How much authority does an Imprimatur hold?

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Following a line of argument from an evangelical Christian source claiming the Catholic Church is too ecumenical and will not definitively pronounce that Jesus is the only name that saves. The claim is that the CC will be instrumental in ushering in a one world religion during the tribulation.

To support this claim, a quote is provided from a book written by a Catholic theologian published decades ago.

Here is the section of the book that is referenced to support the claim;

Jesus focused his teaching around the kingdom of God. His requirement for entrance into the kingdom was not so much belief in him as caring for our brothers and sisters.Thus he made love for others the primary prerequisite for the kingdom. Christians should therefore have no trouble admitting all kinds of people into the kingdom, including Jews, Buddhists, atheists and agnostics, so long as these people have tried to love others… Christians are called to spread the good news, but this mission does not mean converting the world to Christianity. It involves helping all peoples bring about the kingdom through life and example rather than by preaching and argument. [ISBN 0-8091-1873-4]

The kicker seems to be that the book had the Imprimatur of an Archbishop Peter Gerety,

Does a Bishop’s Imprimatur ensure the Church agrees with the contents of the publication?

How would you approach this line of argument? (never heard this one before)
 
What the stamps on Catholic Books mean and their translations:

Religious Superior’s stamp IMPRIMI POTEST “it can be printed”

Censor’s stamp NIHIL OBSTAT “nothing stands in the way”

Bishop’s stamp: IMPRIMATUR “let it be printed”

None of these are recommendations.

TITLE IV : THE MEANS OF SOCIAL COMMUNICATION AND BOOKS (name removed by moderator)ARTICULAR (Cann. 822 - 832)
Can. 827§3 It is recommended that books dealing with the subjects mentioned in §2, even though not used as basic textbooks, and any writings which specially concern religion or good morals, be submitted to the judgement of the local Ordinary.
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Can. 827§4 Books or other written material dealing with religion or morals may not be displayed, sold or given away in churches or oratories, unless they were published with the permission of the competent ecclesiastical authority or were subsequently approved by that authority.
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As the previous posters mentioned, it is not an endorsement. Most books even say something to the effect that the granting of the nihil obstat and imprimatur do not mean that those who granted them agree with everything in the book. It basically just means that, in their estimation, nothing in the book runs contrary to the faith.

It’s a negative statement. Saying that nothing in the book contradicts the faith does not mean that everything it says is true.

Unfortunatley, many seem to view the “imprimatur” as a sign that everything the book says is official, binding Catholic doctrine. Certain non-Catholics like to use that to play games of “Gotcha!” with Catholics who don’t know any better.
 
A book by a theologian is just a book by a theologian. It is not a magisterial pronouncement.

Not only that, but without actually reading the book in question, one does not know whether the summary provided is accurate. If what is written in the original post is an actual quote from the book, it does seem rather to lack the precision with which a theolgian might write.
 
JED8643 said:
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Following a line of argument from an evangelical Christian source claiming the Catholic Church is too ecumenical and will not definitively pronounce that Jesus is the only name that saves. The claim is that the CC will be instrumental in ushering in a one world religion during the tribulation.

To support this claim, a quote is provided from a book written by a Catholic theologian published decades ago.

Here is the section of the book that is referenced to support the claim;

Jesus focused his teaching around the kingdom of God. His requirement for entrance into the kingdom was not so much belief in him as caring for our brothers and sisters.Thus he made love for others the primary prerequisite for the kingdom. Christians should therefore have no trouble admitting all kinds of people into the kingdom, including Jews, Buddhists, atheists and agnostics, so long as these people have tried to love others… Christians are called to spread the good news, but this mission does not mean converting the world to Christianity. It involves helping all peoples bring about the kingdom through life and example rather than by preaching and argument. [ISBN 0-8091-1873-4]

The kicker seems to be that the book had the Imprimatur of an Archbishop Peter Gerety,

Does a Bishop’s Imprimatur ensure the Church agrees with the contents of the publication?

No.
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Further, I am always suspicious of quotes picked out of context. Frequently with theology books, one must look at the quote in the context of the overall argument being presented throughout the entire book. One cherry-picked quote doesn’t always mean what it appears it means in isolation.

That said, it wouldn’t be the first time an ambiguous theology book got an imprimatur. 🤷
 
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