the Stage  31Birth, Family, and Faith Formation  33Education  36The Governor and His City  38Election as Bishop  44The Bishop and the Empire  51Ambrose the Pastor  67The Moral Leader  72Ambrose’s Private Side  78Ambrose the Theologian  83Ambrose the Saint  84Chapter 3“I yield to my desire to teach”: Ambrose: The Preacher  87Ambrose the Preacher  89Ambrose on Preaching  93What Made Ambrose an Effective Preacher?  106Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of the Preacher  108Appraising Our Portrait  110Chapter 4“This family clothed in white”: The Newly Baptized of Milan: The Listeners  111Listening to the Listeners  112The Newly Baptized of Milan  116The Church of Milan  116The Decision to Be Baptized  120Mystagogy in Context  122Summary  123The Newly Baptized as Participants in Mystagogy  124Think, Feel, Decide, and Do  125The Neophytes’ Ability to Listen  126Involving the Neophytes in Mystagogy  127Catechetical Style  127Recreating the Neophytes’ Experience  136Speaking for the Neophytes  141Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of the Listeners  142Chapter 5“I shall begin now to speak of the sacraments which you have received”: Initiation in Milan: The Text  145Initiation in Milan  148Stage One: Enrollment  148Stage Two: Lenten Formation  149Lenten Instruction  149Fasting  151Scrutinies  152Creed  153Disciplina Arcani  155Stage Three: The Rites of Initiation  156Ephphatha  157Entrance into the Baptistry  158Prebaptismal Anointing  161Renunciation  163Exorcism and Consecration of the Water  165Baptism: Descent into the Font, Baptismal Profession and Immersion, Coming Out of the Pool  166Postbaptismal Anointing  170Washing of the Feet of the Neophytes  172Vesting with White Robes  174Spiritual Seal  176Procession to the Altar  179Stage Four: Easter Eucharist  180Liturgy and Mystagogy  185The Rites Are Inseparable from Scripture  185Explanation Follows Experience  186The Rites Are God’s Means of Giving Faith  188The Rites Are Specific and Authentic  190The Rites Are Means and Not Ends  191The Rites Are the Continuing Drama of Salvation  195The Rites Speak Symbolically  197The Rites Are a Mystery  197Interpretation of the Rites Is in Keeping with Their History, Structure, and Theology  198A Variety of Methods Is Used to Incorporate and Interpret the Liturgical “Text”  200Direct and Uncritical Transfer of the Text to the Listener  200Allegorical Interpretation of the Text  200Typological Interpretation of the Text  201Interpretation of the Intent of the Text  201Thematic Interpretation  202Interpretation by Translation of the Text  203Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of the Rites  204Chapter 6“Gather from the holy scriptures”: Interpreting the Rites  207The Importance of Scripture  209Selecting the Text  211Scripture and Mystagogy  219The Mystery of Scripture  220Methods of Interpretation  225Typology  225Allegory  230Construction of Intricate Chains of Reasoning  234Interpretation by Translation  238Direct and Uncritical Transfer of the Text  241Means of Incorporation  242Quotation  242Narration  243Summary  244Allusion  245Speaking the Bible  245Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of Scripture as Interpreter of the Rites  246Chapter 7“Milky speech”: The Shape of Mystagogy  249  The Shape of De sacramentis  250Overall Structure  250The Structure of the Sermons  252Using Inductive Reasoning  253Providing Definition  254Moving From Problem to Solution  256Progressing from the Lesser to the Greater  257Flashback  258Enriching the Structure  260Language  261Description  263Illustration  266Tone  269Summary  270Structure and Mystagogy  271Unity  272Ecclesial Consciousness  273Recognition  274Identification  276Anticipation  277Intimacy  278Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of the Shape of  Mystagogy  278Chapter 8“But now my voice grows weak and time is running out”: Mystagogy as Proclamation Event: Delivery  281Why Delivery Is Essential to Effective Preaching  282Essential Components of Effective Sermon Delivery  284The Preacher  284Attitude  284Character of the Preacher  285Habits  287Style and Method of Delivery  288Voice  293Nonverbal Communication  294The Liturgical Context  295The Architectural Setting  299Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of Sermon Delivery  304Chapter 9“We too are not without discernment”: Discerning a Method of Mystagogical Preaching  309Question Ambrose’s Assumptions  311God’s Presence and Activity in the Rites  311Church and Culture  312Explanation and Participation  317The Preacher: Steward of the Mysteries and Spiritual Guide  320The Patristic Approach to Scripture  322Summary  327Arrive at the Message  327Establish the “Text”  327Evaluate the Rites  328Interpret the Rites  329Begin with the Rites Themselves  329Turn to Scripture  331Use Several Tools of Interpretation  332Typology  332Allegory  334Chains of Reasoning  335Intent of the Text  336Translation  336Direct and Uncritical Transfer of the Text  336Pile Up Meanings  336Rely on the Church’s Tradition  337Spell Out the Implications of Participating in the Rites  338Summary  340Craft the Homily  340The Structure of Mystagogy  341Enriching the Structure  344Language  344Description  345Illustration  346Incorporate the Texts of Liturgy and Scripture  346Tone  347Summary  350Retrace the Journey  350The Preacher  351The Liturgical Context  352The Architectural Setting  353Applying Our Method  354Question Ambrose’s Assumptions  355Arrive at the Message  356Craft the Homily  358Retrace the Journey  362Reflection: The Pneumatic Dimension of a Method of Mystagogical Preaching  362Conclusion  364Bibliography  367Index  387

Satterlee convincingly demonstrates that Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, was both a great thinker and a sensitive pastor. The mystagogical preaching as 'sustained reflection on the rites of initiation' that Ambrose employed in the fourth century is still applicable for the present age. In the final analysis, Satterlee becomes like the one he studied - a highly skilled mystagogical preacher. In a time when good preaching is desperately needed, this book is most opportune.Michael S. Driscoll, University of Notre Dame